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Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Elections Alberta cites NDP for inflating memberships during leadership race

By
Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
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Source: X

Elections Alberta has determined that the Alberta New Democratic Party violated election finance laws during its 2024 leadership race, after an investigation prompted by a United Conservative Party complaint.

The UCP faced a similar investigation surrounding their 2017 leadership vote. The RCMP concluded that for the UCP, no wrongdoing was committed.

The same cannot be said for the Alberta NDP, which Elections Alberta cited for violating the rules governing membership fees in the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act.

The Alberta UCP filed a complaint with Elections Alberta against the provincial NDP in Feb. 2024, claiming that the party was breaching the Elections Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act, which says that an annual membership fee is not considered a contribution.

The Act says that a membership fee cannot be considered a contribution if it does not exceed $50 and proper documentation is kept. 

In the initial complaint, the UCP also alleged that the NDP’s membership forms unlawfully equated membership fees with contributions, stating that the NDP constitution treated donations over $10 as automatic membership renewals, which violates election rules.

The Election Commissioner of Elections Alberta can investigate any complaint or allegation that may violate the legislation.

Elections Alberta issued a compliance agreement on July 31, 2024, that will be in effect for one year. 

“The Alberta NDP was not in compliance with the EFCDA when memberships were renewed as the result of an individual making a contribution in a subsequent year,” said the contravention summary. 

The province’s election regulator said that the Alberta NDP has taken corrective action and will implement various practices to ensure future sales of party memberships comply with legislation.

“When an Alberta NDP member makes a contribution in a subsequent membership year, the party will not automatically renew that person’s membership. If party membership is being continued, the contribution receipt should not include the membership fee; and the Alberta NDP must use a membership form that does not use the word ‘donation’ and, if it mentions contributions, that membership fees and contributions are treated distinctly,” reads the compliance agreement. 

Fines for violating the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act range from $1,000 to $100,000 for the most serious offences. Fines for violating a compliance agreement are capped at $5,000, according to the Local Authorities Elections Act.

Former Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi won the recent Alberta NDP leadership race on the first ballot with 86% of the vote.

“How many ‘NDP members’ are actually illegitimate now… Did Nenshi win the @albertaNDP leadership race because of these fake members?” asked Alberta Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen in a post to X.

In Dec. 2023, the Alberta NDP had 16,224 members. During the leadership campaign, this number grew to 85,144.

Amanda Freistadt, Chief Returning Officer of the Alberta NDP Leadership Race, said that the leadership rules set by the provincial council “ensured a process with a high level of integrity and transparency.”

Elections Alberta subsequently discovered that these rules were violated. 

The Alberta UCP posted to X, highlighting that the NDP was caught inflating both membership and donation numbers.

“They were literally giving way memberships to people who never bought them! You can’t trust a word they say about their numbers,” wrote the party.

Poilievre says government-funded media in conflict with free speech

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
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Source: Facebook

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said local journalism is in a “terrible” state in Canada because of the Liberal government’s hefty subsidies for the legacy media.

Poilievre made the comments last Thursday during an interview with The Lake Report, a Niagara-region local outlet.  The Conservative leader criticized the validity of the Local Journalism Initiative, a government program that funds the hiring of journalists to cover underserved communities using taxpayer dollars.

Journalists can be eligible to receive up to $60,000 per year under the program.

“It is terrible … how local journalism has done under nine years of Trudeau,” said Poilievre. “He’s tried to take it over and basically wants everyone to work for the government so that he can have regurgitated propaganda paid for by taxpayers.”

Poilievre accused the initiative, which was launched in 2019 and renewed this year, of being little more than a sounding board for the Trudeau government, alleging that government-funded media can not be aligned with freedom of speech. 

“I am looking into it. But more important than that, the question is how do we bring back free speech,” said Poilievre. 

Poilievre elaborated by adding that the “answer is journalists getting eyeballs so they can sell subscriptions and advertising, get sponsorships” and that the free press has relied on these models to make revenue historically.

Those who support the Local Journalism Initiative and other government legislation like the Online News Act, claim it protects media outlets from tech giants like Meta and Google. 

However, the implementation of such legislation led to news articles and links being banned from social media platforms as a way for Meta to skirt the financial obligations levied against them by the federal government for its use of Canadian news content, further hurting these outlets. 

A study by the Media Ecosystem Observatory found that Canadian news outlets have lost 85% of their engagement on Facebook and Instagram in the year following Meta’s news ban, a loss compensated slightly by increased engagement on other platforms like TikTok. 

However, the increase on other platforms has not recovered the loss, resulting in an overall decrease of 42.6% in online engagement. ​​

Poilievre argues that the internet, when not meddled with by bureaucrats, has had a positive impact on journalism because it has allowed more voices into the fray, offering varied opinions on important issues.  

“Media and journalism is stronger than ever today because we have the internet, which allows for more voices to reach Canadians and that competition is positive,” he said.

“We can’t have the government try to shut down the competition just to favour those who favour the political viewpoint of Justin Trudeau.”

Many Canadians seem to agree. 

A poll commissioned by True North and conducted by One Persuasion shows that 55% of Canadians either moderately or strongly agree that news media companies dependent on taxpayer funding are incapable of impartially reporting on the government. Only 32% of Canadians disagree with the sentiment while 13% are unsure. 

Younger Canadians are more distrustful of government subsidies to the legacy media, as 68% of men and 63% of women ages 18-34 agree subsidies hurt the media’s impartiality.

Those who voted for the federal Conservatives and People’s Party of Canada in 2021 are far more distrusting of the Trudeau government subsidizing the news media than their political adversaries, as 73% of Conservative voters and 80% of PPC voters believe the subsidies hurt the media’s impartiality.

However, an even number of Liberal and NDP voters sat on either side of the issue, with 44% of Liberal voters agreeing and disagreeing that government subsidies for the media affect neutrality. Similarly, 42% of NDP voters both agree and disagree about the effect government subsidies have on the media’s reporting.

Ontario municipalities demand province intervenes in homelessness crisis 

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
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Source: Ted McGrath / Flickr

The Association of Municipalities of Ontario is asking the province for funding and guidance on how to deal with the 1,400 homeless encampments across Ontario cities and towns reported last year.

The organization is looking for help to house and support the growing number of homeless people, which it found has become a serious problem for communities throughout the province. 

“While municipalities did not create the homelessness crisis, they are being forced to manage it without the resources or tools to sufficiently respond,” wrote the association in a report.

“Municipalities are often caught balancing the important needs of unsheltered people living in encampments, who deserve to be treated with empathy and respect, and a responsibility to ensure our communities are safe and vibrant places for all residents.”

According to the AMO, several municipalities have already sought injunctions to deal with encampments and they are now calling on the Ontario government to provide some guidance on what the next steps should be. 

However, turning to court proceedings can be costly, time-consuming and politically divisive.

Municipalities are seeking help from the province to provide supportive housing, which would include on-site resources for mental health and addictions for those who wind up living in encampments. 

The AMO is also requesting that the Ontario government allow people who are homeless to collect welfare, disability support and shelter benefits. 

“Currently, because they do not have shelter costs, people who are homeless are not entitled to receive shelter benefits. This means that homeless people on ODSP/OW receive around $500/$400 less per month than the average monthly rates ($1308/$733),” reads the AMO report. 

“Amending OW and ODSP policies to provide the shelter allowance to homeless individuals is a key way that the province can make progress on homelessness.”

Justine Teplycky, director of communications for Ontario Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Paul Calandra said that Ontario is spending $700 million a year on community and supportive housing, which provides Toronto and Ottawa with over $240 million for shelter and homelessness support.

Teplycky also said in a statement that Ontario’s spring budget included an additional $396 million over the next three years for mental health and addiction services.

“We continue to call on the federal government to step up, pay their fair share and take more responsibility for the consequences of their policies that have escalated the number of individuals facing homelessness,” she said.

In the Liberals’ most recent budget announcement, a further $250 million was set aside for addressing homeless encampments as part of its National Housing Strategy, a figure that the AMO is calling on Ontario to match. 

However, the parliamentary budget officer said that while the feds have allotted around $561 million annually toward homelessness programs, an additional $3.5 billion per year would still be required to tackle only 50% of the problem. 

Despite the new funding, however, building permits dropped again in June by 13.9%, continuing the trend of a softening housing market.

The federal Conservatives recently put out a scathing ad about the exponential number of homeless encampments which have popped up in recent years, laying the blame on the Trudeau government. 

Conservative Shadow Minister for Housing Scott Aitchinson criticized the prime minister for his handling of housing in a statement to True North on Tuesday. 

“Trudeau continues to reward city gatekeepers who block housing and he continues to spend more money than any other OECD nation on housing only to get the worst results,” said Aitchinson. 

Off the Record | Liberals blame Stephen Harper for everything

By
Rachel Parker
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Source: Facebook

An alleged ISIS terrorist entered Canada at some point after 2015, obtained Canadian citizenship and then was apprehended last month for planning a terrorist attack in Toronto. Instead of taking responsibility for this fiasco or even revoking the alleged terrorist’s citizenship, the Trudeau Liberals are – once again – blaming former Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Is anyone surprised by this desperate tactic any more?

Plus, despite declining viewership, advertising revenue and mass layoffs, CBC executives believe they deserved $18.4 million in bonuses. It’s no wonder the majority of Canadian taxpayers want to defund the CBC entirely or in part.

And shots fired! Governor of Floria Ron DeSantis mocked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Stanley Cup record.

Tune into Off the Record with Rachel Emmanuel, William McBeath and Isaac Lamoureux!

Iranian regime awards Vancouver activist who called Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack “heroic”

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa, True North Wire
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Source: Iran's Ofogh TV

An activist who serves as the international coordinator of a pro-Palestine group in Vancouver that is accused of having ties with a terrorist group recently travelled to Iran to receive a reward for her so-called activism. 

Charlotte Kates from Samidoun, the Palestinian Prisoners Solidarity Network, has frequently echoed Islamist propaganda both in Canada and abroad. 

While in Tehran, Iran on Aug 4, Kates was honoured by the theocratic Islamist regime with the Islamic Human Rights and Human Dignity Award on Aug.

Kates has most recently drawn widespread condemnation for her remarks during a Vancouver protest earlier this year, in which she praised the deadly October 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, which she described as “brave” and “heroic.” 

These comments, made publicly and reiterated during a recent interview with Iran’s state television network Ofogh TV, have intensified calls from Jewish advocacy groups and political figures to take action against her and Samidoun’s presence in Canada.

According to reports, Kates was born in the U.S. and her residency status in Canada is undetermined. Groups like B’nai Brith Canada have called on her and her husband Khaled Barakat to be deported from the country over their activism.

 “They want to criminalize speaking about the resistance. I spoke about the brave, heroic October 7 operation and the legitimacy of the Palestinian resistance and why I want to get the resistance organizations off the so-called terror list,” said Kates during her interview on Ofogh TV posted online by the Middle East Media Research Institute.

During her interview in Iran, Kates can be seen wearing a hijab – a mandatory requirement for women enforced with the threat of imprisonment by Iran’s theocratic dictatorship. However, other videos of her activism while in Canada show Kates with her head bare and donning short hair. 

Kates referred to the legitimacy of “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood” which is the term Hamas terrorists have designated to the Oct. 7 attack. A total of 1,200 Israelis were killed in one of the most severe terror attacks in recent history. Another 200 were taken hostage – many of whom remain in captivity. 

Samidoun has long been under scrutiny for its alleged affiliations with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a group designated as a terrorist organization by Canada, Germany, and Israel.

Jewish groups in Canada have been vocal in their demands for Samidoun to be similarly designated as a terrorist organization, citing its close ties to the PFLP and its alleged promotion of terrorism.

During the interview on Iranian state television Kates went even further, arguing that groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad—organizations widely recognized as terrorist entities in Canada—should instead be seen as “resistance fighters.”

True North reached out to Samidoun to allow Kates to clarify and elaborate on her remarks. 

Kates was arrested by the Vancouver Police Department in June under hate speech provisions. Kates’ arrest received the attention of the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association which called for any potential charges to be dismissed citing “constitutionally protected expression.” 

The Daily Brief | Canadians want to defund the CBC

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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Source: Facebook

An exclusive True North poll reveals that most Canadians want to see the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation defunded to some degree.

Plus, police have determined a tent fire at an immigration protest in Prince Edward Island was not set by the government or racist Canadians as protesters initially claimed.

And as British Columbians head towards a fall election, BC United wants to eliminate income taxes for 60% of the province.

Tune into The Daily Brief with Cosmin Dzsurdzsa and William McBeath!

Majority of Canadians agree media’s reliance on gov funding impedes impartial reporting

By
Noah Jarvis, True North Wire
-
Source: X

As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau continues to lavish the media sector with taxpayer funding, a majority of Canadians say that government subsidies prevent the news media from reporting the news neutrally.

A poll commissioned by True North and conducted by One Persuasion shows that 55% of Canadians either moderately or strongly agree that news media companies dependent on taxpayer funding are incapable of impartially reporting on the government. Only 32% of Canadians disagree with the sentiment while 13% are unsure. 

Younger Canadians are more distrustful of government subsidies to the legacy media, as 68% of men and 63% of women ages 18-34 agree subsidies hurt the media’s impartiality.

Those who voted for the federal Conservatives and People’s Party of Canada in 2021 are far more distrusting of the Trudeau government subsidizing the news media than their political adversaries, as 73% of Conservative voters and 80% of PPC voters believe the subsidies hurt the media’s impartiality.

However, an even number of Liberal and NDP voters sat on either side of the issue, with 44% of Liberal voters agreeing and disagreeing that government subsidies for the media affect neutrality. Similarly, 42% of NDP voters both agree and disagree about the effect government subsidies have on the media’s reporting.

Even 46% of Bloc Québécois voters and 52% of Green Party supporters think government funding of the media impacts their reporting’s impartiality, creating a cross-party consensus on the issue. 

In 2019, the Trudeau government pledged $595 million for qualifying news organizations to help subsidize the wages of journalists in newsrooms nationwide.

The Trudeau government also passed the Online News Act in 2023 to force digital platforms like Facebook and Google to pay news media organizations to allow them to post news links on their platforms.

Earlier this year, the heads of several independent news organizations along with some freelance journalists signed the Ottawa Declaration on Canadian Journalism denouncing the current subsidy regime that the Trudeau government has imposed on the news media landscape.

Signatories of the declaration include True North’s Candice Malcolm, Derek Fildebrandt of the Western Standard, Jonathan Kay of Quillette, freelance journalist Paul Wells, and The Hub’s Sean Speer. 

An online panel of 1,005 Canadians were surveyed for the poll between August 2-7, 2024. The margin of error is +/- 3.1%, nineteen times out of twenty and the results have been balanced to match the demographics of Canada.

Ratio’d | Are Canadians worried about collapsing birth rates?

By
Harrison Faulkner
-

Canada’s birth rate continues to hit historic lows but is this a concern to Canadians? Canada’s birth rate of 1.3 children per woman is the lowest it has ever been. Meanwhile Canada continues to grow at record pace with one of the highest immigration rates in the world.

On the latest episode of Ratio’d, Harrison Faulkner takes to the streets of Toronto to ask Canadians if they are concerned about this statistic or if they don’t care about collapsing birth rates.

Watch the latest episode of Ratio’d!

Liberals stay mum on CBC President Catherine Tait’s bonus approval

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
-
Source: X

The Liberal government refuses to address whether it approved a bonus for CBC President Catherine Tait amid calls to end bonuses for CBC executives from opposition parties, the Conservatives and the NDP. 

Tait’s bonus would have had to first be approved by the federal government, following a review of her annual performance and on recommendation from the CBC/Radio-Canada’s board of directors. 

True North asked the CBC who approved the bonus but the question was deferred to the federal government.

Media outlets asked Canadian Heritage, the department responsible for overseeing the Crown corporation, who then kicked the question over to the Privy Council Office.

However, the Privy Council Office wouldn’t answer either, citing privacy laws as the reason, despite disclosing such information to the public in the past. 

Tait was summoned before the House of Commons heritage committee in May to discuss her bonus pay, however, the meeting was shut down by Liberal MPs after she refused to do so. 

While Tait confirmed that she received a bonus for the 2021-22 fiscal year, she would not disclose the actual amount of the bonus. She also told the committee that she had not received a bonus for the 2022-23 fiscal year. 

Her salary ranges between $468,900 and $551,600 and the government is responsible for setting her bonus amount, which may be anywhere from 7% to 28% of her salary, should she meet the required criteria to receive one.

Following news that the CBC issued another round of bonuses for its executives and nonunion employees for last year, which amounted to $18.4 million, the Conservatives are now calling for Tait to return before the committee to provide details on her latest round of “performance pay.”

The NDP hasn’t yet made calls for Tait to return before the committee.

The CBC quietly announced the 2022-23 bonuses only days after the House of Commons closed for summer recess, despite recent layoffs and struggling viewership.

The state-funded broadcaster eliminated hundreds of jobs from its organization and laid off 141 employees between December 2023 and March of this year, which resulted in members of the committee unanimously agreeing that it would be inappropriate for the CBC to approve any bonuses for last year in a House of Commons report. 

The Privy Council Office is refusing to say if the board had recommended a bonus for Tait, or if the federal government was responsible for signing off on the decision. 

“Trudeau and his handpicked CBC head, Catherine Tait, have worked to ensure that despite an appalling legacy, the CBC dolled out over $18 million in bonuses at the taxpayer’s expense,” said Heritage critic Rachael Thomas in a post to X on Wednesday.

“Top executives were rubber-stamped to receive more than the average Canadian makes in a year. How much did Trudeau reward Tait in her bonus? Canadians must know. Recall committee. Defund the CBC.”

The Liberal Party of Canada did not respond to True North’s request for comment.

Tent fire at PEI, immigration protest encampment, determined to be an “accident” 

By
Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
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Source: X

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to reflect new information released by the Charlottetown Police Services.

Police have determined a tent fire at an immigration protest in Prince Edward Island was not set by the government or racist Canadians as protesters initially claimed. 

Investigators have ruled the fire accidental and stated that a burning mosquito coil started the fire.

Liberal MP Sean Casey walked back statements he made Tuesday in which he sided with foreign worker protesters, claiming the tent fire was an “act of intimidation” and blamed the “proliferation of online abuse” for the incident without any evidence to back up the claim.

“Yesterday, I issued a statement condemning the recent tent fire at the encampment where individuals have been peacefully protesting policy changes to PEI’s Immigration system. I have since been informed by the Charlottetown Police that their investigation determined the cause of the fire to be accidental,” the MP for Charlottetown said on Facebook. “While it is a relief to know that this incident was not a deliberate act of intimidation, the situation still serves as a stark reminder of the challenges and risks faced by those who exercise their right to peaceful protest.”

The protesters have demanded permanent residency from the PEI government for nearly 100 days in response to the provincial government’s announcement that it would cut the number of permits it provides in the Provincial Nominee Program by 25% amid high unemployment.

PEI’s unemployment rate continues to climb. In July, the government reported that the island faced 8.9% unemployment, a 0.9% increase from the previous year.

The fire broke out at the foreign resident protest encampment at St. Paul’s Church, across the street from the George Coles Building, the province’s legislature.

The protesters are led by Palwinder Pal Singh, an Indian man who came to Canada on an international study permit who’s worried that he wouldn’t get a PR permit because his field of study was not listed as a required field by the province. 

The protesters led by Singh posted a video to social media claiming the fire was a targeted act of racist violence.

“While we are outside since last 93 days protesting peacefully. Someone tried to burn us while we were asleep,” the protesters said. “There is much more in life apart from Racism. This was one of greatest cowardice act we ever witnessed. Tried to hurt someone when they are asleep.”

The photo shared on social media of the fire appears to show two small and separate fires burning from inside the tent.

In the comments of the original post, one X user noted that tents are very flammable. The commenter believes the protesters would likely have had to run out of the tent immediately from their sleep, snap a quick photo of the fire before putting out the flames, and miss the arsonist who set the separate fires from inside the tent.

The temporary foreign worker protesters staged two hunger strikes in the past throughout their protests and stated they were willing to die in PEI for the protest last May.

Another group from Brampton, Stand for Immigrant Workers, posted a video in solidarity with the PEI protesters, claiming that the fire was started by “racist bodies” or the Canadian government. 

“If there is any damage to any PWP (Post-graduation work permit) holder, then the federal government is going to be accountable for that,” the Brampton protesters claimed.

The group tagged Protest PEI, which has not taken down the video.

 “None of this is surprising and it’s predictable that a Liberal MP like Sean Casey would immediately rush to the defence of these protesters. He assumed the worst of his own voters – that one of his own constituents would intentionally try and set this encampment on fire,” said True North journalist Harrison Faulkner. 

Faulkner has been covering the protest on his show Ratio’d since May.

“(Casey’s statements) shows how out of touch members of this government are with their own voters and the mass immigration situation. Canadians aren’t attacking these people because that’s not how Canadians behave,” he told True North. “It is clear, however, that Canadians don’t have much sympathy for these protesters or the PEI government. Knowingly blaming Canadians for committing crimes that didn’t happen is disgraceful behaviour.”

Neither Sean Casey nor the Charlottetown police services responded to True North’s requests for information or comment. 

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