True North

(This column originally appeared in the Toronto Sun)

Everybody seems to love Justin Trudeau.

Our prime minister is something of a whiz kid when it comes to getting positive news coverage, whether it’s for memorizing a few lines about quantum computing, striking cool yoga poses, declaring himself a ‘feminist’ over and over and over, or for taking perfect selfies with refugees, bureaucrats at Global Affairs Canada and even Chinese Panda bears.

Journalists all over the world swarm Trudeau at international summits and swoon over his good looks. He’s been called “dreamy,” “charming,” “handsome,” and a “genuine heartthrob.”

But the international fanboys and fangirls got to see a different side of Trudeau late last month. Many at home and around the world were surprised, and quite frankly dumbfounded, to hear Canada’s progressive Prime Minister offer glowing praise for ruthless Cuban socialist dictator Fidel Castro.

Following Castro’s long-awaited and much-anticipated death in late November, the government of Canada released Trudeau’s statement, claiming to speak on behalf of all Canadians.

Trudeau said it was “with deep sorrow” that he learned of the passing of “Cuba’s longest serving President.” (Dictators who ban political opponents, independent journalists and democratic elections tend to rule for a long time.)

Trudeau spoke of Castro’s “tremendous dedication and love for the Cuban people” and for their “deep and lasting affection” back at him. (Don’t tell that to the families of those killed by firing squad, the refugees whose boats were bombed as they tried to flee, or those who starve and suffer in political prisons.)

Trudeau praised the murderous tyrant, putting his family’s friendship with the Castros ahead of common sense and compassion to those who suffered under Castro’s heavy-handed rule.

Many were left wondering, how could Trudeau be that stupid?

Well, for Canadians who pay attention to Trudeau, this is nothing new. Trudeau has a long history of saying strange and off-putting things; things that make many Canadians feel embarrassed and uncomfortable.

The truth about Trudeau is, he isn’t always very serious.

His career before politics was uninspiring. He did odd jobs, travelled the world, taught drama and elementary French, and charged tens of thousands of dollars to give speeches. Before he became an MP, Trudeau was the type of guy you wouldn’t want your sister or daughter to bring over for dinner.

Even after he became an MP, Trudeau seemed like an aloof party boy. He said that budgets balance themselves and that…(READ MORE)

– Candice Malcolm’s latest book is now available atStupidThingsTrudeauSays.ca

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is taking cues from failed Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

He should proceed with caution, because things didn’t end well for her.

Clinton was running against one of the most reviled (by Democrats) Republican opponents in U.S. political history.

She had glowing endorsements from the media, unions, Wall Street, Hollywood, even many Republicans.

Yet she managed to lose.

Clinton was an uninspiring candidate, yes.

But what really sunk her campaign — no, it wasn’t the Russians — was that allegations of political corruption followed her wherever she went.

Then there was the Clinton Foundation, where

Hillary and Bill Clinton seemed particularly shameless about how they raised money.

While Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State, the Clinton Foundation received tens of millions in “donations” from Saudi princes and other Islamist dictatorships.

Officials from Qatar promised a $1 million donation and sought a private meeting with Bill Clinton. The gift was received, and yet, never declared to the State Department. It is not known if this meeting took place.

You can’t make this stuff up.

And that’s where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau comes in. We learned two disturbing revelations this week about the way Trudeau raises money.

First, Trudeau said he gets lobbied at Liberal Party fundraisers.

Second, we learned about foreign donations to his family’s charity, the Trudeau Foundation.

News broke in late November that the Liberal Party of Canada was hosting private fundraising events featuring Trudeau, with tickets selling for $1,500-a-pop.

Attendees at a May, 2016 event included wealthy Chinese businessmen with financial interests in Canada.

According to the Globe and Mail, Zhang Bin, an advisor to the Chinese Communist government, attended the dinner and it was soon thereafter announced Zhang Bin would be donating to Trudeau’s pet causes.

Zhang donated $750,000 to the University of Montreal, $200,000 to the Trudeau Foundation and $50,000 to build a statue of Justin’s father, former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau.

(The Foundation says the negotiations for the donations occurred before the fundraiser and that Justin Trudeau resigned from the Foundation in December, 2014.).

Another attendee at the $1,500-per-person fundraiser, Chinese banker Shenglin Xian, had a banking licence pending approval before the federal government, according to the Globe.

A few weeks later, his bank, Wealth One, was given final approval to operate in Canada.

(A Liberal party spokesman says Xian’s application was not discussed at the fundraiser.)

But after weeks of Liberals denying any lobbying had taken place at these private fundraisers, Trudeau, during his year-end news conference, said Liberal donors do use their access at such events to lobby him. (READ MORE)

Last week, Postmedia News obtained a report by the Canada Border Services Agency. The documents revealed that “in the next three years, Mexican drug cartels are expected to expand their presence in Canada by sending operatives and recruiting local airport or marine port workers with ties to Mexico” as a result of the Trudeau’s government’s decision to lift the visa requirement for Mexican travelers. This shouldn’t be news to the Liberal government. As True North’s Candice Malcolm pointed out, Mexico has a bad reputation for being a launching pad for criminal networks and terrorist organizations seeking to gain stealth entry into North America. A visa requirement was put in place on Mexican visitors to deter bogus refugee claims. Justin Trudeau’s decision to lift the visa requirement on Mexican travelers was reckless and has put Canadians’ safety at risk.

Last week, fifteen former clients of an imprisoned B.C. immigration consultant have now been deported to China. Despite the left’s denial, immigration fraud is alive and well. The individuals being deported were taking advantage of Canada’s generous immigration system, faking their education, their jobs, and even their residencies. In this case alone, 1300 people are either being deported or facing possible deportation. Kudos to the Canada Border Services Agency for their due diligence in this case. Is it time for a stricter immigration system in Canada? The Trudeau government doesn’t believe so.

The Trudeau government has failed Syrian refugees in Canada. The Prime Minister can shed tears, pat himself on the back, and do as many photo ops as he wishes but it doesn’t change the fact that many refugees are struggling with their new lives in Canada. Like with any problem this government has encountered in its mandate, they throw money at the problem. Unfortunately for them, Syrian refugees are not integrating into Canadian society and only half of adult Syrian refugees have found jobs. The tab is now on the provincial governments.  

(This column originally appeared in the Toronto Sun)

The Trudeau government is quietly working to strike a deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

After becoming Prime Minister, Trudeau lifted virtually all economic sanctions against Iran. During the UN General Assembly meeting in September, Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion met with regime officials to discuss the status of Canada-Iran relations.

Then, just last month, two Iranian MPs in the Trudeau government hosted an invitation-only roundtable with members of the Iranian community in Toronto. The event was held to discuss re-opening diplomatic ties – but was criticized for being stacked with pro-regime voices.

So, why should Canada reengage with the world’s number one state-sponsor of terrorism?

The Harper government cut diplomatic ties with Iran in 2012, following Great Britain’s decision to do the same after the UK embassy in Tehran was raided and ransacked. There was, and continues to be, fear for the safety of Westerners in Iran, since the regime routinely kidnaps visitors and uses them as pawns in government negotiations.

Besides the safety of our diplomats, there are many other reasons why Canada cut ties with Iran.

Its elite military unit – the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corp – is listed as a terrorist entity under Canada’s Criminal Code. Iran openly funds and trains other terrorist groups, including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Taliban.

Iran has maniacal nuclear ambitions. It wants the capacity to build a nuclear weapon, which it once claimed would be used to “wipe Israel off the map.”

Iran is a regional pest. It openly works to destabilize countries across the Middle East – from Syria to Yemen, Saudi Arabia to Afghanistan.

Iran shamelessly props up Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, who continues to massacre civilians in the most gruesome and tragic war of our time.

Iran is, categorically, without a doubt, a villain on the world stage.

But that’s not even the main reason why Canada should avoid Iran. Canada must proceed with caution because the Iranian regime is a danger to our internal security.

In 2012, the Canadian government posted a notice on the Iranian embassy door ordering all Iranian officials to leave the country within five days. We wanted regime officials out of Canada as quickly as possible.

That’s because Iran uses its embassies to spy, to undermine the West and to promote Islamist terrorism. For instance, Hamid Mohammadi, a diplomat working as a “cultural counsellor” in the Iranian embassy…(READ MORE)

(This column originally appeared in the Toronto Sun)

It has been exactly one year since Canada opened its doors to the first wave of Syrian refugees.

We have now welcomed more than 35,000 Syrian newcomers through churches, charities, community organizations and government-funded resettlement groups.

During this time, we have learned that admitting the refugees was the easy part.

What happens next is far more challenging.

These newcomers must be engaged, welcomed into our communities and encouraged to join the Canadian family.

There must be a deliberate effort to ensure they learn the local languages, integrate into our economy and accept and adopt Canadian values.

We want them to become truly Canadian.

This important work of integration has too often fallen by the wayside.

The Canadian Senate released a report this week on Syrian refugee resettlement efforts. Its findings are discouraging.

During months of hearings, refugee resettlement workers emphasized the lack of planning, resources and care made available by the Trudeau government.

There were stories about poor living conditions, a failure to provide food and shelter to newcomers and unreasonable queues for language training classes.

There were also stories about Syrians who wished to return to Syria rather than being stuck in Canada.

We heard the same thing over and over again.

Our government is failing many Syrians during this pivotal moment in their transition to life in Canada.

This failure starts with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau himself.

His government often seems more concerned with the public relations aspect of the Syrian refugee program than proper integration.

Now, we have proof this is the case.

An access to information request, filed by the Rebel Media’s Christopher Wilson, revealed how the Trudeau government prioritized a photo opportunity ahead of the needs of refugees arriving in Canada.

Government staff were scrambling to get Syrians to sign privacy waivers to ensure they could be photographed with Trudeau and other Liberal politicians upon arrival.

“We have the forms to be signed. The ideal would be for this to happen prior to departure in Beirut (knowing that people can change their minds),” wrote a staffer in an internal email.

Rather than focusing on a genuine plan to welcome and resettle these refugees, government officials were apparently focused on making sure Trudeau got the perfect photo with the Syrian refugees.

That is shameful. We must do better.

The Senate report contained plenty of recommendations on how the government can do more to help Syrian refugees.

But not if the Trudeau government puts its political interests ahead of the interests of both Syrian newcomers and Canadians.

It is now up to individuals, families and communities to pick up where the Trudeau government has failed.

We must ensure that Canada does not follow in the footsteps of Europe, where closed and isolated Muslim communities have often created social divisions and major security threats.

The Christmas season is a perfect opportunity for Canadians to offer a helping hand.

If there are Syrians or any refugees in your community, say hello and make them feel welcome.

Invite them to your Christmas party, a holiday concert or to a community or church event.

Volunteer to work with refugees and donate to a local food bank.

Show them Canada is an open and welcoming place.

Our government may only care about refugees when news cameras are around, but it is our duty to care about them all the time.

Last week marked the one-year anniversary of when the first group of Syrian Refugees arrived in Canada. December begins the so-called “Month 13”, when financial aid from the federal government stops for some government-sponsored refugees, leaving provincial governments to pick up the tab. Many refugees fear what lies ahead for their future in Canada. Overwhelming evidence suggests that Justin Trudeau’s interest in Syrian Refugees ended with the selfies at Pearson Airport when the first group of refugees arrived. 

There are a number of cases of Syrian Refugees failing to integrate successfully across the country – such things as failing to learn an official language or finding a job. Statistics show that only about 10 per cent of refugees found employment in their first year in Canada. This shouldn’t come as news to the federal government – refugees, provincial governments, and immigration services have told the government numerous times that there are a lack of resources available to the refugees in Canada. Moreover, privately sponsored refugees have found much better success in integrating into Canada yet some private sponsors are STILL waiting on the government to provide them with a family to sponsor. What started off as an election promise by the Trudeau Liberals has turned into a nightmare for Canadian taxpayers and the refugees.

As True North’s Candice Malcolm said, “Trudeau has developed a penchant for putting international interests ahead of the best interests of Canadians”. Time and time again, this has proved to be true – particularly last week.

First, Justin Trudeau demonstrates his lack of ethics by hosting under-the-radar fundraisers with wealthy Chinese millionaires and officials from the People’s Republic of China. One of the attendees even said he lobbied Justin Trudeau to make it easier for well-heeled investors from China to come to Canada. He said he told Mr. Trudeau the program put in place by the former Conservative government was “too harsh”. We can’t make this stuff up…

Second, Justin Trudeau lifts the visa requirement for Mexican travelers. Why? We’re not exactly sure why. But we do know that this will cost the taxpayers $262 million over the next decade, in part to deal with the surge of asylum seekers. This was a figure estimated by the Canadian government because they are well-aware of the fact that anyone on Canadian soil can ask Canada for asylum. Did we mention that Mexico has a huge drug and crime problem? Did we also mention that prior to the visa being placed by the previous Conservative government, Mexico had one of the highest rate of bogus refugee claims? Again, we can’t make this stuff up. Justin Trudeau has demonstrated time-and-time again that international interests matter more than what’s best for Canada. 

(This column originally appeared in the Toronto Sun)

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has finally followed through on a major election campaign pledge – a promise he made not to Canadians, but to Mexicans. As of this week, Mexican travelers are now permitted to enter Canada without a visa.

The decision to lift the visa requirement for Mexicans will surely win Trudeau favours with his buddy Enrique Peña Nieto, Mexico’s President. But what will it mean for Canadians?

According to a regulatory analysis done by the government of Canada, the decision will cost Canadian taxpayers $433.5 million over 10 years in increased law enforcement resources due to fake refugee claims.

Mexico struggles with basic law and order issues stemming from a hostile drug war that has persisted for over a decade. Without a visa requirement, anyone from Mexico will simply be able to show up on our Canadian doorstep without prior notice.

Thanks to Canada’s incredibly lenient – if at times naïve – refugee policy, anyone on Canadian soil can claim to be a refugee and ask Canada for asylum.

This creates a perverse incentive for people from around the world, including criminals, fraudsters, human smugglers and the odd terrorist, to buy a one-way ticket to Canada to take advantage of our generosity.

Visa requirements for countries with a track record of nefarious activities helps Canadian officials screen visitors to ensure they do not have a criminal background, history with organized crime networks or terrorist affiliates, and to ensure they plan to eventually leave Canada.

In 2008, prior to the visa requirement, nearly 10,000 Mexicans claimed to be refugees and asked for asylum in Canada. Because of Canada’s generous social programs, these applicants gained immediate access to healthcare, education, housing and monthly welfare cheques.

Of those 10,000 asylum-seekers, only about 10% were found to be bona fide refugees according to Canadian law and United Nations definitions. The other 90% were rejected or abandoned, requiring deportations courtesy of the Canadian taxpayer.

Not only was this an expensive undertaking, it also caused significant national security concerns. Mexico has a bad reputation for being a launching pad for criminal networks and terrorist organizations seeking to gain stealth entry into North America.

In 2009, the Harper government slapped a visa requirement on Mexican visitors, and the problem quickly went away. By 2013, there were only 84 refugee claims from Mexican nationals, the majority of which were accepted as legitimate refugees.

And yet, without providing a coherent explanation as to why Canada should change course, Trudeau has cancelled a visa policy that has served Canada well. Instead, Trudeau’s decision will cost taxpayers an additional $433.5 million, while also undermining national security and blurring our borders.

Trudeau has developed a penchant for putting international interests ahead of the best interests of Canadians.

In recent weeks, he’s visited…(READ MORE)

(This column originally appeared in the Toronto Sun)

Justin Trudeau has a habit of putting his foot in his mouth and saying silly and embarrassing things.

Last weekend, however, when he praised Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, Trudeau didn’t just embarrass himself. He embarrassed all Canadians.

In a statement that claimed to speak on behalf of all of us, Trudeau sent a message that is counter to our way of life, our principles and the very heart of Canadian identity.

He praised the communist dictator, and called him a “remarkable leader.” He said Castro was “a larger than life leader,” and wrongly stated that “even detractors recognized his tremendous dedication and love for the Cuban people.”

Trudeau’s fawning over Castro was quickly repudiated and condemned by voices across the political spectrum and around the world.

When news broke of Castro’s death last weekend, I went to the Miami neighbourhood of Little Havana – the largest Cuban diaspora community in the world. I saw first-hand how Cuban-Americans celebrated the end of Castro’s wicked life.

I spoke to a woman whose family had their property seized when Castro took power in 1959. Her husband was forced to do manual labour on a farm, despite having had a successful career in business.

I spoke to another man whose brother was arrested and killed by a firing squad. He was never charged or convicted of a crime, his family was never told why he was killed.

I spoke to a man who came to Florida as a ten-month old. His mother packed up the family in the middle of the night and they fled Cuba on a rickety old boat.

“He was a monster, he was a tyrant, a criminal and a communist, and my people have been suffering (from) him for 57 years,” said Emilio, a Cuban-born exile living in Miami.

The messages I heard were consistent, and they were clear. Fidel Castro is finally dead, and both Cubans and freedom-loving people all over the world have cause for hope and celebration.

Castro was one of the few remaining communist dictators, left over from one of the darkest chapters in human history. His regime was responsible for tens of thousands of deaths, hundreds of thousands of exiles and millions of lives ruined.

It’s no surprise that the Cubans I spoke with had such harsh words for…(READ MORE)

Last week, Prime Minister Trudeau made international headlines for issuing a statement romanticizing Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. Trudeau said he was mourning “a larger than life leader who served his people for almost half a century”. He even went as far as calling Fidel Castro a “remarkable leader”. This is simply unacceptable. Here are the facts about Fidel Castro – under Castro’s reign of terror, the Cuban people were oppressed by a violent dictatorship. Millions of Cubans were exiled, thousands were held in captivity, and hundreds were executed. Fidel Castro was a notorious human rights violator. It is shocking that Justin Trudeau would issue a statement “on behalf of all Canadians” to mourn the monster that was Fidel Castro. With Fidel Castro’s death, we celebrate with the Cuban people and hope for a freer and a democratic Cuba – Viva Cuba Libre!

It was not a good week for Prime Minister Trudeau. It was revealed last week that Prime Minister Trudeau was the top draw at a $1,500 Liberal Party cash-for-access fundraiser at the mansion of a wealthy Chinese-Canadian business executive. Furthermore, in attendance were members of the People’s Republic of China. Trudeau tried to defend himself when he was grilled about this non-ethical fundraiser by claiming this was “his way of attracting Chinese investment”. As it turns out, the only “Chinese investment” that resulted in the fundraiser was a $1 million donation to the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation. It’s clear that this Liberal government is cozying up to the People’s Republic of China. Does this really come as a surprise to you? This is the same Justin Trudeau that once said he “admired China’s basic dictatorship”.

The Maryam Monsef case is far from over. Last week, Monsef was asked about her true country of birth. Monsef twice made the effort to point out that she is just an “ordinary Canadian” with an identity document issue. She reiterated that immigration official haven’t told her she’s being investigated. Unfortunately, the media failed to point out that someone who is being investigated for citizenship fraud is not notified. Furthermore, there are a number of cases similar to Monsef’s that have led to very harsh consequences – this is not a simple passport issue as Monsef claims it is. Both the mainstream media and Maryam Monsef continue to mislead Canadians about the truth.

(This column originally appeared in the Toronto Sun)

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that the “budget will balance itself” and that our economy grows “from the heart out.” So it isn’t exactly surprising to find out that one of Trudeau’s campaign promises has gone massively over budget.

On the campaign trail, Trudeau told Canadians that his pledge to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees in 2015 would cost taxpayers $100 million. The Liberal Party’s campaign platform document stated that the refugee intake would cost $100 million in 2015/2016 fiscal year.

At the time, I wrote a column saying that Trudeau’s numbers didn’t add up.

By simply looking at the previous year’s spending on refugee resettlement, it was clear that the $100 million estimate was unrealistic. In 2014, the government spent $64.3 million through the resettlement assistance program to resettle 7,100 refugees.

That works out to $9,055 per refugee. Trudeau’s plan, by contrast, only allocated $4,000 per refugee.

It was plain to see back then that the Liberal platform price tags were out of touch with the real costs of refugee resettlement.

Lo and behold, on Tuesday, the Trudeau government released the final annual expenditures on the Syrian resettlement program.

The initiative did not cost taxpayers $100 million, as Trudeau had once promised. Instead, the Trudeau government spent $384.7 million on the program. They spent nearly four times as much as they said they would.

But, in a truly Orwellian twist of logic, the Trudeau Liberals claimed the initiative came in under budget. Immigration Minister John McCallum’s office shamelessly claimed the government managed to save $70.3 million from the cost of the Syrian resettlement program.

How can the Trudeau government claim they spent $70.3 million less than planned when they actually spent $284.7 million more than planned?

By using an old sleight of hand trick.

In June 2016, the government quietly released “preliminary costs” for the program, and pegged the costs 350% higher than Trudeau’s campaign pledge. That way, six months later when the updated financial figures became available – and Trudeau only went 285% over budget – the Liberals could pat themselves on the back and celebrate.

Perhaps equally egregious to the government twisting facts and logic, this misleading information was repeated verbatim by the Liberal media.

A report in French CBC didn’t bother fact checking Trudeau’s campaign promise, and printed the government’s spin without question.

Radio Canada wrote that the government spent $70.3 million less than planned.

Readers who get their news from the public broadcaster were left with…(READ MORE)