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Thursday, May 15, 2025

Foreign interference inquiry calls for government agency to monitor online misinformation

By
Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
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Source: Unsplash

The commission that probed foreign interference in Canadian elections says the government should create an agency to monitor the internet for “misinformation and disinformation.”

Mary-Josee Hogue, the commissioner of the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions, released her final report Tuesday, concluding that no parliamentarians “acted in bad faith.”

Among the 51 recommendations was for the government to establish a federal watchdog for foreign disinformation campaigns on social media.

“The government should consider creating a government entity to monitor the domestic open-source online information environment for misinformation and disinformation that could impact Canadian democratic processes,” Hogue said in the report.

The proposed entity would work with national security and intelligence agencies, international partners and “appropriate civil society and private organizations.”

“The entity should be structured to comply with applicable law and should have the authority to give and receive intelligence and information. Giving the entity authority to interact with social media platforms should also be considered.”

However, the report did not define Hogue’s meaning by giving the entity authority to “interact with” social media platforms.

“Open source, online disinformation campaigns by foreign states targeting Canada’s democratic institutions interfere with our sovereignty,” Hogue said in the report. “It is in the public interest to identify and have the government respond to these activities.”

She said having a clear legislative framework to collect and assess open-source domestic online information that respects privacy rights is “critical.”

Hogue said the entity should also sit on the Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections Task Force, or SITE-TF, and should have relevant information on foreign interference gained by Rapid Response Mechanism available to it.

“I stress that I am not recommending that the government monitor all social media activity or private or semi-private communications of Canadians,” she said. “Canadians can have the right to freely associate and express themselves online, and the right to privacy extends to online spaces.”

Also among the commissioner’s 60-page report was for the Canada Elections Act to be amended to ban “false information from being spread to undermine the legitimacy of an election or its results.”

She said the prohibition should target individuals or entities where it is shown that the person knew the statement to be false and that the statement was made “with the goal of undermining trust in the election and its results.”

The report also advocates for expanding the sections banning impersonation of someone involved in an election to include deepfakes and AI-generated materials.

She noted those AI representations made for parody or satire should still be shielded from her proposed amendments.

Hogue also advocated for AI materials made for “electoral communications” during an election or pre-election to be identified with a watermark.

Many of the other recommendations revolved around the expediency of intelligence and security agencies to inform decision-makers and affected individuals who are targeted by suspected foreign interference schemes.

She also suggested that CSIS and the RCMP release a policy on their duty to inform individuals who they suspect are being threatened by foreign actors. The intelligence and security agency would have a “duty to inform” both the relevant security agency responsible for protecting the subject of the threats and the individual themselves.

In the name of transparency, Hogue recommended that classified briefings should also have a “written to release” version of classified information that is disseminated at lower levels of classification or unclassified sources.

The prime minister of “every new government” should publicly release expectations of his or her National Security and Intelligence advisor in the form of mandate letters so the public understands what the advisor’s role will be, Hogue wrote, also calling for an “after-action report” following each election.

Also, to help combat the influence of foreign agents in elections, Hogue recommended that intelligence agencies “continue to diversify their personnel based on cultural, ethnic and linguistic backgrounds”

She said this will help build trust with a community “whose members feel they are over-policed, homogenized, victimized or misunderstood.”

Police investigate shots fired in Surrey, B.C.’s Newton neighbourhood

By
Alex Zoltan, True North Wire
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Source: Facebook

The Surrey Police Service and an RCMP support unit are investigating a shooting that occurred early Sunday morning, Jan. 26 in the Newton neighbourhood of Surrey, B.C.

Police say officers responded to multiple reports of gunfire and a vehicle speeding away in the area of 142 Street and 72 Avenue shortly after 3 a.m. Upon arrival, they found evidence that a home had been targeted.

True North asked SPS Sgt. Lindsey Houghton if he’d noticed any trends regarding gun violence in the Newton neighbourhood specifically, Sgt. Houghton responded that “calls for shots fired aren’t rare in Newton.”

He also added in an interview with True North, however, that this was “only the second shooting in all of Surrey” year-to-date—as compared to five shootings reported to police in Surrey by Feb 5 last year.

While the overall trend is downward across Surrey, both of the reports of shots fired in 2025, Houghton added, took place in the Newton neighbourhood.

The shooting comes at an interesting time, only a few months into Surrey’s transition towards a municipal policing service—a transition Houghton described as “one of the largest policing projects” he’s witnessed in 17 years of policing service.

Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident, but videos showing property damage caused by the gunshots were shared and viewed widely on X (formerly Twitter). 

Witnesses in the area reported seeing a light-coloured sedan take off after the shooting.

Anyone with information, or anyone who may have CCTV or dash cam footage of the shooting or suspect vehicle, is encouraged to call Surrey Police Service at 604-599-0502 and quote file 2025-7493 (SP), or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

The Rachel Parker Show | Dr. Davidson on his pandemic report, Covid vax injuries & informed consent

By
Rachel Parker
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Source: Pexels

Today on the Rachel Parker Show, Rachel is joined by Dr. Gary Davidson the author of Alberta’s pandemic response report.

Rachel asks Davidson about his recommendations and what will happen to those who are vaccine injured.

The two also discuss how the pandemic has highlighted the need for informed consent in all areas of medical treatment.

Tune in now! 

Nobody “acted in bad faith,” concludes foreign interference report

By
Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
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Source: X

The foreign interference inquiry released its long-awaited final report, concluding there was no evidence that anybody “acted in bad faith”.

Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue, who was selected to head the Foreign Interference Commission, released her final report on Tuesday following 18 months of work. This report follows a preliminary report published in May 2024.

The initial report concluded that foreign governments attempted to influence Canadian candidates and voters during elections but that the validity of the 2019 and 2021 elections was not in question. Hogue said that the Commission’s work since tabling the initial report has done nothing but reinforce these initial conclusions.

Speaking at a press conference following the report’s release, Hogue said that while the outcomes of the two previous elections were not affected by foreign interference, there is a possibility that some ridings were affected in a small way during the riding’s nomination contests and general elections.

“I have no evidence to suggest that anyone acted in bad faith,” reads the report. “The shortcomings observed appear to have been systemic ones, the consequences of which were exacerbated by various external factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, which required a significant reorganization of work.” 

A previous parliamentary report highlighted that some elected Canadian officials were either wittingly or unwittingly assisting foreign state actors to engage in political interference, most notably on behalf of China and India. Hogue was appointed by the Liberal government to investigate the assertions made. 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau previously lashed out at Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre for not reading the report.

“The decision of the leader of the Conservative Party not to get those classified briefings means that nobody in his party, not him and nobody in a position of power, knows the names of these individuals and can take appropriate action,” said Trudeau. 

However, in her findings, Hogue insisted there were no individuals named in the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians briefing.

“From the outset, I would like to dispel the notion that the classified NSICOP Report contains a list of names of parliamentarians who are suspected of working in the interests of a foreign state. The classified NSICOP Report does not name individual parliamentarians,” said Hogue.

She insisted that the consternation resulting from the report was unwarranted.

“The situation is perhaps not as clear-cut, nor as extreme, as the fears provoked by the NSICOP Report would suggest,” said Hogue. 

For example, according to Hogue, the evidence suggesting the “witting” participation of MPs in foreign interference was a more definitive statement than the evidence could support. She added that some of the findings contained inaccuracies. 

“While some conduct may be concerning, I did not see evidence of ‘traitors’ in Parliament,” said Hogue.

The government has communicated about foreign interference very poorly, according to Hogue, exemplified NSICOP report. Canadians generally learned about foreign interference revealed in the NSICOP report through the media, which she said should not be the case.

Even still, Hogue said that if the government is fighting foreign interference alone, they will lose.

“One of our society’s greatest achievements is to have created a political and social order that gives us the freedom to choose those who will represent us in government. The right to contribute to discussions about our future and the chance to live in peace with one another,” said Hogue. “But protecting these achievements requires that all of society, including each and every one of us, contribute particularly to the war against mis- and disinformation.”

The final report contained 51 recommendations Hogue believes can and should be implemented quickly, even before the next election. The 31st recommendation offers eight things the government should implement, one of which is that only Canadian citizens and permanent residents should be allowed to vote in nomination and leadership contests.

Liberal leadership candidate vows to deport all illegal immigrants

By
Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
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Source: X

One candidate in the Liberal leadership race is pledging to get tough on illegal immigration.

Former Brampton, Ont. Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla says if she becomes the next Liberal leader – and prime minister – everyone in Canada illegally will be gone.

“There are over half a million illegal immigrants in Canada. This is unacceptable. As the daughter of immigrant parents, I know firsthand that immigrants have helped build our great country, but we must clamp down on human trafficking and those that are here illegally,” she said in a video.

“As your prime minister, I promise you I will deport every illegal immigrant in Canada,” Dhalla said. “Canada’s comeback starts now.”

Dhalla has officially been accepted by the Liberal Party of Canada to run in its leadership contest. She’s among six candidates to be admitted to run in the party, including former central banker Mark Carney, former deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland, and former Liberal House leader Karina Gould.. 

To run, prospective contestants must raise a $350,000 filing fee payable over several installments.

Dhalla’s campaign has attracted online criticism from some Liberals.

Canada saw an explosion of illegal immigration in 2023, with 143,870 people illegally entering the country and requesting asylum. Others who have overstayed their work and study visas have also fallen through the cracks. The Canada Border Services Agency reported last year that it lost track.

In another video posted to her social media, Dhalla said that her official acceptance in the leadership race will allow the party to broaden its membership.

“I think my candidacy is going to engage an entire new demographic of people to our party and into the Canadian political system. So let’s keep going,” she said.

Dhalla has 775,000 followers on Instagram. For comparison purposes, Carney, widely considered the frontrunner, has 57,300. 

Freeland has 58,300 on the same platform.

Dhalla called on all supporters of the now disqualified Liberal party leadership candidate Chandra Arya to instead support her bid for party leadership.

Though the Liberal party did not respond to True North’s requests for comment on why he was disqualified, Arya controversially said that the French language is not important to Quebecers.

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly criticized Arya for the statements.

Arya also was an ardent opponent of the Foreign Agent Registry, which forces representatives of foreign governments to register their activities in Canada.

This comes after India was named one of the primary governments accused of interfering in Canadian democracy by the Foreign Interference Commission and concerns of lax party rules leaving the Liberal party open to foreign influence.

Dhalla did not respond to True North’s requests to comment.

Ret. Lt.-Gen. Michel Maisonneuve says 2% NATO target could “absolutely be met” by Canada

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
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Source: Instagram

Former Lieutenant General and member of NATO’s Defence Staff of Canada Michel Maisonneuve said Canada could “absolutely meet” the alliance’s 2% target if the federal government makes it a priority. 

However, most NATO members are long past discussing 2% as the ideal target but rather as a minimum contribution, with 3% being presented as the new target. 

NATO membership requires countries to contribute 2% of their GDP to be allocated for military spending.

In an interview with True North, Maisonneuve said the new target is an opportunity for Canada to fix the many pre-existing problems in the Canadian Armed Forces while honouring its commitment to the organization. 

“Definitely we can meet 2% and we should be able to meet that by tomorrow,” Maisonneuve told True North. “There’s no question why we should not be able to accelerate that and there is talk about that right now within national defence and the government.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had claimed that Canada could hit the 2% target by 2032 last summer in Washington D.C., amid a whirlwind of scrutiny from NATO members. 

“We will continue to explore opportunities that will further increase defence spending and advance Canada’s strategic interests,” said Trudeau at the time without providing details on how his government would accomplish the goal.

Seven months later, no further details have emerged beyond what Maisonneuve referred to as basic “virtue signalling.”

“There will be hard and courageous decisions to be made. Right now, we’re funding every special interest group out there and giving them lots and lots of money,” he said, “getting ourselves into greater and greater deficits and debt.”

According to Maisonneuve, Canada’s debt is roughly 52$ billion annually, an amount nearly double what is spent on the CAF.

While it’s time “to get a grip on that,” some things that could be done in the immediate short term to help reach the 2% threshold would be to fix the CAF’s “military housing and facilities” which have been “falling apart” for some time. 

“Increasingly, members will release (from the Canadian Forces) rather than relocate to an area they cannot afford or taking a loss on an existing home,” reads a leaked military briefing from 2023.

“Throw a whole bunch of money at that. Get Canadians to build on that and get them to work. Get them to build more housing on bases to house good young Canadians who want to serve our country but are faced with the same affordability or worse affordability crisis than civilians,” said Maisonneuve. 

“You can improve the hangers for the aircraft. You can improve the classrooms,” said Maisonneuve, who recently authored the book In Defence of Canada: Reflections of a Patriot. 

“But the thing is, this stuff isn’t sexy and the government loves to have sexy things out there. They love to say ‘we’re buying a new airplane, we’re buying a new ship,” he added.

While Maisonneuve recognizes the importance of those purchases, he believes that the government should prioritize getting projects expedited that have been shelved over the past 10 to 15 years. 

The CAF is currently missing 15 to 16 thousand military personnel in what Maisonneuve referred to as the “middle strata, the ones who actually do the project management” such as equipment procurement.

“We’ve got a NORAD modernization project that could be advanced very quickly, we could put a couple of billion into that which would increase our ability to get things done.”

Maisonneuve also suggested the CAF implement financial incentives for fitness to get its obesity problem under control, citing a recent report that found 72% of personnel are either overweight or obese. 

“How about retention bonuses to keep people in because we’re losing them left, right and centre,” he said. “Increased pay, you could almost double the pay of young men and women who serve. They pay EI premiums but are not allowed to go on unemployment insurance.”

A staggering number of CAF soldiers have had to resort to food banks in recent years due to lack of military support. 

The Business Council of Canada released a report last fall that provided recommendations on how best to do things like producing ammunition and spare parts for CAF equipment. 

Maisonneuve said he can sympathize with U.S. President Donald Trump’s frustrations regarding other nations lagging behind on their financial commitments with “Canada being the worst” among them.

Trump recently called for NATO nations to up their spending targets to 5%. 

“In NATO, the U.S. has always spent 3.4% on national defence its military and has been funding NATO for years and years,” said Maisonneuve. “So Trump is saying, ‘now it’s time for you boys and girls to pay up and take your responsibilities and stop free riding on the backs of Americans.”

Regardless of Trump’s bombastic claim that every country should up their NATO contributions to 5%, which Maisonneuve is certain Canada will never reach, he does believe that 3% is feasible for most other countries. 

“We could easily do 2% and we should look at 3% as the eventual target,” he said. “That would go a long way in saying, ‘okay we’re moving forward on this.’” 

The Candice Malcolm Show | Pierre Poilievre finally gets tough on deportations

By
Candice Malcolm
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Source: Facebook

On today’s episode of the Candice Malcolm Show, Candice dissects all the latest news and headlines with True North’s Rachel Parker. They discuss Poilievre’s tough talk on deporting radicals and compare it with Trump’s wildly popular immigration and deportation agenda.

Later in the show, they discuss Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s latest comments on the looming trade war with the United States, the growing support for her pro-free trade positions, and how the Liberal government and leadership candidates are making everything worse.

Finally, Candice and Rachel discuss the Prime Minister’s son, Xavier Trudeau, launching a music career and the need to protect children from online predators.

The Daily Brief | Will any Liberal leadership candidates oppose Trudeau stacking Senate?

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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Source: Senate of Canada

The Conservative Party of Canada is calling on Liberal leadership candidates to oppose Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s alleged plan to stack the Senate with Liberal partisans shortly before his resignation.

Plus, the majority of British Columbia’s newly minted NDP cabinet ministers and parliamentary secretaries have published either empty work calendars or have outright refused to disclose them – potentially flouting requirements under freedom of information laws.

And the Liberal Party of Canada has indicated it will not be allowing Liberal MP Chandra Arya to run in the upcoming leadership race.

Tune into The Daily Brief with Cosmin Dzsurdzsa and Geoff Knight!

Jan. 6 fugitive hiding in Canada drops asylum claim after Trump’s pardon

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
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Source: X

The Indiana man detained in B.C. for fleeing to Canada to escape his prison sentence in the U.S. has dropped his claim for asylum following President Donald Trump’s pardon of all participants of the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot.

Antony Vo was convicted on four misdemeanour offences and sentenced to nine months in prison for his participation in the storming of the United States Capitol four years ago.

Vo fled to Canada to skirt his sentence last spring, residing in the country unknown to authorities until his arrest earlier this month. He has in a B.C. immigration detention centre since. 

Vo had previously filed an asylum claim in response to his arrest ahead of Trump’s pardon. 

His lawyer Robert Tibbio confirmed that Vo dropped the claim on Tuesday and would like to return to the U.S after indicating that he had been pardoned with certainty.

However, the CBSA contested this claim in a letter to the Immigration and Refugee Board, arguing that the clemency did not apply to Vo.

According to Tibbo, the U.S. warrant for Vo’s arrest is now moot following Trump’s pardon and there is no rational reason for the CBSA to continue detaining his client. 

Regardless of what happens to Vo, his presence in the country has further spurred on the mounting U.S.-Canada border security concerns, raising questions about how someone wanted as a fugitive in the U.S. could so easily gain entry. 

True North contacted the CBSA to inquire why Vo was not flagged as a wanted man in the U.S. at the border during the time of his crossing. 

“In this case, we can tell you that the CBSA does not have a record of Antony Vo entering Canada at Regway, Sask. or any other official port of entry,” CBSA spokesperson Karine Martel told True North.

Charlie Angus calls on Elections Canada to investigate Elon Musk

By
Noah Jarvis, True North Wire
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Source: X

NDP MP Charlie Angus is spending an increasing amount of his time voicing his anger at American billionaire Elon Musk, calling for Musk to be investigated and accusing him of being antisemitic.

Angus, a prominent member of the NDP caucus, sent a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada Stéphane Perrault to request that Elections Canada investigate X and Elon Musk for alleged interference in Canada’s electoral process.

“I am writing to you regarding growing concerns about potential interference in the next federal election by American oligarch Elon Musk and his social media platform X (formerly Twitter), which he owns,” wrote Angus.

Angus says that Musk has been throwing around his influence by endorsing right-wing and what he calls “fascist” political leaders across the world and accused Musk of rigging X’s algorithm to support those he endorses.

“Mr. Musk spent over $390 million to support a myriad of conservative candidates, nearly five times more than the $83 million spent by all Canadian political parties combined in the 2021 federal election, all while using his social media platform to amplify his candidates’ political messages,” said Angus.

“We have already seen how the platform X serves as a pathway for Russian misinformation and the rise of hate and threats in Canada. Given X’s huge power, any overt efforts by Mr. Musk to support a particular party or leader could easily impact our electoral integrity.”

Angus ends his letter by calling on Perrault to investigate X’s algorithm and how Musk and “right-wing influencers” can manipulate the next federal election.

While Musk currently supports Trump and the Republican party, he was previously an exclusive supporter of the Democrats, especially on environmental issues.

Angus expanded on his thoughts in an interview with the left-wing outlet MeidasTouch, calling Musk the “broligarchy.”

“It could be a very close election and we cannot have men like Elon Musk, y’know the ‘broligarchy’ of the United States interfering in our country,” said Angus.

Canadian MP Charlie Angus: If Elon Musk is unwilling to respect Canada’s electoral laws, will Elections Canada have the tools to take him on—or shut him down—if necessary? We cannot allow men like Elon Musk, the broligarchy of the United States, to interfere in our country.

[image or embed]

— Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social) January 26, 2025 at 7:41 PM

On Sunday, Angus posted a picture of a First World War memorial while accusing Musk of giving a “fascist salute” and falsely claiming Musk said it was time to “get over Nazi guilt.”

“For Elon Musk to give the fascist salute and say it’s time to “get over nazi guilt” – F**k him. And f**k those who say Canada should bend,” said Angus.

I laid the wreathe for Canadians murdered by Nazis in the Abbaye d'Ardennes. Our young lie in fields all over Europe. They fought to free others from evil. For Elon Musk to give the fascist salute and say it's time to "get over nazi guilt" – Fuck him. And fuck those who say Canada should bend.

[image or embed]

— Charlie Angus (@charlieangus104.bsky.social) January 26, 2025 at 2:21 PM

Angus is referring to a gesture Musk made at a rally celebrating President Trump’s inauguration that was compared to a Nazi-era Roman salute, but Musk confirmed that the motion was unintentional and accused his critics of playing a “dirty trick.”

While Musk did not say that Germans should “get over Nazi guilt,” Angus is referring to comments Musk made at a rally for the anti-immigration German party Alternative for Germany. The tech mogul said that children are not responsible for the crimes of the past and that Germans ought to be proud of their people and culture.

“Children should not be guilty of the sins of their parents, let alone their great-grandparents,” said Musk.

“It’s good to be proud of German culture, German values, and not to lose that in some sort of multiculturalism that dilutes everything.”

While Musk supports the Trump administration’s efforts to quash illegal immigration Musk is a supporter of legal immigration, recently signaling his support for the H1B visa program.

Angus continued to allege that Musk is a part of the extreme right, calling him a fascist who has the ear of the American president.

“I never thought in 2025 we would be dealing with fascists who have the ear of the president. Elon Musk is wrong. There  is no such thing as “getting over” the guilt of mass murder,” said Angus.

I never thought in 2025 we would be dealing with fascists who have the ear of the president. Elon Musk is wrong. There is no such thing as "getting over" the guilt of mass murder. On Holocaust Remembrance Day we say Never Again. And we commit to never forgot.

[image or embed]

— Charlie Angus (@charlieangus104.bsky.social) January 27, 2025 at 2:48 PM

True North reached out to Tesla’s media contact for a comment on Musk’s behalf, but no response was received.

True North reached out to Elections Canada who said that Elections Canada and the chief electoral officer had received Angus’ letter complaining about Musk, but said Angus had sent the letter to the wrong agency, as Elections Canada does not conduct investigations.

“Elections Canada does not conduct investigations. Therefore, we will encourage Mr. Angus in our response to contact the Commissioner of Canada Elections, the independent body in charge of enforcing the Canada Elections Act,” read Elections Canada’s statement.

The Commissioner of Canada Elections’ office told True North that they are aware of Angus’ letter, but are only responsible for conducting investigations during the pre-election and election period.

“However, generally, issues such as disinformation, use of foreign funds by third parties or undue foreign influence are only regulated by the Act during the pre-election or the election period,” reads the Commissioner of Canada Elections’ statement.

Both Elections Canada and the Commissioner of Canada Election reiterated their commitment to combating foreign interference.

“That said, the Commissioner takes all allegations of foreign interference seriously. If allegations of the kind described in Mr. Angus’ letter were to arise during a pre-election or election period, the Commissioner would review them to determine if the circumstances contravened the Act,” reads the Commissioner of Canada Elections’ statement.

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