fbpx
Friday, June 27, 2025

Liberals divided over allowing illegal immigrants to remain in Canada, Miller says

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
-
Source: X

Immigration Minister Marc Miller says the federal government will not yet be pursuing a potential federal program that would give immigrants in Canada illegally the right to stay amid backlash within its own party. 

Miller presented the proposed program to cabinet last week, which was met with strong opposition from some MPs, the minister said in an interview with the Globe and Mail. 

The program would offer former international students whose study permits have expired and rejected asylum claimants an application process to remain in Canada.

However, no such program has been finalized as the discussion between ministers remains ongoing and divisive. Miller said in the Globe interview that it may take months before anything is introduced.

In the meantime, Miller has chosen to take a pause on the matter as “views that I respect, people that care about these issues that are radically opposed and diametrically opposed, and not necessarily from people that (you) would necessarily think would have that thought process,” he said.

Migrants who have lived in Canada for several years and those with children born here would qualify for the proposed “regularization” program as a pathway to permanent residency. 

In 2021, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau instructed then-immigration minister Sean Fraser to “further explore ways of regularizing status for undocumented workers who are contributing to Canadian communities.” 

While a program to do so was initially expected to be in play already, Miller said that it won’t be getting “rolled out soon,” likely in response to Canadians’ shifting attitude towards immigration. 

Numerous polls have indicated that many Canadians’ views on the current immigration levels have become negative. One poll recently found immigration has become a higher concern than climate change. 

In an interview with a French outlet last week, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said that immigration numbers will be “much lower” if he becomes prime minister.

“It’s impossible to invite 1.2 million new people to Canada every year. When you’re building 200,000 housing units, it’s impossible. There’s no room. Quebec is at its breaking point,” said Poilievre in an interview in French.

The federal government has frozen its target number of 500,000 new permanent residents per year for 2026, in addition to reducing the number of international study permits. 

“If there is a clear conclusion, I will be quite clear to Canadians about it, but there isn’t one right now,” said Miller. “What I do know is that given the ongoing discussions, and they are ongoing – they have not come to an end – it isn’t something that I have any confidence will be rolled out in the short term.”

According to Miller, the number of migrants living in Canada illegally is unknown, but estimates range anywhere from 300,000 to 600,000. 

However, he argues that if Canadians better “educate” themselves on the potential program then they would be more likely to support it. 

“I’ve seen polling of relative levels of sophistication, to be polite, that do show that Canadians are divided. I think what they also show is that when you educate Canadians, they seem to be more inclined to support regularization,” said Miller.

Perhaps that could also solve the issue for those who oppose the program within the Liberal cabinet.

Feds to investigate newly appointed human rights commissioner over antisemitism allegations

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
-
Source: (Law Society of Yukon - YouTube)/X

The Trudeau government is opening an investigation into its newly appointed head of the Canadian Human Rights Commission after allegations of past anti-Israel activism. 

The appointment of Birju Dattani, the former head of the Yukon territory’s human rights commission, has come under fire over a history of comments and activities accused of being antisemitic.

In 2015, he shared a stage with a member of Hizb ut-Tahrir, an Islamic fundamentalist group.

Dattani spoke at a series of “Israel Apartheid Week” events at British universities, promoting the boycott, divestment, and sanction of Israel, or what’s known as the BDS movement.

“Workers should boycott Israel and Israeli goods,” Dattani was quoted saying at the protest by the News Line, a Marxist outlet.

Dattani also protested outside the Israeli embassy in London as crowds reportedly chanted, “Zionism is terrorism” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” in 2012.

“We have become aware of potentially troubling statements attributed to Mr. Dattani as well as events he participated in while he was a graduate student in London, England a decade ago,” a spokesperson for Justice Minister Arif Virani told National Post in a statement. 

“It is critical for the Chief Commissioner of the Canadian Human Rights Commission to maintain the confidence of all Canadians and to be seen as an impartial and fair judge of matters before them.  We are carefully reviewing these statements and discussing them with Mr. Dattani, as well as relevant stakeholders.”

Dattani was appointed earlier this month.

The Government of Canada has listed attempts to boycott and sanction Israel as one of its primary examples of antisemitism. 

“Trudeau Liberals appoint an antisemite who compared Israelis to Nazis as head of the Canadian Human Rights Commission,” said Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre in a social media post. 

A statement from Poilievre’s office said “the Liberal government is no longer taking its obligations to protect Canadians seriously. Not only have they failed to stand up to antisemitism, but they also have a disgraceful track record of appointing antisemites to positions of authority.”

The statement went on to say that the Liberals had appointed an “individual with a disgusting antisemitic record” which “should immediately disqualify someone from being appointed to a government position, let alone for a position that’s sole purpose is to fight racism and defend human rights.”

However, the Canadian Human Rights Commission has defended Dattani, saying it looks forward to him beginning his new role on Aug. 8.

“Mr. Dattani was independently appointed by the Minister of Justice and the Commission is preparing to welcome him,” reads the CHRC statement. “We trust that Mr. Dattani’s experience and expertise in human rights will serve him well when he assumes the role of Chief Commissioner.”

Dattani did not respond to a request for comment from True North sent to him through the human rights commission. However, in a statement to the National Post, Dattani said  that his views on Israel have evolved.

“As an academic, I have discussed, often in great detail, the BDS movement. That being said, I have not personally or publicly endorsed the BDS movement,” he said.

“My current and previous roles require that I impartially defend the human rights of Canadians from all walks of life, backgrounds and lived experiences in line with Canadian law. I am wholly committed to combating anti-Semitism.”

In response to the allegations, the Conservatives called for an emergency meeting at the Justice Committee so that Canadians would be able to hear from Justice Minister Virani and Dattani.. 

The Liberals, New Democrats and Bloc Quebecois stymied this effort, however.

Carbon tax to cost economy $12 billion in 2024, $30 billion per year by 2030: CTF

By
Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
-
Source: Unsplash

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s carbon tax continues to accrue massive costs for the Canadian economy.

The carbon tax will cost the Canadian economy $11.9 billion in 2024, costing each Canadian an average of $295 in lost GDP, rising to $30 billion by 2030, or $678 per person, according to calculations by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

“The economic cost is the difference between what the GDP would be without the carbon tax minus the projected GDP with the carbon tax,” said Gage Haubrich, the CTF’s Prairie director.

The calculations come just weeks after the Liberals released carbon tax data they had previously kept secret, just moments before a motion compelling them to do so was to be debated in the House of Commons.

The complexity of the data led to various interpretations, which is why it took the CTF weeks to calculate. The Conservatives had previously issued a release claiming the tax would cost Canadians $30.5 billion by 2030, or $1,824 per person.

The Conservatives claimed that Trudeau had been hiding these figures for years, only deciding to release it once Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux testified that the Liberals had him under a gag order.

“Once again, we see the government’s own data showing what hard-working Canadians already know: the carbon tax costs Canada big time,” the CTF’s Federal Director Franco Terrazzano told True North.

While the CTF calculated the total cost to Canadians, they also provided a provincial breakdown. Ontario would pay the most in 2024, losing $4.1 billion in GDP, or $258 per person. 

Saskatchewan had the highest per-person cost of any province, costing $390 per person in lost GDP, totalling $476 million.

The Liberals have long claimed that eight out of ten people get more back in carbon rebates than they pay in carbon tax.

“The problem there was, of course, the PBO did his homework, and they had a secondary calculation which talked about the economic impact of the Trudeau government’s carbon tax,” said the CTF’s Alberta Director Kris Sims on the Andrew Lawton Show. “So that means, of course, how much the farmer is paying to grow the food with the carbon tax, how much the trucker is paying to fill up the big rig to bring you the food, how much you pay for home heating, you get the idea.” 

Canadians in every province, including Nunavut and Yukon, are paying the price. However, the Northwest Territories actually has a positive economic cost, gaining $15 million thanks to the carbon tax and its rebates in 2024, equating to gaining $324 in GDP per person.

Terrazzano said he had no explanation for why residents would gain more money than they’d lose, as the territory’s government had not clarified its data.

He added that the Canadian Taxpayers Federation is currently working on calculating the cumulative economic costs for Canadians by 2030. The $30 billion it will cost Canadians by 2030 is for that year alone.

The Conservative party called for the resignation of Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault after the data was released.

“Steven Guilbeault lied to Canadians. He must resign, and if he won’t, then Justin Trudeau must fire him and start telling Canadians the truth,” reads the party’s release. 

“Canadians are sick and tired of the government making our lives more expensive and hurting our economy. The carbon tax needs to go,” said Terrazzano.

University of Waterloo suing anti-Israel encampment organisers for $1.5 million

By
Élie Cantin-Nantel, True North Wire
-
Source: Facebook

The University of Waterloo is seeking an injunction to clear an anti-Israel encampment occupying its campus and $1.5 million in damages from encampment organizers. 

The legal action from the university comes after it issued the encampment a trespass notice last Friday.

In a statement, the university said the encampment, which has been occupying its campus since May 13, is “in violation of Waterloo policies, and the law.”

The university is asking the Ontario Superior Court of Justice for an order requiring encampment protesters to “immediately dismantle and remove any encampment or obstructions erected, built, created, or imposed by them.”

It also wants police to be authorized to arrest non-compliant individuals and remove objects and structures.

The university is also seeking an order that would ban anti-Israel protesters from “interfering with the university’s senate, board of governors, all teaching and research activities and events related to university operations, and/or other regularly scheduled meetings on campus or elsewhere in any way.”

This comes amid activists affiliated with “Occupy UW” boasting about disrupting a board of governors meeting. 

The university is seeking $1.5 million in damages from encampment organizers, including for trespass, damage to property, intimidation and enactment.

In its statement of claim, the university accused organizers of having “engaged in deliberate actions aimed at damaging the university, its property, reputation, and goodwill in the community.”

The allegations have not been tested in court.

Encampment organizers with Occupy UW reacted to the legal recourse on X, blasting the university for its “shameful” decision.

“Incredibly shameful that (the University of Waterloo) is choosing to sue their own student body protesting their universities’ complicity in a genocide,” organizers said. “We are students who have risked everything we have to protest our universities complicity in this genocide and we refuse to allow those who fund death and destruction to break our resolve.”

Occupy UW organizers are asking for donations to mount a defense. They did not respond to True North’s request for additional comment. 

In a statement, the university said it acknowledges the legal action may make some feel uncomfortable, but insisted it has no choice but to proceed with it.

“The university will continue to uphold the values contained in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, including the right to free expression, in line with the principles it has received from the task force on freedom of expression and inclusive engagement,” the statement said.

The university added that it has said repeatedly that “the right to protest does not mean people have the right to endlessly occupy a shared university space.” 

“The behaviour of encampment members has crossed the line to intimidation and harassment making their ongoing presence untenable.”

The university has retained the law firm Baker & McKenzie LLP as counsel.

The University of Waterloo is not the first university to seek legal action to end an anti-Israel encampment. Montreal’s McGill University and the University of Toronto are also seeking injunctions to remove encampments occupying their respective campuses.

Police have meanwhile been able to quickly clear encampments at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, the University of Calgary and Laval University in Quebec City without court orders.

Jewish group alarmed by lack of Canadian consensus on Israeli statehood

By
Noah Jarvis, True North Wire
-
Source: X

A Jewish advocacy organization says it’s alarmed by Canadians’ views on Israel’s right to exist and increasing speech inciting violence towards Jewish-Canadians.

A new poll from Innovative Research Group measuring Canadians’ attitudes towards Israeli and Palestinian statehood, protests and encampments, and more found that 57% of Canadians support Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, with 13% opposed and 30% unsure. Support for Palestinian statehood also stands at 57%, with 14% in opposition and 29% unsure.

The poll also found that 77% of Canadians oppose allowing speech that calls for violence against Jews, with 9% in favour and 15% indicating “don’t know.” The same results are mirrored for speech calling for violence against Muslims.

B’nai Brith Canada, a Jewish advocacy and human rights organization, told True North it is concerned that Israel’s right to exist is a controversial issue in Canada.

“The figures captured in the recent survey are alarming,” said Rich Robertson, B’nai Brith’s director of research and advocacy.

“Supporting the right of the Jewish people to have a state in their ancestral homelands should not be a controversial opinion. The Jewish people have the same right to self determination as any other indigenous peoples.”

Robertson was particularly concerned that a considerable number of Canadians did not indicate opposition to allowing speech that incites violence against Jews.

“The notion that 24 percent of those surveyed were in support of or were unsure of if they supported the use of violent speech against Jewish persons is incredibly concerning. Antisemitism, violence, and hate speech have no place in Canadian society and are an affront to Canadian values.” 

Politicians, journalists, and advocacy organizations have noted an alarming rise of antisemitism in Canada after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack against Israeli civilians. 

As True North’s Elie Cantin-Nantel had reported, pro-Palestinian encampments have become hotbeds of antisemitism, with Jews being targetted and called slurs, flaunting of Hamas insignia, and calls for “intifada.”

The aforementioned poll found that a plurality of Canadians oppose pro-Palestinian encampments on university campuses that do not interfere with scholarly activities, with 37% opposed, 31% in support, and 33% unsure or neutral.

Pro-Palestinian protests that disrupt scholarly activities, such as building occupations, are opposed by 63% of Canadians, with 14% in support and 24% either neutral or unsure.

Net support for pro-Israel encampments and building occupations are slightly lower, though no such encampments or occupations are known to exist. 

Last month, several university presidents were ridiculed in front of the parliamentary justice committee for insufficiently addressing antisemitism on their campuses. 

Ontario school board resource demands teachers believe Canada is founded on white supremacy, racism 

By
Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
-
TVDSB staff, Trustees and senior admins joined with staff and councillors from the City of London - Source: Facebook

One Ontario school board wants educators to indoctrinate kids with gender ideology, to “decentre whiteness,” and vilify Canadian culture.

Thames Valley District School Board staff training materials for last year’s Pride Month were released to the public through a freedom of information request obtained by podcaster and host of the Weekly Canadian Gender Wars Report podcast Melanie Bennett.

The ideological material included self-assessments designed to shame teachers who do not conform to woke world views and links to activist organizations educating staff on the proper use of neo-pronouns and the importance of gender-neutral parenting.

The educational resources were prefaced with the statement that the school board does not necessarily endorse the material from external websites that they link to. At the same time, the board directs staff to learn from and use resources from those organizations for themselves and in their classrooms.

TVDSB encouraged staff to use a self-assessment tool developed by School Mental Health Ontario to reflect on their own “cultural humility,” or an admission of ignorance about other cultures and a willingness to learn from them. It said cultural humility incorporates “redressing” or correcting power dynamics and involves a continuous commitment to “reflection and critique of race, ethnicity, culture, language, sexual orientation and class.”

The assessment initially asked school staff to reflect on their own biases but presented a series of ideological positions as facts that teachers either “know” or are ignorant of, rather than being a matter of personal belief.

“I am aware of my privilege. If I am a member of a dominant culture, I understand that I am not without power and privilege, and because of that, I may not be seen as ‘unbiased’ or as an ally.”

The training module continued by asking if staff were “aware” of how Canada’s “racist” and “colonialist” past allegedly perpetuated white supremacy and institutional racism to the detriment of students.

“I am knowledgeable about historical incidents in Canada’s past, like the transatlantic slave trade and institutional human rights abuses, that demonstrate racism and exclusion towards people who are racialized and marginalized in Canada.”

The resource then asked teachers to reflect on whether they know that they need to “decentre whiteness” so that other cultures can “shine.”

“I know that many norms, structures, and values within the education system are rooted in our colonial history and that to centre every student, we need to explicitly decentre whiteness so their cultural strengths can shine.”

After quizzing staff on their “knowledge” of Canada’s so-called racist culture and their commitment to dismantling it, the report asked staff to assess how well they respect the culture and beliefs of others.

It finishes by asking if staff “understand gender as a spectrum” and if they “affirm” the various gender identities that their students might have.

Some of the materials discussed the pros and cons of calling students out in front of their peers for being homophobic and how to console and de-escalate students who might have adverse reactions to learning about race, gender, sexuality and culture.

They were also directed to external sites which teach them how to use neo-pronouns such as “ze,” “hir,” and “xe” to replace the classically used pronouns such as “she” and “he,” and guidelines for removing books that reinforce gender norms.

For the kids, teachers were given videos and graphics such as the “Genderbread Person,” which states that gender identity is a preference based on hobbies, likes, and roles.

They were also directed not to acknowledge the differences between girls and boys in the classroom.

“We wouldn’t separate our children by whether they are left or right-handed and call after them in playgrounds: ‘good climbing left-handers’ or ‘right-handers get down from there, or you’ll rip your dress.’”

Though these materials are from June 2023, some Canadians are concerned that nothing has changed in the TVDSB school system since that time.

The Faulkner Show | Tommy Robinson explains his arrest and detainment in Canada

By
Harrison Faulkner
-

British political activist and journalist Tommy Robinson speaks to Harrison Faulkner about his recent arrest and detainment by officers of the Canadian Borders Services Agency. Robinson says that he has not been charged with a crime and is being held inside Calgary for an unknown period of time. But what happened? Did he not fill out his visa application correctly or is the Canadian government trying to silence his Canadian speaking tour?

Watch the latest episode of The Faulkner Show

Jewish voters overwhelmingly went Conservative in Toronto—St. Paul’s byelection: poll

By
Noah Jarvis, True North Wire
-
Source: Facebook

Jewish voters supported the Conservative candidate in the Toronto—St. Paul’s byelection in large numbers, a new poll shows.

The poll from Mainstreet Research found that 62.8% of Jews in the riding said they intended to vote for the Conservatives, compared with a mere 20.7% who intended to vote for the Liberals. Only 8.9% of Jews intended to vote for the NDP’s Amrit Parhar.

Candidate Don Stewart won the riding for the Conservatives in a stunning upset after more than 30 years of Liberal representation.

The poll was conducted between the end of the advance polling period and the election day and accurately predicted the byelection result, showing Stewart would win the byelection by 1%.

About 15% of Toronto—St. Paul’s residents are Jewish, according to the 2021 census.

This marks a shift in Jewish-Canadian voting patterns, with Justin Trudeau enjoying strong support from the Jewish community in years past.

In the 2018 Survey of Jews in Canada, 36% of Canadian Jews indicated support for the Liberals, compared to 32% for the Conservative party. However, after the Oct. 7 attack against Israel, the Liberal party has been criticized mixed messaging regarding support for Israel and condemnation of antisemitism.

Prominent Jewish MP Anthony Housefather had considered abandoning the Liberals after his party had helped pass a motion considered to be “anti-Israel,” though he ultimately decided to remain in the caucus.

During the campaign, Conservative candidate Stewart repeatedly expressed his support for the Jewish community.

Stewart attended the Yom Hazikaron ceremony at Beth Tzedec synagogue, condemned the vandalizing of Anshei Minsk synagogue, and attended the Walk With Israel rally to demand Hamas release Israeli civilians held hostage in Gaza.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has taken a strong pro-Israel stance since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, attending several rallies, visiting synagogues, and supporting Israel’s effort to defeat Hamas.

This marks a seismic shift in the voting intentions of Canada’s Jewish community, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberals had once been popular among Jews.

In the 2018 Survey of Jews in Canada, 36% of Canadian Jews indicated support for the Liberals, while 32% said they supported the Conservative Party. This is no longer the case, as a May 2024 Angus Reid poll found that 42% of Jewish-Canadians indicated support for the Conservative Party, while only 33% would vote for the Liberals.

The Alberta Roundup | UCP members want COVID vaxx policies to change

By
Rachel Parker
-
Source: Unsplash

Today on the Alberta Roundup with Rachel Emmanuel, Rachel interviews UCP Calgary-Lougheed constituency association president Darrell Komick about the CA’s recent Injection of Truth Town Hall which took a critical look at the COVID-19 vaccine data.

Komick said he didn’t expect the event to be so controversial, and that party members want vaccine policy to change. He also says whether he thinks members should continue to support Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on the question of whether to have a leadership review at the party’s AGM in November.

Tune into the Alberta Roundup now!

SUBSCRIBE TO THE ALBERTA ROUNDUP

“Just shameful”: Kevin O’Leary slams Trudeau, Freeland over economic record

By
Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
-
Source: Instagram

Canadian businessman and Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary is the latest to come out against the Liberals’ capital gains tax hike.

O’Leary said in an interview with BNN Bloomberg on Tuesday, that the solution is to ditch the country’s current leaders and start from scratch. 

“I mean no disrespect, but I wouldn’t let them run a bodega. They don’t know what they’re doing,” he said.

O’Leary specifically called out Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.

He blamed Trudeau for poor policy management, especially in handling natural resources and encouraging sovereign wealth to invest elsewhere. 

“I can’t help but blame Justin Trudeau for that for the last decade. He’s a weak manager. In my opinion, he’s a very successful politician but a very, very weak manager,” said O’Leary. “We’ve made the policy so poor in terms of attracting capital for these massive projects that they just don’t come anymore.”

O’Leary criticized Canada for squandering its natural resources while investing in them abroad. 

“It’s just shameful. It’s a real problem. I’m hoping there will be a change in policy in this country because I would love to invest more in it. I just find it impossible to do so,” said O’Leary.

The self-styled “Mr. Wonderful” called the capital gains tax hike a mistake for global competition. 

“When you mess around with corporate tax rates, corporations are not people. They can move. Structures can move. And they will. And they’ll contort themselves if all of a sudden, they find a path of least resistance somewhere else,” said O’Leary.

O’Leary explained that a country should aim to be in the middle of G20 corporate tax rates, but Canada is moving toward the fourth quartile of competitiveness.

“I want to respect Freeland because she is the finance minister. But I don’t know why she’s the finance minister. She has no experience at this. She’s never even run a bank. I don’t know why she’s there, and she’s totally unqualified. Here she is making policy mistakes left and right, and here’s a bad one,” said O’Leary. 

Freeland previously said that the tax hike would not affect Canada’s tax competitiveness in the global market when she called the hike a “fair” way to fund the Liberals’ spending.

The hike came into effect on Tuesday and forces Canadians making more than $250,000 in capital gains in a year to pay two-thirds in taxes instead of half.

The tax change will provide the Liberals $20 billion in revenue to help offset the $111.2 billion in spending announced in the last budget, despite no plans to balance it.

O’Leary explained that the capital gains tax hike will cause economic damage lasting decades.

“Bad managers do a lot of damage. And she is a very bad, underqualified manager. Why can’t I have a real finance minister? Why can’t I have somebody who was actually involved in financial services in this country? Why do I have that? She works for me. I’m a taxpayer,” said O’Leary.

The Canadian businessman’s opposition to the capital gains tax hike joins the chorus of small and large businesses, healthcare and tech leaders, farmers, policy experts, and everyday Canadians.

“Canada, if you look at resources per capita, is one of the richest countries on earth run by complete idiots,” said O’Leary, echoing similar comments made in March.

1...192193194...1,460Page 193 of 1,460

Related stories

© 2025 True North | Privacy Policy