Alberta considers Sovereignty Act amid Ottawa’s bid to censor oil companies

Rachel Parker, True North Wire
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Alberta considers Sovereignty Act amid Ottawa’s bid to censor oil companies

The Alberta government is considering employing its Sovereignty Act to stop what it’s calling a federal “gag order” on oil companies publicizing their environmental achievements. 

The federal government’s proposed Bill C-59, which is awaiting Senate approval, would force companies publicizing their environmental actions to prove their words against an undefined “internationally recognized methodology.”

Alberta Environment and Protected Areas Minister Rebecca Schulz said the bill will clear the way for environmental activists to sue oil and gas companies over so-called “misleading environmental benefits.”

“C-59, put plain and simply, is an undemocratic gag order,” Schulz said in a statement. “It must be stopped.”

As Alberta considers its legal options, Schulz said they haven’t ruled out utilizing the Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act — Premier Danielle Smith’s flagship legislation which seeks to bar federal bills deemed harmful to the province. 

Schulz also said the bill could be subject to a constitutional challenge, though that could take years to settle in court long after the bill becomes law. 

Bill C-59 proposes initial fines of $10 million, or three times the benefit gained by so-called “deception” of oil companies talking about their environmental record without adequate proof. Companies found guilty a second time of not being able to back up their environmental achievements would be subject to a $15 million fine. 

Part of the concern lies with the legislation’s unclear conditions. 

Companies wishing to defend their environmental record will have to prove their claims can be substantiated by what the federal government calls an “internationally recognized methodology,” which Schulz called “a vague and undefined phrase that creates needless uncertainty for businesses.”

“Any company not willing to risk millions of dollars in fines and legal fees will be forced to stay silent,” she said. “And that is exactly the outcome that Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault and the federal Liberal-NDP-Bloc Québécois alliance wants to happen.”

The proposal comes after NDP MP Charlie Angus tabled a bill in February that would jail oil executives for speaking about the benefits of fossil fuels.

“The Big Tobacco moment has finally arrived for Big Oil. We need to put human health ahead of the lies of the oil sector,” Angus told the House at the time. 

 That bill died, but echoes of it appeared in Bill C-59, which would implement a host of provisions set out in the fall economic statement. 

Angus has said he will not run for reelection in the next federal vote. 

Parliamentary Budget Officer says Liberals gagged him on carbon tax

Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
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Parliamentary Budget Officer says Liberals gagged him on carbon tax

The Liberals are keeping their analysis of the carbon tax’s economic impact under lock and key, as the Parliamentary Budget Officer confirmed on Monday that the feds had put him under a gag order.

Yves Giroux said while testifying before the House of Commons finance committee that the federal government has put a gag on him, preventing him from sharing an economic analysis of the carbon tax.

“The government has economic analysis on the impact of the carbon tax itself and the (Output-Based Pricing System). We’ve seen that, staff in my office, but we’ve been told explicitly not to disclose it and reference it,” said Giroux. 

Giroux filed an access to information request with Environment and Climate Change Canada to determine the economic impacts of emissions reductions. The government published these data in late March or early April, according to Chris Matier, a director in the Parliamentary Budget Office.

“They provided us with their estimated and real GDP on labour income, on capital income, and they indicated on the response form that these were confidential and that we could not disclose,” said Matier. 

True North submitted similar ATIPs in March and April and is awaiting a response.

The Parliamentary Budget Officer’s report showed that in 2024, the average Alberta family would lose $911, even after factoring in rebates. The average in every province analyzed results in a loss.

Despite this report, the Liberals have repeated in the House of Commons the line that eight out of ten families receive more in rebates than they pay in carbon taxes.

A Conservative member of Parliament’s post to X featuring a small section of Giroux’s confessions has received almost 300,000 views in the 24 hours it’s been online. Many reactions point to the fact that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is silencing independent officers of parliament from revealing that the carbon tax costs Canadians. 

“Trudeau didn’t like that the parliamentary budget watchdog found that his carbon tax costs Canadians more, so he censored him,” said Conservative spokesperson Sarah Fischer.

Giroux said that he will release a new report in the fall. However, he said the results will be similar, considering that most industrial pricing is exempt from the carbon tax.

Despite the criticism, Giroux said that the report the federal government has prohibited him from discussing confirms the numbers in his report. 

“That’s why I’m comfortable with what we have already published,” he said.

Even if the carbon tax helped the environment, for which no supporting data or research exists, Canadians have previously said that the cost of living outweighs climate change concerns. 

70% of Canadians and premiers have previously called for carbon tax relief. The call fell on deaf ears, as Trudeau rejected the request from premiers for an emergency meeting to discuss the carbon tax.

Provinces that have been able to scrap the carbon tax, such as Saskatchewan and Manitoba, have seen inflation fall quicker than anticipated.Despite Canada’s continuously rising carbon tax, the country will still fail to meet its climate targets.

Conservative MP thinks Anthony Fauci should face “consequences” after admission he “made up” COVID policies

Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
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Conservative MP thinks Anthony Fauci should face “consequences” after admission he “made up” COVID policies

A Conservative MP slammed Anthony Fauci after he admitted that his COVID regulations were not backed by science, as he claimed throughout the pandemic.

“What consequences will he get for the lives he ruined?” Michelle Ferreri, the Conservative MP for Peterborough—Kawartha said on X.

“One National Institute of Health study called the mask use on students’ literacy and learning ‘very negative. Another NIH study found social distancing caused ‘depression, generalized anxiety, acute stress, and intrusive thoughts.’”

Her post responded to a Toronto Sun article, highlighting Fauci’s testimony and using studies to show the harmful effects of Fauci’s “made up” COVID policies.

Fauci was the face of the United States’ COVID response as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Despite the mantra used by him and many leaders around the world to “trust the science,” Fauci testified that he “was not aware of studies” supporting social distancing and said conducting those studies “would be very difficult.”

He said the six-feet-apart social distancing rule “sort of just appeared,” and he didn’t recall where it came from.

At the recommendation of Fauci, some U.S. states charged Americans for breaching the policy.  Some Canadians faced fines, too, based on the health recommendations touted during the pandemic as “the science.” 

When asked if Fauci recalled reviewing any studies or data supporting masking children, he said, “I might have, but I don’t recall specifically that I did.”

During the pandemic, the World Health Organization said children under five should not wear masks, but the U.S., under Fauci’s recommendations, and Canada masked children anyway.

He said that whether masking children was the right way to prevent transmission was “up in the air.”

Fauci said he had not followed any studies about the impacts of forcing children to wear masks and was “unconvinced” that children’s education was negatively impacted during the pandemic.

Researchers at McMaster University in Canada discovered that school closures were unnecessary.

According to a U.S. government study, in some cases, the pandemic set students in Kindergarten to Grade 12 schools back by a year and a half in learning. Post-secondary institutions also saw a decline in enrolment. 

One user on X thinks now is a good time for Canadians to examine their government’s response to COVID-19.

“Dr. Theresa Tam deserves the same kind of grilling that Dr. Fauci is receiving today,” he said. “Why has she never faced any scrutiny for her destructive COVID response policies?”

Another user wrote, “Hands up if you want Theresa Tam to sit in a setting like this and answer for her unscientific decisions that caused countless harms against Canadians.”

Canada prescribed a similarly heavy-handed response as the U.S., though studies have since shown the policy’s adverse effects and a lack of evidence showing their benefits.

The Andrew Lawton Show | Some MPs are acting for foreign powers. Why aren’t they being named?

Andrew Lawton
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The Andrew Lawton Show | Some MPs are acting for foreign powers. Why aren’t they being named?

The report released yesterday from NSICOP, the parliamentary national security committee, says that some parliamentarians have “wittingly” worked to assist foreign powers – including China – meddle in Canadian politics. The report doesn’t name them, but True North’s Andrew Lawton says Canadians deserve to know who these politicians are.

Also, National Post journalist Adam Zivo revealed audio recordings showing the extent to which harm reduction activists were prepared to disrupt a conference of their critics in Vancouver – including a plan to dye the water in the conference hotel fountain red, intimidate attendees, and even spray people with a fire extinguisher. Does this mean they’re losing the debate? Zivo returns to the show to discuss.

Plus, a new documentary exposes the lesser-known consequences and challenge associated with green energy initiatives. Filmmaker Heidi McKillop joins the show to talk about ‘Generation Green’, which premieres today in Calgary.

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The Daily Brief | Peterson slams Trudeau gov’s “Pride Season”

Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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The Daily Brief | Peterson slams Trudeau gov’s “Pride Season”

It’s “Pride Season,” according to the Trudeau government – and Dr. Jordan Peterson has already had enough.

Plus, Canadians from across the country shared their outrage at the CBC for not showing hockey playoff games featuring Canadian teams.

And another BC United MLA has defected to the BC Conservatives.

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CRTC requires online streaming services to contribute 5% of revenue to domestic broadcasting system

Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
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CRTC requires online streaming services to contribute 5% of revenue to domestic broadcasting system

Canada’s broadcasting regulator wants to force streaming giants to dedicate a portion of their profit to prop up struggling Canadian legacy media.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission announced it would require online streaming services like Netflix to contribute 5% of Canadian revenue to support Canada’s domestic broadcasting system.

The CRTC called the decision a “major step forward in the implementation of the Online Streaming Act” in a press release on Tuesday.

“Today’s decision will help ensure that online streaming services make meaningful contributions to Canadian and Indigenous content,” said CRTC chairperson and chief executive officer Vicky Eatrides.

“The CRTC will continue to move quickly, listen carefully, and take action as we implement the new legislation.”

The Online Steaming Act received Royal Assent on Apr. 27 and the CRTC was tasked with modernizing Canada’s broadcasting framework in relation to the new legislation.

Primarily, it set out to decide how to ensure online streaming services would be forced to contribute financially to domestic broadcasting, as well as produce Canadian and Indigenous content.

After conducting public consultations and a three-week public hearing, the CRTC decided to require online streaming services to contribute 5% of their Canadian revenues.

“These obligations will start in the 2024-2025 broadcast year and will provide an estimated $200 million per year in new funding,” reads the release.

“The funding will be directed to areas of immediate need in the Canadian broadcasting system, such as local news on radio and television, French-language content, Indigenous content, and content created by and for equity-deserving communities, official language minority communities, and Canadians of diverse backgrounds.”

The CRTC said that online streaming services will also be granted “some flexibility” in where they direct “parts of their contributions” exactly, within Canadian television content.“

As a quasi-judicial tribunal, the CRTC will continue to balance consulting widely with moving quickly to build the new regulatory framework,” the release continued.

The CRTC also announced that it will be launching further public consultations on the amended Broadcasting Act, regarding the Independent Local News Fund and a fund to “support local news production by commercial radio.”

A number of U.S. Congress members have recently taken issue with the Trudeau government’s Online Streaming Act, arguing that it discriminates against American citizens, and have asked their country’s top trade official to intervene.

Nineteen Congress members signed a joint letter sent to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai last month, requesting that she resolve their dispute with the Liberals’ protectionist media bill.

The signatures of the letter include eight Democrats and 11 Republicans, who say that the act’s implementation “will result in trade barriers” for the U.S. music streaming industry. They argue that the legislation, which would bring them under Canada’s Broadcasting Act, is designed for a bygone era that no longer makes sense in today’s digital world.

New immigration pilot program to give automatic PR to caregivers upon arrival

Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
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New immigration pilot program to give automatic PR to caregivers upon arrival

Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced two pilot projects that would see people who come to Canada as caregivers automatically given permanent residency upon their arrival to Canada. 

Miller announced the pilot projects on Monday, which are enhanced versions of two existing government programs that are slated to expire on June 17. 

Anyone coming to take care of seniors, children or disabled people will be offered permanent residence upon their arrival into Canada under the new programs, which aim to expedite the journey newcomers settling in Canada.   

Caregivers employed by organizations that provide part-time or temporary care for people recovering from an illness or injury will be qualified to enter the new programs.

According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, over 15,000 caregivers will be admitted as permanent residents over the next two years.

“Caregivers play a critical role in supporting Canadian families, and our programs need to reflect their invaluable contributions,” said Miller in a statement.

“As we work to implement a permanent caregivers program, these two new pilots will not only improve support for caregivers, but also provide families with the quality care they deserve.”

The Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot are the two existing programs scheduled to expire, which already allow caregivers who qualify to come to Canada with the long term goal of receiving permanent residency, along with their families. 

However, it’s not granted automatically, it’s contingent on the applicant’s position and their experience which allow them to qualify. 

Caregivers must pass the English test at level 5 under the current programs, which is above the level required to obtain citizenship, as well as have already worked for two years and have the equivalent of one year of postsecondary education. 

The new programs will only require the equivalent of a Canadian high-school diploma, recent and relevant work experience and to meet the language requirements to receive permanent residency, as long as they have been offered a full-time caregiver job. 

“This new pathway means that caregivers can more easily find proper work with reliable employers and have a clear, straightforward access to permanent-resident status as soon as they arrive in Canada,” said the immigration department in a statement.

Almost 5,700 caregivers and their families have become permanent residents since 2019, under the existing pilot programs. 

Liberals’ $530 million climate fund not enough to achieve targets says partner org

Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
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Liberals’ $530 million climate fund not enough to achieve targets says partner org

The $530 million announced by the Liberals to fight climate change is a mere 10% of what the partner organization claimed was needed to combat climate change. 

Ottawa will provide over half a billion dollars through the Green Municipal Fund to help municipalities adapt to climate change, according to a press release issued by the Liberals on Monday.

Municipalities across Canada can apply to the Green Municipal Fund for up to $1 million for climate adaptation implementation projects and up to $70,000 for risk assessments and feasibility studies.

While municipalities can apply for funding, municipally owned corporations, organizations delivering municipal services, non-governmental organizations, not-for-profit organizations, research institutes like universities, and Indigenous communities are also eligible to apply.

The grant awards a maximum of $1 million for implementing project costs up to 60% of eligible costs, with an additional 10% available for Indigenous communities, rural communities, projects that address anti-racist climate adaptation, and “nature-positive adaptation.” Projects that check the boxes of all four additional requirements can secure 100% of eligible cost funding. 

Funding is available until August 14, 2024. Further funding will be released for climate-ready plans and processes in Fall 2024, and financing adaptation in Spring 2025. 

By 2031, the Liberals said that the initiative will have funded more than 1,400 municipal activities.

The $530 million in funding was initially announced on November 24, 2022, but didn’t receive any funding commitment until the 2024 federal budget. Much of the budget focused on climate change, such as Canada’s updated defence plan, which focused on climate change and missed NATO’s requirement. 

Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault thanked the Federation of Canadian Municipalities for collaborating with the feds to combat climate change.

However, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities previously released a report in collaboration with the Insurance Bureau of Canada saying that Canadian municipalities would require an annual investment of $5.3 billion, ten times what the feds have pledged, to adapt to climate change. 

The feds have invested over $6.6 billion in climate adaptation since 2015.

Despite Canada dumping money into climate change, the country previously fell to 62nd out of 67 on the Climate Change Performance Index.

“Justin Trudeau’s failed environmental policies are not only costing Canadians — but they’re also not working!” said Conservative MP Dan Mazier in a post to X.

While the Minister of Emergency Preparedness, Harjit S. Sajjan, said that “extreme weather events are increasing in frequency and severity,” a Fraser Institute study proved that there is no evidence that extreme weather events are on the rise. 

A different Fraser Institute study showed that reaching net zero by 2050 is “highly unlikely” and “impractical,” suggesting even that the world is headed in the opposite direction.

Despite Guilbeault consistently falsely attributing wildfires to climate change, most wildfires can be attributed to arson.

For example, almost every fire in Alberta this year was human-caused. 

Vacant government office space could potentially provide 50,000 new housing units

Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
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Vacant government office space could potentially provide 50,000 new housing units

Nearly half of the federal government’s unused properties are fit to be converted to housing units, an architectural firm says.

San Francisco-based architecture firm Gensler has worked with the federal government’s property portfolio in the past, analyzing hundreds of buildings to see which ones would be best suited for residential conversions. 

The majority of government-owned buildings that were built in the 1960s and 1970s have the characteristics that would make an office-to-residential conversion possible, including access to natural light and smaller floor plates.

“It’s really the only way forward,” Gensler’s global leader of building transformation and adaptive reuse Steven Paynter told the Globe and Mail. “They’re just the least desirable of all office space.”

Paynter estimates about 45% of the federal government’s total property would qualify for residential conversion.

Ottawa announced plans to offer housing on underused federal lands in response to growing frustration over the housing shortage.  This would also cut down maintenance costs for the taxpayer, as the government aims to reduce its property by 50% over the next decade. 

“If the federal government isn’t using buildings then it should definitely sell the properties,” Franco Terrazanno, federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation told True North. 

The federal government owns about 50% of its portfolio while leasing the other half. Residential conversions are being considered for both. 

According to the Globe and Mail, 154 of the government’s buildings that are three storeys or more are located within cities, towns and municipalities with a population of over 10,000, making them ideal for a conversion. 

Alternatively, they offer optimal land to develop housing on as many contain large parking lots.

”There is room for the federal government to reduce the cost of maintaining those buildings, and also an opportunity for buildings to be used as homes,” Minister of Public Services and Procurement Jean-Yves Duclos told the Globe and Mail. 

However, in its latest budget announcement, the federal government acknowledged that it didn’t have up-to-date accounting for all of the land it owned, nor what land would offer good potential for housing development. 

But what is known is that the majority of underutilized government property are office towers in Ottawa, which currently have a vacancy rate in the double digits.

COVID-19 policies saw many public servants begin working remotely, and the bulk of those employees have been defiant about returning to the office now that the restrictions are over. 

This has raised concerns with local retailers who’ve seen a drop in business as well as Ottawa’s mayor. 

According to the latest federal budget, about 50% of the government’s six million square metres of office space is either underused or entirely vacant. 

“This is not an effective use of resources, particularly at a time when Canada is facing a shortage of homes,” said the budget.

It’s estimated about 50,000 housing units could be made available out of the properties that could be converted. The conversions are also likely to see less pushback against development from local neighbourhoods, as the buildings are already there. 

B.C. school board apologies for quiz asking students to argue for and against existence of Israel

Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
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B.C. school board apologies for quiz asking students to argue for and against existence of Israel

The Burnaby School District issued an apology and announced that it is “taking immediate action” after finding out that a Grade 6 class was asked to debate whether or not Israel should exist.

The board was alerted over the weekend after a parent of one student emailed a picture of the exam question to the school district.

The social studies quiz asked students to argue for the state of Israel’s existence and give the opposing argument for why it should not exist.

“Some believe the Jewish people deserve or need a homeland, Israel, while others believe that Israel should not exist,” the preamble to the question said before asking students to provide arguments for both.

The teacher said that the answer wasn’t intended to reflect the students’ opinions but was for students to show that they understood the arguments made by opposing perspectives.

B.C Conservative leader John Rustad blamed B.C. NDP Premier David Eby for what he called the “radicalization and indoctrination” happening in the province’s schools.

“In B.C.’s schools, 12-year-old kids are being asked to write about why ‘Israel should not exist,’” Rustad said. “This is not a normal thing to teach 12-year-olds.”

“Regardless of intention, the question is deeply concerning and could be trauma-inducing for students, and particularly Jewish children,” Superintendent Karim Hachlaf said in a statement on behalf of the school district. “I am grateful to the family of one of the students in the class for raising this. On behalf of the Burnaby School District, I apologize. As a district, we are taking steps to address the harm.”

The school board said it would move “swiftly” to address the issue.

It promised to launch an investigation into the incident and offer support to the class and anyone who might have been offended by the question.

The statement said the district would contact Jewish community organizations to determine “additional care and supports that might be of benefit” and work with administrators from kindergarten to Grade 12 across the district to “reinforce the use of appropriate learning resources” in its schools.

David Jacobs, a Toronto physician with a large social media following, posted about the issue online. He said there was another incident from an unnamed B.C. school that was given to Grade 6 students, which raised similar concerns for him.

Just days after the Oct. 7 massacre in Israel, students were given a map of Israel-Palestine, which read “mapping Israeli occupation.”

“According to Human Rights Watch, Israel – which calls itself a Jewish state – is committing ‘crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution’ against Palestinians,” the resource said.

The page was sourced from Qatar’s news organization Al Jazeera, which Israel has since banned after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a “terrorist channel.”

“Here’s another ‘assignment’ from a BC public school given to 12-year-olds on Oct. 10,” Jacobs said on X. “This was their first day back after the Oct. 7 massacre.”

He said the student’s parents complained to their MLAs and even spoke to the premier in March.

True North contacted the B.C. minister of education and Eby for comment but did not receive a response by the deadline.

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