Poilievre’s ‘summer tax break’ voted down in House of Commons

Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
-
0
Poilievre’s ‘summer tax break’ voted down in House of Commons

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre’s proposed summer tax break was voted down in the House of Commons by the Liberals.

The motion was defeated in a 202 to 116 vote on Monday. 

“Canadians deserve relief. But today, the Liberal-NDP coalition refused to give Canadians the summer break they need,” said the Conservatives in a press release. 

“This was clear after they voted against a Common Sense Conservative motion that would’ve axed the carbon tax, the federal fuel tax, and GST on gasoline and diesel between Victoria Day and Labour Day so families can afford a simple summer vacation.”

Poilievre announced the proposed legislation last month, requesting that the Trudeau government suspend all federal gas taxes to give Canadians a “summer break” from inflation. 

“Give Canadians a fuel tax holiday of 35 cents a litre from Victoria Day all the way to Labour Day,” said Poilievre, while speaking at a gas station in Vancouver last month. “If they do go on a family vacation, they’re forced to pay $2 a litre here in British Columbia, and it’s not much better anywhere else.” 

The Conservatives estimated that Canadian families would save around $670 on average over the suggested suspension period. 

“The vast majority of Canadians are struggling just to eat, heat and house themselves, a vacation is not even in the cards,” said Poilievre in a press release on May 17. “Justin Trudeau may be able to fly off to a luxury resort for a $230,000 taxpayer-funded vacation, but most Canadians are having to scale back or cancel their road trips after Trudeau’s carbon tax made fuel and groceries unaffordable.” 

“Canadians deserve relief, not more taxes. Families should be able to afford a simple road trip.”

Some provinces have already temporarily removed provincial gas taxes to alleviate financial stress, a pause set to expire at the end of June but has since been extended until at least the end of the summer. 

Ontario announced it would be extending the pause until the end of this year in its latest budget and Manitoba extended its gas tax cut until the end of September. 

Alberta reinstated its gas tax in full last month, however, the province reserves the right to reduce it or remove it entirely if the price of a barrel of oil surpasses a certain threshold. 

B.C. has had its own carbon pricing system in place since 2008. 

The Saskatchewan government officially refused to send Ottawa federal carbon levy funds from natural gas in January, promising taxpayers some financial relief.

“Not only is Trudeau not providing Canadians with relief, but he’s also actively making their lives more expensive. Trudeau recently hiked the carbon tax by 23 percent, as part of his plan to quadruple this tax over the next six years,” continued the press release. 

“This has made everything more expensive at the worst possible time. And as a direct result of Trudeau’s taxes, gas prices have surged by more than 50 percent since he became Prime Minister.”

Ratio’d | Indian students in Brampton DEMAND work permit extensions at protest

Harrison Faulkner
-
0
Ratio’d | Indian students in Brampton DEMAND work permit extensions at protest

Another protest staged by Indian international students demanding work permit extensions and permanent residency is underway in Canada. This time in Brampton, Ontario. Among other demands, these protesters are demanding a 5-year post graduate work permit for all international students.

These protests are spreading across Canada now that international students are supposed to return to their home countries but the protesters want to change the rules at the 11th hour so they can get permanent residency status in Canada.

Their tactic? It’s simple. Play the victim card and use the empathy of Canadians to work against our own interests to benefit them.

When is enough going to be enough?

Watch the latest episode of Ratio’d with Harrison Faulkner.

Chrystia Freeland wears $740 designer sneakers while speaking to Canadians about affordability

Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
-
0
Chrystia Freeland wears $740 designer sneakers while speaking to Canadians about affordability

Liberal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is facing criticism for wearing high-priced designer sneakers while bringing the government’s affordability message to Canadians’ doors.

While canvassing for the Liberal candidate for the federal Toronto—St. Paul’s riding, Freeland wore a pair of Miu Miu sneakers. Although no longer in the catalogue, one website shows the original retail price for the “Nappa Leather Lace-up Sneakers In Black/white” as between $740 and $1210 before taxes.

Previous photos show Freeland wearing the same type of shoes as far back as 2021.Miu Miu is an Italian high fashion brand owned by Prada. Freeland posted a picture of herself wearing the sneakers at a weekend canvassing event for Liberal candidate Leslie Church.

Critics on X made the point that Freeland’s lavish shoes show a disconnect from how many Canadians are experiencing the economy right now, and the way politicians such as Freeland are living.

Canada’s living standards have been declining since 2019. While the average rent in Canada increased 9% since last year to $2,178 a month at the end of last year, the average asking rent in Toronto also increased 2.1% since the previous year.

In her most recent federal budget, Freeland has stressed the need for “generational fairness” and making life more affordable.Freeland did not respond to a request for comment from True North about the optics of her footwear choice.

According to the latest 338Canada poll for the riding, Liberals are ahead of the Conservatives by just five points, a stark contrast from the 23 points they won by in the 2021 general election.

The riding has been in Liberal hands since 1993. The byelection was triggered by the retirement of longtime Liberal MP Carolyn Bennett.

Jordan Peterson kicks off “Pride Season” with a scathing critique of the movement

Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
-
0
Jordan Peterson kicks off “Pride Season” with a scathing critique of the movement

Only one day into the Liberal government’s newly proclaimed “Pride Season,” and renowned psychologist Dr. Jordan Peterson has already had enough.

“Pride is not a festival of love. It’s a festival of pride. That’s why it’s called Pride,” Peterson said on X. “And now it’s a bloody season. Not a parade. Not a day. Not a week. Not a month. A season.”

He called the event, which has been transformed to encompass almost the entire summer, a “celebration of casual hedonistic, self-centred sex,” which he distinguishes from love.

He said despite the stated values of the movement, “Pride” doesn’t include those who are not part of the “bloody rainbow brigade” or those who are “sensible enough to keep their private lives private.”

Further, he criticized the government’s incessant financial support and promotion of the movement and celebrations.

“The government has absolutely no business involving itself in any of this,” Peterson said. “Even Justin Trudeau’s almost equally reprehensible father said and so famously, ‘There is no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation.’”

“Enough bloody pride. Enough pride in the banks. Enough pride in the churches. Enough rainbows on the streets,” he continued. “Enough of whatever the hell that flag purports to be.”

Peterson questioned who makes the decisions that lead governments and activists to incorporate whatever variant of the ever-evolving Pride flag, or as Peterson called it, the “demented rag,” is flown.

“Who decides where and when it flies, and why? Some secret cabal of dog-mask-wearing S and M aficionados and moralists?” he said. “And enough of the ever-extending idiot acronym that only the propagandized insiders can even remember.”

According to the Canadian government website, It has currently settled on the acronym being 2SLGBTQI+. The 2S stands for Two-Spirited, for people who “identify” as having both a masculine and feminine spirit but is exclusive to Indigenous people, the L for Lesbian, G for Gay, B is Bisexual, T is Transgender, Q for Queer, the I is Intersex and the plus encompasses everything else.

The gay rights movement, which began as a fight for the rights of gay people to love whomever they want, now includes “aromantic” people who don’t want to romantically love anyone, which the government distinguishes from sexual preferences.

Peterson aimed at what he called “the ‘gender-affirming’ butchers and liars,” who advocate for life-altering transgender procedures for children and adults.

He also noted an apparent divide among those the government and activists would call the 2SLGBTQI+ “community,” particularly among gays and lesbians.

“There’s no coalition at all on the LGBTETC, much less a ‘community.’ There is instead an internal battle there that is far worse than anything the LG types faced back when the only thing they had to worry about was Christian conservatism,” Peterson said. “At least no one was being castrated or subjected to unnecessary mastectomies in those bad old days.”

In an interview on the Shawn Ryan Show podcast, Peterson expressed his opposition to the Pride movement in another way.

“The words pride. That’s the word that was chosen, and it’s pride in relationship, as far as I can tell, to nothing but hedonistic self-gratification. It’s like your identity is going to be your sexual desire? That’s your identity? Your sexual desire?” he said on the show. “That means you’ve reduced your identity to the most immature and hedonistic part of you, the part that would exploit someone else for your gratification, for example, the part that would exploit you for your gratification.”

He said it’s that very identity that Western society is now being called to celebrate. Peterson thinks that is a “very bad idea.”

True North contacted Pride Toronto and PFlag Canada to respond to Peterson’s arguments but did not receive a response before the deadline.

Despite record inflation, Bank of Canada has paid out $78 million in bonuses since 2020

Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
-
0
Despite record inflation, Bank of Canada has paid out $78 million in bonuses since 2020

Despite the country seeing record-high inflation, the Bank of Canada gave out $23 million in bonuses to staff last year, according to access-to-information records obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. 

Last year’s bonuses bring the total to over $78 million for Canada’s central bank staff since 2020. 

According to the records, $16,198,919 was given in bonuses in 2020 and $18,442,288 in 2021. 

Bonus pay increased again in 2022, with $20,214,677 being paid out to Bank of Canada staff and then again last year, with a total of $23,341,537.

Of the $23 million dished out last year, $3.5 million went to executives, while the rest went to lower-level staff. 

The Bank of Canada’s 80 executives received an average total compensation of $400,000 each. 

True North reached out to the Bank of Canada for comment, however, media relations specialist Sean Gordon responded by saying, “we’re currently in a media blackout period ahead of the policy rate announcement on June 5, so we can’t comment.”

While the central bank’s mandate it to keep an inflation target of 2% inside a control range of 1% to 3%, it failed to meet its target each year from 2021 to 2023. 

“When you absolutely fumble the ball trying to do your one and only job, you should probably get a pink slip, not a big fat bonus cheque,” said CTF federal director Franco Terrazzano.

Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem acknowledged that the central bank “got some things wrong” in 2022, admitting “we haven’t managed to keep inflation at our target” and even saying that the country’s bankers “should be held accountable.”

Inflation hit 3.4% in 2021 and 6.9% in 2022, a 40-year high, marking the largest jump since 1982. 

Inflation came down to 3.9% last year, however, it remained far above the Bank of Canada’s target of 2%.

“Handing out big bonus cheques is an odd way to hold your organization accountable,” said Terrazzano. “Central bankers shouldn’t get bonuses when Canadians can’t afford groceries, gasoline or homes.”

The Bank of Canada increased its interest rates 10 times since 2022 but has maintained its overnight interest rate at 5% since last June, with the bank rate at 5.25% and the deposit rate at 5%. 

“At best, the Bank of Canada failed to keep a lid on rising inflation and, at worst, it drove inflation higher by printing hundreds of billions of dollars out of thin air,” said Terrazzano. 

“Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland should find savings by ending bonuses at failing Crown corporations like the Bank of Canada.”

Canadians outraged after CBC didn’t broadcast NHL playoff games

Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
-
0
Canadians outraged after CBC didn’t broadcast NHL playoff games

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

Games five and six of the Stanley Cup Playoffs Western Conference final were only available to subscribers of Sportsnet, as they were not shown on CBC.

Rogers Media, which owns Sportsnet, holds the rights to broadcast all hockey games in Canada. However, Rogers Media and CBC signed a seven-year agreement in 2017, allowing CBC to broadcast all Hockey Night in Canada and Stanley Cup Playoffs games from the 2019-20 to 2025-26 seasons.

Despite having the option to broadcast the Edmonton Oilers’ fifth and sixth games of the Western Conference final, with game six being a potential (and eventual) elimination game, CBC chose to broadcast something else.

“We set our schedule long before the playoffs are determined. And that schedule includes Canada’s Ultimate Challenge on Sunday nights (April 28-June 2) as well as the CSAs gala,” said Chuck Thompson. “With that context, we knew there would be occasions during the playoffs when CBC would not be playing certain games.”

While Canada’s only remaining hockey team’s games were not televised by CBC, the game the night prior between two American teams, the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers, was broadcast on CBC.

In the previous series, despite having two Canadian teams in a single series, even some of the Vancouver Canucks versus Edmonton Oilers games weren’t broadcast on CBC.

One X user called to defund the CBC, indicating that they were out of touch with Canadians.

“Imagine the BBC saying they could not show England in the Euro Finals. Idiots,” he said.

Other Canadians complained that they had no other way to watch playoff games.

“What’s with (the CBC) not televising the Oilers games? There’s been at least four this playoff season that I haven’t been able to watch! I can’t afford Sportsnet, and due to chronic illness, I just can’t go out to a bar or a restaurant to watch the game. I’m very disappointed,” said an Oilers fan on X.

CBC gave 100% of its executives bonuses totaling $14.9 million in the 2023-24 fiscal year. During the same year, 87% of CBC employees received pay raises despite the state broadcaster laying off hundreds of employees at the end of the year.

Between 2015 and 2022, taxpayers funded $156 million in bonuses and raises for CBC employees.

The CBC receives $1.4 billion annually from the federal government and will receive an additional $42 million for 2024-25 thanks to the Liberals 2024 federal budget.

“The CBC get billions in subsidies, and they can’t negotiate content scheduling when there is a large demand for Canada’s national sport,” said Eva Chipiuk in a post to X. “And they wonder why their organization is dying. I don’t. They are not listening to Canadians, and Canadians have rightfully lost trust in them and have moved on. Time for the money to follow.”

The CEO of CBC, Catherine Tait, was awarded the Teddy Waste Award by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation for wasting millions of taxpayers’ dollars.

The first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs saw record TV ratings, with almost 9 million viewers tuning into the seventh game of the Boston Bruins versus Toronto Maple Leafs series. This was the most viewed Game 7 of a first-round ever, the most viewed first-round game since 2012. and the third-most viewed first game of all time, according to the NHL.

While the NHL has been setting TV viewership records, the viewership of the CBC has been plummeting. Between 2021-22 and 2022-23, CBC’s audience share viewership dropped from 5.8% to 4.4%, even beneath its target of dropping only to 4.9%. The target for 2023-24 projects another significant decrease to 4.1%.

Instead of broadcasting the NHL, which is setting viewership records, CBC decided to air the Canadian Screen Awards, Just for Laughs, and Canada’s Ultimate Challenge, a cross-country reality show.

Another BC United MLA defects to the BC Conservatives

Noah Jarvis, True North Wire
-
0
Another BC United MLA defects to the BC Conservatives

Surrey South MLA Elenore Sturko announced that she is leaving the BC United Party to join the BC Conservatives.

This marks the second BC United MLA to change their party affiliation to BC Conservative within the span of a week.

In a statement announcing the floor crossing on Monday, Sturko – the former RCMP officer and star candidate for BC United – said that her decision to switch parties to become a BC Conservative was motivated by a desire to see the governing NDP driven out of power and replaced with a grassroots conservative party.

“I want to help John Rustad build that grassroots coalition of conservatives, liberals, and independents into a winning team that can repair the damage caused by the NDP and their mismanagement and incompetence,” said

“British Columbians deserve more, and I believe the BC Conservatives can deliver thatcommon sense change that everyday, hardworking people are looking for.”

Sturko joins MLA Lorne Doerkson in defecting from BC United, marking the fourth MLA in total to join the BC Conservatives since United leader Kevin Falcon had booted BC Conservative leader John Rustad from his former party.

Sturko says that much like Doerkson, she had been hearing great support from her constituents for the BC Conservatives prompting her to consider switching party affiliations.

“It’s easy to dismiss the polls, but it’s impossible to dismiss what I hear on the doorstep when I’m talking to voters,” said Sturko.

“Like the voters in my riding, I don’t believe the NDP deserve to win the next election, but when we split the vote we are handing them an election win, and four more years of a David Eby government that has not delivered on housing, public safety, affordability, healthcare, education, or mental health and addictions.”

Rustad said that Sturko’s addition reinforces the BC Conservatives’ image of a big tent party that can accommodate all anti-NDP voters and praised Sturko for her criticism of the government’s approach to BC’s addictions crisis.

“Elenore’s decision to join us reinforces that we are building a big tent, with room for everyone who wants to defeat the NDP and elect a common sense government that respects taxpayers hard earned wages,” said Rustad.

“In the legislature, Elenore has distinguished herself by holding the government to account for its failed decriminalization of deadly drugs that has hurt every neighbourhood and community in our province.”

Sturko will be replacing the BC Conservatives’ candidate Jody Toor as the candidate for Surrey-Cloverdale who will now run as the candidate for the Langley Willowbrook riding.

Polls show that the BC United’s support in Surrey-Cloverdale is set to collapse, with the BC Conservatives placing in a close second place behind the NDP according to 338Canada.

In a comment to True North, BC United condemned Sturko for crossing the floor, claiming that Sturko had only made this decision in an attempt to protect her pension.

“Elenore’s decision to run for a party that is so out of line with her values and priorities in a new riding is shocking, and shows she cares more about her pension than her principles,” said a BC United spokesperson.

“Elenore will have to explain to her supporters and voters why she is joining a party with candidates who have called her a ‘groomer’, ‘hypocrite”, ‘hypersensitive’, ‘woke’, ‘far-left’, a ‘COVID zealot’ and accused her of ‘pushing radical ideologies on kids’. Why else would Elenore run on a slate of candidates who are COVID-19 conspiracy theorists, anti-LGBTQ+ rights, anti-choice and climate change denialists?”

In a nine page document, the BC United have assembled several tweets that Sturko had posted to X in which she had criticized the BC Conservatives for their policies and statements and vice versa.

Among the tweets documented are posts of Sturko condemning BC Conservative MLA Bruce Banman for calling homosexuality a lifestyle, criticizing a statement Rustad had made on Orange Shirt Day, and their vote against Bill 34 this past legislative session.

On the flipside, BC United highlighted tweets from BC Conservative candidates in which they accused Sturko of voting for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, calling her a “social justice warrior,” and a “COVID zealot.”

In an interview with the National Post, Sturko said that she had some reservations about joining the BC Conservatives when Rustad had initially approached her in December, but had a change of heart after getting to know Rustad, who she says is a “very kind person.”

“I think it’s important to recognize that in a coalition, there’s going to be a wide spectrum of opinions and beliefs,” Sturko told the National Post.

“I would never support any kind of legislation that would infringe upon or take away the rights of another person. And I know that John Rustad feels the same way.”

Sturko had been a star candidate for BC United in a by-election for Surrey South, winning with 52% of the vote. coming from a background of service in the RCMP as a sergeant and a spokesperson for the Mounties.

The upcoming BC election will be held Oct. 19 of this year.

Mark Carney, Francois-Philippe Champagne attended Bilderberg Meeting

Cosmin Dzsurdzsa, True North Wire
-
0
Mark Carney, Francois-Philippe Champagne attended Bilderberg Meeting

The secretive Bilderberg Meeting commenced over the weekend in Madrid, Spain marking its 70th session with two high-profile Canadians in attendance.

This annual event, known for gathering influential figures from politics, business, and academia, ran until Sunday.

Among the notable attendees this year were former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney and Canadian Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development François-Philippe Champagne.

Carney has also been floated as a potential candidate to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. 

The Bilderberg Meeting has often been at the centre of speculation and conspiracy theories due to the high profile of its attendees and the secretive nature of the discussions. 

This isn’t the first time Carney has attended the event. 

The Bilderberg Meeting operates under the strict Chatham House Rule, meaning participants can’t be identified for comments they made during the meeting. 

This year, the agenda covered several topics including a focus on artificial intelligence. The state of artificial intelligence and its safety implications was a major focus.

Another agenda item included the “changing faces of biology,” as well as climate change. 

The future of warfare, considering the evolution of conflict in a technologically advanced era, was another key issue.

Economic challenges facing both Europe and the United States were also explored, highlighting issues in two of the world’s largest economic regions

Participants also delved into U.S. politics.

True North reached out to both Carney and Champagne for comment about their attendance but did not receive a response.

The Andrew Lawton Show | Pride and Palestine protesters clash

Andrew Lawton
-
0
The Andrew Lawton Show | Pride and Palestine protesters clash

Pride festivities in Winnipeg were disrupted by pro-Palestine protesters demanding, among other things, the removal of police from Pride demonstrations, divestment “from corporations and institutions that fund or profit from the occupation of Palestine and climate chaos,” and a refusal to allow “Zionist organizations” to participate in Pride events. A Philadelphia Pride event similarly devolved into chaos. Meanwhile, a poll shows declining support for LGBT rights among Canadians. True North’s Andrew Lawton weighs in.

Kris Sims from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation returns for her regular Monday checkin, this week taking a look at the controversial bonus payouts at the Bank of Canada.

Plus, summers in Ottawa are predicted to be especially tense in 2024 due to public sector unions opposing a government directive requiring civil servants to work in the office three days a week. Aaron Wudrick joins to discuss.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE ANDREW LAWTON SHOW

The Daily Brief | Trudeau’s “housing design catalogue” gets roasted

Lindsay Shepherd
-
0
The Daily Brief | Trudeau’s “housing design catalogue” gets roasted

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was mocked for his announcement of a “housing design catalogue” when asked what his government was doing to fix Canada’s housing crisis.

Plus, Pierre Poilievre vows to reverse all of the Trudeau government’s laws attacking legal gun owners.

And NDP, Green MPs and a Trudeau-appointed senator want to change the voting age to 16.

Tune into The Daily Brief with Lindsay Shepherd and Isaac Lamoureux!

SUBSCRIBE TO THE DAILY BRIEF

1...219220221...1,460Page 220 of 1,460
© True North 2025 | Terms of Service and Privacy Policy