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Friday, August 15, 2025

Nearly 7% of international students in Canada are truant at enrolled schools 

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
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Source: Facebook

Nearly 50,000 international students were marked as “no-shows” by their universities and colleges, according to recent government data, further damaging the validity of the student visa program. 

The data, first obtained by the Globe and Mail, revealed that close to 50,000 international students have been reported as non-compliant.

According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada data, no-show students accounted for 6.9% of all international students.

However, immigration lawyer Sergio Karas believes the IRCC figure understates the severity of the problem. 

“The number of non-compliant students is probably underreported and the problem is much larger,” Karas told True North. “The Study Permit system was never designed to accommodate the large number of foreign students coming to Canada, or the growing list of educational institutions accepting them.”

According to Karas, the culprits of this exploitation involve “multiple parties” which commit a “considerable amount of fraud, including the education agents abroad receiving commissions, the ‘diploma mills’ institutions that rarely enforced student attendance, and the students themselves.”

He noted how many students solely use the study permit program as a means to obtain permanent residency. 

Under the International Student Compliance Regime, universities and colleges are required by law to report to the immigration department biannually regarding truancy for all study permit holders.

The ISCR was launched in 2014 to assist provinces in weeding out fraudulent students as well as schools thought to be accepting questionable applicants.  

Still, Karas believes that immigration authorities are “also responsible for their lax enforcement of the requirements needed to obtain a Study Permit and their lack of capacity to deal with the astronomical number of applications.”

“There is plenty of blame to spread around,” he said.

IRCC data found that between March and April of last year, students from Rwanda had the highest non-compliance rate at 48.1%, whereas students from the Philippines had the lowest at 2.1%.

Other countries with notably high rates of no-show students include the Democratic Republic of Congo (34.8%), Ghana (31.1%), Jordan (29%), Algeria (24%), Cameroon (22.5%) and Iran (11.6%). 

While Indian students only had a non-compliance rate of 5.4%, the fact there were an estimated 359,781 over that period means a total of nearly 20,000 were still reported as no-shows with data on an additional cohort of 12,553 going unreported altogether.

The RCMP has been working with Indian law-enforcement officials on investigating links between dozens of Canadian colleges and multiple Indian “entities” which are alleged to be involved in illegally transporting “international students” across the Canada-U.S. border once inside the country. 

While these people may enter Canada legally under the guise of pursuing an education in Canada, upon arrival they then cross the border illegally into the U.S.

“At this point, the federal government should declare an indefinite pause in issuing most Study Permits from abroad until a new system is put in place to ensure that bad actors are weeded out,” said Karas. 

“They should also scrutinize study permit extensions to ensure that applicants comply with all regulatory conditions. As things stand now, the system is out of control and they need to stop the bleeding”.  

The Faulkner Show | Former Canadian Army Colonel lays out a path to rebuilding the CAF

By
Harrison Faulkner
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C2C Journal Article: https://c2cjournal.ca/2024/12/unfit-for-duty-it-is-time-to-rebuild-the-canadian-armed-forces/

The Canadian Armed Forces are in dire straits. Not enough funding, high attrition, low morale and low recruiting numbers. All together the situation is looking bad. The road back for the military is a long one but retired Army Colonel David Redman lays out a path for the Canadian military to restore its glory and reignite fear in the enemy.

Mark Carney says he’s “all in” on becoming Canada’s next prime minister

By
Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
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Source: CPAC (YouTube)

Former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney says he has dropped all other titles and affiliations as he launched his campaign to lead the Liberal Party of Canada.

At a campaign launch in Edmonton Thursday, Carney presented himself as an “outsider” positioned to lead the Liberals into the next election and make the tough calls needed to correct the country’s course.

 “I resigned all my roles, cut all my ties. I am all in. I am all in this fight because it is so fundamentally important,” he told reporters. “What I’m bringing from those experiences, and the previous experiences, Bank of Canada, Bank of England, fighting the financial crisis, helping to fix the global system…is to help Canada through this immediate crisis,  but really to build the strongest economy in the G7.”

Carney launched his campaign in Edmonton, where he grew up, but was not prepared to commit to a specific riding in which he’d run as a member of Parliament in the next election.

Carney spent considerable time focusing on the “threat” posed to Canada by the incoming Trump administration and the potential for sweeping tariffs on Canadian exports.

Carney said the worst thing Canada could do would be to deploy Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to negotiate with Trump.

Carney also criticized Premier Danielle Smith for saying that restricting Alberta’s oil and gas exports to the U.S. was off the table, echoing comments made by Ontario Premier Doug Ford.

He said Canada must build up its economy to be independent from the U.S. and remain united against the economic threats.

Carney defended his “outsider” bona fides when asked about his longstanding advisory roles with the Trudeau and the Liberal government.

“Big difference between being a member of the cabinet, a member of the caucus, the prime minister himself, and being someone who, occasionally, their advice is asked,” he said. “Look, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the president of France, other leaders ask for my advice. From time to time, I’ve provided advice to this government.”

He said that some of his advice was taken and some wasn’t, but he wouldn’t provide any specifics.

Carney hopes that his experience helping the U.K. and Canada recover their economies during crises will be enough for Canadians to choose him over CPC Leader Pierre Poilievre.

During the announcement, he said without evidence that Poilievre was seeking the endorsement of Trump and tech CEO Elon Musk. 

When asked why he should be chosen over former finance minister Chrystia Freeland, he said he would run based on his merit to represent a “positive change” for Canada without taking swipes at Freeland.

The Liberal Party of Canada’s leadership race will conclude on Mar. 9.

Carney bans independent media from campaign launch

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
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Source: X

“You’re not welcome here,” was the message Liberal leadership candidate Mark Carney’s campaign team had for independent media journalists who tried to attend his launch in Edmonton, Alberta.

The former Bank of Canada and Bank of England Governor met with supporters to announce his leadership bid on Thursday which was attended by Liberal MP George Chahal, who represents the Calgary Skyview riding where the event took place. 

While the event welcomed legacy media journalists, independent reporters were told they were not welcome and barred from entry.

Police refused entry to True North’s Isaac Lamoureux after he arrived at the venue to cover Carney’s official campaign announcement. 

Other independent journalists including The Western Standard’s James Snell, The Counter Signal’s Keean Bexte and freelance reporter Mocha Bezirgan were also denied access.

Police told Lamoureux he was not allowed to enter the premises after contacting event organizers who refused True North entry. 

Shortly thereafter, Lamoureux was asked to leave after organizers told police that he was “not welcome.”  

Bexte, who is an accredited journalist with the Alberta legislature, recorded a video of the incident.

This is a developing story that will be updated with further developments. 

The Northern Dispatch | Prime Minister Mark Carney?

By
Harrison Faulkner
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Source: Facebook

As clear of an indication that Canadians could get – former central banker and consultant Mark Carney is planning to enter the Liberal leadership race to become Canada’s next prime minister. Strangely, Carney chose the American Daily Show platform as his campaign launch site and not a Canadian media platform. But Carney wil have to compete with Chrystia Freeland for the top job, setting the stage for a very interesting few months ahead.

On this episode of The Northern Dispatch, Harrison, Ryan and Tanya analyze the Liberal leadership race, look at some of Carney’s most infamous moments and take a look back at Canadian history for recent examples of prime ministers without a seat in the House of Commons.

Liberal government anti-oil and gas policies made Canada vulnerable to Trump: Poilievre

By
Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
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Source: YT: Pierre Poilievre

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre blamed the Liberal government’s attack on the oil and gas sector for making Canada vulnerable to President-elect Donald Trump’s tariff threats.

As 25% tariffs on all Canadian imports to America are just days away, Poilievre blames the Liberal government’s “radical ideology” for Canada’s weakened position ahead of imminent trade deal talks with the U.S.

During a press conference about Poilievre’s proposed tax cuts for workers and producers, which he’d pay for by “slashing” corporate welfare,  Poilievre noted that due to Liberal policies, Canada now heavily relies on the U.S. as its nearly sole customer for oil and gas.

“I think that the first thing that President Trump should do when he gets into the Oval Office is to send a big bouquet of flowers to the Liberal government in Ottawa,” he said at the conference in Delta, B.C.

“By blocking pipelines and LNG plants in Canada, the liberals have forced Canadians to sell almost all of our energy to the United States, giving President Trump massive leverage in making these tariff threats.”

According to the Canada Energy Regulator, crude oil exports amounted to 81% of Canada’s total crude oil production in 2023. Canada exported $124 billion in crude oil exports, of which 97.4% was exported to the U.S.

According to the CER, Canada exported 50% of its total natural gas production in 2021, with 100% of those exports going to the U.S. through pipelines.

Poilievre said that if the Liberals had not flubbed the oil and gas file, Canada would instead be able to sell elsewhere – making Canada less reliant on the U.S. He said that’s what he would have done rather than Canada now talking about potentially crippling its economy by restricting oil and gas exports to the U.S. as a counter to Trump’s tariffs.

He blamed the Liberals for blocking the Energy East and Northern Gateway pipelines and the government’s failure to approve new liquid natural gas plants.

“Had (the Liberals) rapidly approved LNG plants to sell the natural gas that Japan, Greece, Germany and other countries were looking for us to sell them directly, we wouldn’t have to give almost 100% of our hydrocarbons to the Americans at discount prices,” Poilievre said.

In 2012 Gerald Butts, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s former principal secretary, opposed the Northern Gateway Pipeline, saying instead of an “alternative route,” Canada needed an “alternative economy.” Butts is now reportedly leading Liberal leadership candidate Mark Carney’s campaign.

“Carney testified in the industry committee that he was against the Northern Gateway pipeline to take Canadian oil to Asia without going through the United States, by the way, while his company buys pipelines in the Middle East and in Brazil. How unpatriotic is that?” Poilievre said.

He also took aim at the other likely victor of the ongoing Liberal Leadership race, Chrystia Freeland.

“Freeland supported killing the Energy East Pipeline, which would have moved a million barrels of Western oil to the St John refinery and off to Europe,” he said. “By the way, which would have helped defund Putin.”

He noted that Canada now sells its oil for $15 below the market rate and its natural gas for $9 per million metric British thermal units less than the European market.

“That is economic sadomasochism, and I will put an end to it,” he said.

Poilievre vowed that if he were elected, he would repeal the “anti-energy” law Bill C-69, which added several restrictions in the approval process for new energy projects.

“I will quickly approve energy projects to send our energy to the rest of the world without relying on Americans. And we will make our country more self-reliant and independent. I will also unite our country,” he said.

He said Canada needs an immediate election to have a functioning federal government to deal with the potential trade war with the U.S.

“We do not have a functional federal government. We have effectively 10 different foreign affairs ministers, one from each province, trying to fight separately,” Poilievre said. “If we had a carbon tax election now, we can elect a strong, stable national majority government that would stand up for all Canadians, all industries in all provinces, and that’s what we need to do.”

The Candice Malcolm Show | Is it inevitable? (With Diane Francis)

By
Candice Malcolm
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Merger Of The Century: Why Canada and America Should Become One Country : Francis, Diane:

Donald Trump shocked Canadians last month when he suggested that Canada should be annexed into the United States, and become its 51st state.

Elites in our country absolutely shutter at the thought of further integration or absorption into the United States. But what about regular, everyday Canadians? Are they open to a better deal?

And is a merger inevitable? Can our economy recover from Trudeau’s disastrous governance? Can we develop and export our natural resources in this political environment? Can Canada survive in an uncertain world with adversarial states like China and Russia eyeing the North?

On today’s episode of the Candice Malcolm Show, Candice is joined by journalist, columnist and editor of the National Post Diane Francis, author of the 2013 book “Merger Of The Century: Why Canada and America Should Become One Country.”

The two of them discuss Diane’s thesis, what a deal would look like today, and how Trudeau has absolutely destroyed Canada to the point where a merger looks more appealing than ever.

Candice also walks us through the news of the day, including big announcements from Danielle Smith, Pierre Poilievre and Justin Trudeau.

The Daily Brief | Trudeau rules out running for re-election

By
Isaac Lamoureux
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Source: Facebook

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will not seek re-election as a member of Parliament in the upcoming federal election, ending a 17-year political career.

Plus, Alberta is leading the way when it comes to preventing crime by announcing court-ordered 24/7 electronic monitoring for repeat offenders deemed a public safety risk.

And Trudeau and Canada’s premiers convened to discuss Canada’s response to President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming tariffs, highlighting the reciprocal trade relationship between the two G7 economies.

Tune into The Daily Brief with Isaac Lamoureux and Noah Jarvis.

Poilievre vows to reverse capital gains tax hike

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
-
Source: Facebook

A Conservative government will reverse the latest capital gains tax increase if elected.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said for the first time Thursday that he would roll back last year’s increase, which he called a “job-killing Trudeau tax (that) will drive billions of dollars of machines, technology, business and paycheques out of our country.”

The hike on the capital gains tax was included as part of the Trudeau government’s 2024 federal budget announced last April. It took effect on June 25, although it has still not been passed by Parliament.

The increase requires Canadians making more than $250,000 in capital gains annually to pay taxes on two-thirds of that profit instead of half, marking the first hike of its kind in 25 years. 

“I am announcing today common sense Conservatives will reverse last June’s Liberal tax hike on capital gains—a tax economists agree will kill 400,000 jobs,” said Poilievre in a statement released Thursday. “This Liberal jobs tax was a bad idea before President Trump’s tariff threat, it is outright insanity now.”

Poiloevre’s announcement was accompanied by video breaking down what he believes the long term effects of such a tax increase will have on the country. 

“Taxing farmers drives up food costs, taxing doctors makes it harder to find one, taxing home builders means fewer homes and taxing small businesses means fewer paycheques,” he said in the video. “Businesses, jobs, doctors and food production will leave Canada.”

His announcement was championed by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, which said Poilievre is “right to oppose” a tax hike that “will punish Canadian doctors, entrepreneurs and people saving for their retirement.”

The CTF has already called for the hike to be halted on the grounds that the Canada Revenue Agency shouldn’t be enforcing it since the legislation for it has yet to be passed.

Poilievre noted how the very architects of the hike have themselves taken measures to skirt paying such gains, citing how Trudeau “kept his family fortune” in a “tax shelter trust fund to avoid taxes.”

“And Freeland gave billionaires an escape hatch,” he said. “She waited two months after she announced the tax hike before it took effect, giving billionaires plenty of time to sell their holdings without paying the higher rate and move their money to lower-tax foreign countries where it will build businesses, factories, mines, railroads and other job-creating investments, over there.”

The opposition leader pointed to the government’s budget projections as evidence that this response from Canada’s wealthiest class was already underway.

“This year, the tax change is only in place for six months, from June onward yet it generates $6.9 billion. Next year, it’s in place for all 12 months, yet the revenue from it crashes to $3,4 billion and the year after that it drops to $375 million. About what the government spends every seven hours.”

Poilievre attributed the downward trend not from people paying the tax hike, but avoiding it, by “quickly selling investments and realizing gains before the hike comes into force on June 25.” 

He called the recent high volume of transactions a “short-term sugar high of revenue” for the government, but that it won’t be there in the years following. 

A study released by the CD Howe Institute said the hike will “reduce Canada’s GDP by $90 billion, real per capita GDP by 3 percent, its capital stock by $127 billion and employment by 414,000, with most occurring within five years.”

Additionally, the increase will also hurt the country’s competitiveness globally with research from the Fraser Institute saying that the number of Canadians included in the new capital gains tax bracket will ultimately lower the country’s competitiveness.

“At a 50% inclusion rate, Canada’s top capital gains tax rate ranked between 17th and 23rd, depending on the province, out of 37 OECD countries,” it said. 

The government’s decision to raise the inclusion rate to 66.7% moves Canada up the ranks of between eighth and 13th highest of any OECD country, depending on the province.

Capital gain is the difference between what an investor paid to buy and later what he got to sell his investment, which is already taxed multiple times in between. 

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