Last week, the Liberals announced they would restore funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, after a suspension in January following Israel’s allegations that UNRWA employees were involved in the October 7 attacks. Macdonald-Laurier Institute managing director Brian Lee Crowley joined True North’s Andrew Lawton to discuss.
LAWTON: On C2C: Are Freedom Convoy figures being politically persecuted?
In a new essay for C2C Journal, former Encana CEO Gwyn Morgan explores mounting concerns over politicized prosecutions, highlighting the ongoing trials of Tamara Lich, Chris Barber, and the Coutts 4. Morgan joined True North’s Andrew Lawton to discuss this alarming trend and the chilling effect it has on political dissent. You can read the full essay here.
Prof accuses justice department of deplatforming her over sex and gender views
A U.K. university professor says she was deplatformed by the Canadian government over her views on transgender issues.
University College London sociology professor Alice Sullivan had been scheduled to give an online presentation to staff at the Canadian Department of Justice on International Women’s Day last Friday.
Her talk was to be about data collection on sex, which is biological, versus gender, which isn’t.
Canada now collects self-reported, gender-based data by “default,” after it became the first country to collect and publish official data on gender identity through its national census several years ago.
Sullivan takes issue with this approach and planned to raise that in her remarks.
“In Canada, government data collection defaults to ‘gender’ instead of sex,” Sullivan told the Telegraph. “My talk would have discussed the value of collecting data on both, rather than avoiding data collection on sex.”
Sullivan was booked to speak to Department of Justice staff, but after reviewing the presentation she planned to give, Sullivan says she was uninvited.
“After I had sent my slides, I received a phone call from a member of the department saying that she had been told to cancel the event,” Sullivan said.
No formal explanation was given.
“She was not authorized to give me any explanation but indicated that, of course, we both knew what the reason was… you are not allowed to talk about sex in Canada.”
In a statement to True North, a spokesperson for the department said the “employee-organized event” was “cancelled in favour of promoting an event offered by the Canada School of Public Service, a school that offers training and events for public servants.”
“This event aligned more closely with the theme of the International Women’s Day 2024 – Investing in Women and Accelerating Progress,” the spokesperson said. “Notice of the cancellation was given to Dr. Sullivan well in advance of the employee event: more than two weeks prior to the original event date.”
According to a 2018 report released by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and the Department of Justice, “departments and agencies should collect or display gender information by default, unless sex information is specifically needed.”
The departments believe that collecting data in that manner would “ensure that the gender of transgender, non-binary and two-spirit individuals is accurately represented.”
Roughly 59,000 Canadians said they were transgender with another 41,300 who responded that they were non-binary.
Since 2022, all government departments and agencies have been mandated to ask people for their gender instead of their sex as a matter of official policy.
Within the scientific community, a fierce debate wages on about how data should be collected, particularly when conflating gender identity and biological sex in conducting research.
Sullivan, who is an expert in data on sex and gender identity, has voiced her discontent with academics being deplatformed over their analysis of transgender issues.
She was appointed to lead an official review of data on sex and gender by the UK’s Department of Science, Innovation and Technology last month, making her cancelled talk with the Canadian government all the more perplexing.
“Surely they should want to open up the conversation,” said Sullivan. “Clearly, there are some people in the Department of Justice who want to do that, or I wouldn’t have been invited in the first place, but they have been shut down.”
Danielle Smith not budging on puberty blockers, citing international evidence
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith pointed to international evidence to support her opposition to children using puberty blockers as she faces pressure from groups opposed to her recent ban.
While speaking at a news conference on Wednesday about her morning meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Smith fielded various questions about her government’s stance on policies affecting the transgender community.
“We are going to make sure that any individual who is transitioning is supported,” said Smith.
She raised concerns that the province may have gaps in accessible medical coverage. Some of the surgeries are unavailable in Alberta, she explained. Proper surgical aftercare may be lacklustre, and there can be difficulties for those on hormone replacement or hormone therapy to get much-needed lifelong medical support.
Smith continued by discussing at what point life-altering decisions such as gender transitions should be made.
“The developing international evidence is that there’s no consensus on this,” she said. Smith pointed to the United Kingdom’s National Health Service, which recently announced that it would not be offering puberty blockers to people under the age of 18.
The National Health Service published a clinical policy on Tuesday.
“We have concluded that there is not enough evidence to support the safety or clinical effectiveness of PSH [Puberty Suppressing Hormones] to make the treatment routinely available at this time,” said the service.
Alberta’s premier said that the province wants to be cautious and ensure that children are old enough to understand the consequences when making such life-altering decisions.
“Because we are talking about sterility. If you stop the process of puberty and then you do cross-sex hormones, you don’t develop and become sexually mature. You can’t have children,” said Smith.
When looking at international evidence and receiving feedback from individuals in the field, Smith said that the province is uncomfortable offering puberty blockers to those aged 15 and under.
“We have agreed that we believe that children who have good medical care, psychological support, and supportive family can start when they’re 16. And I think that increasingly is going to be supported by the international evidence,” she said.
The Canadian Medical Association published a news release on Wednesday saying that “medical associations across the country oppose government efforts to restrict access to care.”
Thirteen doctors signed the news release; the signatories were from ten provincial associations, two territorial associations, and the Canadian Medical Association.
“There is no one-size-fits-all approach for patients experiencing gender dysphoria. Restricting choices and appropriate care for patients can lead to permanent harm,” said the news release.
The doctors urged all levels of government to consult with experts before implementing any major policy changes related to health care for the 2SLGTBQ+ community.
The premier confirmed Trudeau spoke with her about Alberta’s recently announced policies to ban medical transitions for children under 16 years old and to protect women’s sports.
She added that the province will conduct a review of its medical practices and ensure that young individuals are receiving full diagnoses of gender dysphoria, with proper medical support and mental health counselling to help them through the process.
Radio-Canada, CBC’s French division, recently revealed an investigation where a 14-year-old girl quickly obtained a prescription for cross-sex hormones without the consent of their parents or a medical referral.
Smith referenced the investigation during her press conference.
“If that is happening on a broad scale, that doesn’t seem to have the rigour I think most people would expect around medical procedures,” said Smith.
She added that these are adult decisions and situations where young children are getting locked into a particular path affecting their fertility without understanding the full impacts should not be occurring.
“So, we’re looking and taking guidance from the medical profession internationally, and I hope that we can find some common ground,” said Alberta’s premier.
“We want to support anyone in their journey to become who they’re going to be, but we want to make sure that they’re doing so with the full understanding of what those consequences might be.”
Off the Record | Surprise, surprise! CBC defends Trudeau’s carbon tax
It’s Friday! Kick back, grab a drink and tune into Off the Record with Candice Malcolm, Andrew Lawton and Harrison Faulkner!
Premiers across Canada and across party lines are uniting against the carbon tax as the affordability crisis worsens for Canadians. But lucky for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, he has the CBC to defend him. This week, a CBC journalist argued that the carbon tax is a great environmental policy but has been marketed poorly. It’s no wonder the state broadcaster is getting more money than ever from the Trudeau government.
Plus, as the U.S. mulls over the idea of increasing the retirement age to 70, conservative commentator Ben Shapiro argues in favour of the policy change and says retirement is actually a bad idea for many people if they can’t find purpose. Should Canada raise the age of retirement? What do you think?
And should Canada ban the Chinese-owned app TikTok? As the U.S. inches closer to banning the controversial social media app, Canada is monitoring the situation and revealed that it undertook a national security review of TikTok last year.
These stories and more on Off the Record!
Victims of Emergencies Act bank account freezes file statement of claim against Trudeau, banks
A group of Canadians targeted by the unconstitutional invocation of the Emergencies Act have filed a statement of claim in a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against the federal government, police, and banks.
Loberg Ector LLP, a Calgary law firm representing 19 individuals and one corporation, has filed a statement of claim in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice seeking millions of dollars in damages against a range of actors, including Justin Trudeau and several members of his cabinet, Canadian financial institutions, the Ottawa Police Service and RCMP, as well as the Canadian Anti-Hate Network.
The plaintiffs are each seeking $2.2 million in damages plus legal fees and a declaration that their Charter rights to freedom of expression and protection against unlawful search and seizure were violated.
Justice Richard Mosley of the Federal Court ruled earlier this year that the invocation of the Emergencies Act was unreasonable and unconstitutional, prompting several civil lawsuits from people affected by the use of the extreme law.
The statement of claim describes the invocation of the Emergencies Act against the participants in the Freedom Convoy as “one of the largest and most egregious collective breaches of Charter rights in Canadian history.”
“The scope of the unlawful searches and seizures was astonishingly broad, disproportionate, ill-conceived, and contrary to the core constitutional values of all Canadians in our free and democratic society,” the claim goes on to say.
Trudeau is named personally in the lawsuit, as are Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, former ministers Marco Mendicino and David Lametti, as well as Trudeau’s then-national security and intelligence adviser, Jody Thomas.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Ottawa Police are named, as are former RCMP commissioner Brenda Lucki and the acting Ottawa Police commissioner Steve Bell at the time of the Emergencies Act’s use.
The lawsuit also singles out Canada’s big five banks, as well as several small regional banks and credit unions.
Besides financial damages, the plaintiffs are seeking a declaration from the Ontario Superior Court that the defendants acted unlawfully by declaring a public order emergency against the Freedom Convoy and that they acted unlawfully when they ordered the seizure of bank accounts.
Plaintiffs are seeking $1,000,000 in punitive damages for “the malicious, reprehensible, and high-handed misconduct of the Defendants,” along with $500,000 in general and special damages for the breach of contract and the seizure of bank accounts.
The statement of claim seeks a further $500,000 in damages for the breach of Charter rights, plus $200,000 in damages for “injurious defamation” and “assault and battery”.
“This action provides an important opportunity for this Court to vindicate the Charter rights of the Plaintiffs and in so doing promote the important constitutional and legal principles which ought to be safeguarded,” the statement reads.
The statement to the court goes on to read, “(T)his action further provides an important opportunity for this Court to deter future governments from improperly enacting draconian measures without justification for political means by providing an award of compensable damages to the Plaintiffs.”
Trudeau to discuss making “life more affordable” at $1725-a-plate fundraiser
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be offering up his thoughts on affordability – to those who can afford to pay $1,725.
The Liberals are hosting a fundraising dinner, titled “An Evening with Justin Trudeau,” at The Omni King Edward Hotel in Toronto Friday evening.
The event promises attendees a unique opportunity to engage with Trudeau alongside MPs Charles Sousa and Terry Duguid, as they discuss the next steps in the Liberal plan to address the cost of living.
Ticket prices were set at $1725 for regular admission, with a reduced rate of $875 for youth aged 35 and under. $1725 is the maximum allowable political contribution per year in Canada.
This isn’t the first time Trudeau has faced backlash for costly events framed under the guise of addressing economic concerns.
Last year’s three-day cabinet retreat held in Hamilton came under scrutiny for its hefty price tag, totalling over $305,000. This brought the combined cost of three federal government “affordability” retreats to over $1 million in a single year.
Documents obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation via an access to information request revealed a breakdown of expenses from the Hamilton retreat.
Among the expenditures were $32,000 allocated for hospitality, $20,000 for meals and incidentals, and $50,000 for hotel accommodations.
Additionally, meeting rooms were booked at a cost of $48,000, with an additional $26,000 spent on rental equipment and $71,000 for audiovisual services.
Food expenses during the retreat drew particular attention, with $3,493 spent on soft drinks and juice, $542 on potato chips, $250 on a cheese board, $240 on cookies, and $220 on pita chips and hummus spread.
The Daily Brief | Premiers unite against carbon tax
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s housing strategy has gained international recognition, with British Tory MP Sir Simon Clarke endorsing it in the UK parliament as a model for his own party.
Plus, a constable with Toronto Police Services caused a stir over comments made during a community meeting last month that residents should leave their keys accessible to auto thieves as a means to prevent them from being harmed in a home invasion.
And the list of premiers joining the revolt against the carbon tax is quickly growing, with most of Justin Trudeau’s provincial counterparts now calling for a halt to the impending tax hike.
Tune into The Daily Brief with Cosmin Dzusrdzsa and Isaac Lamoureux!
The Candice Malcolm Show | Wow: the CBC finally gets it RIGHT in exposing the dangers of transitioning minors
It’s been two weeks since the CBC in Quebec released a documentary, which exposed the chilling effects of rapid onset gender dysphoria on young girls. Unsurprisingly, trans activists and so-called journalists are still up in arms and spreading lies about the harms of these radical procedures.
While it’s ironic that we’re applauding the CBC on Fake News Friday (they’re still terrible and should be defunded), it’s critical for Canadians to watch Trans Express to learn the truth about so-called “gender affirming care” and how Canada’s medical system allows young people to make irreversible changes.
On this episode of The Candice Malcolm Show, Candice breaks down the documentary and explains why Canada should follow in the footsteps of countries like Finland, Sweden and the UK and ban puberty blockers for minors.
Tune into The Candice Malcolm Show!
SUBSCRIBE TO THE CANDICE MALCOLM SHOW
CAMPUS WATCH: Anti-Israel students protest RBC’s university branches, demand eviction
Left-wing students at several Canadian universities recently held “sit-in” protests at their respective RBC “OnCampus” branches, demanding that the bank stop funding a company selling products to Israel. They also cited financial support for the oil and gas sector as a grievance.
Student activists urged Canada’s largest bank to permanently close their “OnCampus” locations.
Protests took place at 14 Canadian universities earlier this month, including at the University of Ottawa, where left-wing student activists accused the bank of “profiting off colonialism.”
“RBC is profiting off colonialism, continuously funding the Coastal Gaslink pipeline without Wet’suwet’en consent. They say they care about our futures, but they are the biggest funder of fossil fuels in Canada. It’s simply insulting.” said Climate Justice Climatique University of Ottawa in a news release.
The news release alleges that RBC “has spent more than $270 billion financing fossil fuels since 2016, including funding the Coastal Gaslink pipeline, which violates the sovereignty of the unceded territory of the Wet’suwet’en nation.”
Student activists have five demands for RBC, as reported by Black Press.
- An immediate withdrawal of financial support for the Coastal GasLink and Trans Mountain pipelines.
- An immediate divestiture of financial support from oil and gas expansion projects and a gradual end to all financial support for oil and gas projects.
- A commitment to never again invest in oil and gas.
- Ceasing all financial support for the American company Palantir, which they claim sells AI surveillance technology to Israel which is then used to “criminalize” Palestinians in the West Bank.
- The immediate shut down of branches on university campuses.
A photo of the anti-RBC protest at the University of Ottawa shows participating students wearing masks and holding signs that read, among other things, “free Palestine”, “RBC funds genocide” and “stop the costal gas link.”
In a statement to True North, an RBC spokesperson said they recognize “the imperative for climate action and embrace our role as a bank that will support our clients and communities to accelerate the transition to a greener economy.”
The spokesperson also touted the bank’s Indigenous initiatives.
“RBC strives to be a leading financial institution in Canada to work with Indigenous people and communities towards reconciliation, supporting economic development, community endeavours and educational opportunities,” the RBC spokesperson said.
“We respect the inherent right of Indigenous peoples to self-determination in accordance with international and domestic law. We are actively engaging with Indigenous leaders and communities to discuss constructive ideas that reinforce reconciliation and support community healing and prosperity.”
This is not the first time that left-wing students have protested RBC’s presence on campuses.
Similar protests were held at RBC “On Campus” branches last year, with students taking issue with the bank’s oil and gas investments. At the University of Toronto, mask-wearing students even camped outside of the RBC branch.
However, what was different this year was the student’s adding of an anti-Israel agenda to the woke crusade against RBC.
