fbpx
Saturday, May 3, 2025

Two more Liberal cabinet ministers announce they won’t be seeking re-election

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
-
Source: Facebook/Facebook

Two more Liberal cabinet ministers announced that they will not be seeking re-election, continuing a popular trend within the Trudeau government over the past year. 

Justice Minister and Attorney General of Canada, Arif Virani, and International Trade Minister Mary Ng confirmed Monday they will be stepping away from politics following the end of their term.  

Virani said he intends to spend more time with family in the coming years and won’t be running again in 2025.

“I have spoken with the Prime Minister and informed him that I will not be seeking re-election in 2025,” he wrote in a social media post Monday.

Virani, who represents the riding of Parkdale-High Park in Toronto, said his decision was brought on by seeing the strain that his life in politics had taken on his family after a “considerable amount of soul searching.” 

“They have only known a life with their husband and dad in politics, frequently out of the city, sometimes out of the country,” reads Virani’s statement. “My family have given so much to allow me to pursue my dreams of serving not only our community, but our nation. It is my turn now to give back to the people I love the most.”

Ng also posted her statement to social media, which confirmed that after serving in cabinet since 2018, she will not be seeking re-election either. 

“I’m deeply grateful to my dedicated Constituency and Ministerial teams, my cabinet colleagues who exemplified true teamwork, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose leadership reminds us daily that our mission is to make Canada better for everyone,” reads Ng’s statement.

She went on to say that her “faith in Canada’s future remains unshakeable.”

Ng represents the Markham-Thornhill riding in Ontario and was first elected during a 2017 byelection.

Virani and Ng join the growing list of Liberal cabinet ministers and MPs who have said goodbye to the party, including Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan who announced his resignation several weeks ago.

Sajjan’s resignation echoed that of Virani, saying that Canada’s “political landscape has become increasingly toxic and polarized.” 

Former high-ranking cabinet minister Marco Mendicino announced he would not be running in the next federal election in January as well.  

Four other cabinet ministers announced last fall they wouldn’t be seeking re-election. 

Minister of National Revenue Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Sports Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Economic Development for Southern Ontario Filomena Tassi and Minister of Northern Affairs Dan Vandal informed Trudeau that they won’t be running again in the next federal election.

All four were elected in the 2015 election.

Minister of Labour Seamus O’Regan and Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez both announced they would be stepping down last year as well.

Rodriguez indicated that he would leave to seek the Quebec Liberal leadership.

China-linked foreign interference campaign targeted Chrystia Freeland

By
Noah Jarvis, True North Wire
-
Source: Facebook

A government watchdog tasked with shielding Canadian elections against foreign interference has issued an alert alleging that the People’s Republic of China has launched a virtual campaign against Chrystia Freeland’s bid to become the new Liberal party leader.

The Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections task force responsible for monitoring threats to Canadian elections issued a statement claiming to have detected a malicious foreign interference campaign from the Chinese government using Global Affairs Canada’s Rapid Response Mechanism.

SITE is a task force composed of Canadian public safety and intelligence security agencies and Global Affairs Canada officials mandated to protect Canadian elections by detecting foreign interference and coordinating a whole-of-government approach to counteracting threats.

SITE says that China has launched a malicious information campaign against Freeland on the popular Chinese social media app WeChat from accounts linked to the Chinese government.

“The launch of this information operation was traced to WeChat’s most popular news account – an anonymous blog that has been previously linked by experts at the China Digital Times to the People’s Republic of China,” reads SITE’s statement. 

SITE claims that the foreign interference campaign involved approximately 30 accounts receiving a substantive amount of engagement in a six-day period.

“The campaign received very high levels of engagement and views, with WeChat news articles disparaging Ms. Freeland netting over 140,000 interactions between January 29 and February 3, 2025. RRM Canada estimates that 2 to 3 million WeChat users saw the campaign globally,” said SITE.

In response to the revelation of a foreign interference campaign launched against her leadership bid, Freeland said that she would continue to persist through the leadership race despite the impediment.

“I will not be intimidated by Chinese foreign interference,” said Freeland

“Having spent years confronting authoritarian regimes, I know firsthand the importance of defending our freedoms. Canada’s democracy is strong. My thanks to our national security agencies for protecting it.”

In a comment to True North, founder of The Bureau Sam Cooper said that while not much is currently known about the foreign interference campaign against Freeland, the attack is reminiscent of past attempts to interfere in Canada’s democracy.

“From what we can judge so far in SITE’s disclosure, which is minimal, these are disinformation attacks consistent with CCP targeting of leaders in the Conservative Party during the 2021 election, in that WeChat accounts – which we know are subject to Chinese intelligence monitoring and propaganda units working for Xi’s regime – have operated in a network to undermine Freeland,” said Cooper.

Cooper compares the targeting of Freeland’s campaign to the foreign interference campaign allegedly launched against the 2021 re-election campaign of Conservative MP for Steveston––Richmond East Kenny Chiu.

“The scheme very much resembles the attempted smearing of Kenny Chiu, in that the same WeChat account structure in combination with PRC controlled news sites are reportedly involved in disseminating information during a Canadian campaign, in this case, one that will likely choose the next prime minister in a party nomination wide open to foreign voters and without any strong accountability structures outside of the LPC’s own control,” said Cooper.

Cooper said that it is unclear why China may want to hurt Freeland’s campaign, but suggests it may be related to positions she took in her time as a Liberal cabinet minister.

“At this point it’s an educated guess as to why China would want to undermine Freeland. For one, as Finance Minister she took regulatory action reportedly against a startup bank which reportedly is comprised of individuals linked to China, money laundering concerns, and questionable lobbying of Prime Minister Trudeau,” said Cooper.

Liberals flip-flop again on taxing small business carbon tax rebate

By
Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
-
Source: X

The Canada Revenue Agency will be taxing the small business carbon rebates, despite the Liberals previously backing off the measure after facing serious backlash. 

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business announced it had learned of the incoming taxation on Monday.

“The CRA has confirmed to CFIB in writing that the Canada Carbon Rebate for Small Businesses is considered ‘assistance received by the taxpayer from a government in the taxation year in which the assistance is received. As such, it is subject to income tax. This announcement (to make it tax-free) and the FES were not accompanied by the proposed legislative amendments,’” said the federation.

Carbon tax rebates going to Canadian families remain tax-free.

Less than one day after originally announcing that the carbon tax rebate for small businesses would be taxed, the Liberals backtracked on their position and removed the tax last November. 

Conservative MP Brad Vis slammed the Liberals for flip-flopping on their position.

“Canadians can’t trust a word the Liberals say,” said Vis. “Only the Liberals would think this is the right way to help small businesses in Canada … We cannot handle any more of this anti-business government.”

A November statement from the Department of Finance said, “The Canada Carbon Rebate for Small Businesses is a tax-free payment.”

But apparently it isn’t.

The $2.5 billion in rebates have already faced five years of delays. Between 2019 and 2024, only 0.17 per cent of the rebates were delivered, according to the CFIB. 

However, they were finally delivered recently. In December, 600,000 small businesses received rebates of around $4,000 each. 

“After waiting five years for government to get around to rebating a share of carbon tax revenue to small businesses, we now learn that Ottawa will tax the tax rebate,” said CFIB President Dan Kelly. 

The federation said because the Canada Revenue Agency declared the rebates taxable, only new legislation passed through Parliament can override the decision.

Canada’s Governor General Mary Simon granted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s request to prorogue Parliament while the Liberal Party of Canada selects its new leader, and the country’s new prime minister, a race set to conclude on Mar. 9.

“This, on top of the need to prepare for the U.S. tariff threat, is another reason to resume Parliament immediately,” said Kelly.

While President Donald Trump’s proposed 25-per-cent tariffs have been paused for a month, the threat is still outstanding. 

On top of urging Parliament to be recalled, the CFIB called for the Liberals to cancel the incoming 19-per-cent carbon tax increase scheduled for Apr. 1, 2025.

The two main Liberal candidates, Mark Carney and Chrystia Freeland, have both pledged to oppose the carbon tax. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre opposes the carbon tax. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has long abandoned the carbon tax. 

Despite no leaders supporting the carbon tax, it remains — along with its incoming increase.

However, polling indicates that the majority of Canadians don’t believe the new Liberal leader will eliminate the consumer carbon tax, irrespective of their claims.

The federation said that as long as the carbon tax remains in place, small businesses should be returned nine per cent of total revenue and unincorporated businesses should enjoy similar relief.

Smith denies wrongdoing as Alberta auditor general reviews AHS contracts

By
Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
-
Source: X

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is denying any involvement in alleged political interference at Alberta Health Services as the province’s auditor general investigates procurement practices at the health authority.

Smith issued a statement on Saturday responding to allegations that her government pressured AHS to approve private healthcare contracts following the firing of AHS CEO Athana Mentzelopoulos just days before she was allegedly set to meet with Auditor General Doug Wylie.

“I have read various media stories containing allegations regarding the procurement and contracting processes of AHS. They are troubling allegations and they should be reviewed as quickly as possible,” Smith said.

The Globe and Mail reported the allegations against Smith and her government based on a letter the news organization said it had obtained. One of the allegations claims Mentzelopoulos was pressured into signing new deals for chartered surgical facilities.

Smith said she would write to the auditor general to request an expedited and transparent review of the findings.

Smith also requested an internal review from Alberta Health Services. Until the findings from that review are given to Smith, contracting for surgical facilities is paused.

“As Premier, I was not involved in any wrongdoing. Any insinuation to the contrary is false, baseless and defamatory,” said Smith.

The entire Alberta Health Services board was dismissed on Jan. 31. 

The Health Sciences Association of Alberta, a progressive union representing around 30,000 healthcare professionals, is calling for an immediate and independent investigation into contracts awarded to private surgical facilities following the allegations.

“The evidence is clear—for-profit surgical facilities are not the answer. They poach staff from public hospitals, create inefficiencies, and cost more than publicly delivered care,” said association president  Mike Parker. “Instead of expanding this broken model, the government should be reinvesting in our public hospitals and health care professionals ensuring stable, well-funded surgical programs that serve all Albertans, not finding a way to give sweetheart deals to corporations taking a cut out of public health care.”

In Saskatchewan, private clinics reduced wait times by 47% between 2010 and 2014, according to a Fraser Institute study. 

Wylie confirmed on Feb. 6 that he had already begun reviewing the procurement and contracting process at the AHS.

“The examination is looking at the effectiveness of management and control processes — including governance and oversight — ensuring value for Albertans while addressing concerns or allegations related to contracting and potential conflicts of interest,” said Wylie, adding the investigation could extend to other organizations if necessary.

Wylie’s reports will be publicly available after they are tabled in the Legislative Assembly. 

The Alberta government completely overhauled the province’s healthcare system last summer.

Smith said it’s no secret she has been displeased with the level, quality, and timeliness of service the AHS delivered to Albertans.

The healthcare system has struggled nationwide. A previous report highlighted that Canada ranked ninth out of 10 high-income peers. Canada fell behind the mean for access to care, administrative efficiency, and equity while ranking dead last in timeliness. 

“I will continue to relentlessly push forward to make improvements. Although that has required difficult decisions and major change, I do not accept the current results,” said Smith. “There is a widespread and deep-seated resistance to change that we must overcome.”

“That’s my goal: better healthcare for all.”

Poilievre responds to Trump 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum, takes shots at “Carney-Trudeau” Liberals

By
Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
-
Source: Facebook

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre reaffirmed that Canada will remain a sovereign nation amid renewed calls for the country to become the 51st U.S. state and Donald Trump’s recently declared 25-per-cent tariff on Canadian steel and aluminum exports to the U.S.

According to the Associated Press, on the way to the Super Bowl game Sunday President Trump told reporters on Air Force One he plans to impose steel and aluminum import tariffs against many countries, including Canada, which was recently granted a 30-day reprieve on previously threatened comprehensive tariffs.

In an interview with Fox News that aired before the Super Bowl, the recently re-inaugurated U.S. president said his threats to annex Canada were a “real thing” and that “Canada would be much better off being a 51st state.”

During a press conference Monday, Poilievre pledged again to rebuild Canada’s military presence in the Arctic and ensure Canada would never become America’s 51st state.

“We are a proud, sovereign and independent country. We are a patriotic people, and we will defend our future and our independence,” Poilievre said. He added if Trump slaps tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, “(w)e will retaliate in kind with matching tariffs on American aluminum and steel, all of the proceeds of which will be given back to our steel and aluminum industry, and any surplus will be given in tax relief for our people.” 

He called Trump’s tariff threats a “wake-up call” that the “Carney-Trudeau-Liberals” have destroyed Canada’s economy over the last nine years, leaving it in a weakened position amid trade talks.

“The Carney-Trudeau Liberal policies that doubled housing costs, doubled food bank lineups, doubled our national debt and sent half a trillion dollars out of our country to the United States were wrong before. They are absolutely dangerous now,” Poilievre said.

Last week, Liberal leadership candidate and former central banker Mark Carney told CTV News he would impose an industrial carbon tax on “large polluters” and “big companies,” naming steel manufacturers as an example.

Poilievre said the combination of Trump’s tariffs and Carney’s carbon tax hikes would be an “existential disaster” for the Canadian economy. 

“Can you imagine what it would do to our country if at the same time, Donald Trump hits our steel industry with a tariff mark, Carney brings in a massive new carbon tax?” he said. “My friends, there will be no steel making in Canada, and we will lose the most fundamental strategic building block of an economy and frankly, our national security.”

He linked Carney, as Trudeau’s advisor, to many of the economic issues facing Canada.

“Mark Carney has been in charge of our economy for the last five years when he became Justin Trudeau’s advisor,” he said. “And what has been the result? Doubling the debt, printing $700 billion of inflationary cash, destroying the purchasing power of our money, shutting down pipelines that would have made us less reliant on the Americans so that they get all our oil and all our gas.”

He said Carney’s “radical environmental agenda sought to deliberately defund Canada’s energy sector.”

“That has been Mark Carney’s radical agenda that Justin Trudeau has been implementing dutifully over the last five years, this agenda was wrong before.  It is an existential threat to every Canadian job now,” Poilievre said.

Carney’s campaign did not respond to True North’s requests for comment.

Poilievre vowed if elected, he would take Canada in the “exact opposite direction.”

“These radical policies have not worked in the last nine years, and they will be a catastrophe if they are allowed to continue for a fourth term of the Carney-Trudeau Liberals,” he said. “That’s why we need a strong, Canada first, common sense, a Conservative government that will, yes, axe taxes, build homes, fix budgets and stop crime, bringing home production and paychecks by repealing anti-energy laws.”

He said that his government would “unapologetically build pipelines, big mines, LNG, and liquefaction plants” that would pass a “bring it home tax cut” to “bring back” half a trillion dollars that the “Carney-Trudeau Liberals” have “given” to the Americans, via their anti-energy policies.

Canada’s premiers have been responding to Trump’s proposed tariffs too.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford was on CNBC Monday, saying the tariff would hurt both Canada and the U.S., and vowed a proportionate retaliatory response against the United States.

“America loses, Canada loses. I’ll tell you who wins is China,” Ford said. “China is sitting back laughing, and the whole world’s laughing, watching two of the closest allies in the world go at each other. It just doesn’t make sense.”

In recent weeks Ford has been advocating against a trade war with the U.S. and in favour of a strengthened trade relationship, though has expressed the need to retaliate against Trump’s tariffs.

“I know that America needs our critical minerals because China has cut them off. Who has the critical minerals? Ontario and across the country need our energy and oil. They need our electricity,” Ford said. “Ontario keeps 1.5 million lights on in New York, in Michigan and Minnesota, and the list goes on and on and on, and we need each other, and we’re stronger together.”

Insolvencies in Canada reach 15-year high, driven by small business

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
-
Source: Unsplash

Insolvencies rose 12.1 per-cent last year compared with 2023, primarily driven by small- to medium-sized businesses.

Canadian business insolvencies saw a pronounced increase of 28.6 per cent last year, compared with 2023, according to data from the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy. 

It’s worth noting that last year about 375 insolvencies occurred each day, marking a 15-year high across both business and consumer sectors.

Businesses that suffered the most were construction, food services, accommodation, transportation and warehousing. 

However, “mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction showed decreases in the number of insolvencies,” it said. 

Systems Business Coach Beverlee Rasmussen said that both 2023 and 2024 were particularly “tough years for small businesses in Canada.”

“The CEBA loans had to be paid back by the first week of January 2023,” Rasmussen told True North. “Small business owners were already dealing with a heavy debt load coming out of Covid and interest rates are double what they were the year prior. Imagine your interest expense doubling or tripling when you’re already on the edge.”

While the Bank of Canada recently reduced its key interest rate to three per cent to mitigate the country’s weak economy, businesses that managed to survive an economically tumultuous 2024 will now have to contend with the threat of U.S. tariffs and mortgage renewals. 

“Of course, when you cool inflation, you cool sales, put the squeeze on consumers by raising their mortgage rates, now instead of going out for dinner once a week they’re doing it once a month or not going out at all. Every last customer to a restaurant has an impact,” said Ramussen. 

She also noted that certain changes to the minimum wage have strained small business owners. 

“Consider that a one-dollar-an-hour raise to employees equals $2500 a year out of the business owner’s pocket. Lots of demand for higher wages to retain employees. Most provinces had a minimum wage increase,” said Rasmussen.  

“This next one might not sound like a big deal but business owners by law have to pay for five sick days. The employees think the government is paying for it and so many have shared with me that their employees want to take those days off just to get the benefit, not realizing it’s coming out of the owner’s pocket.”

Insolvency filings increased 5.2 per cent in the fourth quarter of last year, bringing its year-over-year to more than 35,000. 

Consumer insolvencies led the charge in Q4 with an increase of 6.1 per cent, while business insolvencies saw a dip of 12.4 per cent. 

“Where we fall down is not supporting the business owner who’s been around for a few years, has customers, has a viable product in the market, has hired employees and is over their head,” said Rasmussen. 

The Conservatives released a statement in response to the latest data, accusing the Trudeau government of making everything more expensive and tougher for businesses  and consumers to stay afloat by driving up the country’s deficit to $61.9 billion.

“This has had devastating consequences for working Canadians. Businesses are closing after the Liberals hiked their capital gains tax and increased the carbon tax,” said the Conservatives. 

“And as many as 50 percent of Canadians are now $200 or less away from not being able to pay their bills. The Royal Bank of Canada also revealed last month that 55 percent of Canadians are ‘feeling paralyzed.’”

Accused in high-profile Starbucks stabbing incident back in court

By
Alex Zoltan, True North Wire
-
Source: Facebook

A pre-trial conference stemming from a March 2023 fatal stabbing outside a downtown Vancouver Starbucks resumed Monday in B.C. Supreme Court.

Inderdeep Singh Gosal faces a second-degree murder charge after the stabbing, which occurred on Mar. 26, 2023 at the intersection of West Pender and Granville streets.

The victim, 37-year-old Paul Stanley Schmidt, was with his fiancée and their young daughter when he reportedly became involved in a confrontation with Gosal, 32 – allegedly over Gosal’s “vaping” near Schmidt’s child. The altercation escalated and Schmidt was fatally stabbed.

Bystanders quickly alerted a nearby police officer, leading to Gosal’s arrest at the scene. Authorities previously stated they do not believe Schmidt and Gosal knew each other prior to the incident.

The incident was captured on cell phone video by witnesses, and the footage circulated widely on social media platforms.

In the aftermath of Schmidt’s death, a GoFundMe campaign was established to support his fiancée and daughter. It raised more than  $165,000 in only a few days.

Gosal attended the pre-trial conference by video phone for just a few minutes on Monday when it was decided the pretrial would continue Friday.

Man charged in historic superlab drug bust makes second court appearance

By
Alex Zoltan, True North Wire
-
Source: X

Gaganpreet Singh Randhawa, the lone person charged in connection with a massive drug “superlab bust” in Falkland, B.C. last fall, made his second court appearance on Monday.

He was arrested on Oct. 25, 2024 after RCMP investigators executed search warrants on what turned out to be a massive drug superlab in Falkland, as well as other locations in Surrey. The raids were part of a series of coordinated actions across the Metro Vancouver and North Okanagan regions.

While executing those search warrants, police dismantled what they described as the largest and most sophisticated drug superlab of its kind, seizing 54 kilograms of fentanyl, 390 kilograms of methamphetamine, 35 kilograms of cocaine, 15 kilograms of MDMA, and six kilograms of cannabis, along with huge quantities of precursor chemicals.

In addition to the drug haul, investigators confiscated 89 firearms, including 45 handguns, 21 rifles, and multiple submachine guns, many of which were loaded and ready for use. Officials have identified nine of these firearms as stolen.

The searches further uncovered small explosive devices, large stockpiles of ammunition, firearm silencers, high-capacity magazines, body armour, and $500,000 in cash.

This isn’t Randhawa’s first run-in with the law. In 2016 he was convicted in Burnaby for dial-a-dope trafficking. During sentencing he told the judge he tried to leave the drug business but was threatened with death by his “bosses,” who went unnamed.

Following the raids, B.C.’s director of forfeitures filed a claim against the property where the lab was found, along with industrial equipment allegedly used for illicit drug production.

The claim named two defendants: property owner Michael Driehuyzen and Randhawa.

Driehuyzen bought the 163-acre property on Hoath Road in May 2007 for $655,000, based on Land Title and B.C. Assessment documents.

The filing alleges the property was used between January and October 2024 for producing, storing, and processing controlled substances intended for illegal trafficking. It also states police previously executed search warrants in 2015 and 2016, uncovering an “unlawful cannabis grow operation.”

The civil forfeiture action proceeds independently of any criminal charges, and no criminality has been proven in court.

Randhawa’s bail hearing is expected to continue on February 21.

Poilievre vows to repurpose foreign aid to build permanent Arctic base, increase patrols

By
Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
-
Source: Facebook

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre plans to double the country’s northern military presence by building a fully-fledged Arctic military base and purchasing two more icebreakers, all while cutting foreign aid to pay for Canada’s northern defence.

Poilievre announced “the first part” of his plan to reduce the federal debt and build up Canada’s Arctic defences in Iqaluit, NU, Monday morning.

He vowed to double the size of the Canadian Rangers from 2000 to 4000 rangers, acquire two additional polar icebreakers and commit to building two other heavy icebreakers, already in development under the Liberal government, by 2029. The Liberals have yet to provide a definitive deadline for the project.

“Conservatives will deliver all of these things faster than the current liberal plan by cutting red tape and delays, if we are to be a sovereign, self-reliant nation, we must take control of our north, secure all of our borders, and stand on our own two feet,” Poilievre said. “We cannot count on the Americans to do it for us anymore. This is a reality. This is the wake-up call.”

Poilievre also vowed to build Canada’s first permanent Arctic military base since the Cold War in Iqaluit, promising jobs for Northern Canadians in both military roles and the trades.

“Canada’s Arctic is under threat,” he said. “After nine years of Liberal incompetence and disdain, our military is weakened, and our allies no longer respect us. Our safety, territory and trade with the US requires we take back control of our north”

As it stands, Canada does not have an operating Arctic base. The Nanisivik Naval Facility is currently still in development and expected to go into operation this year. As a naval station, the facility is expected to only be used by Arctic patrol vessels for refuelling purposes and not extensive military operations. Russia currently has more Arctic military bases than all of NATO combined.

He noted several instances of Russia and China encroaching and threatening Canada’s Arctic Sovereignty.

“Hostile powers want our resources, our shipping routes and to be in striking distance of our continent,” Poilievre said. “Let me be clear, the Canadian Arctic belongs to Canadians, and Canadians will take back control of their Arctic waters, Arctic skies and Arctic land.”

The Department of National Defence noted in an “Our North Strong and Free” report last year that Russia“possesses a robust Arctic naval presence with submarines, surface combatants and an icebreaker fleet much larger than those of other Arctic powers.” 

According to the American Security Project, Russia has also reopened Soviet military bases.

“Canada still doesn’t have a permanent military base in the Arctic, while the same time, Russia has reopened Soviet bases and expanded its Navy’s Northern Fleet,” Poilievre said. “Over the last few decades, they’ve also developed new hypersonic missiles designed to evade NATO’s defences. Why do you think they want those for?”

He said the base will host a full Royal Canadian Armed Forces wing to launch and land new F-35 fighter jets to “deter, intercept and destroy threats” and will be used to land Poseidon P-8 aircraft to carry out search and rescue, antisubmarine warfare and intelligence operations.

He also cited DND concerns over Chinese research vessels probing near Canada’s Arctic in the Bering Strait off of Alaska last summer. In 2022, the former Liberal Minister of National Defence, Anita Anand, told reporters that she was “fully aware” of other incidents of Chinese monitoring buoys in the Arctic.

Poilievre vowed to pay for it all by cutting from Canada’s large “foreign aid” and soft power influence funding around the world.

“One hundred per cent of the cost of the base will come out of our foreign aid budget,” he said. “In fact, today’s announcement will actually reduce the deficit because I plan to cut foreign aid more than the full cost of the announcement that I’ve made today.”

He pledged that the base would be “up and running within two years” of becoming Prime Minister. 

“All of these improvements will be funded by dramatically cutting foreign aid, most of which or al lot of which goes to dictators, terrorists and global bureaucracies,” Poilievre said. “We’ve got enough problems at home. We’ve got our own backyard to protect we can’t be sending billions of dollars to other places, often, and much of it is wasted and stolen and swallowed up by bureaucracies that act against our interest.”

Many Canadians online, including the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, have advocated for reducing Global Affairs Canada’s budget for years. A recent True North report found that GAC gave the U.K.’s BBC over half a million tax dollars for African DEI projects.

On top of a $3.3 million bar tab, the federal foreign aid agency racked up between Jan. 2019 and May 2024, GAC has spent on several projects the CTF has raised the alarm about. Some of these included $12,000 for seniors in Asia to share sex stories with a live studio audience and millions in spending on vacant land in Africa and properties in Afghanistan, which were abandoned to the Taliban.

“Canadians will decide. With Trudeau-Carney Liberals, more and more billions of dollars will go to global and globalist organizations while our people at home are starving and our military is unable to defend our territory,” Poilievre said. “Or they can bring it home with common sense conservatives who will make sure our money serves our people, our sovereignty, and our interests.“

Premiers call on Trudeau to name fentanyl czar as tariff deadline approaches

By
Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
-
Source: Facabook/Facebook

Two of the premiers who have been at the forefront of Canada’s border security enhancements have called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to name a fentanyl czar. A week has passed since he made the commitment to appointing a czar, and only three weeks remain in the country’s temporary reprieve from tariffs.

“Enough’s enough,” said Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who argued that while his provincial government was making serious border enhancements, the Liberals were asleep at the wheel.

“I’m done with the talking; let’s show some action,” he said. 

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith sided with Ford, calling for action in Ottawa. 

“Alberta is perplexed and concerned by the delay in appointing this Fentanyl czar and calls on the federal government to do so without further delay,” said Smith. 

She added that there is a lot of work to be done, which would be easier to accomplish with a federal lead coordinating the national response.

Smith reiterated that all 13 premiers would be travelling to Washington, D.C. on a diplomatic mission to resolve the tariffs permanently. 

“It is incumbent upon the prime minister to appoint the border czar in the coming days to support the premiers’ and his own ministers’ efforts in this regard,” she said.

Canada was granted a one-month reprieve from President Donald Trump’s 25-per-cent tariff on all Canadian imports after Trudeau made various promises on how he would enhance border security. Some of the promises mirrored those made earlier by Mexico, which resulted in them being granted a similar reprieve. 

As for who should be named fentanyl czar, Smith recommended her Deputy Minister Paul Wynnyk, a former lieutenant-general who served in the army for 38 years.

“That’s the kind of person we need: someone who understands military operations, who understands deployment, who understands the seriousness with which we have to take this issue,” said Smith.

Ford had a different recommendation, calling on former Chief of the Defence Staff of Canada Rick Hillier to be named fentanyl czar.

“General Hillier was the one who stepped up during the pandemic,” said Ford. “He is no-nonsense. Gets it done.”

But Ford wasn’t too firm in his recommendations. He called on the Liberals to name any general or any former police chief as the fentanyl czar as long as they got it done fast.

Smith was the first Canadian leader to call for a border czar to be appointed. She was also the first premier to unveil a border security plan and enhancements, following various premiers calling for improved security to respond to Trump’s tariffs.

Ontario followed suit with border enhancements, deploying 200 officers to its shared border with the U.S.

B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad said that his province already has a fentanyl czar.

“Her name is Doctor Bonnie Henry, and she is focused on promoting fentanyl use in B.C.,” said Rustad. “Hopefully, Canada’s new national fentanyl czar is focused on stopping fentanyl instead of promoting it.”

Ford revealed some promising early results just one day after Ontario’s border enhancements were announced. He said 21 illegal firearms were already seized, as well as 624 kilograms of cocaine. Additionally, seven stolen vehicles were recovered, and eight illegal border crossers were intercepted.

Alongside her call for a fentanyl czar, Smith reiterated her demand for a federal election to be held immediately after the Liberal Party of Canada’s leadership race concludes on Mar. 9. The winner of the race will become the prime minister without a general election.

True North reached out to the Prime Minister’s Office but received no reply.

1234...1,460Page 3 of 1,460

Related stories

© 2025 True North | Privacy Policy