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Friday, August 15, 2025

Christy Clark, Francois-Philippe Champagne won’t seek Liberal leadership

By
Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
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Source: X/Facebook

Former B.C. premier Christy Clark and Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne will not seek the Liberal party’s leadership.

These exits come as reports indicate former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney, former deputy premier Chrystia Freeland, and Liberal House leader Karina Gould are set to announce their candidacies in the coming days.

The Liberals are set to replace Justin Trudeau as their leader and Canada’s prime minister Mar. 9.

Champagne announced Tuesday that he would not be seeking his party’s leadership.

“A difficult decision but one I take with Canada at heart,” Champagne said in a post on X. “Thanks to Canadians, colleagues & organizers from across the country who share the vision of a proud, ambitious and prosperous Canada.”

Clark also bowed out in an email to volunteers, saying she didn’t feel she had enough time to mount a proper campaign.

“I won’t be in this leadership race, but I won’t stop fighting. Pierre Poilievre would rather attack Canadians than call out Donald Trump,” she said in a post on X. “We need the Liberal Party at the top of its game.”

Despite Clark’s criticism that Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre hasn’t “called out” President-elect Donald Trump, he vowed retaliatory tariffs against Trump if he were elected.

Clark’s announcement comes after she was caught lying about being involved in the Conservative leadership race where she supported former Quebec Premier Jean Charest’s bid.

According to Global News, sources close to Government House leader Karina Gould say she is set to enter the race too, though she has yet to make an official announcement.

Many expect Liberal finance adviser and former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney and Trudeau’s former deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland to run for the Liberal leadership, too.

Carney said he “just started thinking about” running in the Liberal leadership race on Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show on Monday and is expected to launch his campaign in Edmonton on Thursday.

In the interview, Carney billed himself as an “outsider,” untainted by the Trudeau government, though in September, he was appointed as the finance adviser to the Liberal party. 

Reports say members of Trudeau’s team are already involved in Carney’s campaign. According to the Toronto Sun,  Gerald Butts, Trudeau’s former principal secretary, and Katie Telford, Trudeau’s chief of staff, are calling potential supporters on Carney’s behalf.

Freeland has yet to announce that she is running, but there have been reports that she is planning to do so on the eve of President Donald Trump’s inauguration.

Only two candidates have officially announced bids for leadership so far. 

Chandra Arya, a Liberal MP, is running on making Canada a “sovereign republic” and fixing the immigration system, though he never said how it would be done.  

Chandra was a vocal advocate against a foreign agent registry that would force agents of foreign governments to register their activities in Canada. He said that Quebecers don’t care that he can’t speak French and is an ardent supporter of establishing a “Palestinian state.”

The second candidate is former Liberal MP Frank Baylis. His medical supplies company, Baylis Medical, was subject to ethics committee investigations following accusations from Conservatives who noted the former Liberal MP’s company had received millions of taxpayer handouts from the Liberal government just weeks after he left office.

Canada’s healthcare system ranks second last among high-income peers: report

By
Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
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Source: Unsplash

Canada’s healthcare system continues to score poorly compared to its international peers. 

According to a C.D. Howe Institute report authored by Tingting Zhang, Canada ranks ninth out of 10 high-income countries, falling behind the international average for access to care, administrative efficiency, and equity, while ranking last in timeliness. However, for the select few who can access care, Canada has a relatively high quality of care.

“All Canadian provinces and territories fall below the international average for overall healthcare performance, with Newfoundland and Labrador and Nunavut showing the weakest outcomes,” reads the study. “Access to timely care, obtaining after-hours care, and long wait times are nearly universal challenges.”

A previous poll highlighted that almost half of Canadians were avoiding healthcare due to overwhelming wait times, with 11% seeking care abroad to bypass delays.  

The C.D. Howe report showcased that Canada ranked last in timeliness. Every province ranked well below the international timeliness average. Almost half of Canadians, 47%, waited two months or longer to see a specialist, and 59% waited two months or longer for elective surgery.

The only country Canada outperformed in overall health system performance was the United States, which took last place. The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia led the pack in scores.

The study also analyzed each province independent from Canada, which saw Prince Edward Island take first place among the provinces in overall health system performance. In last place, and the only province scoring lower than the United States, was Nunavut. 

The study compared Commonwealth Fund International Health Policy surveys from 2021 to 2023 to compare Canada’s healthcare performance to other countries. Other supplementary data were gathered from the World Health Organization, OECD, and Canadian Institute for Health Information. 

Compared to a similar study conducted in 2018, Quebec saw the biggest improvement in healthcare — climbing from 7th place to 1st among Canadian jurisdictions. Alberta saw the largest decrease in healthcare performance — falling from 1st to 5th. 

The C.D. Howe study analyzes the “access to care” category, which consists of affordability and timeliness. Canada ranked 9th out of 10 in this category. When taking each province individually, every province ranked beneath all countries except the United States.

A previous report highlighted that Canada’s healthcare spending was among the highest in the OECD and was outpacing the economy. The country’s annual healthcare spending hit $372 billion in 2024, costing each Canadian around $9,054. Of all 38 OECD countries, only France and Sweden spent more per capita on healthcare than Canada. 

However, the C.D. Howe Institute study said that Canada’s affordability of healthcare has improved from seventh to sixth place since 2018, despite the serious issues that remain.  

“Affordability continues to be a significant barrier in the Atlantic provinces (excluding PEI), Alberta, BC and Yukon, where a higher proportion of adults reported forgoing medications, needed mental health services or homecare due to cost concerns,” reads the study. “PEI was the only province with an affordability score significantly higher than the international average.”

The study added that almost one-quarter of low or average-income Canadians reported at least one cost barrier to accessing healthcare in 2023, more than double those with high incomes. 

“This suggests strongly that people with lower or average incomes may have forgone medical care or failed to follow care instructions as prescribed, potentially exacerbating their health issues,” reads the study.

A different study published by the C.D. Howe Institute highlighted that Canada’s healthcare system will require $2 trillion to meet the ageing population’s needs. 

Zhang suggested that Canada implement best practices from countries like the Netherlands and Germany. 

She added that Canada’s recent expansions in drug and dental care coverage are not yet reflected in surveys. However, even those improvements would bring only two provinces above the international average.

Zhang called for broader improvements across all jurisdictions, emphasizing the need for affordable mental health and home care services, shorter wait times, enhanced patient engagement, and addressing equity challenges.

The Candice Malcolm Show | Banker Mark Carney will be Canada’s next PM

By
Candice Malcolm
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Source: X

Mark Carney is expected to launch his Liberal leadership campaign later this week, and did a soft launch on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart last night. If Carney does indeed enter the race (which it looks like he will) it will be a coronation and he will be the next leader of the party, and by default, our next Prime Minister.

On today’s episode of the Candice Malcolm Show, Candice walks us through Carney’s past roles – central banker, Trudeau Liberal advisor, proud Global elite – to demonstrate that he is not an outsider. Instead, she shows how his socialist, money-printing policies have been disastrous, how he’s very much to blame for our economic collapse, and that it’s possible that he’s equally as arrogant as our current PM.

Later in the show, Candice discusses the other candidates running, including Christy Clark and her weird lies that seem to have sunken her campaign, she discusses the latest with Trump’s tariff threats and the best way to respond, and, for fun, she responds to a very grumpy online critic.

Tune into The Candice Malcolm Show.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE CANDICE MALCOLM SHOW

The Daily Brief | Mark Carney denies any involvement with Ghislaine Maxwell

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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Source: Federal Bureau of Prisons / Wikimedia / X

Sources close to Liberal leadership hopeful Mark Carney are downplaying photos from 2013 showing the former Bank of Canada governor alongside convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has hinted at the possibility of an early provincial election, citing the looming 25% tariffs proposed by President-elect Donald Trump.

Former BC Premier Christy Clark has backed out of her Liberal leadership bid after publicly walking back claims that she was never a member of the federal Conservatives.

Tune into The Daily Brief with Cosmin Dzsurdzsa and Noah Jarvis! 

Mark Carney claims he’s political “outsider” in Jon Stewart interview

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
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Source: YT: The Daily Show

UN Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance Mark Carney attempted to sell himself as an outsider to both politics and the establishment as he teased the likelihood of a Liberal leadership run during a guest appearance on a U.S. talk show. 

Carney appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Monday to discuss the political climate in Canada and the U.S. as well the risks of incoming president Donald Trump’s 25% tariff threat. 

Stewart said that the headwinds of the population seem to favouring the Conservatives, suggesting that Carney would be better off to “run” from a Canadian election as opposed to entering it.  

“It’s really difficult for a candidate to come in,” said Stewart, who has been “saddled with the policies” of a left-wing government. 

Before he could finish his sentence, Carney hinted at the notion that it could work if  someone entered the race that was bringing something different to the political landscape. 

“A wild hypothetical, let’s say a candidate wasn’t part of the government,” said Carney. “Let’s say the candidate did have a lot of economic experience. Let’s say the candidate did deal with crises. Let’s say the candidate had a plan to deal with the challenges in the here and now.”

Stewart playfully responded by saying, “you sneaky…you’re running as an outsider.”

“I am an outsider,” Carney responded. 

“Wow, so you’re going to be coming there to say, ‘I have not been in the government. I have worked in the financial markets. I understand all the things that go around trade,’” Stewart responded.

Carney served as the Bank of Canada governor from 2008 to 2013 before taking on the same position with the Bank of England from 2013 to 2020.

Carney then became the vice-chairman at Brookfield Asset Management, leading the firm’s environmental, social and governance, or ESG portfolio.

He was named as chair of the new board of directors for Bloomberg L.P. in 2023 by Michael Bloomberg. 

More recently, Carney served as a personal adviser to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

and the chair of the Liberal Party of Canada’s task force on economic growth.

Several outlets have reported that Trudeau tried to tap Carney to be his finance minister on several occasions, to no avail.

Carney has come under fire over the past several days after photos from 2013 of him and Ghislaine Maxwell, long time partner of Jeffrey Epstein and convicted sex trafficker of minors resurfaced. 

Carney’s campaign denied any involvement with Maxwell outside of being photographed with her, maintaining that she was simply a friend of Carney’s sister-in-law and that the two were not acquaintances beyond attending the same event together. 

On the issue of climate change, Carney told Stewart that changes need to be made in a way that “Canadians today are not paying the price.” 

Stewart questioned how that would work, noting that any time he’s observed a tax on gas, it wasn’t “politically feasible.”

Carney responded by saying that the “vast majority of our emissions in Canada come from our industry.”

“In fact, almost 30% of our emissions in Canada come from the production and shipment of oil to the United States,” he said. “So part of it is cleaning that up, getting those emissions down, more than changing in a very short period of time the way Canadians live,” 

Following his response, Stewart pressed Carney on whether he would officially announce his bid to be the next Liberal leader, citing how many other cabinet ministers have expressed disinterest in the position. 

Carney said that ministers like Melanie Joly, Dominic LeBlanc and Steve Mackinnon chose to bow out of the leadership race not out of fear that they couldn’t win the next federal election, but because they’re focused on the Trump tariffs and putting “country before party and personal ambition.”

“But I don’t have a job,” he quipped.

“Really, you don’t have a job presently?” asked Stewart.

“Well I do but it’s UN, dollar-a-day,” joked Carney. 

Poilievre vows retaliatory tariffs against U.S. but would rather collaborate

By
Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
-
Source: X

A Conservative government would respond to Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs in kind – but Pierre Poilievre would rather both countries cooperate instead.

In an interview with British Columbia’s CHEK News, Poilievre outlined what he means by putting “Canada first” and, for the first time, vowed to impose tariffs of his own to counter Trump’s proposed economic pressures against Canada.

Trump threatened in November to impose a 25% tariff against Canada on the first day of his administration if it did not secure its border against drug smugglers and illegal immigration into the U.S. 

Poilievre pledged to retaliate with tariffs against American goods that are “necessary” to discourage America from “attacking” Canadian industries.

“I’d rather we work together, though, right? Because if we do, we can have a bigger, stronger economy, and I will use the strength from that enhanced trade relationship to build our military, secure our borders, and help America, just like Canada, become safer, richer and more secure,” he said.

Trump is going to be sworn in as president next Monday.

Trump announced last week that he’d use “economic force” against Canada in a bid to annex the country and make it the 51st U.S. state.

When asked for a response to the incoming U.S. president saying he doesn’t care whether Poilievre wins or not, Poilievre told CHEK that he was only concerned about putting Canada first.

“He’s made it clear he wants to put America first. I’m making it clear. I want to put Canada first,” Poilievre said in the interview. “That means that we have to develop our own infrastructure to export our energy and resources to the rest of the world without going through the U.S. We have to allow more interprovincial free trade in our own country so that we can actually trade across provincial boundaries.”

Poilievre said that Trump’s tariffs would hurt not only the Canadian economy but also the American economy.

He said he would be “making the case” to Midwest refineries that buy Canadian oil that deepening the U.S.-Canadian trade relationship would be better for America and its workers than “attacking your best friend in the world.”

“We send $100 billion of Canadian oil cheap for $15 below market price. We’re giving that energy to the Americans, and then they’re reselling it at a huge profit,” he said. “Frankly, if he cuts off his refineries and LNG plants from our resources, then there are going to be a lot of unionized American workers who are going to be out of a job, and many of them voted for President Trump.” 

According to CHEK News, Poilievre’s full interview will be released Thursday.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh called on Canadian leaders to also “turn off the taps” and withdraw exports of critical minerals to the U.S. as Trump’s inauguration is less than a week away.

Canada’s premiers are also set to have a round table discussion with the federal government on Wednesday to discuss the federal government’s response to Trump’s impending economic pressures. 

Liberal leadership contestant says French not important to Quebec

By
Noah Jarvis, True North Wire
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Source: X/ParlVu

Liberal MP Chandra Arya has kicked off his bid for the Liberal party’s leadership in an unconventional fashion.

Chandra seeks to move the Liberal party away from its roots by downplaying the importance of the French language for Quebec, advocating for Palestinian statehood, and condemning the prioritization of diversity, equity, and inclusion in government.

Arya is one of the first Liberal MPs to declare their candidacy for the Liberal leadership, entering the race before potential big-name candidates like Chrystia Freeland, Mark Carney, and François Philippe-Champagne. 

So far, Arya has run an unorthodox campaign for a Liberal politician. 

In an interview on the CBC’s Power and Politics, Arya was asked about his French speaking abilities, to which Arya simply replied “no.”

“The point is that whether the Quebecers or English Canadians, it’s not the language that matters it’s what is that is delivered to them,” said Arya.

Arya argues that becoming a sovereign republic matters much more to Quebecers than the French language. 

“We have English-speaking, French fluent prime ministers for all the time. One of the things that matters to Quebecers are being a sovereign country, a sovereign republic. And which prime minister has ever talked about that?”

Arya promised that if he were to become prime minister, he would move towards cutting Canada’s British ties and ditch the constitutional monarchy in favour of becoming a republic. 

This would move the Liberal party away from the pro-monarchy position the party has historically taken and towards a republican stance that only the NDP and Bloc Québécois have mused about in the past.

Arya has also committed to reversing the Trudeau government’s habit of racking up large budget deficits and cutting the size of government.

“Every government program and entity will face a simple question: Is it still relevant? If not, it’s gone or will be restructured to deliver economic development. No excuses, no waste,” reads Arya’s campaign announcement. 

To achieve Arya’s plan to run a fiscally responsible government, the Nepean MP said that he would raise the age of retirement by two years starting in the year 2040. 

Arya also set a goal that Canada reach a total GDP of $5 trillion in 25 years. To achieve this, Arya plans to cut immigration, specifically for those working in low-skill sectors to promote economic growth. 

To achieve a smaller government, Arya said that he would lead a smaller, more efficient cabinet that would not be appointed based on DEI considerations.

Arya has received criticism for a petition the Liberal MP had tabled advocating against the establishment of a foreign agent registry and for meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Indian government was allegedly involved in the killing of a Canadian citizen in Surrey, British Columbia. 

In response to criticisms of his position on a foreign agent registry, Arya said that he in fact supports the creation of a foreign agent registry and that his position had been misconstrued by the news media. 

“People make some assumptions based on the headline for – oh, MP Arya opposes foreign agent registry,” said Arya.

“If you read the petition the petitioners are not against actually having a registry for foreign agents. Everybody understands, every Canadian understands that,” said Arya. 

On his meeting with Prime Minister Modi, Arya questioned why Canadians would have a problem with him meeting with a foreign head of government and asserted that the meeting was a standard diplomatic affair.

“The last year I met two different prime ministers of two different countries, I met two foreign ministers of two different countries. The year before I met president, prime ministers, and ministers in so many different places,” said Arya.

“Just because I’m Hindu by allegiance and happen to meet a Hindu prime minister, people are making an issue.”

BC Conservatives hone in on group home at centre of irregular voting allegations 

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
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Source: Facebook

Legal documents alleging voting irregularities in the 2024 BC provincial election at a mental health-oriented group home in the Surrey-Guildford riding include claims of patients being pressured to fill out mail-in ballots they never requested.

The community residential program facility in question, Argyll Lodge, is serviced by the Fraser Health Authority and its manager has since disputed the concerns first raised by BC Conservative leader John Rustad and former Conservative candidate for the riding, Honveer Singh Randhawa, last week. 

Rustad has called for an urgent independent inquiry to investigate the alleged discrepancies and Randhawa has submitted a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer alleging impropriety.

The complaint included several statutory declarations from residents of Argyll Lodge, which allege how they were encouraged to fill out mail-in ballots but not informed that there was a voting location directly across from their facility. 

“I was rushed into marking the ballot, I do not know who I have voted for, I marked the ballot where they pointed it and I was led to believe that I had no choice but to mark the ballot otherwise I feared that I would be kicked out of the house,” reads one resident’s statement. 

Another sworn legal statement by a resident claimed that many of the Lodge’s residents are “mentally upset” and “talk to themselves and do not appear to know what they are doing as they are unable to articulate to the staff their daily needs and are even unable to respond to basic conversations.”

“For these “Mentally Upset” residents, who are unable to articulate their preferences, I do not believe they are capable of marking their own ballot. I believe the staff at the Lodge either marked the ballots for them or instructed them to mark a box as per the staff’s preference,” said the unnamed resident. 

Another resident is quoted as saying that they “did not ask the manager or any staff member at the Lodge to order a mail-in ballot on my behalf, nor did I order it by myself. The vote-by-mail package was ordered without my instructions or consent.” 

Rustad alleges that the Surrey-Guildford riding displayed evidence of 45 votes cast in the recent election that would have failed “even the most basic smell test in a democracy.”

None of the claims have been proven in a court of law and Elections BC has said they will be looking into the allegations. The BC Conservatives have promised to file a complaint with the RCMP alleging violations of the Election Act.  

Among the irregularities posited by Rustad were 21 mail-in ballot votes cast by the lodge’s residents in the Surrey-Guildford riding, which was won by NDP candidate Gery Begg by a mere 22 votes. 

“The licensed capacity of Argyll Lodge is 25 beds,” reads the Conservative’s release. “Argyll Lodge is across the street from Guildford Park Secondary School, the nearest polling station, located just 80 metres away.”

Some of the residents of the facility denied having ever requested a mail-in ballot or “being aware that a provincial election was even taking place.”

“A resident of Argyll Lodge said they were instructed how to complete their mail-in ballot package by a third party,” the release continues. “The manager of Argyll Lodge, listed in a Fraser Health inspection report bears the same name as an individual who made a $1,400 donation to the BC NDP in 2023.”

Argyll Lodge did not respond to True North’s request for comment, directing any inquiries to Elections BC, which also declined to respond. 

However, the facility’s manager, Baljit Kandola previously told Global News that “there’s no truth to the matter.” 

Elections BC donation data lists Kandola’s name alongside a $1,400 donation to the BC NDP. 

Other irregularities include a resident of that same riding voting twice with two slightly different names, while another 22 voters cast ballots in the Surrey-Guildford riding despite not actually residing there, which should have rendered their votes invalid.  

“A judge can compel testimony under the Public Inquiry Act,” said Rustad. “It is urgent that the individuals involved in the Argyll Lodge operation are identified and made to answer some obvious questions.”

Rustad has called for a 90-day amnesty period from prosecution for anyone who comes forward with information relating to 2024 election irregularities.

“After the election, David Eby proposed that an all-party committee of the legislature review the elections process ‘to support public confidence.’ Since then, Eby has done nothing,” said Rustad.

Eby responded to questions about the irregularities in an interview with CBC News last week, saying that Rustad claims had “echoes of American-style politics.”

“It’s all a little bit cringe. If that’s how he wants to spend his time, that’s okay,” he said. “It’s a bit like a Leafs fan who says ‘if we only scored enough goals, we would have made it through the playoff round.’ In my opinion, if there’s something serious, Elections BC and the courts will find it.”

Canada Post hikes stamp prices by 25%, citing operational challenges and inflation

By
Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
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Source: X

Canada Post has increased postage rates by around 25%, citing inflation and operational challenges.

According to a Monday news release, the price of a single domestic stamp has risen from $1.15 to $1.44. Stamps bought in booklets, coils, or panes now cost $1.24 per stamp, an increase of 25 cents. 

“For the last decade, Canada Post has kept regulated letter mail rate increases to a minimum,” reads the release. “Every year, there are fewer letters to deliver to more addresses, which adds significant cost pressures to the Corporation on top of continued inflationary pressures.”

The corporation estimates that the average cost increase due to these rates will be $2.26 annually per Canadian. The average Canadian small business will see costs increase by around $42.17 annually.

Canada Post recorded a financial loss of $748 million in 2023, following a loss of $548 million in 2022. While Canada Post delivered 5.5 billion letters in 2006, it delivered only 2.2 billion in 2023.

The recent Canada Post strike lasted 32 days after over 55,000 workers walked off the job on Nov. 15 as the Canadian Union of Postal Workers looked to increase wages, pensions, and improve their health benefits.

The Canada Industrial Relations Board eventually ordered employees back to work on Dec. 17, just in time for Santa to send out his letters. 

True North previously reported that small businesses were feeling “crushed” by the Canada Post strike amid the busiest mailing season as costs soared.

President and co-owner of Lambskin Specialties, Myron Schultz, told True North that the strike resulted in him having hundreds of thousands of dollars in limbo.

“My perspective is that both the Canada Post management and the union played a game of chicken, and everybody lost,” said Schultz.

 The Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses previously revealed that the strike would cause 73% of small business owners to use Canada Post less in the future. 

“It should alarm us all that thousands of small firms will permanently abandon the use of Canada Post as small businesses have been forced to put alternatives in place. Canada Post and its union may well have lost their last reliable customers – small business owners,” said Dan Kelly, president of the federation.

The stamp price changes were initially proposed in Sept. 2024 and received final approval in Nov. 2024. 

Despite being a Crown corporation, meaning the federal government owns it, Canada Post primarily relies on business revenue to fund its operations. 

“As an organization funded by revenue from the sale of its products and services—not taxpayer dollars—rate changes are a reality,” reads the release.

Canadians can still use permanent stamps, which will be accepted at the domestic postage price. Rate changes will affect other products like U.S. international letters and domestic registered mail. Prices for commercial letter mail have also risen. 

Ratio’d | What should Pierre Poilievre’s immigration plan look like?

By
Harrison Faulkner
-

Limited immigration can be a force for good in this country if it is done right. As of right now, that is not happening. So what should Pierre Poilievre’s immigration strategy look like? On this episode of Ratio’d, Harrison Faulkner analyzes the current immigration data, historical trends and then lays out five commitments that a Pierre Poilievre government can establish to restore Canada’s immigration consensus and put our country on a strong economic footing.

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