In the first week of a month-long petition calling for a vote of non-confidence, an electronic petition has already received over 100,000 signatures from Canadians.
This petition, initiated by Melissa Outwater from Peterborough, Ont., calls for a vote of no confidence and a federal election within 45 days should the vote pass. The petition is sponsored by Michelle Ferreri, the Conservative member of Parliament for Peterborough—Kawartha.
The petition is open for signatures from Nov. 24 to Dec. 24, and voices a strong lack of confidence in the current government.
The petition claims that the citizens of Canada have lost confidence not only in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau but also the “Liberal/NDP coalition.”
While the petition shows mounting frustration with the government, it does not bind MPs to take any action. Even if a non-confidence vote were to take place in the House of Commons, the NDP has not showed a willingness to pull its supply and confidence agreement with the Liberals, which guarantees support until 2025, when the next federal election is scheduled.
The most recent projections show a 96% chance of a Conservative majority if an election were held today.
“The current government elected is not acting in the best interest of all its citizens,” reads the petition.
The petition cites the following federal policy failures: housing costs, infringement of civil liberties, highest inflation in history, unbalanced immigration policies, taxation to the point of poverty, and weakening of our economy by importing natural resources that Canada already naturally has and under-utilizes.
For young Canadians, the cost of living was one of the biggest concerns with the current federal government, as previously reported by True North.
Based on the past eight years of this Prime Minister, five ethics investigations, and Canada’s reputation being tarnished on a global scale under his leadership, Canadians do not have confidence in this Prime Minister, writes the petition’s author.
Despite only being open for signature for six days, at the time of publication, petition e-4701 had 121,000 signatures.
Public consultations by the Bank of Canada into the potential creation of a digital Canadian currency revealed stark opposition against the proposal.
Findings released on Wednesday indicate that 86% of respondents provided a negative response to the idea of a digital Canadian dollar. Only 5% of respondents indicated a positive response, with less than 1% agreeing that Canada needs its own digital currency.
At the forefront of Canadians’ rejection are concerns about privacy.
A significant portion of respondents championed the anonymity offered by cash, expressing deep mistrust in the Bank of Canada’s (BOC) ability to safeguard a digital currency.
Respondents to the questionnaire could leave anonymous comments at the end of the consultation.
“I am deeply concerned about privacy and freedom… I cannot imagine a CBDC [Central Bank Digital Currency] being compatible with our values of liberty and privacy,” said one respondent.
“The fear of many Canadians is to use it as an instrument of control like the Chinese social credit model. We don’t want it,” wrote another respondent in French.
Despite these concerns, the Bank has proposed a digital dollar model that wouldn’t require identification, a bank account, or to disclose private information to perform basic financial transactions, similar to bank notes and some prepaid cards, they claim. The BOC said that this system would allow Canadians to voluntarily provide some form of identification to help retrieve lost or stolen funds.
“I have trouble understanding how such a system would work without network or Internet connectivity, and how anonymity could be guaranteed without the risk of money laundering,” wrote one respondent in French.
Some respondents did not believe that this currency would remain anonymous.
“Digital dollars will be tracked by all banks, all federal agencies and the [government]. They will be programmed to control what people buy, how much accessed at a single time, carbon footprint, political party affiliations, religion, and every other possible aspect of your personal life,” wrote a respondent.
The global shift towards cashless transactions has prompted central banks worldwide to consider digital versions of their currencies. A central bank-backed digital currency would differ significantly from volatile cryptocurrencies by maintaining a stable value akin to the existing Canadian currency.
However, trust is a big concern for Canadians.
“Think of how quickly this has the potential to go wrong with the wrong people in power,” wrote one respondent.
One answer from a respondent even compared this potential system to the control already exercised with Canada’s current financial system — one with the potential for far less control.
“A digital dollar sounded great until we saw the Federal government freeze private bank accounts of its own citizens for supporting a political movement it disagreed with. I have no faith at all in the system anymore,” wrote the respondent.
In 2020, the BOC announced its contingency plan to develop a digital currency if ever needed. While these consultations were meant to assess public interest, the ultimate decision to implement a digital dollar lies with Parliament.
Carolyn Rogers, the Bank of Canada’s senior deputy governor, emphasized the Bank’s commitment to ensuring the Canadian payments system is equipped for the future.
“If Canadians decide a digital dollar is necessary, our obligation is to be ready,” she said.
Based on this report on what the Bank of Canada has heard to date, Canadians do not feel it’s necessary.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has been a vocal critic of a centralized digital currency initiative. Last year, Poilievre pushed for a ban on the Bank of Canada from creating such a currency while simultaneously promoting decentralized cryptocurrencies as a hedge against inflation. However, his stance on the latter has seen a recent shift.
In addition to public opinion, the Bank sought insights from various stakeholders, including the financial sector and civil society groups.
Financial institutions have expressed a need for more clarity on the operational framework of a digital dollar to understand its impact on their business models. Financial institutions were concerned that a digital dollar could replace bank deposits, reducing one of their sources of funding.
Civil society groups, particularly those representing Canadians with disabilities, consumers, and low-income individuals, have shown support for a digital currency if its design removes existing barriers to accessibility and financial inclusion.
“Canadians do not need a digital dollar, there is already one in place. It is your debit card,” wrote a respondent.
“It’s the beginning of the end of freedom,” said another.
A new Leger poll suggests that the vast majority of Canadians believe that the housing crisis and Canada’s crumbling health care system are being fuelled by high levels of immigration.
The poll was conducted between Friday and Sunday and found that 75% of respondents agreed that Canada’s high levels of immigration were adding pressure to the healthcare system and the housing market.
Additionally, almost two-thirds of respondents or 63%, said that the quantity of newcomers was an added strain on Canada’s education systems.
However, the poll also revealed that Canadians see some benefits to higher immigration as well, with about 75% saying that it contributed to the cultural diversity of Canada.
A majority of respondents, 63%, also said that they believe the arrival of young immigrants helps the workforce and contributes to the tax base, which in turn aids the older generations.
The poll was conducted online with a total of 1,529 respondents and therefore cannot be assigned a margin of error as online polls are not considered to be a truly random sample of the population.
The survey highlighted the current mixed emotions Canadians are feeling when it comes to the effects of immigration on the country.
As the country struggles with affordability and access to public services, there has been a shift in the public sentiment towards immigration.
Canada’s population grew by over a million people last year, including 607,782 non-permanent residents and 437,180 immigrants.
When compared to a similar Leger poll from March 2022, the number of Canadians who said they would like to see the country welcome more immigrants fell by 8%.
Conversely, more Canadians are now saying that the country should welcome fewer immigrants, with that number going from 39% to 48%.
More Canadians are beginning to connect problems like affordable housing to immigration, according to Leger’s executive vice-president Christian Borque.
“The makeup of the country, and the issues facing the country, are a bit different than they were before the pandemic,” said Bourque.
Ottawa has been under scrutiny over their rapidly increasing immigration targets in addition to the exponential amount of temporary residents.
Canada is on track to welcome 485,000 new permanent residents in 2024 and 500,000 in 2025. This number does not include temporary foreign workers, asylum seekers and international students.
Just over half of respondents, 53%, said that those numbers are too high, while 28% believed it to be the appropriate number. A small minority of respondents, 4%, said that Canada isn’t welcoming enough immigrants.
The Trudeau government has argued that raising immigration targets is necessary to fill the labour shortage demand due to an aging population.
They also allege that new immigrants can help build the homes that are needed to slow the housing crisis, however a recent study by the Fraser Institute revealed that immigration is a major driver of Canada’s housing gap.
This is in part due to the inability for the number of new homes being built stay ahead of the number of new people arriving in Canada.
Earlier this month, Immigration Minister Marc Miller tabled new targets in Parliament that called for the number of new permanent residents to remain at 500,00 in 2026.
Leger’s latest poll regarding federal voting intentions revealed that the Conservatives are holding a 14-point lead over the Liberals, with 40% of people saying that if an election were held tomorrow, they would vote for the Conservative party.
Another 26% of respondents said they would vote for the Liberals and 20% said they would vote for the NDP.
When respondents were asked if they were somewhat or very satisfied with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government, only 29% said that they were.
When asked who would make the best prime minister, Poilievre came in the lead at 25% with Trudeau trailing behind him with 19% and Jagemeet Signh last with 17%.
Borque suggested that the lower support for leaders when compared to their parties may mean that for Canadians, the issue is more about leadership.
“We’re seeing that … all leaders are underperforming (their parties). Which begs the question: will this all be about leadership moving forward?” Borque told CTV News.
Two Manitoba Progressive Conservative critics and members of the legislative assembly have written a letter urging the NDP government to intervene on behalf of Arij Al Khafagi, a fourth-year nursing student at the University of Manitoba facing suspension over alleged anti-Israel social media activity.
Critic for advanced education Richard Perchotte and training and finance critic Obby Khan called on the Manitoba government in an letter obtained by True North to demand the university allow Khafagi to continue her studies while an investigation is underway.
“Ms. Al Khafagi is a nursing student and a student leader, and an associate Dean has suspended her from her program over posts made on her personal social media account regarding the current humanitarian crisis in Gaza,” reads the letter.
“This suspension is immediate, and comes in the 4th year of her studies. It sends an unacceptable message to academically penalise a student for expressing herself, passionate community members are the same passionate nurses that our healthcare system so desperately needs.”
The letter was shared with True North by a source connected to the Manitoba PCs concerned by Khan’s and Perchotte’s intervention.
Al Khafagi, a senior member of the Nursing Students’ Association, confirmed her suspension on November 23, according to the student paper the Manitoban.
Supporters who have launched a mailing campaign claim the suspension is related to her social media posts opposing Israel’s response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
True North reached out to both Al Khafagi and the University of Manitoba for comment but did not receive a response.
“We are urging you to look into this situation and work with the University to allow Ms. Al Khafagi to continue her studies while the appeal process is being pursued,” wrote Perchotte and Khan.
A screenshot of Al Khafagi’s Instagram feed shows that she shared a photo comparing Israel Defense Force soldiers to Nazis with the caption: “The irony of becoming what you once hated…”
The Trudeau government wants to ban critical thinking and criminalize uncomfortable questions about Canada’s residential school program.
According to a recent Canadian Press article, the author of a government report on residential schools is urging MPs to ban so-called “denialism” – a vague term that no one seems to be able to define.
The report itself hasn’t even been released – we’re told it won’t be released until next year – and yet, the report’s author is already demanding MPs pass a bill to ban speech she doesn’t agree with.
What will this mean for journalists who ask questions and want corroborating evidence to back claims of alleged atrocities at residential schools?
What will happen to academics like Dr. Tom Flanagan and Dr. C.P. Champion who have a forthcoming book published by True North about the truth behind the residential school program?
What inconvenient facts get scrubbed from the record, like the fact that despite many excavations, no human remains have ever been found in the places we were told bodies were buried?
Will our coverage at True North, our news reports and our books soon get banned?
What does it say about our country when groups can level shocking allegations – that Canada ran literal death camps and that our school system committed genocide – and we are not allowed to ask questions, or even ask for evidence?
On today’s episode of the Candice Malcolm Show, Candice dissects the issue and asks the uncomfortable questions that may soon be illegal.
The Alberta government announced that they estimate their new Alberta Carbon Capture Incentive Program will bring in $35 billion in new investment over the next decade.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith will lead the province’s delegation at COP28 in Dubai. She will be joined by over 100 Alberta delegates, showcasing Alberta as a world leader in innovation and emissions reduction.
Smith claimed that Alberta is set to remain a leader in energy production and carbon capture, utilization, and storage for decades.
“This technology is important because we’re working to phase out emissions. We are not phasing out energy production,” Smith clarified.
Minister of Energy Brian Jean said that Canada’s oil sands industry contributes nearly $60 billion, or 3%, to the country’s GDP. According to Pathways Alliance, a healthy, sustainable oil sands industry could contribute an estimated $3 trillion to the Canadian economy over the next 30 years.
Jean said that the forecasts predict that global energy demand will continue to increase by 2050.
Since 2015, Quest and Alberta Carbon Trunk Line projects have successfully captured and stored more than 11.5 million tonnes of CO2, equivalent to emissions from 2.5 million cars per year.
Rebecca Schulz, Alberta’s Minister of Environment, said that Alberta’s inaugural methane emissions target for the oil and gas sector has become an international best practice. The data released Tuesday shows that Alberta has reduced methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 45% since 2014.
“New data released today shows that we’ve successfully reduced methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 45% since 2014, while the federal government has never actually hit an emissions target they’ve set. Alberta has done it, and we’ve done it ahead of schedule,” said Schulz.
The Alberta approach of using enhanced sensors and converting over 1000 pneumatic injection pumps to solar configurations has saved the industry upwards of $600 million compared to the proposed federal mandates, said Schulz.
Despite Environment Minister Guilbeault’s continued pursuit of a net-zero power grid for 2035, Smith said that Alberta will proceed with developing the province’s baseload power on natural gas with the best available technology. She will use the crown corporation as a last resort to shield any corporation from criminal liability if Guilbeault continues with his unconstitutional targets of 2035.
“We’re not going to sit and wait while they break the law, drag their feet, make us take them to court, spend years creating economic uncertainty for our investors,” said Smith.
The estimate of $35 billion is based on the Alberta Petrochemical Incentive Program, which has $38 billion worth of projects that have applied. Smith said that the pathways project is already a $16 billion project, and others not quite as large are contemplating making an investment with the province.
Smith estimates the cost of the government to be in the order of $3.5 to $5.3 billion.
The $35 billion in capital investment will create up to 21,000 jobs.
Regardless of the federal government, Smith confirmed that the province will need at least 12,000 MW of new power construction between now and 2050. She said that some of the province’s electrical generators have said they can reach carbon neutrality by 2045, but all have said that 2035 is not possible.
“I think Minister Guilbeault is not taking us to court because he’s tired of losing,” said Jean.
The Alberta government has removed the barrier for projects to come to Alberta, said Jean. He explained that other jurisdictions are looking to store GHGs and CO2 offshore.
“We have the capacity to store 100% of the global emissions from the world right now,” said Jean.
Defence lawyers representing Freedom Convoy organizer Tamara Lich and Chris Barber began laying out their case on Monday in Ottawa, arguing there was no evidence to suggest either of the two participated in unlawful activity.
Lich’s lawyer, Eric Granger and the defence teams argued that the evidence presented should only be applied to either Lich or Barber specifically, but not both at the same time.
The two are co-accused of mischief and intimidation, along with other charges, stemming from the February 2022 protest against Covid-19 restrictions in the nation’s capital.
Last Monday, the Crown concluded its case following weeks of testimony regarding the nature of the protest, arguing that Lich and Barber wielded influence over the protesters’ actions.
Granger said that holding a peaceful demonstration against pandemic mandates is not illegal, nor is inviting others to do so as it does not incite people to commit criminal offences.
He also told the court that none of Crown’s witnesses had testified that they had had any communication with Lich.
The Crown alleged that protestors criminally obstructed traffic and the highway, as well as public property, however, Granger argued that Lich could not aid or encourage a crime without the knowledge of that crime taking place.
The Crown presented hours of videos posted to social media by Lich and Barber that showed demonstrators in the events leading up to their arrests, as police began forcibly removing protesters from downtown Ottawa.
Within those videos, Lich and Barber were identified as leaders of the Freedom Convoy and that they were relaying messages to other protesters.
Barber’s defence lawyer pointed out that in those videos, Barber called for protesters to remain peaceful and to respect Ottawa police and the city’s residents.
Last Tuesday, the defence filed a motion arguing that Lich and Barber shouldn’t be perceived to be co-conspirators as their actions weren’t criminal.
A ruling on the motion is unlikely to be made this week, according to Justice Heather Perkins-McVey.
One day before the event was set to happen, the Ottawa Conference and Event Centre (OCEC) cancelled a booking for a November 29 speaking tour stop featuring German Member of European Parliament Christine Anderson and Dutch activist Eva Vlaardingerbroek.
Anderson is famous for giving a speech in 2022 where she told Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to “please spare us your presence” during his visit to the European Parliament. Vlaardingerbroek is notable for speaking up for Dutch farmers when the previous Mark Rutte government tried to expropriate 3,000 farms to meet climate goals.
“Today, it has been brought to our attention that your event features two speakers, Christine Anderson and Eva Vlaardingerbroek, commonly associated with hate speech and beliefs that are antithetical and completely unwelcome to OCEC, its management, employees and others who use our Conference and Event Centre,” reads a November 28 email sent from catering director Claudio Dinardo to the event organizers, Trinity Productions.
“In these circumstances, we are terminating the Function Agreement… and shall return your deposit in the amount of $5,844.22.”
Absolutely pathetic move by Claudio Dinardo and the @OttawaCEC.
Cancelling an event because a couple zealots dislike the speakers and falsely label them hateful makes you weaker than weak. pic.twitter.com/Y5vPYP9TGb
Among the other featured speakers planned for the event are Save Canada activist Josh Alexander – a former Catholic high school student who protests gender ideology in schools – and pastor Henry Hildebrandt, known for his defiance of Covid-19 lockdown rules.
The Ottawa Conference and Event Centre and its catering director Claudio Dinardo did not return True North’s calls requesting comment.
Previous tour stops in Greater Vancouver, BC at Westwood Community Church and Winnipeg, MB at The Metropolitan Entertainment Centre went on without a hitch.
Anderson will also be stopping in New York City on December 1 and Bridgewater, New Jersey on December 4.
Andrew Tate is a self-described manipulator, pimp, and pornographer, yet he’s also become a curious hero for some on the right who see him as a victim of cancel culture. The truth, True North’s Andrew Lawton says, is that the enemy of your enemy isn’t always your friend. He discusses with journalist and author Jonathon Van Maren.
Also, the federal government is still considering a criminal ban on residential school “denialism.” Andrew explains why that’s so dangerous for free speech.
Plus, why are more parents opting out of the public system and sending their kids to independent schools. Paige MacPherson from the Fraser Institute joins to dig in.
Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault wasted no time responding to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s invocation of the Sovereignty Act by misleading Canadians on his government’s net-zero electricity.
Plus, Canadian high school sports teams are awash with white privilege and racism. At least, that’s the conclusion made by a team of academics in a paper published to the Sports Coaching Review.
And life expectancy in Canada dropped for the third consecutive year in 2022.
Tune into The Daily Brief with Cosmin Dzsurdzsa and Lindsay Shepherd!
