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Sunday, May 25, 2025

Google remains firm in removing news content after Bill C-18 draft released

By
Quinn Patrick
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Some expected that new draft regulations released by the Trudeau government this week would see tech giants like Google and Meta reverse their positions, however on Tuesday, Google announced that will not be the case.

While news content will still remain searchable on Google’s website and other products for the time being, a spokesperson for the company said that Google will “await the publication of final regulations” regarding the Online News Act before making a decision on pulling news.

The draft regulations underwent a 30-day comment period for feedback and proposed changes, which has now come to a close.

“Unfortunately, the proposed regulations fail to sufficiently address the critical structural problems with C-18 that regrettably were not dealt with during the legislative process,” said a Google spokesperson.

The company said that they were prepared to pull Canadian news content from Google Search as well as their other platforms as a result of Bill C-18 passing through legislation. 

“We continue to have serious concerns that the core issues ultimately may not be solvable through regulation and that legislative changes may be necessary,” the spokesperson continued. 

Conversely, the office of Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge, believes that a deal can still be reached under the current legislation. 

“We remain confident that we can work constructively to address questions or concerns through the regulatory process,” said a spokesperson for St-Onge’s office. 

“We look forward to reviewing the submissions while working collaboratively with tech platforms, news organizations and Canadians before finalizing the regulations.”

The Online News Act forces Google and Meta to pay Canadian news outlets for their content when users post and share news links and articles. 

Both Meta and Google have confirmed that their business models aren’t set up to make profit off of the content that their users post. 

The new legislation will cost them enormous sums of money that they are not making through the news content being shared and have since decided it made more sense for them to remove news content and links altogether, as a way to be compliant with the law.

The Online News Act will come into effect by the end of 2023.

Meta has already begun blocking news in Canada on its two major social media platforms, Facebook and Instagram. Meta said that further regulations would not be the solution to their concerns, according to the National Post. 

Part of the recent draft regulations includes a formula to calculate the extent of revenue earned by Google and Meta in order to determine how much they would have to reimburse Canadian news publishers for their content. 

The initial estimates for Google have been a pay out of $172 million and $62 million for Facebook. 

Google has stated that such legislation exposes them to “uncapped financial liability” as the Canadian government’s formula for estimating how much the platforms are expected to pay out is currently only the minimum amount. 

The company is also demanding further transparency on how platforms would be able to receive exemptions from the legislation by launching their own deals with publishers. 

Among the list of concerns shared by the tech giant on Tuesday, Google noted their dismay with the fact that the draft regulations grant news publishers veto power over exemptions. 

The company said that more changes will need to be made to the legislation if the government expects them to stop pulling news content from their platforms by the end of the year. 

India calls for Canada to repatriate 41 diplomats amid diplomatic fallout

By
Quinn Patrick
-

The Indian government is demanding the withdrawal of 41 Canadian diplomats as part of the ongoing fallout between the two countries after Prime Minister Trudeau accused the Indian government of having a hand in the assassination of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June. 

Currently, Canada has 62 diplomats in India – after repatriation only 21 diplomats would remain.

On Tuesday, Trudeau declined to comment in Ottawa as to what his plans would be regarding India’s demand to have the bulk of Canada’s diplomats repatriated by Oct. 10. 

One source said that India may revoke diplomatic immunity from any Canadian diplomats who remain in their country after their proposed deadline, according to the Financial Times. 

When Trudeau was asked if his government would retaliate by removing Indian diplomats, he responded, “We’re not looking to escalate, as I’ve said, we’re going to be doing the work that matters in continuing to have constructive relations with India through this extremely difficult time.”

The fallout between the two countries has escalated over the past month, following Trudeau’s announcement in parliament that he had “credible allegations” regarding India’s alleged involvement Nijjar’s killing.    

Nijjar had been wanted by the Indian government for many years and labeled as an extremist prior to being gunned down outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, B.C., on June 18. 

The Indian government has denied any involvement in the murder. 

Trudeau acknowledged that Canada’s relationship with India is “going through an extremely challenging time” and said it’s “important for us to have diplomats on the ground working with the Indian government there to support Canadians and Canadian families.”

Since the fallout began, both countries expelled senior diplomats and updated their government travel advisories to warn their citizens about potential danger while traveling. 

India also stopped issuing visas to Canadians. 

Last week, the Canadian Armed Forces website was hacked and shut down for several hours and shortly thereafter, a group of pro-India hackers took responsibility for the cyber attack. 

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said India’s request for the removal of Canadian diplomats is very disconcerting and that his party intends to “monitor the situation” to ensure Canadians are protected both at home and abroad. 

Canada weighs leading UN military intervention in Haiti as it slashes defence budget

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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The Liberal government is debating whether Canada should lead a United Nations military intervention aimed at restoring order and stability in Haiti as the Caribbean country faces a humanitarian crisis. 

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly told reporters on Tuesday that she has been in discussions with the UN and Kenya, which has expressed a willingness to spearhead the operation if Canada doesn’t set up to the plate.

Joly’s comments come at a time when the Liberal government looks to pull $1 billion in funding from the defence budget and military leaders are warning that Canada simply doesn’t have the resources to take on such a critical mission. 

“Canada has always been involved in issues related to Haiti. We will continue to be,” said Joly. 

“We want to do more. So we’ll thus continue these diplomatic conversations, and I would say that we’ll also continue to support solutions that are by and for Haitians.”

Canada’s highest-ranking military officer said in March that the Canadian Armed Forces were already stretched thinly and would struggle to lead such a mission.

Haiti, the most impoverished nation in the Western Hemisphere, has been engulfed in turmoil since mid-2021, following the assassination of its president by foreign mercenaries. 

Subsequently, rival factions have competed for authority and criminal gangs have exploited the ensuing chaos to expand their dominion across significant portions of the country. 

This violence has led to the displacement of numerous citizens, disruptions in essential services like water and electricity access, and outbreaks of diseases like cholera.

The request for international intervention came from Haiti’s unelected prime minister last year, although this proposition has sparked controversy among Haitian residents and certain regional powers. 

The United States has voiced its support for the intervention and even floated Canada as an operational leader.

While speaking to reporters Joly did not specify the nature of Canada’s support but she emphasized Ottawa’s endorsement of a dialogue among Haitian stakeholders to arrive at a consensus on fair elections.

Furthermore, Canada has implemented sanctions targeting various Haitian political and economic elites who have been accused of obstructing peaceful resolutions and capitalizing on the crisis for personal gain.

Manitoba NDP wins majority government; Wab Kinew to become premier

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

The Manitoba New Democratic Party (NDP) has secured a majority government after seven years of Progressive Conservative rule.

The NDP, led by Wab Kinew, achieved an overwhelming victory in Tuesday’s election, capturing a majority of the legislative seats.

Kinew will be the next premier of Manitoba, replacing Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba leader Heather Stefanson. 

Stefanson became premier in 2021 after winning the PC leadership following Brian Pallister’s retirement.

The PCs lost a substantial number of seats on Tuesday after a bitter campaign between them and the NDP which sometimes referenced Kinew’s troubled past, including convictions related to alcohol and domestic violence.

The PCs will become the province’s Official Opposition.

Stefanson was narrowly leading in her riding of Tuxedo as of 10:30pm CT Tuesday.

In the lead-up to the election, the NDP concentrated its campaign on issues like healthcare, education and climate change.

Advance polls ahead of election night saw record turnouts as Manitobans prepared to elect a new premier. 

The Liberals under leader Dougald Lamont went from three seats to just one, with Lamont losing his own seat to the NDP. Lamont resigned as Liberal leader.

Union guide helps Ontario teachers to “embed intersectional feminism” in classroom

By
Andrew Lawton
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The union representing Ontario elementary school teachers is equipping its members with a new tool to “disrupt patriarchy” in the classroom.

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), which represents teachers and some early childhood educators in the public system, has published a guide to “embedding intersectional feminism in the classroom.”

The guide, titled The Places We Meet, strives to help teachers and students “work together to understand and respond to an ever-changing and unpredictable world in which the outcomes, opportunities, and rights of girls and women continue to be challenged because of systemic oppression.”

The document is not publicly available, but a copy was shared with True North by an ETFO member unhappy with the document.

“(It’s) basically a guide on how to put an activist twist on everything you teach, regardless of the actual curriculum,” the teacher said.

Intersectional feminism attempts to address gender-based concerns alongside grievances related to race, sexual orientation, and other social identities.

The ETFO guide highlights the “lived experiences of women and girls” to illustrate the “oppression and roadblocks” they face.

“As educators, it is our hope that these experiences will help you disrupt patriarchy and explore opportunities for embedding concepts of intersectional feminism within your daily classroom practice,” the guide says.

Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce did not respond to a request for comment.

The guide instructs teachers to “use their knowledge, skills, and expertise to tailor the lessons to the specific groups of learners in their classrooms.”

While the guide does recommend different approaches depending on grade level, it insists that anti-oppression training should start as early as kindergarten.

“Early learners are never too young to learn about activism and social justice,” the guide says. “However, we need to introduce this work naturally, to weave it throughout our interactions and conversations, responding to learners’ needs and to ensure that our instruction is developmentally appropriate.”

Lesson themes range from identity broadly to racially specific topics.

Black women face discrimination “as a result of anti-Black racism rooted in the history of enslavement, racial segregation, and marginalization,” the guide says in the “Black Women’s Lives” section.

“Canada’s history of cultural genocide against Indigenous Peoples carries a legacy of oppression and erasure that continues to reverberate across generations,” it says under “Indigenous Women and Children.”

The guide urges teachers to familiarize themselves with equity issues as “teaching these lessons unprepared can easily cause harm, especially to learners from underserved communities.”

ETFO’s manual concedes it is limited in effect if those who use it are not fully committed to the anti-oppression cause.

“The lessons are powerful, but won’t do the work for us,” the guide says. “A lesson is only as anti-oppressive as the educator leading it.”

Liberal Greg Fergus elected as new Speaker of the House of Commons

By
Quinn Patrick
-

Members of Parliament have elected Greg Fergus as the new Speaker of the House of Commons. Fergus is the 38th Speaker of the House. 

The abnormal mid-session Speaker election follows the resignation of Anthony Rota, who stepped down after inviting and recognizing former Nazi soldier Yarsalov Hunka as a “war hero” during a visit to Parliament by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. 

Fergus is a Liberal MP, though the role of Speaker is to preside over House of Commons proceedings in a nonpartisan fashion.

Fergus said “respect and decorum” will be his goal.

“I’m going to be working hard on this and I need all your help to make this happen,” Fergus said shortly after being elected. “Respect is a fundamental part of what we do here. We need to make sure that we treat each other with respect and we show Canadians that example. There can be no dialogue unless there’s a mutual understanding of respect.”

Fergus will no longer participate in Liberal caucus meetings. As Speaker, he will not participate in House debates and will only vote on bills and motions in the event of a tie.

In February, Fergus was found guilty of violating federal ethics rules after lobbying for a television station to receive mandatory carriage from the CRTC.

Seven MPs sought the position, including several other Liberal MPs Alexandra Mendes, Sean Casey, Peter Schiefke. Conservative MP Chris d’Entremont and NDP MP Carol Hughes also threw their hats into the ring as well as Green leader Elizabeth May. 

MPs voted by secret ballot and ranked their choices, meaning Fergus was elected with a majority of votes once ranked votes from less popular candidates were reallocated.

In addition to his base MP salary of $194,600, Fergus will receive an extra $92,000 annually, in line with the salary of a parliamentary minister. He also be able to live in an official residence in Chelsea, Quebec, in the community of Kingsmere, called the Farm. This is in addition to an apartment in the West Block of the Parliamentary precinct.

The deputy and the assistant to the deputy Speakers are generally appointed in the days following the Speaker’s election. Those roles are decided upon by a consensus from the parties. 

The Andrew Lawton Show | Yes, the CRTC is regulating online content

By
Andrew Lawton
-

The CRTC has issued its requirement for streaming and podcast platforms earning more than $10 million a year to register with the government. Defenders of Bill C-11 say this means most independent content creators are unaffected: however, if the platforms are regulated by the CRTC, so is all the content on them, True North’s Andrew Lawton points out. In this episode, he debunks the government’s narrative on this internet takeover with former CRTC vice-chair Peter Menzies.

Plus, a Liberal minister’s attempt at a gotcha on Pierre Poilievre backfires and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe prepares to use the notwithstanding clause to defend parental rights.

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Governor General’s office has spent $118,000 on laundry since 2018

By
Quinn Patrick
-

The Governor General is taking Canadians to the cleaners – literally.

Records tabled in the House of Commons in response to a query from a Conservative MP reveal that Rideau Hall has spent $117,566 on laundry services since 2018.

The expenditures have been decried by the fiscal watchdog Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

“When I spill half the Pizza Hut lunch buffet on my white work shirt, I don’t stick the company I work for with the dry cleaning bill and neither should the Governor General,” said CTF federal director Franco Terrazzano.

The Office of the Secretary to the Governor General managed to spend six figures on dry cleaning despite having an in-house domestic staff.

“Why does the Governor General’s office need to spend so much on dry cleaning when it already has staff doing laundry and there’s a six-figure expense account for new clothes?” said Terrazzano. “Whether it’s feasting on fancy airplane food, spending a fortune on a limo service in Iceland, or staying in the finest of hotels, Rideau Hall spares no expense when it’s taxpayers picking up the tab.”

The monthly dry cleaning costs for Rideau Hall costs taxpayers an average of $1,800 per month. 

The total would be enough to dry clean 13,831 blouses, 6,204 dresses or 3,918 duvets, according to prices at Majestic Cleaners, a dry cleaning service in Ottawa.

While the records did address that “traditional laundering is done in-house at the OSGG,” they also stated that personal clothing needs, including tablecloths, napkins and assorted linens are sent out for professional drycleaning.

“This is another perk the Governor General enjoys that struggling Canadians can’t afford,” said Terrazzano.  

In May, Gov. Gen. Mary Simon and her predecessor, Julie Payette, were caught having billed the taxpayers over $88,000 in combined clothing purchases since 2017. 

Over their five-year mandate, the Governor General is allotted an expense account of up to $130,000 on clothing alone. 

Their purchases included everything from a $3,000 “black velvet dress with silk lining” to boots that were over $1,000 and an “ecru hat” that cost almost $500. 

Between 2021-22, the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General was given around $33 million in federal funding. 

The annual salary for the Governor General is currently $351,600, as the position was granted an additional $48,000 pay raise during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The Daily Brief | The CRTC is requiring podcast providers to register with the government

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

The CRTC – Canada’s media regulator – announced on Friday that they would be requiring podcast providers, social media services and online streaming platforms to register with the government in order to reach Canadian listeners. The CRTC Chairperson described this new demand as an effort to obtain “robust public records” on podcast streamers.

Elon Musk, Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski and journalist Glenn Greenwald have all spoken out about the CRTC’s new initiative to force podcast streamers to register with the government.

And a Quebec resident who attended his mothers funeral in May 2022 in Poland was recently handed a $6250 fine from the Canadian government for violating Canada’s travel and quarantine laws.

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

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