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Tuesday, September 30, 2025

Rodriguez pulls government ads from Facebook, Instagram amid C-18 chaos

By
Noah Jarvis
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In response to Meta’s decision to block Canadian news content from their platforms as a retaliation measure to the passage of the Online News Act, Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez announced that the Government of Canada will be pulling all advertising from Meta’s social media platforms.

In total, $10 million worth of government advertising will be pulled from Facebook and Instagram.

The Trudeau government’s decision is being supported by the Bloc Quebecois and the NDP.

Bloc Québécois and NDP critics Martin Champoux and Peter Julian joined Rodriguez at the press conference on Wednesday in solidarity, as both of these parties had supported Bill C-18’s passage through Parliament. 

Rodriguez explained that the government will not be pulling their advertising from Google because Google remained open to communication with Rodriguez’s office while Meta has not. 

Rodriguez says that communication with Meta has broken down, saying that his office hadn’t spoken with them for weeks while having talks with Google the week prior.

“Without going into details, because we don’t negotiate in public, we’re deeply convinced that Google’s concerns will be resolved through regulations,” said Rodriguez.

In contrast, Rodriguez says that Meta had waged an “aggressive campaign” by blocking news content in the country despite not yet having any obligations under that the Online News Act.

“Facebook has decided to be unreasonable, irresponsible, and started blocking news.”

When questioned if $10 million dollars in lost revenue was enough of a threat to a multi-billion dollar social media conglomerate, Rodriguez defended the decision saying, “$10 million dollars is still a lot of money.”

“And you saw today there’s other private companies maybe other governments will join that’s their own decision. But we can only set the example and work in our own jurisdiction and $10 million, that’s still a lot of money I’d like to have $10 million.”

The proportional revenue Meta receives from the government is negligible, as the $10 million in advertising pulled from Facebook and Instagram represents 0.0085% of their $117 billion revenue in 2022. 

Earlier on Wednesday, Quebecor also announced that they will be pulling advertising from Facebook and Instagram. Quebecor owns the telecom company Videotron, the Quebec media group TVA, and Quebec newspapers the Journal de Québec and Journal de Montréal.

Bill C-18 had received royal assent on June 22nd after being spearheaded by the Trudeau government with the support of the NDP and the Bloc Québécois. 

After the Bill’s passage, both Google and Meta announced their intentions to block Canadian news content in Canada in an effort to remain in compliance with the law while avoiding having the negotiate contracts with Canada’s news media organizations. 

The Conservative Party is the only major party not supporting the government’s action. The Tories voted against C-18 in Parliament. 

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre ridiculed the Trudeau government for failing to do what they had promised C-18 would do and instead harming the Canadian news industry. 

“Big tech will now pay LESS for Canadian news after your law,” said Poilievre.

“They have now stopped funding [Canadian] journalism. And you have made [Canadian] news disappear. The opposite of what you promised.”

Western governments making same mistakes on Iran they did in 1970s: Stephen Harper

By
Andrew Lawton
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Western governments are falling victim to the same bad advice they did on Iran shortly before the overthrow of the Shah, former Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper said.

In remarks to the National Council of Resistance of Iran’s (NCRI) annual Free Iran summit in Paris last weekend, Harper cautioned people against listening to “so-called policy experts in the west.”

“(Regime) change is within reach,” Harper said. “Do not believe the propaganda that the regime is well entrenched. Unfortunately, this line does not come solely from the regime, but also frequently from so-called policy experts in the West.”

Harper specifically called out “analysts who are well read in some area of foreign policy, but because of flawed intellectual frameworks, they consistently misjudge what will happen in foreign affairs.”

Harper likened this to the United States government’s insistence that the Shah had a firm grip on power in the 1970s right up until the revolution that removed him from power and instilled the Ayatollah’s regime.

“One of those consistent misjudgements is to vastly overestimate the strength of regimes that are governed solely by brute force, and to vastly underestimate and to be constantly surprised by the inevitable fragility of such regimes,” Harper said. 

The current Iranian regime is far more volatile today than the Shah’s was in the late 1970s, Harper said, calling it a “powder keg that could explode any day by any trigger.”

He also referenced a letter he signed alongside more than 100 other former heads of government and state calling on current world leaders to hold the Iranian regime accountable for its “crimes.”

Speaking of the letter, Harper said the “missing link” of western foreign policy on Iran has been a “failure to reach out to organized Iranian resistance and to support viable alternatives to the regime.”

“It is time to end the decades of silence and inaction by the international community that have helped fuel the culture of violence and impunity among the mullahs and their henchmen,” Harper said. “It is time to hold the leadership of the Islamic Republic accountable for its crimes. It is time to stand in solidarity with the people of Iran in their desire for a free, secular and democratic state.”

The former Canadian prime minister reiterated his call for regime change, promoting the NCRI led by its president-elect Maryam Rajavi, as a democratic alternative.

While Harper said Iranian people must be the ones to overthrow their government, he added that world leaders have a role to play by not strengthening their relations with the “vile regime.”

He touted his former government’s decision to sever diplomatic ties with Iran and close the Canadian embassy in Tehran in 2012.

These comments were echoed by former United States Democrat senator Robert Torricelli, who insisted that regime change “must come from within.”

“The notion of regime change has negative connotations because often it’s been done from the outside, but no one’s suggesting that here,” Torricelli told True North. “Change of the mullahs to a free Iran comes from the Iranian people, but the international community has a role: Don’t subsidize the mullahs, don’t trade with them, don’t give them resources, and don’t legitimize them.”

Canada’s UN Ambassador praises affirmative action following SCOTUS ruling

By
Elie Cantin-Nantel
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Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations Bob Rae praised the controversial practice of affirmative action after it was ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Last week, the U.S. top court struck down the affirmative action admissions practices used by colleges and universities in a 6-3 vote. The majority said the race-based practices violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

Rae took to Twitter to express his disappointment and defend the controversial practice.

“Proud that Canada’s Charter of Rights specifically permits affirmative action,” wrote Rae on Twitter while sharing a post from former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama. 

Section 15 (1) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms states that “every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.” 

However, subsection 2 exempts affirmative action programs from the latter. 

“Subsection (1) does not preclude any law, program or activity that has as its object the amelioration of conditions of disadvantaged individuals or groups including those that are disadvantaged because of race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.” 

U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in his opinion that “the entire point of the Equal Protection Clause is that treating someone differently because of their skin color is not like treating them differently because they are from a city or from a suburb, or because they play the violin poorly or well.” 

The Chief Justice said universities “have concluded, wrongly, that the touchstone of an individual’s identity is not challenges bested, skills built, or lessons learned but the color of their skin. Our constitutional history does not tolerate that choice.”

Asian students have long said that affirmative action discriminated against them. 

21 year-old Canadian student Calvin Yang, who joined the group Students for Fair Admissions, which sued Harvard and the University of North Carolina over their admissions practices, told The New York Post, “The fact that our skin color is a disadvantage in the application process is just an open secret in the Asian American community.”

“I had a 3.9 GPA, a 1550 SAT score, two varsity sports, my own political policy startup and a spot on Canada’s 30 Under 30 list when I applied to Harvard. It was my dream school. And, when I was rejected, I couldn’t help but wonder whether my skin color was the reason why.” said Yang.

Rae’s pro-affirmative action statement was criticized by Canadians on Twitter.

One Twitter user wrote, “you approve of discrimination, then? Of Asians being referred to disdainfully as ‘white-adjacent’ and being kept out of universities because they’re over-achievers? Of assuming that Indigenous and Black students are incapable of making it on merit?”

Another user noted, “I can’t think of any situation that can’t be addressed by selecting eligible people by economic, geographic, age, health, or other non racial criteria.  I don’t think fighting racism with more racism will work for Canadians.”

True North reached out to Rae’s office for comment but they did not respond in time for communication.

Rae is a former interim leader of the federal Liberals and a former NDP premier of Ontario. 

“Arbitrary” CAF vaccine mandate violated Charter rights of member: grievance ruling

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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A recent ruling by the Canadian Armed Forces Grievance Board (CAFGB) found that the Canadian Armed Force’s (CAF) mandatory Covid-19 vaccination policy violated the Charter rights of a member who was released for refusing to get vaccinated.

The CAFGB is in charge of reviewing official grievances launched by CAF members. 

In its ruling, the CAFGB stated that the CAF’s vaccination policy infringed on the member’s right to liberty and security of the person under Section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 

The watchdog also found that the policy, which came in place at the height of the pandemic via an order by General Wayne Eyre, was arbitrary, overly broad and disproportionate.

“The Committee concluded that the policy infringed on the rights protected under Section 7 of the Charter and that the limitations of these rights were not in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice.  The Committee viewed some aspects of the policy as arbitrary and overly broad, and its implementation as disproportionate,” declared the ruling. 

It then concluded that the CAF had not shown that mandatory vaccination was necessary to protect public health or operational effectiveness, given the high vaccination rate within the CAF. 

“The Committee concluded that the CAF had not met its obligation to ensure minimal impairment in the implementation of its vaccination policy. The Committee concluded that the limitations were not justified under Section 1 of the Charter,” wrote the CAFGB.

According to the watchdog, the process of releasing the member from their service was “unreasonable due to serious breaches of procedural fairness.” 

As exclusively reported by True North in Nov. 2021, unvaccinated CAF members were subject to an “unsuitable for further service” release, which would leave a permanent stain on the members’ service record. 

As a remedial measure, the CAFGB ordered the CAF to fully reinstate the member to their former position and give them compensation for “unjust release.”  

“Additionally, the Committee found that the administrative actions against the grievor, namely the RM and release, should not have occurred as the grievor was exercising a protected Charter right. The Committee also found that the administrative actions were unreasonable due to serious breaches of procedural fairness,” wrote the CAFGB. 

“The Committee recommended that the Final Authority cancel the RM and facilitate the grievor’s re-enrolment in the CAF, if the grievor so desired and was eligible. The Committee also recommended that consideration be given to compensation for unjust release.”

This ruling comes amid a lawsuit filed by hundreds of unvaccinated CAF members against the Defence Ministry and the CAF’s command. 

Sask. Justice Minister blasts Ottawa for “vague threats” over “just transition”

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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Source: Wikipedia

Saskatchewan Justice Minister and Attorney General Bronwyn Eyre has slammed the Trudeau government for issuing  “vague threats” and “abstract plans” concerning its planned “just transition” without providing any cost breakdown of the implications of the new target.

In an interview with the outlet Pipeline Online, Eyre claimed that Liberal Natural Resource Minister Jonathan Wilkinson has disregarded the fact that Saskatchewan cannot meet the 2035 target based on its current power mix, which includes coal, natural gas and renewable sources.

“When I start to see fact for fact, analysis, that will be one thing, but I don’t see that in the comments that Minister Wilkinson made last week. I see more abstract plans, more vague threats,” said Eyre.

“He doesn’t counter that fact for fact when Saskatchewan and SaskPower submits, and have submitted over the course of months, how impossible it is; how literally impossible it is to transition the way the federal government is mandating by 2035 and nor in his comments.” 

Recently, the federal government switched its net-zero target from the year 2050 to the much sooner target of 2035. 

“I think is the most important I think the most important thing to keep in mind, as a reader, is that the federal government had net-zero plans for 2050 and arbitrarily changed those plans to 2035,” said Eyre.

Part of the federal government’s proposed transition involves what it calls the Clean Fuel Standard which aims to eliminate the use of natural gas and coal from the production of electricity.

She also dismissed Wilkinson’s suggestion that Saskatchewan could rely on hydro power from Manitoba as “impossible”, as Manitoba does not have enough hydro to offer.

“We know that SaskPower, as one example, has told federal officials at Environment and Climate Change Canada over the course of many months, that it is impossible, based on the current power mix, to meet 2035,” Eyre told Pipeline Online.

“And Minister Wilkinson continues to insist that some vague power mix including, hydro remains possible in Saskatchewan, when we know, and officials have been told repeatedly, that for one for one thing Manitoba doesn’t have enough hydro to offer Saskatchewan to make that mix work.”

The federal government and Western premiers have been engaged in a back-and-forth duel over the details of incoming policies that could upend Alberta’s and Saskatchewan’s traditional energy supply. 

Wilkinson has claimed that those who refuse to adopt the Liberal government’s vision for a “just transition” were clinging to “blind hope” and not confronting the realities of climate change. 

“In my mind, that path ignores the very clear evidence as to how climate change is undermining the health and safety of people and the planet. Such a head in the sand approach will lead to environmental devastation and economic stagnation as the world, including global investors, pass us by,” said Wilkinson, before taking a shot at Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. 

“Some in this country will tell you that one can fight climate change and create a healthy and prosperous economy for a low carbon future by simply relying on technology. I would say my colleague in the House of Commons, Mr. Poilievre, is fond of using the tagline “Technology, not taxes,” by which he means simply plan on or hope on technology to save us.” 

Last week, Wilkinson changed his tune on the standard claiming that the federal government might allow natural gas to be included in energy supplies, should they embrace costly carbon capture technology. 

Initially, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault threatened provinces that don’t comply with the federal government’s demands with potential criminal charges. 

“We’ve regulated the ban on coal through (Canadian Environmental Protection Act), which is a criminal tool that the federal government has,” said Guilbeault. 

“So not complying with this regulation would be a violation of Canada’s Criminal Code.”

CRA investigates 600 employees for CERB fraud

By
Neil Sharma
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The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) announced it fired 20 employees—and is investigating upwards of 600 others—who improperly received the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) during the pandemic.

“As the CRA is responsible for administering the Income Tax Act and many COVID-19 benefits, the highest standard of employee conduct must be upheld,” a CRA spokesperson told CTV.

“The CRA understands the importance of transparency and integrity. The CRA also ensures that both Canadians and its employees are aware that the CRA takes any form of wrongdoing very seriously.”

The agency will discipline employees it discovers inappropriately accepted CERB payments on a case- by-case basis, and penalties include revocation of employees’ reliability status, which is a condition of employment, the agency spokesperson added.

“The most egregious cases of misconduct result in the most severe disciplinary measures, up to and including termination of employment.”

In the wake of the pandemic, the CERB program was rolled out to support Canadians who lost their jobs or had been furloughed with up to $2,000 monthly. However, late last year, Canada’s auditor general estimated the federal government overpaid Canadians by $4.6 billion.

The CERB program is estimated to have distributed $211 billion in taxpayer funds during the pandemic.

The CRA maintains that, because it employs more than 60,000 people, of whom only about 600 are implicated—less than 1% of its work—Canadians’ confidence in the agency shouldn’t waver.

“The confidence and trust that individuals and businesses have in the CRA is a cornerstone of Canada’s tax system and this is why the CRA has a duty to administer all benefits fairly, to safeguard and protect taxpayer information, and deliver results to Canadians,” the spokesperson said.

The CRA’s investigation into employees who accepted CERB payments is far from unique. In February, Employment and Social Development Canada terminated 49 employees for taking CERB payments despite having retained employment during the pandemic.

In an interview with True North last month, the federal director of the Canadian Taxpayer’s Federation Franco Terrazzano criticized the federal government’s oversight of the CERB program, as well as the CRA’s seeming indifference to fraudulent payments, which he estimated are exorbitant.

“They put money out the door with no proper guardrails,” Terrazzano said. “Now $32 billion in suspicious payments is out the door and the CRA can’t be bothered to fully investigate it.”

Canada’s office vacancy rate hits 29-year high

By
Neil Sharma
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Canada’s office vacancy rate hit 18.1% last quarter—a 29-year high, according to Commercial Real Estate Services (CBRE.)

The commercial real estate and analytics firm said the Q2 vacancy rate rose from 17.8% during the first three months of the year, indicating that work-from-home configurations brought about by the pandemic are having a lasting impact.

But there have not been so many empty offices since 1994, when Canada’s vacancy rate was 18.6%.

“Canadian office markets are grappling with a perfect storm of a recession threat, interest rate hikes, tech sector weakness, tenants rightsizing and new supply of office space,” said a CBRE news release.

“All of this is compounded by the continued uncertainty around remote work.”

The country’s downtown office vacancy rate increased to 18.9% in Q2, up by four basis points from the previous quarter, while it rose to 17.1% from 16.9% in suburban offices.

However, Calgary’s office vacancy rate declined to 31.5% in the second quarter from 32% in Q1, which CBRE attributed to growth in the city’s engineering, construction and education sectors.

“Calgary is also working its way through several office building conversion projects, which will reduce inventory,” the firm said.

CBRE also reported that Waterloo’s vacancy rate dipped from 22% in the first quarter of the year to 21.5% from April through June.

Among downtowns in the country’s three largest cities, Toronto’s office vacancy rate ticked up to 15.8% from 15.3% quarter-over-quarter, while Montreal’s rose by five basis points to 17%, and Vancouver’s hit 11.5% from 10.4%.

Three years after the first pandemic-induced lockdown, the office sector across the continent are still reeling. For example, Toronto and Vancouver for years had among North America’s lowest office vacancy rates, which were in the neighbourhood of 2%.

But new supply flooding the market also pushes the vacancy higher. According to CBRE’s data, there is 11.5 million square feet of office space under construction in Vancouver, followed by 2.7 million in Toronto, and 1.9 million in Montreal.

The Daily Brief | Is Canada’s military in shambles?

By
Rachel Parker
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In a recent report published by the Department of National Defence, three unclassified audits have exposed serious gaps and weaknesses in the readiness of the Canadian military across the land, sea, air and space domains.

Plus, the Commissioner of Correctional Services Canada refutes Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino’s claim that he didn’t know about Paul Bernardo’s transfer to a medium-security prison.

And If an election were held tomorrow, Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives would win.

Tune into The Daily Brief with Rachel Emmanuel and Cosmin Dzsurdzsa!

SUBSCRIBE TO THE DAILY BRIEF

Arrest made in Montreal amid attempts to recreate France riots

By
Elie Cantin-Nantel
-

An arrest was made over the weekend in Montreal as youth held demonstrations in support of France’s riots. 

The destructive French riots were sparked by the police shooting of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk. The teenager, who was driving without a license, was speeding and then ran a red light in an attempt to flee police. 

As reported by Le Journal De Montreal, a group of rowdy youth gathered in front of the Eaton Centre on Sainte-Catherine Street in downtown Montreal Sunday night – with the apparent goal of causing disorder. 

Instagram posts obtained by Le Journal show calls for violence at the protest.

“We do like the riots in France, (we) have to break everything,” reads one of the posts. “Bring your equipment and share (the protest) on your story.” 

“Today… It’s war, I’m telling you,” reads another instagram post. 

Protesters were met with a heavy police presence downtown. 

Police say one person was arrested for uttering threats at an officer, and two infractions were handed to those who participated in a public fight. There were no reports of vandalism.

Individuals were also planning to hold a destructive raid at the Galeries D’Anjou mall in suburban Montreal Monday evening. “It’s going to blow, be ready,” said a poster promoting the riot obtained by La Presse. 

The riot did not end up taking place amid police being prepared and present on site. A few people showed up to protest, but did not cause any damage.

La Presse noted that the mall closed early as an act of precaution.

In France, several buildings have been looted and destroyed in riots resembling those seen in the United States following the killing of George Floyd.

So far, 10 000 garbage cans, 5000 cars and 30 buses have been set on fire. 1000 buildings have been burned or looted. Businesses including grocery stores, convenience stores and banks have been vandalized.

700 members of France’s security forces have been injured. The country deployed 45,000 officers to deal with the riots.

The damage to businesses alone is estimated to be over 1 billion euros. Far more than the three weeks long 2005 France riots, which raked up 204 million euros (294 CAD) in damage. 

France’s Ministry of Justice says almost 4000 arrests have been made. 

The grandmother of the victim has called for the riots to end, accusing rioters of taking advantage of her grandson’s death.

“Stop rioting, stop destroying,” she told BFM TV. “I say this to those who are rioting: do not smash windows, attack schools and buses. Stop. It’s mothers who take those buses.” 

She also said that the teenage rioters are “using Nahel as an excuse.” “We want things to calm down.”

French President Emmanuel Macron believes the peak of the riots has passed, amid calmer nights and the number of arrests declining. “Is it a permanent return to calm? I will be cautious, but the peak that we’ve seen in previous days has passed,” said Macron.

In addition to riot attempts in Montreal, there have been riots related to Nahel’s death in Belgium and Switzerland. 

The Alberta Roundup | C-18’s hidden cost to taxpayers

By
Rachel Parker
-

Today on the Alberta Roundup with Rachel Emmanuel, Rachel is joined by Kris Sims, the Alberta Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Rachel and Kris discuss Bill C-18 and the hidden cost to Canadian taxpayers.

Also on the show, Rachel and Kris dive into the federal government’s new Clean Fuel Regulations which came into effect on Saturday. Happy Canada Day! A new tax from the Liberal government. But what exactly does it mean for Albertans?

Tune into the Alberta Roundup now!

SUBSCRIBE TO THE ALBERTA ROUNDUP

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