The Bank of Canada has officially announced it is developing a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) and is now asking Canadians to participate in an open consultation process. Make no mistake about it, this would be the final nail in the coffin of financial freedom in Canada. Instead of having your money controlled by private banks like they are now, a CBDC would be held in a government-approved digital wallet.
This follows a global trend towards a digital authoritarian future where governments have ultimate control over the spending power of citizens. Pair this with the ever-expanding powers of a digital id program and Canada is one step closer to adopting a Chinese-style social credit system.
Watch the latest episode of Ratio’d with Harrison Faulkner.
UCP leader Danielle Smith says three NDP-affiliated unions should “get some legal advice” as the party awaits a ruling from Elections Alberta on its allegations the unions breached election law.
On Wednesday, the UCP published letters it sent to Elections Alberta requesting an investigation into the unions for possible alleged violations of the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act (EFCDA).
A May 2 letter signed by UCP executive director Dustin Van Vugt alleges the Alberta Federation of Labour, CUPE Alberta, and the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) acted as third-party advertisers despite EFCDA regulations. The party alleges there’s evidence the unions colluded with the Alberta NDP to exceed contribution and expense limits while also failing to submit the required financial reports.
Smith said the Alberta NDP is closely affiliated with public sector unions who are registered third-party advertisers, referring to groups which spend money to advocate for policies.
“I hope that they go and get some legal advice and become in compliance with the law,” she said in response to a question from True North at a campaign stop in Calgary on Thursday.
“And if not, I hope we hear some judgment from Elections Alberta on this.”
I asked Smith about the UCP accusing three NDP-affiliated unions of breaking the Election Finances & Contributions Disclosure Act.
“I hope that they go & get some legal advice & become in compliance with the law. & if not, I hope we hear some judgement from Elections Alberta.” pic.twitter.com/1dMqF4C7ZY
The UCP requested Elections Alberta send immediate cease and desist letters to the unions to end their alleged advertising activities.
“We ask that Elections Alberta take immediate steps to stop these groups from carrying out illegal advertising in the election period,” it reads.
“A failure to do so will cause irreparable harm to the election and taint the results of the election in favour of the NDP.”
The party says the Alberta Federation of Labour and CUPE Alberta ran extensive paid Facebook/Instagram advertising campaigns and invested in paid advertising on platforms like YouTube.
In a second letter on Tuesday, the UCP expressed concerns that Elections Alberta is not taking action regarding the complaint.
“The law is clear that affiliated third parties are prohibited from undertaking advertising to benefit the NDP or any other party, but evidence shows this is happening right now in Alberta,” van Vugt said.
CUPE Alberta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
AFL president Gil McGowan told Global News the allegations aee “unfounded” and potentially libellous. He said the AFL has fully complied with regulations.
The ATA said education is a bipartisan issue and shouldn’t be associated with one party.
“The ATA is a nonpartisan organization that has no formal ties or any affiliation with the Alberta New Democratic Party (NDP) or any other party. There are no ‘deep structural connections,’ and any references to the NDP constitution suggesting otherwise are false in their interpretation,” it told Global News.
That’s 40 in the past two decades; 11 in the past 30 months, and eight in the last nine months.
It’s become an epidemic, with the contagion — utter disrespect for the law, dysfunctional families, uber-violent video games (an old argument), too many guns, whatever — coming together during obviously troubled times.
During most years, one or two police officers are murdered in the line of duty. That’s bad enough.
But eight in the last nine months? That’s insane.
The latest name to add to the tragically growing memorial wall is OPP Sgt. Eric Mueller from the Russell County OPP Detachment, 40 kilometres east of Ottawa and home of the small largely franco-Ontarian town of Bourget (Pop. 2,000), where a gunshot was heard early Thursday morning on Laval St.
Two of Mueller’s fellow officers were wounded but expected to live. One, in fact, has already been released, Mueller, however, never make it to the trauma unit in Ottawa. He was dead when the ambulance arrived.
As for the suspected triggerman, he is apparently in custody. Cops say the situation is contained. No need for the public to fret. The situation, as they say, is contained.
By mid-afternoon, his name had still not been released.
But there will inevitably be a next time. After all, if nine months can take eight police officers’ lives, nine has to be waiting down some dark and unexplainable rabbit hole.
“When three officers arrive on scene and within minutes are shot, one is killed, another is very seriously and critically injured, and another injured to the point of requiring medical attention for simply arriving on scene,” said OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique.
“I categorize that as an ambush.”
As for Mueller, Carrique used his press conference to spread positives about his fallen sergeant.
“He is described by his colleagues as a coach and mentor,” said Carrique. “Somebody that everybody looked up to. The glue that held his shift together.”
It is at times like this that there are calls to re-establish the death penalty for those who murder police officers and prison guards.
Years ago, when I worked at the Windsor Star, I had a retired local police sergeant tell me how his life was spared because the felon who had him cornered didn’t wish to hang.
The last execution in Canada was the double hanging — back to back — of Arthur Lucas and Ronald Turpin on December 11, 1962, at Toronto’s Don Jail, both for murder.
Lucas, a Detroit pimp, killed a police informant and Turpin shot and killed Toronto Const. Frederick Nash, 31, who had pulled him over while he was escaping a robbery.
Years later, I interviewed the man who hanged them.
In July 1976, capital punishment was abolished in Canada, and an attempt to have it restored was defeated in the House of Commons 11 years later in June 1987 by a vote of 148–127.
Both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford tweeted condolences to Mueller’s family and friends. There is nothing new in that, considering the numbers.
“Awful news coming from Bourget, Ontario this morning,” tweeted Trudeau. “I’m sending my deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of @OPP News Sergeant Eric Mueller, who was killed in the line of duty, and I’m keeping the two injured officers in my thoughts.”
Ford was more expressive.
“The death of OPP Sgt. Eric Mueller, who was senselessly killed in the line of duty, is devastating news,” tweeted Ford. “My thoughts are with his family and friends. Please join me in praying for his fellow officers as we await word on their condition. May God bless our heroes in uniform.”
A new study has found that although the Canadian government had some of the highest government spending on stimulus programs during the Covid-19 pandemic, they achieved some of the worst results among advanced countries.
According to the Fraser Institute study titled “Global Aftermath: The Economic and Fiscal Effects of COVID in Canada and the World,” despite raising its government spending and debt accumulation more than most other advanced countries, Canada’s economy fared relatively poorly during the pandemic.
In 2020, Canada placed 5th out of 40 industrialized countries in growing government spending as a proportion of its economy.
At the same time, between 2019 and 2021, it ranked 3rd in elevating its total debt-to-GDP ratio, which shows that Canada built up debt faster than its competitors.
Researchers also found that Canada was “mid-ranked” when it came to inflation in comparison to the other IMF Advanced Economies.
“While governments across Canada, particularly the federal government, increased spending markedly during COVID, it’s now clear we didn’t get much bang for our buck,” said Lakehead University economics professor and author of the report, Livio Di Matteo in a press release.
“It’s important for governments in Canada to understand the effects of their pandemic responses so they don’t repeat the same ineffective and costly policies in the future.”
Last year, Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem admitted in the House of Commons finance committee that the federal government’s decision to continue on with stimulus spending longer than necessary contributed to Canada’s current inflationary troubles.
“If we knew everything a year ago that we knew today, yes I think we should have started tightening interest rates sooner to withdraw the stimulus,” said Macklem.
“(If) there would have been less stimulus in the economy, there would have been less demand, (inflation) would have been less.”
A page on the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) website that debunks “myths” about the recently passed online censorship law has drawn outrage for echoing Liberal government rhetoric.
In effect, Bill C-11 gives the CRTC the power to regulate online content posted by Canadians just as it regulates traditional broadcasting.
The CRTC’s webpage sounds like it was written by Minister of Canadian Heritage Pablo Rodriguez’ office, according to one critic.
“The myth and fact sheet might as well have been written by the minister,” said the executive director of Digital First, Scott Benzie.
“They are supposed to wait for the policy direction. They haven’t done that, which makes me feel that decisions have been made. They haven’t heard any evidence, and they have already made up their mind.”
Bill C-11 was passed last month despite concerns that it is an affront to free speech and extends government control over a wide swathe of content, including home videos posted by Canadians.
According to the CRTC’s “Myths and Facts about Bill C-11” the bill would do no such thing and only concentrate its efforts on regulating broadcasters.
However, the CRTC’s current assertions were contradicted last year by testimony from former chair Ian Scott.
While testifying before the House of Commons heritage committee, Scott said that a section of the bill would extend the CRTC’s regulatory powers to “user uploaded content.”
“[Section] 4.2 allows the CRTC to prescribe by regulation user uploaded content subject to very explicit criteria. That is also in the Act,” said Scott.
“The commission could, for example, issue certain rules with respect to discoverability, could perhaps issue rules…to respond to certain concerns on accessibility.”
A sex offender in Chilliwack, who was found with child pornography on his phone, will not face jail time after his lawyer and Crown counsel agreed to a peace bond.
As reported by the Chilliwack Progress, 36-year-old Nicolaas Steve Scholten was charged with possession of child pornography after 24 photos of young naked girls were found on his phone. The girls are believed to be 12 to 17 years old.
Section 810 peace bond means Scholten is not convicted or sentenced for a criminal offense. He will however have to agree to terms and conditions set forth by a judge. The latter is similar to being out on bail or having a conditional sentence.
“The idea is that he gets help with his behaviours, which are quite clearly unhealthy and harmful,” said Crown counsel Randy Robinson.
The terms and conditions for the sex offender include taking part in a 12-month treatment program, in addition to being prohibited from going to pools, schools and parks – with one exception.
At the request of Scholten’s lawyer, the judge has agreed to allow Scholten to attend playgrounds if accompanied by one of his four children and an adult who is aware of his conditions.
“You can’t just go to a playground if you want to go to a playground with an adult,” said the judge. “You must have your children with you.”
All four of his children, who he had with four different women, currently have restraining orders against him.
Scholten also told the court that he legally changed his name to Stetson Antony Outlaw.
Scholten has been accused of using several fake identities on Facebook, and on other websites to interact with young underaged girls.
A number of online groups have also been tracking the sex offender’s behaviour. His lawyer says the treatment he’s received online has been a challenge.
“It’s been a pretty challenging stretch for him,” said Scholten’s lawyer. “One individual in the community has taken it upon himself to harass him publicly.”
Amid all of this, Scholten is unemployed and has been living with his father.
In recent years, there have been calls for governments to ban sex offenders from being able to legally change their names. Alberta introduced legislation to ban sex offenders from changing their names in 2020.
Airdrie and District Victims Assistance Society executive director Karen Kuntz believes “those who make the conscious choice to intentionally hurt another human being, someone who drastically changed the course of that person’s life, they the offender should never be allowed to hide.”
“Not only do I believe the victim has the right to safety but the community as a whole should be allowed to be and feel safe. I am a mother and a grandmother and I want to know who my neighbour is,” she added.
High school activist Josh Alexander joins The Rupa Subramanya Show this week to discuss his ongoing fight against woke school boards in Canada pushing radical gender ideology. Several months ago, Josh was expelled and eventually arrested and escorted out of his Catholic high school for proclaiming that there are only two genders and for standing up for his female classmates who didn’t feel safe with transgender women (men) in female spaces.
Since his expulsion, Josh and his group ‘Save Canada’ have been protesting schools in Ontario holding drag queen story hour events and for propagating gender ideology.
Toronto mayoral candidate Anthony Furey denounced a TDSB school’s decision to remove a sign celebrating mothers for Mother’s Day, saying the decision was made by far-left administrators.
Furey is currently on leave as True North’s vice-president of editorial and content.
The Kew Beach Junior Public School had their Grade 6 students craft a heartwarming message to display on the school’s message board which read, “Life does not come with a manual, it comes with a mom.”
However, the school capitulated to demands to take the sign down after a few parents complained that the sign was “mega exclusionary,” and didn’t represent LGBTQ families with same-sex couples.
The sign was replaced with a message free from any references to mothers, instead displaying a message featuring a glaring spelling mistake.
“M: Make this month count. A: Accoplish (sic) your goals. Y: You can do this,” the new signage reads.
Furey, the only candidate to weigh in on this issue, said that Kew Beach Public School’s decision to remove the Mother’s Day sign was proof that the TDSB has been captured by wokeness.
“Yesterday’s decision to remove a sign supporting mothers outside Kew Beach Public School is just more evidence that the TDSB is in thrall to political correctness and is in urgent need of reform,” said Furey.
Furey commented on how the woke capture of the TDSB has created a sub-optimal culture that is resulting in poorer educational outcomes for its students.
“Time and again now we’ve seen how its far-left administrators are creating a culture of intolerance and left-wing zealotry in our schools. It’s bad for our kids’ education and it has got to stop,” said Furey.
Furey used the opportunity to announce that he would revive the TDSB’s school resource officer program that placed a police officer in schools.
“As Mayor, I would also call for the reinstatement of the School Resource Officer program, to help ensure our children and teachers have a safe place to learn and work,” remarked Furey.
Furey says that after consultations with Toronto’s parents, a Furey mayoralty would have Toronto’s schools focus on academic achievement and school safety.
“I’m hearing from parents of all walks of life across Toronto who say they just want a school system focused on academic excellence and safety,” said Furey.
“As Mayor, I will be the voice for parents who have grown tired of divisive ideologies holding so much sway in our schools.”
The Trudeau government’s redesigned Canadian passport is under fire, as the government decided to eliminate several historical events and figures, including the Battle of Vimy Ridge and Terry Fox.
Plus, the Bank of Canada has announced that they are officially considering the introduction of a central bank digital currency.
And Freedom Convoy trucker Harold Jonker has been released on bail without conditions and will return to court in Ottawa on June 7.
Tune into The Daily Brief with Rachel Emmanuel and Lindsay Shepherd!
The federal government recently came forward empty-handed after a Conservative MP asked Global Affairs Canada to provide a breakdown of a controversial fund that has been used to stage sex toy exhibits abroad.
In an Order Paper Question submitted in the House of Commons, Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner asked the department to release information on each initiative funded by the Mission Cultural Fund since Nov. 4, 2015.
Rempel Garner’s request asked for a breakdown of what project received the funding, how much money was distributed, the location of the project, its purpose and other details.
In response, Global Affairs Canada said it could not deliver on the request in a timely fashion.
“The department undertook an extensive preliminary search in order to determine the amount of information that would fall within the scope of the question and the amount of time that would be required to prepare a comprehensive response,” wrote Global Affairs Canada.
“The department concluded that producing and validating a comprehensive response to this question would require a collection of information that is not possible in the time allotted, and could lead to the disclosure of incomplete and misleading information.”
Rempel Garner has since said she has forwarded the matter to the Parliamentary Budget Officer for some clarity on the fund.
In a newsletter, Rempel Garner blasted the federal government over their lack of transparency related to the fund.
“For a government that loves nothing more than to loudly honk about spending money, their relative silence on this fund raises many questions,” wrote Rempel Garner.
“The government should be able to provide this information and rationale for any eyebrow raising projects.”
On Monday it was revealed that the fund budgeted thousands to stage performances where seniors would share their sexual encounters live in Austria, Taiwan and elsewhere.
Additionally, in 2019 the fund allocated $8,813.70 for a sex toy art exhibit in Hamburg, Germany by Canadian artist Peaches.
