fbpx
Wednesday, May 7, 2025

Hot mic reveals Trudeau takes Trump’s annexation threat seriously

By
Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
-
Source: Facebook

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appears to have changed his mind about how serious President Donald Trump’s threat to annex Canada is, telling a closed-door gathering the threat is real.

Trudeau allegedly said Trump believes the easiest way to access Canada’s resources is to absorb the country as the 51st state. Trudeau previously said there wasn’t a “snowball’s chance in hell” that Trump would annex Canada.

“I suggest that not only does the Trump Administration know how many critical minerals we have, but that may be even why they keep talking about absorbing us and making us the 51st state,” said Trudeau, according to the Toronto Star. “They’re very aware of our resources, of what we have and they very much want to be able to benefit from those.” 

Trudeau allegedly made comments behind closed doors at the Canada-U.S. Economic Summit in Toronto in a room with a hot mic after reporters had been ordered out of the room.

There were around 100 business leaders and executives in attendance, and the media were restricted from attending the events after Trudeau’s opening remarks.

The prime minister reportedly continued speaking to the room about his conversation with Trump, but the comments were cut off after the staff realized there was a hot mic.

The revelation was met with condemnation by Conservatives, who warned such a threat can’t be properly addressed without Trudeau recalling Parliament.

“The questions that need to be put to Mr. Trudeau can’t today because he’s gone into hiding behind a locked door,” said Conservative MP Michael Barrett. “They aren’t being put to Mr. Carney because he’s in hiding as well. And the last time he was asked if Parliament should be sitting, he ran away. And Miss Freeland seems equally unconcerned.”

Barrett held a press conference on Parliament Hill, where he said that Trudeau’s speech was accompanied by no commitment to action.

He argued that Trudeau should be addressing these concerns in the House of Commons, rather than holding private meetings behind closed doors.

During the public portion of Trudeau’s remarks, the prime minister took a pro-Canada approach and emphasized unity in the country to deal with the tariffs — an outstanding threat that has been delayed for only a month.

Trudeau said that Canada needs to deal with the tariff issue as quickly as possible, but didn’t say much else publicly that hadn’t been said before.

Trudeau and his ministers previously downplayed Trump’s annexation threat. 

“The president was telling jokes,” said Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc in the aftermath of the original threat. “The president was teasing us. It was, of course, in no way a serious comment.” 

Now, the Liberals are acting as if the crisis had emerged from thin air, whereas in reality it is something that could have been dealt with over the past few months, according to Barrett.

Reporters asked Barrett what the Conservatives would do to protect Canada’s natural resources if they were in government.

He said that it wasn’t for them to decide and that the 338 elected members of Parliament should be debating how to best combat the problem in the House of Commons right now, a key democratic process that Trudeau has shut down by proroguing Parliament.

“Anything that Mr. Trudeau and Mr. LeBlanc have said obviously can’t be believed. They’ve been demonstrated to be lying to Canadians,” said Barrett. “The issues need to be debated here in Parliament. That’s what Canadians elected us to do.”

Off the Record | How does Carney really feel about the carbon tax?

By
Kris Sims
-
Source: Facebook

Mark Carney has all but abandoned a significant pillar of carbon pricing in his bid to become the next leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, but Carney also once tried to convince the world to adopt carbon taxes. How does he really feel about this unpopular tax?

Plus, as the DOGE reveals some of the most outrageous examples of government waste, Canadians are starting to wonder where exactly are our taxpayer dollars are going.

And a surge in Canadian pride is taking place across the country due to the threat of U.S. tariffs.

These stories and more on Off the Record with Kris Sims, Isaac Lamoureux and Cosmin Dzsurdzsa!

No more free rides for electric vehicle drivers in Alberta as annual tax rolls out

By
Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
-
Source: Unsplash

Electric vehicle drivers in Alberta will soon be slapped with an additional tax as the province follows through on a promise made nearly a year ago.

The province confirmed on Thursday that starting Feb. 13, any driver registering their electric vehicle in Alberta will be subject to a $200 tax. 

The price is said to be in line with what drivers of internal combustion engine vehicles pay in fuel tax annually. 

“This is a fair way for all drivers to contribute to public services, and to help keep roads and highways safe and smooth. Alberta is joining a growing number of places across North America introducing this tax so that drivers of both electric and gas vehicles are treated the same,” said Alberta’s Finance Minister Nate Horner. 

While standard electric vehicles will be subject to the tax, hybrids, electric motorcycles, and electric off-road vehicles like ATVs are exempt.

“Owners of electric vehicles use the same roads as other Albertan drivers,” said Alberta’s Minister of Service and Red Tape Reduction, Dale Nally. “It’s only fair they contribute to public services, including those that ensure the continued safety and upkeep of Alberta’s roads.”

The tax was previously announced in Alberta’s 2024 budget and passed in the legislature in Nov. 2023.

The provincial government previously projected the tax would generate $1 million in revenue for the 2024-25 year. It estimated the tax’s revenue would increase incrementally with the acceleration of EV adoption, reaching $5 million in 2025-26 and $8 million in 2026-27.

The federal Liberals’ plan to phase out gas vehicles mandates that at least 20 per cent of new vehicles purchased by 2026 are electric. By 2030, this number would grow to 60 per cent, and by 2035, all new cars sold need to be electric.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith previously called the mandate “destructive” and “unachievable.” Other jurisdictions have made similar conclusions, calling EVs unreliable and not worth the risk.

In addition, a previous poll highlighted that two-thirds of Canadians feel the 2035 ban is unrealistic. A previous study also showed that a full transition to EVs might not even be possible due to the constraints of the power grid.

The interest to purchase electric vehicles in Canada has been continuously diminishing yearly. The top concerns listed by those turning against EVs were their limited driving range, their hefty price tag, and the costly replacement of batteries. 

According to Consumer Reports, electric vehicles have 79-per-cent more problems than gas vehicles. Additionally, electric vehicles can see more than a 40-per-cent decrease in range on cold winter days. Electric vehicles have an average price tag of $73,500, according to Canadian Black Book, more than $6,000 higher than gas-powered vehicles.

The Daily Brief | Why is Canada funding the BBC?

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-
Global Affairs Canada.

Global Affairs Canada is listed as a major contributor to the charity wing of the UK’s BBC in 2023-2024, money that was primarily used for DEI initiatives in Africa.

Plus, BC Premier David Eby says he’s looking to fast-track 18 energy and natural resource projects to reduce reliance on the U.S.

And a councillor who was sanctioned for a sign calling the residential mass graves claim a “hoax” is asking the Supreme Court of PEI to hear his case.

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

The Candice Malcolm Show | DEFUND Foreign Aid

By
Candice Malcolm
-
Source: United Nations

On today’s episode of the Candice Malcolm Show, Candice breaks down the latest scandal of Global Affairs Canada trying to hide their database of wasteful woke Foreign Aid spending.

The government’s efforts to hide the story backfired, and citizen journalists have done a tremendous job exposing the truth about Canada’s perverse foreign priorities. Candice launches a new petition: to DEFUND FOREIGN AID – which we encourage you to sign at www.CandiceMalcolm.com.

Later in the program, Candice is joined by former Leader of the Opposition Preston Manning for an in depth interview. They discuss tariffs, energy security, the future of North America, the biased and deranged legacy media, Danielle Smith’s leadership, and the recent reports on government mistakes during Covid-19.

Former CHRC chief sues MP Melissa Lantsman, Ezra Levant and Jewish advocacy group for defamation

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
-
Source: CPAC

A man who was briefly appointed to be Canada’s chief human rights commissioner last summer before resigning over accusations of antisemitism and support for terrorist entities is now suing those who made the claims against him. 

Birju Dattani, the former head of the Yukon territory’s human rights commission, was appointed to the role of Canada’s chief human rights commissioner last June but held the position for just days before stepping down. 

Dattani’s appointment was marred by strong criticism over comments and activities from his past that many called antisemitic. 

He resigned four days after his official role as commissioner began and a third-party investigation was launched into accusations of his past support for terrorist organizations. 

The report was later made public and found no validity to the allegations of terrorist support, sympathy, antisemitism or bias against Jewish people.

“Despite the report’s unequivocal conclusion on these points, the vicious public attacks by a number of groups and individuals persisted in the following days and weeks,” said Dattani at a press conference on Parliament Hill Thursday. 

“I have launched defamation lawsuits against those who spearheaded a targeted attack against me this past summer: Conservative Member of Parliament Melissa Lantsman, right-wing media personality Ezra Levant and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA).”

Dattani’s lawsuit is seeking $650,000 against Levant, $500,000 against Lantsman and $450,000 against the CIJA in general damages as well as $150,000 from each of the three parties in aggravated damages. 

“By spreading these poisonous allegations during a defining moment in Mr. Dattani’s career, MP Lantsman ensured that her false representations discredited Mr. Dattani,” reads the statement of claim against Lanstman. “MP Lantsman deliberately used some of the most harmful language possible to undermine Mr. Dattani’s otherwise stellar reputation.”

Lantsman accused Dattani of having a “grotesque anti-semitism record” at the time.

“The controversy surrounding the appointment of Mr. Dattani by the Liberal government is a matter of public record,” Lantsman’s office countered Friday. “Ms. Lantsman will vigorously defend herself against these baseless claims.” 

CIJA responded to the lawsuit by saying that its past accusations against Dattani were “sourced and factual.”

Levant responded to the lawsuit by launching a funding campaign for his legal fees Thursday in which he referred to Dattani as “Trudeau’s disgraced, antisemitic censor.”

The lawsuit also seeks to have each of the three parties make declarations that they defamed Dattani. 

In 2015, Dattani shared a stage with a member of Hizb ut-Tahrir, an Islamic fundamentalist group that is listed as a terrorist entity in the U.K. and Germany. An international organization of imams is calling for the Canadian government to recognize that designation as well. 

Dattani also spoke at a series of “Israel Apartheid Week” events at British universities, promoting the boycott, divestment, and sanction (BDS) of Israel.

News Line, a Marxist outlet, quoted Dattani saying “workers should boycott Israel and Israeli goods,” at the protest.

There were also concerns over his affiliations and previous comments made on social media under the name “Mujahid Dattani.”

The Trudeau government initially claimed not to know anything about Dattani’s past amid the growing backlash of his appointment. But it would later rescind that claim after a spokesperson for Justice Minister Arif Virani confirmed that Dattani did reveal that he used an alias online.

However, the government’s investigation into Dattani’s past ultimately ruled the accusations against him to be false. “While some may take issue with Mr. Dattani’s scholarship that we have been provided, the sources he relies upon in that scholarship, and his criticism of the State of Israel, he has not demonstrated any intentions or actions that suggest he is anti-Semitic or has beliefs that could be characterized as anti-Semitic,” reads the government’s report released in July.

Exclusive: Global Affairs Canada a top funder of state-funded BBC, mostly for foreign DEI projects

By
Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
-
BBC - Where our money comes from - https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaaction/about/funding

Global Affairs Canada (GAC) is listed as a major contributor to the charity wing of the UK’s BBC in 2023-2024, money that was primarily used for DEI initiatives in Africa.

According to the charity wing — BBC Media Action — GAC handed out $1,623,711 in taxpayer money to the BBC’s charity group. 

Though BBC Media Action noted that GAC provided more than $1.6 million in funding for the fiscal year of 2023-2024, only one BBC Media Action project was shown on GAC’s website during that year – and it cost just over $1.5 million.

BBC – Where our money comes from – https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaaction/about/funding

GAC records show most of that money was allocated to a gender equality initiative in East Africa called “Broadcasting for Change: Empowering Young Women Through Media in Tanzania.” The feds originally budgeted $2,120,000 for the program that year but only transferred $1,536,981.

The website says the program funded a nationally recognized youth radio show, ‘Niambie,’ that was focused on “transforming young women and men’s attitudes towards gender equality.”

According to the feds, the project was expected to “strengthen the production of gender-sensitive and gender-transformative media that supports the social, economic and political rights of young women and girls.”

It also aimed to increase “supportive attitudes” by Tanzanian youth towards young women’s participation in society and to increase the use of social services that support the social, economic and political rights of young women and girls.

When asked about the other amount – nearly $100,000 in unaccounted-for apparent spending – GAC asked True North for an indefinite extension to the deadline provided to give a response.

The program was set to run from 2019-2024, and was granted a maximum contribution of $9,180,034, according to the federal report on the program and its spending. The government also planned a $1,165,156 disbursement to BBC Media Action for the program for the fiscal year 2024-2025.

“This government is doing a terrible job paying bureaucrats and the media here. It’s hard to believe the government paying bureaucrats and media organizations in other countries will work any better,” Franco Terrazzano, the federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, told True North.

“Canadians shouldn’t be forced to pay for our own state broadcaster, and we definitely shouldn’t have our tax dollars going anywhere near another country’s state broadcaster,” he said.

But Peter Menzies, a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and former CRTC vice-chair, told True North that the funding could have a strategic purpose for Canada. 

“The BBC Action Team is a charity that supports media in developing nations, which I don’t think is the worst use of money,” he said. “Reasonable people can disagree on whether that’s the best way to go about things. But I expect it will be interpreted by many as unnecessary funding for foreign media.”

GAC lauded the results of their five-year spending on the program in the report, saying since the project launched, radio programs related to the rights of women and girls were produced, and media practitioners received DEI training. 

This aligns with the Liberal government’s global commitment to spreading gender equality. In 2022-2023 alone, GAC spent $15.5 billion on its Feminist International Assistance Policy.

The report also said 91 per cent of the program’s listeners “demonstrated knowledge” on gender equality and 42 per cent reported using counselling services.

Similarly, from 2016 to 2020, GAC gave BCC Media Action $4.8 million for a “Her Voice, Her Rights” initiative which sought to train media on gender equality issues in Afghanistan.

Terrazzano said GAC is one of the worst waste offenders in the “entire government.”

“And that’s saying a lot,” he said. “With the government more than $1 trillion in debt we need to open up the books and cut wasteful spending in every department, and that definitely includes Global Affairs Canada.”

In October 2024, True North reported that GAC spent over $3 million in taxpayer dollars on alcohol. At the time, GAC did not provide an answer before True North’s publishing deadline, or in a follow-up.

GAC’s foreign aid tracker became unavailable to the public on Wednesday, which prompted a flurry of suspicious posts on social media. However, GAC released a statement saying the outage was due to technical difficulties and was not intentional.

Terrazzano highlighted some of GAC’s wasteful spending on X, responding to the news that its funding reports were now unavailable to the public. 

Along with the $51,000-a-month bar tab, he said GAC funded an $8,800 sex toy show in Germany, and spent $12,500 on a live talk show in Taiwan, Austria and Australia featuring seniors telling sex stories.

B.C. fast-tracks $20B in energy projects to reduce reliance on U.S. amid tariff war

By
Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
-
Source: Facebook

President Donald Trump’s looming tariff threats have prompted British Columbia’s provincial government to take a more pro-energy approach to reduce its reliance on the United States.

As one of British Columbia Premier David Eby’s responses to the tariffs, he pledged that the province is reviewing $20 billion worth of pending private-sector projects. The province aims to accelerate approvals by streamlining the process. Eby said the projects are expected to create 6,000 jobs in rural and remote communities if approved.

The CBC reported that the projects will consist of 18 energy, mining, and critical mineral resource projects.

Eby said that British Columbia’s and Canada’s best defence against being made a 51st state against their will was to build a strong, independent economy. For his province, he said that means accelerating key projects, dealing with existing structural problems, and addressing the needs of various groups sitting around the tariff and economic table. 

He said his government identified projects close to shovel-ready that are being held up by administrative or regulatory delays and has begun expediting the process.

“The list will grow. There are a number of projects that we’re looking at and working with key stakeholders on, and the goal here is to really accelerate those projects that will assist us in getting people employed and supporting families in rural communities, and in diversifying our economy and strengthening the Canadian economy as a whole,” said Eby. “Assuming that we’re going to see four years of continual on and off tariff threats from the president, we need to be a stable environment for British Columbians and Canadians, and we’re going to do that.”

CBC listed some of the projects. They include various mining site revivals and expansions, natural gas exports, and the building of two 213-kilometre pipelines.

British Columbia’s NDP government previously decided against using natural gas for power generation, which led to concerns that the province could face power shortages by 2026 due to an increase in electricity demand. 

While Eby swore in his new cabinet following his slim victory in Oct., the B.C. Conservatives called the new government a continuation of Eby’s “radical” left-wing” policies.

Poilievre said that the federal Liberals’ anti-oil and gas policies made Canada vulnerable to Trump. 

While Eby is taking a more pro-energy stance, he is also taking an anti-Trump position.

He said that ever since Trump’s first post on Truth Social, he caused harm to the Canadian economy.

“Mr. Trump’s strategy around this is deliberate. There’s an intention to destroy Canada’s economy and drive us into becoming the 51st state,” said Eby. “I find it reprehensible, inexplicable, and profoundly disappointing.” 

Eby said that the one-month tariff pause isn’t enough time to completely sever reliance on the United States. Still, the province will support businesses and break down internal trade barriers nationwide to build Canada up.

In 2023, 54% of B.C.’s exports were sent to the U.S. Wood, pulp and paper, metallic mineral, and energy productions make up around 67% of total goods exports combined. 

“The top five states for B.C.’s exports were: Washington ($9.8 billion), California ($3.2 billion), Illinois ($2.1 billion), Texas ($1.5 billion), Oregon ($1.3 billion),” reads the province’s press release.

He also said that Canada should begin trading with other European and Asian countries.

“It’s just a matter of time before the president turns his attention to those countries, and we want to make sure that we are working together to respond,” said Eby.

He said that British Columbia is planning trade missions abroad to reach new markets and that the province has existing trade offices in Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

Eby added that the province will do more to bolster its ports. 

“We have a huge advantage here in British Columbia with our geographic positioning. The instability that the Americans seem committed to create in the global economy is an opportunity for us to build new relationships and to offer that stable, responsible, consistent supply of critical minerals, metals and other materials around the world,” said Eby.

“We know that we have what the world needs, and we’re going to use that to our advantage to strengthen our economy here at home and strengthen the Canadian economy as a whole.”

Canadian business associations call for parliament to return, removal of interprovincial trade barriers

By
Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
-
Source: Parl.gc.ca

Two major Canadian industry associations are calling for parliament to return, an election to be called and the removal of interprovincial trade barriers amid 30-day reprieve of the ever-looming 25-per-cent Trump tariffs.

In the last week both the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) and the Coalition of Concerned Manufacturers and Businesses Canada (CCMBC) have called for immediate action from parliament, though all parliamentary business is on hold until Mar. 24.

Canada’s governor general, Mary Simon, granted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s request to prorogue parliament to give time for the Liberal party to choose a new leader. The leadership contest is set to end Mar. 9.

“The Governor General should never have agreed to prorogue the house basically for the Liberal party’s benefit, because there’s really no other excuse you could possibly cook up,” Catherine Swift, president of the CCMBC told True North in an interview.

“People have been saying the Trudeau government is ‘lame duck.’ I’d say dead duck at this point. They have no moral authority whatsoever. And Canadians deserve to have a say.”

She said CCMBC was against prorogation when Trudeau announced it in January. The manufacturing and business owner’s coalition also released a statement expressing its staunch opposition to a “self-destructive trade war” proposed by Canadian politicians in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff threats.

Its news release stated such a trade-war would cause “serious economic damage” and plunge Canada into even greater public debt.

The group also started an online petition calling on parliament to use the 30-day tariff reprieve to get back to work, fix the economy or call an election.

Swift is calling on the government to reverse a large swath of Canadian government policies, including some which started with previous governments.

“We have a mess of interprovincial trade barriers, a dysfunctional supply management system in our dairy and poultry, and so many others.  We’ve hobbled our economy for years, and notably the past 10 years. But not exclusively,” She said. “We block resource projects in this country. How stupid.”

Liberal Trade Minister Mary Ng said the government would not make any concessions on the supply management front in an interview with CTV on Wednesday.

She said many of her coalition members now have properties in the U.S., and many of those who don’t are asking those with operations south of the border to allow them in on a joint venture. She said many Canadian businesses have opened up in the U.S. out of necessity to protect themselves and the jobs they provide.

“Half of our board members now have premises in the US. Ten years ago, zero did,” she said. “They just found if they wanted to stay in business, that’s something they had to do because the U.S. was a more competitive marketplace and because government isn’t anti-business like it is in Canada in many, many instances.”

She said many of her members cut back on production due to the uncertain economic climate they are facing right now.

“Our economy has been sinking for a number of years now, our standard of living, very clearly, is declining…We see our dollar declining. We see a lot of indicators as to the economic problems that have been caused,” Swift said. “But the real key is uncertainty here. Uncertainty is the bane of business. (members) don’t want to invest. They don’t know where to invest. They don’t know what’s going to happen here, and they’re not being consulted.”

She said the tariff reprieve has allowed Canada to recall parliament and reverse much of the economically disastrous policies of current and previous governments that have left Canada in a weakened financial state.

The Canadian Trucking Alliance similarly called for an end of prorogation, lifting interprovincial trade barriers, implementing measures to increase productivity and avoiding a trade war with the U.S.

“The trucking industry is experiencing cost inflation at an unsustainable rate, while revenue quality continues to decline. Carriers are shrinking fleets and workforces to survive, but customer expectations and operational demands continue to rise,” Greg Arndt, Chair of the CTA ,said in a news release. 

“An already oversupplied market cannot afford further disruptions, and tariff-related policy changes will have devastating effects on our industry,” says Greg Arndt, CTA chair. “Tariffs could likely be the nail in the coffin for many fleets across Canada.”

1...567...1,460Page 6 of 1,460

Related stories

© 2025 True North | Privacy Policy