Even during the massive story alleging China’s interference in Canadian elections, the legacy media still found time to criticize Pierre Poilievre for not cancelling his MPs who had dinner with German MEP Christine Anderson weeks ago.
Also, The Tragically Hip guitarist Paul Langlois finds it “offensive” that Poilievre used one of their songs during an event – but here’s the kicker – the venue already had the rights to use the song as they pleased!
Plus, after CBC employees were asked personal questions about their gender identity, orientation and religion in confidence, staff were surprised to find their information plastered on their profiles – Oops!
These stories and more on this week’s edition of Fake News Friday with Andrew Lawton and Sue-Ann Levy on True North!
Canada’s state broadcaster paid staff $16 million in bonuses during a year of economic struggle for many Canadians, says a new report.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation reported on Thursday that CBC paid annual bonuses to more than 1,100 staff last year – adding up to an average of roughly $14,000 per bonus.
“Canadians are missing meals while many CBC staffers aren’t even missing bonuses,” said federation director Franco Terrazzano.
In the report, 1,142 bonuses added up to more than $16,000,000 – and the number of CBC employees being paid annual bonuses reportedly doubled since 2015.
According to The Canadian Taxpayer Federation (CTF), these bonuses were inappropriate because taxpayers – facing economic pressure – are forced to foot the bill.
The CTF also said that during the first nine months of CBC’s 2022-2023 fiscal year, roughly 80% of its workforce received a pay raise.
The news comes weeks after the CTF reported the number of CBC employees earning more than $100,000 doubled since 2015.
Reports implicate a current MPP in the Ontario legislature in a Chinese foreign interference network directed by China’s Toronto consulate during the 2019 election.
Global News has learned from intelligence sources that Progressive Conservative MPP Vincent Ke acted as a financial middleman for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in schemes aimed at interfering with the Canadian political process.
These claims are detailed in two separate intelligence reports from the Privy Council Office (PCO) seen by the outlet.
Ke has since denied the claims, with his lawyers calling them “patently and maliciously false.”
After a Global News reporter approached Ke about the story, he called the allegations “racist.”
“This is a false accusation. This is racist,” said Ke. “It’s racist because I was born in China because I come from China.”
According to sources, the Ontario MPP allegedly received approximately $50,000 from a larger $250,000 sum set aside for election interference purposes. The money is believed to have originated from the Chinese consulate.
No charges have been pressed.
A Jan. 2022 report by the PCO’s Intelligence Assessment Secretariat further claims that the CCP’s influence included more than 11 candidates who ran in the 2019 federal election, over 13 aides, and a member of the Ontario legislature.
“A large clandestine transfer of funds earmarked for the federal election from the PRC Consulate in Toronto was transferred to an elected provincial government official via a staff member of a 2019 federal candidate,” the PCO report claimed.
“Community leaders facilitate the clandestine transfer of funds and recruit potential targets.”
The report didn’t include specific mentions to individual names or quantities of funds involved.
However, numerous sources, including a high-ranking intelligence official familiar with Canadian Security Intelligence Service operations named Vincent Ke as the suspected target to Global News.
Sources also went on to state that Toronto businessman Wei Chengyi was involved, including the community organization the Confederation of Toronto Chinese-Canadian Organizations.
The Prime Minister’s Office has since denied claims that Justin Trudeau was aware of the money transfers.
“As the Prime Minister stated last fall, we have no information on any federal candidates receiving money from China,” said spokesperson Alison Murphy.
Liberal and NDP MPs were up in arms during a committee meeting looking into foreign interference in Canada’s elections – but their anger wasn’t directed towards the Chinese regime. Instead, MPs on the committee were upset because of “completely sexist” comments made by Conservative MP Michael Cooper while questioning Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly.
Plus, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau continues to get grilled by MPs in the House of Commons about Chinese interference in Canadian elections – including by an independent MP and former Liberal candidate.
And the Canadian Armed Forces is “determining appropriate steps” to take against four serving members who used their public social media accounts to bash Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, Conservatives at large and the Freedom Convoy movement.
Tune into The Daily Brief with Andrew Lawton and Lindsay Shepherd!
The Ontario government has banned the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok from all government devices, following the Government of Canada’s ban last week.
On Thursday, Ontario treasury board president Prabmeet Sarkaria announced TikTok was banned from government devices effective immediately.
“The Ontario government has started the removal of the social media application,” he wrote.
According to Sarkaria’s statement, the ban is precautionary. He said no government device was breached by the Chinese app, but the government is wary and taking concerns seriously.
While other jurisdictions have left public workers free to keep TikTok on personal mobile devices, Sarkaria’s announcement went a step further.
“Also effective immediately, all Ontario [Progressive Conservative] party caucus members will begin the removal of the application from all personal mobile devices,” he wrote.
Ontario is one of many jurisdictions across the country in which officials announced an immediate ban on TikTok – because of threats to data privacy – while also saying no data had been compromised.
The Government of Canada was first to ban TikTok from government devices, saying the app posed unacceptable risks to privacy and security.
Earlier this month, the Alberta government directed the Public Service Commission to immediately ban the installation of TikTok and remove any existing instances of the application from Government of Alberta devices.
US Justice Department officials believe ByteDance, TikTok’s owner, is beholden to Chinese laws that may require the company to assist in surveillance and intelligence operations at the direction of the Chinese government. TikTok has denied the allegations.
Independent MP Kevin Vuong went after the Liberal government in Question Period on Thursday over Chinese interference allegations.
Vuong, who ran as a Liberal candidate in the last election, was elected as an Independent MP after the party axed his candidacy over past sexual assault allegations that were later withdrawn.
“Foreign operatives have interfered in Canada’s electoral system and our democracy. Media and CSIS documents have indicated that members of the Liberal Party and caucus were involved. Money and instant on-demand supporters were used to get pro-China candidates elected and anti-China ones defeated, cabinet and the PMO were well briefed on the extent of foreign interference yet nothing was done,” said Vuong.
“Why is the prime minister eager to turn a blind eye to shady Liberal nominations, sketchy donations and having pro-Beijing MPs in his own caucus?” asked Vuong.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded to Vuong saying that his government was putting forward a special rapporteur to look into election interference.
“Canadians are rightly extremely concerned about foreign interference into our institutions, our elections and our democracy,” said Trudeau.
“That is why we are putting forward an independent top expert who will look at the entire landscape of interference and make sure that we’re doing everything necessary and give Canadians confidence that the right processes have been followed.”
The Conservatives have demanded a thorough investigation into the issue and urged the federal government to disclose the identities of the 11 candidates that were allegedly affected by the Chinese election interference operation.
Today on The Rupa Subramanya Show, Rupa is joined by the Director of the Domestic Policy Program at the MacDonald Laurier Institute Aaron Wudrick to talk about the latest on Roxham Road, the Trudeau government’s refusal to fix the illegal border crossing and how the current crisis affects Canada’s relationship with the United States.
Also, as the Canadian healthcare system continues to decline, Aaron says it’s time to have a serious conversation about how to move forward.
Lastly, Rupa and Aaron break down the continuing revelations that allege that China’s government interfered in Canada’s elections. From candidates that have been implicated in foreign networks to donations from China to the Liberal Party — is Trudeau hiding something from the public? How will this scandal end?
Tune into the wide-ranging discussion The Rupa Subramanya Show on True North!
Ottawa-area parent Nick Morabito was a mere 35 seconds into a four-minute speech about his concerns surrounding transgendered washrooms when he was rudely interrupted by trustee and rabid masker Nili Kaplan-Mryth.
She claimed his speech — given at a meeting of the Ottawa Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) this past week — created “an unsafe environment for people who identify as gender diverse” and asked him to end it.
Ottawa progressive public school trustee Dr. Nili Kaplan Myrth shut down a concerned parent speaking at a yesterday’s board meeting “on the grounds that (his speech created) an unsafe environment for people who identify as gender diverse.” Source: Robin Larocque, YouTube pic.twitter.com/2vXM3yJrbS
When Morabito asked how his words create “an unsafe environment” Kaplan-Myrth ignored him and ordered a two-minute recess.
Several attendees were heard yelling that he has a right to speak as a “member of the public” and the trustees “aren’t even listening to him.”
The board’s chairman Lyra Evans, who is trans, had already walked out — unable to stand any criticism of a controversial policy that allows young transgendered students (who are still biological males) to share the washrooms unsupervised with young females.
It was an immature and rude act by someone who constantly asks for tolerance.
All the father of four said was that while he fully believes in the “safety and inclusivity” of all students (including transgendered ones), he’s concerned about a policy that may not have “appropriate and safe boundaries” nor be “in line with the parental community’s wishes.”
His concerns were and are valid. However, this is what substitutes for free speech at Ontario’s woke school boards during these terribly divisive times.
If a deputant (most often a parent) doesn’t follow the right progressive script, he or she is shut down, cancelled, intimidated and treated as if they are hateful and intolerant.
I’ve seen it repeatedly south of the border and now, as parents start to speak up, here in Ontario.
This is happening, I might add, as Premier Doug Ford and his weak education minister Stephen Lecce stand idly by and allow progressives to trample on the rights of parents.
One wonders how they can still claim to be Conservative.
Certainly their values appear to be progressive.
It happened to dad David Todor who spoke out about the obsession with gender ideology at a Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) meeting in January. A few days later, late on a Friday afternoon, education director Jeewan Chanicka and his minions posted an open letter on their website claiming Todor had been inaccurate and that his words were inflammatory and bordering on transphobic.
When questioned at a subsequent board meeting by trustees who had no idea about the letter until it was posted, Chanicka refused to take responsibility for it. Instead he had six bureaucrats stand up and claim they were involved in the crafting of the response.
Trustee Mike Ramsay countered with his own open letter that the board’s response could have a “chilling effect” on other parents who want to come to the board to express valid concerns.
The OCDSB has refused to post the meeting on YouTube so far, claiming the video has been removed “temporarily” as it contains content harmful to trans and gender diverse people.
The only harm, in my view, has been what Evans and Kaplan-Myrth did to the rights of parents to express their points of view.
Their behaviour is available for all to see, despite their attempts to cancel the video of the meeting.
New reporting from Global News directly contradicts Justin Trudeau’s often repeated talking point over the last few months that he ‘was never briefed on any candidates receiving any money from China in the 2019 or 2021 election’. In response, the Trudeau Liberals have gone into complete panic mode. On Monday, Trudeau announced plans to appoint a “special rapporteur” to look into election interference. The fake position failed to even impress the once loyal legacy media press.
To top off another horrendous week for the prime minister, he made sure to remind Canadians that on International Women’s Day, he doesn’t actually know what a woman is. In the words of Justin Trudeau, “trans women are women.”
As part of its Women4Climate Mentorship Program (W4CTO), the City of Toronto has selected a specialist in Artificial Intelligence (AI) “urban insect farms” to guide the next generation of environmental entrepreneurs.
On Tuesday, a press release detailed the 11 local women selected to participate in the program “to help mentees advance their climate-related projects or business start-ups.”
One of the mentors funded by the city is the CEO of Bug Mars, Natalie Duncan.
“(Her speciality is in) precision agriculture for urban insect farms using AI-enabled technology to sustainably produce nutritious alternative protein foods, while reducing food miles and reusing waste heat from facilities to offset GHG emissions,” the press release states.
According to her biography, Duncan is a “cricket farmer” with an interest in “sustainable foods.”
“‘Bug Mars’ initiative is to circularly produce nutritious alternative proteins in abundance by moving alternative protein production to urban areas to reduce travel while reusing waste heat from buildings/data centres to off-set GHGs and prepare cities for urbanization,” reads Duncan’s bio.
“I would often playfully say, ‘starvation is a pretty motivating factor.’ However, as urbanization and population growth increases, and crops are heavily impacted by climate change, my playful tone has shifted to one of unwavering sincerity.”
The W4CTO program has received the endorsement of Toronto Deputy Mayor, Jennifer McKelvie as well as Chief Financial Officer, Heather Taylor.
“Through Women4ClimateTO, the City of Toronto is following through on its commitments to climate action and equity, while supporting a growing network of emerging leaders who are working to make our communities more sustainable,” said McKelvie.
“With access to mentorship, expertise, and other tools, we are investing in diverse ecosystems that advance the City of Toronto’s strong climate action plans and I look forward to seeing what this year’s cohort will build.”
Last year, a London, Ontario cricket processing plant began its operations. The plant is operated by Aspire Food Group and is expected to produce 13 million kilograms of crickets per year.
