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Friday, July 11, 2025

“Arrogant,” “dishonest” and “corrupt” among top words Canadians use to describe Trudeau

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

A large portion of Canadians believe that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is “arrogant,” “dishonest” and “corrupt,” a new Angus Reid poll reveals. 

According to the Sept. 27 poll, 49% of respondents believed that the word “arrogant” best described the prime minister. Another 45% said they believed that Trudeau was “dishonest,” while 39% said he was “corrupt.”

37% of those polled picked the word “charismatic” to describe Trudeau while 36% said he was weak. 

In comparison, 40% of Canadians said Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre was “arrogant.” Other words used to describe Poilievre include “strategic”, “bully” and “dishonest.”

The online survey was conducted from Sept. 19 to Sept. 22 and included a random sample of 5,014 Canadians over the age of 18. A poll with a similar probability size would have a margin of error of +/- 2% or 19, times out of 20.

When it comes to vote intention, the Conservatives are currently on top with 37% of the vote among decided or leaning voters. The Liberals have fallen down to 30%, while the NDP sit at 20%.

“The early returns from the Poilievre leadership tenure appear positive for the Conservative Party, as it has drawn back a number of disenchanted or new voters who voted for Maxime Bernier’s People’s Party last year,” wrote analysts. 

When it comes to tackling specific issues, 44% of Canadians believed that Poilievre was best suited to tackle the federal deficit and 39% of Canadians believed the Carleton MP was the best suited to tackle cost of living, while 40% said the same about the economy. 

Trudeau came out ahead of Poilievre on issues such as preserving Canada’s place in the world with 45% of Canadians finding the prime minister best suited for the role. 39% of Canadians also trusted Trudeau to manage health care and 44% picked him when it comes to tackling climate change. 

A majority of Canadians, however, disapproved of the prime minister’s overall performance. 56% of voters said they disapproved of Trudeau while only 40% said they approved. 

“Disapproval for Trudeau is much higher among men than women, with half of men over the age of 34 – and more than two-in-five younger than that – saying they strongly disapprove of the Liberal leader. Women over the age of 54 are the most likely demographic to positively appraise Trudeau,” wrote analysts.

1.6 million travellers entered Canada without using ArriveCan

By
Andrew Kozak
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Despite the Trudeau government’s defence of its controversial ArriveCan app, new data shows a total of 1,651,900 travellers entered Canada this year without using the app.

According to documents tabled in the House of Commons, 1,651,900 travellers between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31 had “presented themselves at the border for entry into Canada without having submitted their public health information through ArriveCan prior to arrival.”

According to the National Post,126,674 people failed to use the app before they arrived in Jan 2022. The number dropped to 50,176 in Feb before increasing to 401,176 in July and 386,445 in Aug.

On Monday, the government said it would lift all remaining Covid-19 related travel measures on Oct. 1, including the ArriveCan app which required travellers to provide vaccine, health and travel information before they arrived in Canada.

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino told reporters Monday that “going forward, use of ArriveCan will be optional, allowing travellers who so choose to submit their customs declaration in advance.”

In May, the federal government quietly introduced a one-time exemption for Canadian citizens and permanent residents in order to relieve delays at airports. The exemption was used 308,800 times by land border travellers between May 24 and Aug. 4, according to the CBSA.

Of the 1.65 million who arrived in Canada without the app, only 190 were fined for non-compliance according to testimony from the vice-president at the Public Health Agency of Canada Jennifer Lutfallah at a Transport committee in August.

While Hurricane Fiona ravaged through the Maritimes last weekend, Nova Scotia Power confirmed there was an “issue related to ArriveCan” that delayed an American crew from crossing the border in order to provide aid to those affected by the storm. 

“I do know that there was a situation where some crew from Maine were having an issue at the border, ” Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston told reporters on Sunday.

Conservatives have asked the government for months to end the ArriveCan requirement due to major delays at Canadian borders and airports. 

In an interview with Andrew Lawton, former Air Canada COO Duncan Dee said that the app caused massive delays at Canada’s airports, claiming that it took four times longer to process travellers when compared to pre-pandemic levels. 

Despite the chaos at Canada’s airports and borders, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra denied ArriveCan caused problems at the border.

“There is no evidence whatsoever that ArriveCAN is causing any problems,” said Omar Alghabra during a transport committee meeting. “[ArriveCAN] actually does improve the efficiency of processing international arrivals.”

The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms has filed a Charter challenge against the ArriveCan requirement, arguing it infringes on numerous Charter rights.

Councillor takes township to court after being punished for attending Freedom Convoy

By
Harrison Faulkner
-

West Lincoln Councillor and truck driver Harold Jonker is suing the Township of West Lincoln after being reprimanded for participating in the Freedom Convoy earlier this year. 

In July, the town council voted to penalize Jonker by suspending his pay and requiring him to reimburse any gifts he received in the form of food or fuel during the convoy trip.

On Monday, the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms announced a lawsuit on behalf of Jonker.

“This lawsuit seeks to strike the decision to financially punish Mr. Jonker. Justice Centre lawyers assert that the decision is invalid due to procedural irregularities, factual errors and flawed findings in the investigative report prepared by West Lincoln’s Integrity Commissioner, most notably the finding that Mr. Jonker participated in an illegal activity,” wrote the JCCF in a release. 

“The lawsuit also claims that the decision violated Mr. Jonker’s Charter right to freedom of expression”

In July, the law firm Aird & Berlis LLP published a report on Jonker’s actions finding him to break the code of conduct on two counts. Jonker was cited for requiring a duty of loyalty to residents and accepting gifts or benefits. The investigation focused on Jonker’s involvement in leading the Niagara convoy.

According to Jonker, he was among the first trucks to arrive on Parliament Hill. He did not attend the demonstration as a councillor but as a truck driver, he said.

“Me going to Ottawa was not me in any way, shape or form as a Township of West Lincoln councillor but as a truck driver and a business owner and as a father who has a lot of concerns of where we are going in society today,” Jonker told Blacklock’s Reporter.

“I hope and pray we as council can see through this confusion.”

The JCCF argues that Jonker was “punished for his political position.” 

“In Canada, we must tolerate strong differences in political opinion. Elected politicians should not be permitted to weaponize codes of conduct to silence and intimidate their political opponents,” JCCF lawyer Jorge Pineda said.

“The Charter is intended to guarantee free expression. Canadian democratic institutions cannot survive if such guarantees can be easily ignored through these kinds of tactics.” 

Hearings for the commission investigating Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s invocation of the Emergencies Act to quash the convoy have been postponed to October 13 due to the commissioner’s health.

Crown drops charges relating to anti-lockdown protest against Hillier

By
Andrew Kozak
-

Prosecutors have dropped charges against former Ontario MPP Randy Hillier pertaining to a June 2021 anti-lockdown protest in Norfolk, Ontario.

Hillier was charged with violating public health orders under the Reopening Ontario Act. The Crown also dropped charges against Pastor Henry Hildebrandt, private citizen Dan Stasko and former Conservative MP Derek Sloan. 

The Norfolk event was an outdoor protest against Ontario’s pandemic response.

According to the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF), which represented the four men, offences carried potential fines of $100,000 and up to one year in jail for each man.

“Peaceful demonstration is an essential pillar of a democratic society,” says JCCF lawyer Henna Parmar. 

“Citizens have the right to make their opinions known. We are pleased in this case to hear that the Crown will not proceed with prosecuting citizens who spoke out against harsh government lockdowns.”

Throughout the pandemic, Hillier was a vocal opponent of Canada’s pandemic response. Hillier was ticketed on several occasions and had several run-ins with police.

In December 2020, Lanark County OPP and the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit investigated Hillier after he posted a photo of his family’s gathering on Twitter.

“I will always remain free, it is my life to enjoy not at the whim or discretion of others, it is my home to welcome those I choose,” Hillier said in the post. 

“Never will the government determine who I can welcome into MY home, it is mine not theirs.”

In March 2022, the former Ontario MPP was released with conditions after being charged in relation to his participation in the Freedom Convoy in Ottawa. He is currently facing two counts each of obstructing a public officer, counselling mischief and mischief/obstructing property over $5,000.

According to a 2021 paper published by a team of Oxford University researchers, Ontario led Canada’s provinces and territories in the severity of its lockdowns and public health measures. 

Based on Premier Doug Ford’s increasingly severe public health measures and stay-at-home order, Ontario was the only province or territory to receive a failing grade.

The Andrew Lawton Show | Combatting institutional wokeness

By
Andrew Lawton
-

Whether it’s the media, the education sector, or even the corporate world, wokeness is everywhere. In this edition of The Andrew Lawton Show, partially filmed live before an audience in Red Deer, Alberta at the Canada Strong and Free Regional Networking Conference, Andrew talks about the root of media bias and interviews Conservative member of parliament Tom Kmiec about a proposed bill to force businesses to represent their shareholders rather than woke causes.

Also, Parents for Choice in Education director John Hilton-O’Brien sits down with Andrew to talk about how parents can push back against the leftward shift in their children’s education.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE ANDREW LAWTON SHOW

Rolling Iran protests prompt fresh sanctions from Ottawa

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

Iranian-Canadians held more protests this weekend in solidarity with women protesting the country’s Islamist theocracy over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody. 

Protests took place across Canada, including in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Toronto. 

Deputy Conservative leader Melissa Lantsman was among those who joined protests in Toronto this weekend.

“A brutal regime killed a 22-year-old girl,” said Lantsman to the large crowd. 

“You have friends in the Conservative party. You have friends who are going to stand up to this government and demand that the (Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps) is a listed terrorist organization.” 

Amini is believed to have died after being arrested by authorities for violating mandatory hijab rules.

On Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was prompted to announce a series of new sanctions against the Iranian regime as a result of the growing movement to overturn the country’s forced veiling laws. 

“We’ve seen Iran disregarding human rights time and time again, and now we see with the death of Mahsa Amini and the crackdown on protests,” said Trudeau. 

“To the women in Iran who are protesting and to those who are supporting you, we stand with you. We join our voices, the voices of all Canadians, to the millions of people around the world demanding that the Iranian government listen to their people, end their repression of freedoms and rights, and let women and all Iranians live their lives and express themselves peacefully.”

The new sanctions aim to target “dozens of individuals and entities, including Iran’s so-called morality police.” 

An official copy of the sanctions has yet to be released by Global Affairs Canada. 

Last week, the House of Commons unanimously passed a motion condemning Amini’s death stating that the Canadian government stands in solidarity with Iranian protestors. 

Protests have rocked major cities throughout Iran for nearly two weeks with official reports indicating that 41 people have died as a result of clashes with police.

Alberta commands RCMP to ignore Ottawa’s firearms confiscation orders

By
Rachel Parker
-

The Alberta government will intervene in ongoing challenges of the Trudeau government’s firearms bans and take action to prevent Ottawa from conscripting Alberta RCMP officers to collect those firearms, Alberta Justice Minister Tyler Shandro announced Monday. 

Shandro said federal Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino asked the province to help confiscate 30,000 newly-restricted firearms beginning this fall.

Those firearms were purchased legally and the province will not aid the federal government in confiscating them, Shandro said. The province will also go a step further and seek to intervene in six ongoing judicial review applications challenging the constitutionality of the federal firearm prohibition legislation, he said.

 “As intervenors, we would be able to offer the Court arguments based on the specific challenges that the federal legislation has created for Alberta’s law abiding firearms community and advanced legal arguments that the federal government has overreached with its plan to ban 1500 models of firearms,” the minister said.

In May 2020, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced he was banning more than 1,500 models of firearms, including AR-15s. Owners of these guns would have a two-year amnesty period to come into compliance with the prohibition, he said at the time.

The Liberals said they plan on spending up to $250 million buying back the guns. 

In March, the federal government extended the amnesty period for 2,015 banned firearms — a move the industry says it expected due to the “staggering costs and enormous manpower” Ottawa requires to confiscate the property. 

The Liberal government said the order, set to expire in April, would be extended until October 2023.

Shandro said the province also learned the federal government intends to conscript provincial RCMP officers to act as confiscation agents as part of its “buyback program.”

“Alberta taxpayers pay over $750 million per year for the RCMP and we will not tolerate taking officers off the streets, in order to confiscate the property of law-abiding firearms owners,” Shandro said.

In response, Shandro said he used authorities under the Provincial Police Service Agreement — the agreement Alberta has with the federal government to contract provincial policing. 

The Minister said he wrote to the commanding officer of the RCMP in Alberta to formally identify the confiscation program as an activity that is not “objective priority or goal of the province or the Provincial Police Service” and that the use of RCMP resources would be contrary to the effective and efficient delivery of police services. 

“Consequently, the RCMP should refuse to participate,” Shandro said.

If the federal government still directs RCMP to serve as confiscation agents, Alberta will formally dispute any attempt to do so by invoking the dispute resolution clause in Article 23 of the Provincial Police Service Agreement, Shandro said.

Shandro said Ottawa’s confiscation is politically-motivated and will do nothing to make Alberta a safer place or to reduce the criminal misuse of firearms. Ottawa’s move to label firearms as “assault” weapons is a label “designed to scare Canadians who are unfamiliar with firearms,” Shandro said. 

“In the description based purely on their appearance, and not on any unusual danger that they pose or mechanical capability that they possess,” he said.

Poilievre asks RCMP to investigate rape threats against wife

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has asked the RCMP to investigate whether criminal charges can be pressed against Diagolon podcaster Jeremy MacKenzie for threatening to sexually assault his wife, Anaida Poilievre. 

Over the weekend a podcast clip surfaced in which MacKenzie and guest Alex Vriend made the derogatory and threatening comments towards her. 

“Let’s rape her. It’s not really a sex thing. It’s like we just want to show people that we can do things to you if we want to. It’s a power move,” MacKenzie said. 

In response to the “disgusting comments,” Poilievre said he has forwarded a complaint to law enforcement to possibly bring criminal charges against those implicated. 

“This weekend I became aware of disgusting comments made by Jeremy MacKenzie and another man, where they discuss sexually assaulting my wife. These men are dirtbags,” wrote Poilievre. 

“My office has referred these comments to the RCMP to assess whether criminal charges should be laid.” 

“People can attack my politics, they can call me names, they can protest my ideas and what I stand for. But threatening my wife and family is appalling and I will not tolerate it. Leave my family alone.”

According to CBC News, the RCMP have yet to respond to whether there is an ongoing investigation into the matter. 

Prior to becoming leader earlier this month, legacy media outlets attempted to smear Poilievre as being associated to Diagolon after MacKenzie appeared in a photograph with Poilievre at a campaign event. 

“Frankly, like most Canadians, until about a month ago I never heard of Diagolon and these losers. They are all odious,” wrote Poilievre. 

“This kind of garbage has no place in Canada.” 

On Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed the incident without mentioning Poilievre himself. 

“No one should ever be subject to threats of violence or the kind of hatred that we’ve seen increasingly in the public discourse, in the public sphere,” said Trudeau. 

Taxpayers billed $20 million for ArriveCan

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

New records show that the government’s controversial ArriveCan app cost taxpayers $20 million in development fees.

This comes as the Liberals announced that they will be making the application optional for travellers entering Canada, while stripping other border mandates including a requirement to be vaccinated. 

According to Blacklock’s Reporter, the $19.8 million bill was revealed in a House of Commons Inquiry of Ministry tabled by Conservative MP Chris Warkentin. 

First introduced in April 2020, the application has been plagued with criticisms for burdening travellers and the air industry unnecessarily.

On Friday, Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos called the application an “essential tool.” 

“ArriveCan is an essential tool. You know if we didn’t have ArriveCan the time it would take for border agents to process the data that are needed to monitor and enforce the rules around the border, that time would be tripled,” said Duclos. 

By Monday morning, Duclos and several other ministers announced the federal government would be doing away with making ArriveCan mandatory for travellers. 

“As of October 1, 2022, all travellers arriving in Canada will no longer have to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter Canada or meet COVID-19 testing, quarantine or isolation requirements. All travellers will also no longer have to submit their public health information through ArriveCAN,” a government news release claimed. 

The announcement comes after several media reports citing internal sources revealed that an end to remaining border restrictions were imminent.

As it stands, the US still requires those entering the country to be vaccinated.

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre praised the “constant pressure” the Liberals faced to remove mandates after they were lifted. 

“After constant pressure from Conservatives & people across Canada, Trudeau Liberals finally back down on the disastrous ArriveCAN app, unscientific vaccine mandates & forced mask-wearing,” tweeted Pierre Poilievre. 

“None of the science changes October 1 but because of you, Trudeau has to. Let’s keep it up.”

Kenney reflects on conservatism at conservative conference

By
Rachel Parker
-

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says the state of conservatism is “populism with a snarl.”

Kenney made the comments during a panel with Sean Speer at the Canada Strong and Free Conference in Red Deer on Saturday.

Kenney warned that anger spurred by the “alt-right” media, social media and actors like former Republican President Donald Trump is constantly driving people to higher levels of agitation.

This is “not healthy for our society” and it’s not conservatism, Kenney said, adding that civility is good for Canadian institutions and society.

The populism he’s seeing could result in a situation where what is winsome and appealing about conservatism could become a caricature of a kind of nasty, angry populism that will “lose constantly at the polls as well,” Kenney said. 

He also said the Covid-19 pandemic hyper charged all that anger. The premier has largely attributed lasting anger over his pandemic policies as the reason for his impending resignation.

Kenney has just days left in the province’s top job before a new United Conservative Party leader and premier is announced on October 6. He’s not yet said what he plans to do next.

Instead, he reflected on his time as the federal Immigration Minister in former prime minister Stephen Harper’s government. 

In this role, Kenney said he called out things like a lack of integration, a lack of civic literacy and immigration fraud. He said he implemented some policies that were contentious but successful, like when he advocated for people to show their faces during citizenship ceremonies. 

His message to the next generation of conservatives is “you have to take the time” to build meaningful relationships with immigrants and ethnic communities, Kenney said. You can’t just do a token visit six months before an election, he said.

Kenney said Alberta is growing more urban and there’s a widening gulf between the political cultures.

“It’s the job of any leader to bridge that divide,” he said.

The premier also said he travelled to the UK to pay his respects to Queen Elizabeth II who passed at 96 earlier this month because he “just felt compelled.” She’s been a singular example of dignified public service without any of the “rubbish” that comes with politics, he said.

“It was for me, a pilgrimage of sorts,” he said, adding that was likely the sense for everyone in the hour-long queue waiting to pay their respects to the Queen. 

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