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Thursday, July 24, 2025

Erin O’Toole says he’s prepared for international backlash to Jerusalem embassy move

By
Andrew Lawton
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Conservative leader Erin O’Toole reaffirmed his pledge to move Canada’s embassy in Israel to Jerusalem if elected, even facing the high likelihood of pushback from anti-Israel critics in the international community.

O’Toole’s platform is unequivocal about a potential Conservative government’s support for Israel.

“Canada’s Conservatives will always support Israel’s existence as a sovereign democratic Jewish state with the right to self-determination and to live in peace and security,” it says, vowing to “recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move the Canadian embassy to Jerusalem.”

The platform also says Canada will return to its “longstanding policy of not singling out Israel for criticism at the United Nations and international fora.”

What’s unclear is how an O’Toole government would navigate the anti-Israel forces in the United Nations.

The US government’s move of its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem in 2018 faced significant condemnation from many anti-Israel voices  and global institutions.

The United Nations General Assembly voted 128-9 in favour of a resolution expressing “deep regret” about the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and calling for the move to be reversed.

Canada was among 35 countries who abstained from the vote. Only nine countries – including the United States and Israel, voted against the resolution.

A similar draft resolution before the United Nations Security Council was supported by 14 of its 15 member states, though it was vetoed by the United States.

While many in the media predicted significant unrest and conflict over the United States’ decision to acknowledge Israel’s capital, the reaction in the Middle East was minimal. 

O’Toole was asked at a campaign stop Thursday if he’s prepared to handle negative reaction if elected and serving as a new prime minister on the world stage.

“Yes,” he said. “This was a commitment I made several years ago. Israel is a close ally of Canada, a friend, a democracy in a place in the world that needs more democracy. And we will move our embassy and respect the capital being established in Jerusalem.”

O’Toole said such a move would not change Canada’s longstanding policy of pursuing a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians. He also suggested it would show “leadership” that Canada’s been lacking on the world stage during Trudeau’s tenure in power.

“It’s important for Canada to once again emerge on the world stage as a country that will stand by our values, that will be a defender of human rights, and will commit to a strong, principle-based foreign policy,” O’Toole said.

Trudeau takes second shot at Harper in less than a week during Quebec campaign stop

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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Liberal Party Leader Justin Trudeau has once again evoked memories of former prime minister Stephen Harper while on the campaign trail.

During a Monday morning stop in Granby, Quebec, Trudeau once again referred to the former prime minister.

“Today’s economy, tomorrow’s economy needs us to fight climate change. Canada lost 10 years under the Conservative Party who wants to go back to the old Harper years objectives and goals. Some young people who are voting for the first time and who just do not remember the Harper era. Well, since 2015 we have been working hard to catch up but we cannot waste any minutes especially over the next four years,” said Trudeau.

According to Environment Canada data, greenhouse gas emissions actually fell while Harper was prime minister. Between 2006 and 2015, emissions decreased from 730 million tonnes to 723 million tonnes. In comparison, prior Liberal governments saw a rise in greenhouse gas emissions between 1993 to 2006. 

Despite Trudeau’s insistence that the Liberals have battled climate change, data shows that between 2017 and 2018, Canada saw one of the biggest increases in greenhouse gas emissions since 2014. In fact, over that period, emissions actually grew from 716 million tonnes to 723 million tonnes. 

Last week, Trudeau similarly deflected questions about his record on the Afghanistan crisis and Canada’s slow evacuation effort by criticising the Harper government’s handling of the Syrian refugee crisis in 2015. 

“We’re hearing reports about Canadian citizens in Afghanistan who feel particularly abandoned by your government. Will you prioritize getting them out of Afghanistan now that resources are becoming scarcer and it’s becoming so much harder now over refugee applications?” asked CTV reporter Glen McGregor. 

“I think a lot of Canadians can’t help but reflect on this situation in this election when we are pledging to welcome tens of thousands of Afghan refugees fleeing terrible violence to what we lived through in 2015, when the Conservative government at the time was not stepping up to welcome Syrian refugees,” said Trudeau.

MPs who oppose any part of Conservative platform will be kicked out of caucus

By
Andrew Lawton
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A Conservative candidate or member of parliament who doesn’t support the entirety of the party’s platform will not be allowed to sit with the Conservatives, Erin O’Toole said.

In a statement Sunday night, O’Toole said he expects his team to fall in line behind the climate change plan he proposed in April in particular.

“I want to make it very clear: this is the plan I am running on. It’s the plan Conservatives are running on. All of them,” he said. “If I am elected prime minister, it is the plan I will implement. If there are candidates who don’t support it—or any other part of Canada’s Recovery Plan—they won’t be sitting in the caucus of a future Conservative government.”

O’Toole’s statement came amid Liberal criticism of Conservative candidate and longtime Ontario MP Cheryl Gallant, who in a video earlier this summer warned of an impending “climate lockdown.”

Shortly after O’Toole’s statement was issued, Gallant tweeted her support of the Conservative platform, dubbed “Canada’s Recovery Plan.”

“I’m proud to run on Canada’s Recovery Plan, in its entirety,” Gallant wrote. 

While seeking the Conservative party’s leadership last summer, O’Toole spoke often about his support for free votes from MPs in his caucus.

“I have been quite clear on this both in the last leadership race and in this one, that the fundamental freedoms of MPs and the rights of free votes on issues of conscience is a fundamental part of our party,” O’Toole said in a 2020 interview with pro-life political action group RightNow.

In that interview, O’Toole vowed to defend the Conservative policy of free votes, and took aim at then-rival Peter MacKay for saying he would whip cabinet votes.

Yet speaking to reporters in King City, Ont. Monday morning, O’Toole did not answer a question about which issues MPs in a Conservative caucus would be able to vote freely on in light of his Sunday night statement.

“We are running on a plan, Canada’s Recovery Plan, which the country needs to get back on its feet,” he said. “It’s exactly what the country needs – jobs, accountability, mental health leadership, preparing ourselves for the next pandemic, and a commitment to getting the budget balanced over the next decade. Everyone will be focused on that plan, and a positive campaign.”

Vaccine passports required to attend all-candidates meetings in Quebec, BC

By
Lindsay Shepherd
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While many 2021 federal election all-candidates meetings are happening virtually this year, some in-person events will only be open to those who can show proof of COVID-19 vaccination, True North has learned.

In Trois-Rivières, Quebec, candidates from the Liberal Party, NDP, Bloc Québécois and Greens will be debating environmental issues at the Collège Laflèche auditorium on September 7th.

Quebec’s vaccine passport, however, comes into effect on September 1st, so Collège Laflèche stated in bold, capital letters on their event page that a vaccine passport will be required to attend the event.

On September 10th, the anti-poverty organization Coalition contre la pauvreté de La Petite-Patrie is hosting an all-candidates debate at Saint-Édouard Church in Montreal, and the group confirmed to True North that they are requiring attendees to produce a vaccine passport.

British Columbia’s vaccine certificate program likewise kicks in on September 13th, at which time individuals participating in “discretionary” events such as organized indoor meetings must show proof of their first dose. 

The Cloverdale District Chamber of Commerce is hosting an all-candidates meeting at the Clova Theatre in Cloverdale, BC on September 14th, and the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce is hosting two such events at the Matsqui Centennial Auditorium on September 15th and 16th.

The Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce confirmed to True North that declaration of first dose vaccination is required to attend their two events. The Cloverdale District Chamber of Commerce did not respond to True North’s inquiry, though the event venue stated provincial health orders must be followed.

All-candidates meetings typically give local citizens the opportunity to ask questions of the candidates, learn more about the candidates and their policy ideas and talk to the candidates or their party representatives afterwards. A virtual livestream event, therefore, is not a proper replacement for attending the meeting in person.

“In the context of a public debate between political candidates, even if it is hosted at an otherwise private venue, there is an argument the Charter applies,” said civil liberties lawyer James Kitchen. 

According to Kitchen, preventing unvaccinated individuals from attending all-candidates meetings could violate sections 7 (Life, liberty and security of the person) and 8 (Search and seizure) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 

Requiring a vaccine passport to participate in civil society “penalizes and stigmatizes people for deeply personal decisions regarding their bodies and their health,” says Kitchen.

Elections Canada has not addressed how vaccine passports may interfere with election activities, stating only that they are not involved in the organization of candidate debates and proof of vaccination will not be required to vote.

What are you saying “yes” to when you approve of vaccine passports?

By
Anthony Furey
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Many Canadians are in favour of domestic vaccine passports, but what exactly are they saying “yes” to?

There are many details and questions that need to be discussed before implementing vaccine passports. For example, how long will vaccine passports be around for and what’s going to happen if booster shots are required?

Anthony Furey discusses in his latest video.

Liberals and media are misleading Canadians about our health-care system

By
Candice Malcolm
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Canada’s health-care system needs a refresh. But rather than having a thoughtful and nuanced conversation about the best ways to improve our health-care system for all Canadians, the Liberal party and its friends in legacy media are pushing a superficial debate based on partisanship, semantics and fearmongering.

Canadians deserve better.

Last weekend, Liberal candidate Chrystia Freeland released a video claiming to show Conservative leader Erin O’Toole saying he supports private health care.

The Liberals were giddy over this alleged bombshell. The only problem is that it wasn’t true.

The video was deceptively edited, and Twitter quickly slapped a warning label on it for viewers stating that the video was manipulated.

Imagine that. The Liberal party, the party that has for years been warning about the dangers of “fake news” and advocating for the government to regulate and censor online speech, was caught red-handed pushing a fake and misleading video.

This is peak Liberal hypocrisy and top-notch irony.

But rather than acknowledge that they went over their skis on this one, the Liberals have instead doubled down and continued to push the storyline behind their fake news video.

Both Freeland and Liberal leader Justin Trudeau spent the week pushing the idea that O’Toole wants to privatize Canada’s Medicare system.

In a selfie video that screamed desperation, Trudeau used his serious voice to warn Canadians that O’Toole wants to bring “choice” to health care.

“Erin O’Toole confirmed he wants to bring private, for-profit health care to Canada. He said he supports choice in health care,” said Trudeau in his dumbed-down and condescending message.

On what planet is “choice” a bad thing? The Liberals, after all, are the party that claims to be “pro-choice.”

More to the point, I have a newsflash for Trudeau. The majority of health spending in Canada is already delivered through private, for-profit health care. To be specific, 55% of all health-care spending in Canada is not covered by public insurance.

The strange Liberal notion that Canada has a pure 100% government-run health-care system is a myth.

Instead, what we see in Canada is that the part of our system covered by the Canada Health Act (services provided by a physician or in a hospital) is rigid and restrictive when it comes to choice and competition, while the part of the system not covered (dental, prescription drugs, mental health, long-term care, etc. — which make up the 55%) has inadequate public support for those who need it.

O’Toole’s plan seeks to address these shortfalls, first by allowing more public-private partnerships in the delivery of service in the first category and by providing more taxpayer money to help those in need in the second category.

In fact, O’Toole has pledged to boost the annual growth rate of health transfers to the provinces from 3% to 6%, which would “inject nearly $60 billion into our health-care system over the next 10 years.”

So while the Liberals are alleging the Conservatives will “cut” health care, the opposite is true. O’Toole has pledged more money — more government taxpayer money as well as allowing more private investments in healthcare — than the Liberals.

And yet, many in legacy media are all too happy to carry water for the Liberals and help push their misleading storyline.

The Canadian Press issued an ironically named “truth test” where it dissected O’Toole’s claim he supports universal public healthcare by interviewing two advocates who support the Liberal position. CP concludes O’Toole “can’t have it both ways.”

This isn’t journalism and it isn’t the truth. It’s partisan activism masquerading as journalism.

Canadians deserve better health care, but in order to get there we need to have an honest conversation about the strengths and weaknesses of our system.

Canadian health care is already mostly private. Anyone, in journalism or in politics, who tries to tell you otherwise is manipulating the truth.

Growing number of Ontario students, faculty members oppose campus vaccine mandates

By
Lindsay Shepherd
-

A group of over 20 students at the University of Toronto have signed an open letter expressing their concerns about the university’s campus-wide COVID-19 mandatory vaccination policy.

“We believe that a student’s medical history and medical decisions should not be the basis for differential treatment by an academic institution,” the letter reads. The authors of the letter call the mandate “nonscientific, discriminatory, and unethical.”

“Some of us have been vaccinated, some of us haven’t, in general we’re all very pro-choice,” explained main author Benjamin Gabbay, a 25-year old Master’s of Music student at the University of Toronto.

Because of the vaccination mandate, Gabbay is taking a year off from his master’s program. However, many other students gave in and got a vaccine they didn’t want or need because they weren’t willing to disrupt their education.

“We’ve come across a lot of students who just felt completely desperate, and didn’t know what to do, and they feel they don’t trust their institution anymore. They don’t know how to respond to this coercion, these mandates, especially if they don’t want the shot,” said Gabbay.

Like most universities in Ontario, the University of Toronto intensified their campus vaccination policy last week so that individuals would no longer be provided with the alternative option of rapid testing. 

“Members of our community who are unvaccinated and do not have an approved exemption are not permitted to come to campus,” the university says on their website.

A rapid testing option will only be given to those granted exemptions, and exemptions will only be available for medical reasons or other grounds protected by the Ontario Human Rights Code – not for individuals who have made a personal health decision to not get the vaccine. 

According to Gabbay, Ontario universities are ramping up security guard presence on campus, with guards stationed at front entrances, cafeterias and student service centres.

“They’re setting the ground for a ‘show me your papers’ type of return to school,” he said. “They’ve been clamping down, they’re really trying to figure out how to absolutely stamp out any kind of non-compliance.”

Many of the signatories to the open letter have now partnered with Children’s Health Defense Canada and the Constitutional Rights Centre to launch a lawsuit against the university.

“There are legal actions underway – at this zenith that we’ve reached, that’s the only way to go from here,” said Gabbay. 

“Many of us are part of that. But that will take a long time, it won’t be a silver bullet.”

Similarly, a group of 32 students, parents, faculty and staff at the University of Waterloo have written an open letter to the university asking them to repeal the campus-wide mandatory vaccination policy.

The main author of the letter, biochemistry professor Michael Palmer, stated that a lawsuit was underway.

“There’s no objective reason for imposing any such strict mandates,” Palmer told CTV News. “The lawsuit will challenge these unconstitutional mandates in court.”

Two students at Seneca College are also suing their institution over the campus vaccine mandate, and the Constitutional Rights Centre has threatened to sue Western University.

FUREY: When will Canadians get sick of Justin Trudeau?

By
Anthony Furey
-

Every political leader in Canada has an expiry date, meaning Canadians eventually grow tired of them. This is particularly true in federal politics – which begs the question when will Canadians get sick of Justin Trudeau? What is his shelf life?

In recent years, more people have become frustrated with Trudeau and the troublesome headlines continue to mount.

Anthony Furey discusses in his latest video.

Conservatives call for ethics commissioner to investigate minister of transport

By
Jonathan Bradley
-

The Conservative Party of Canada has requested Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion look into Canadian Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra for appearing to engage in a conflict of interest. 

The Liberal candidate for Brampton Centre Shafqat Ali said in a now-deleted tweet sent on Friday that he would be holding a campaign fundraiser at the Havelly Grill Restaurant and Banquet Hall on Wednesday. The tweet said Alghabra would be the guest of honour. 

Tickets to the event cost $500. Tickets were eligible for a tax credit of more than $300. 

The Conflict of Interest Act seeks to prevent conflicts between private interests and the duties of public office holders. Public office holders are prohibited from providing preferential treatment to any person or organization based on the identity representing it. 

The Conservatives said in a tweet on Friday that what Alghabra is doing could be construed as a conflict of interest. 

“It might be an election, but Omar Alghabra is still selling access to Justin Trudeau’s government,” said the Conservatives. “Conservatives will be asking the Ethics Commissioner to initiate an investigation.” 

Ali and Alghabra could not be reached for comment in time for publication. 

Dion can investigate any public office holder or former official at the request of a member of the House of Commons or Senate, or he can do so on his own initiative if he believes a person has contravened a particular section of the Conflict of Interest Act. 

This incident is the latest in investigations into Liberal politicians over the last few years. 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been found guilty twice for violating the Conflict of Interest Act. The first time was in 2017 for travelling to the private island owned by the Aga Khan, and the second time was in 2019 for attempting to influence former minister of justice and attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould.

O’Toole won’t say whether campus free speech policy involves withholding federal funds

By
Andrew Lawton
-

The Conservative platform commits to “promoting free speech on campus,” but Erin O’Toole isn’t saying whether this involves withholding federal funds from universities and colleges that fall short of accommodating “the range of perspectives” his pledge aims to protect.

At a campaign stop in Fredericton, N.B. Saturday morning, O’Toole spoke of “encouraging” a culture of free speech on campuses, but didn’t detail any enforcement mechanisms.

“Free speech is a fundamental pillar of our democracy, and that’s why we have to make sure we can have a debate of ideas, an informed and positive debate about the future of our country,” O’Toole said. “I think Canadians want to see a healthy and respectful debate. I think the same extends to campus settings.”

The Conservatives “Secure the Future” platform pledges to “work with the provinces and territories to ensure that public post-secondary institutions accommodate the range of perspectives that make up Canada through a commitment to free speech and academic freedom.”

While public universities in Canada are predominantly funded and regulated by provinces, they do receive significant federal support through a number of grant programs.

In the Conservatives’ 2019 platform, then-leader Andrew Scheer said universities without “an expressed commitment to free speech and academic freedom” would be ineligible to receive federal research grants, such as through the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.

O’Toole twice declined to answer whether he would take this approach, instead speaking about the value of open debate on campus.

“I learned myself that when you’re challenged – when I went to law school – you think about the other side, you think about the other perspectives, and sometimes it will reinforce your perspectives, sometimes it will give you balance,” O’Toole said. “We encourage a lot of the universities to look at what the University of Chicago has done to keep that campus setting an open place for respectful debate to grow the education environment for students and to grow our democracy.”

The Chicago principles, which came out of a 2014 University of Chicago report, affirmed free expression as “an essential element of the University’s culture,” safeguarding against attempts to clamp down on “offensive” or “disagreeable” speech.

Shortly after Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government came to power in 2018, public universities and colleges were directed to “develop, implement and comply with a free speech policy that meets a minimum standard prescribed by the government and based on best practices from around the world.”

While the directive said institutions who did not comply “may be subject to a reduction in operating grant funding,” the government ultimately said all public postsecondary schools met the standard.

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