Elon Musk's departure signals end of DOGE

Elon Musk's reported imminent departure from his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) project signals the end in failure of that attempt to limit government.

The Empire Strikes Back | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

April 28, 2025 - "News this week that Elon Musk will soon be departing his 'Department of Government Efficiency' (DOGE) is a grim reminder of what happens when you challenge big spending DC.... President Trump rode into office with the help of Elon Musk’s ambitious plan to cut two trillion dollars in spending and slash useless and bloated government bureaucracies. Opinion polls demonstrated the huge popularity of the 'Department.' Americans were excited when DOGE came to DC.

"The exposure of the real harm being done to the country by agencies like USAID and others reinforced the idea that much of the 'Federal bureaucracy' was simply not needed. Although Musk became a figure of hate for the entrenched special interests, to the large chunk of America forced to pay for Washington’s excesses he became a hero.

Trump and Musk. Composite by Buadh, Wikimedia Commons.

"Many in Congress, seeing its popularity, actively embraced DOGE. Suddenly those who helped us rack up $37 trillion in debt were talking about making huge cuts and posing for photos with Musk. 

"Unfortunately, after the photos were taken and the hoopla had died down, Congress returned to doing what it usually does: nothing. There is no way for a DOGE to succeed without the Legislative Branch enshrining those cuts in legislation. But when the massive 'Big Beautiful' spending bill was introduced, the spending cuts were nowhere to be found.

"In the end it was the Beltway addiction to the global US military empire that may have hammered the final nail in DOGE’s coffin. The 'Big Beautiful' spending bill actually increased military spending even after President Trump hinted that a 50 percent cut was possible. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth bragged about presiding over the 'first' trillion-dollar defense budget. Starting a war on Yemen – at over a billion dollars a month – and saber rattling over Iran are the most obvious evidence that the empire has struck back. And of course the DC hawks want to 'confrontz' China.

"This isn’t the first time a populist, popular movement to tame the Beltway beast was embraced then defeated by that same beast. The 'Tea Party' movement was launched in December, 2007, with volunteers supporting my 2008 Presidential campaign holding a record-breaking 24 hour “money bomb” on the anniversary of the 1773 Boston Tea Party.... The 'money bomb' success got Washington’s attention – money is the lifeblood of the political class – and before too long politicians of all stripes declared themselves to be part of the 'Tea Party'.... But actually cutting government? Not so much.

"The first thing these newly-minted 'Tea Party' members rejected was our demand for an end to the unsustainable, bloated military budget and our aggressive foreign policy. Eventually they backed away from other spending restrictions and within a few years the “brand” was diluted and tossed away.

"What is the lesson here? Is it all futile? Hardly. The popularity of DOGE shows that Americans still want a much smaller government. That is great news, and the country owes a debt of gratitude to Elon for reminding us of this. But until Americans elect Representatives who have the courage to follow through beyond photo-ops, we will sadly continue down the path toward bankruptcy and collapse."

Copyright © 2025 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.

Read more: https://ronpaulinstitute.org/the-empire-strikes-back/

Polling shows Canadians sharply divided

Polling on the Canadian general election shows a nation sharply divided by region, by sex, and by age. 

Liberals lead by 5 points over Conservatives in a ‘nation divided between East and West’: Nanos | CTV | Phil Hahn:

April 25, 2025 - "A three-day rolling sample by Nanos Research conducted on April 22-24 has the Liberals at 43 per cent over the Conservatives, who are at 38 per cent nationally. The New Democratic Party is at eight per cent, followed by the Bloc Quebecois (six per cent), Green Party of Canada (three per cent) and the People’s Party of Canada (one per cent).

"It’s a 'nation divided between East and West,' said Nik Nanos.... 

• In Ontario, the Liberals went from a double-digit advantage earlier in the week to seven points and they’re at 47 per cent versus the Conservatives at 40. The NDP is at eight. 
• The Liberals have widened their lead in Quebec and are at 41 compared with the Conservatives at 21. The Bloc Quebecois is in second place at 26 per cent.
• In the Prairies, the Conservatives remain far ahead with 57 per cent of those surveyed backing them, versus 30 for the Liberals. The NDP is at nine. In B.C., the Liberals are at 39 per cent versus 41 per cent for the Conservatives. The NDP is at 13.
• The Liberal lead in the Atlantic region remains strong at 62 per cent versus 34 per cent for the Conservatives. The NDP remains far behind in the region at three per cent....

"A gender breakdown shows women continue to be more likely to vote Liberal than men. 

• Forty-eight per cent of women surveyed said they would support the Liberals, compared with 32 per cent who’d vote Conservative. Eight per cent of women back the NDP. 
• Meanwhile, the number of men who said they would vote Liberal is at 37 per cent, compared with 45 for the Conservatives. Nine per cent of men surveyed would vote NDP.

"The Conservative advantage among voters under 35 continues with 44 per cent of those surveyed backing them versus 31 for the Liberals. Thirteen per cent chose the NDP. Meanwhile, it’s a dead heat among those aged 35 to 54, with Conservatives at 41 per cent versus 42 for the Liberals. Seven per cent would vote NDP.... Fifty-one per cent of those aged 55 and up said they would back the Liberals, versus 32 for the Conservatives. Seven per cent in that age category chose the NDP."

Read more: https://www.ctvnews.ca/federal-election-2025/article/liberals-lead-by-5-points-over-conservatives-in-a-nation-divided-between-east-and-west-nanos/

The boomer/millennial divide defining the Canadian election | National Post | Tristin Hopper, First Reading:

March 27, 2025 - "A Leger poll released Tuesday found that a recent surge in support for Liberal Leader Mark Carney is being driven largely by seniors — and that if the election was decided solely by younger voters it would be an easy Conservative victory. Poll respondents over the age of 55 were the single strongest cohort for the Liberals, polling higher than any other demographic except for Atlantic Canadians. Among seniors, 52 per cent indicated their intention to vote Liberal, against just 34 per cent leaning Conservative.

"In the younger age cohorts, the Conservatives were the clear favourite. Among voters aged 18 to 34, it was 39 per cent Conservative to 37 per cent Liberal. Among those aged 35 to 54 set, it was 42 per cent Conservative to 38 per cent Liberal.

"[T]he 2025 election is the first time on record that young Canadians are leaning conservative at a higher rate than their elders.... It’s a trend that’s been showing up in polls ever since 2022, when Pierre Poilievre first won the leadership of the Conservative Party.... By late 2024, polls consistently showed that under-34 voters made up the strongest base of support for the Tories. It’s a trend that has placed Canada wildly out of step with its usual peer countries, all of whom are still adhering to the traditional metric of progressive young people and conservative old people."

Read more: https://nationalpost.com/opinion/boomer-millennial-divide-defining-the-canadian-election

Libertarian Party of Canada running 16 candidates

The Libertarian Party of Canada has 16 candidates on the ballot in the federal general election.

2025 Candidates | Libertarian Party of Canada:

British Columbia 

• Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam - Lewis Dahlby
• Langley Township—Fraser Heights - Alex Joehl

Alberta

• Airdrie—Cochrane - David Sabine

Saskatchewan 

• Yorkton—Melville - Alec Guggenmos

Ontario

• Burlington - Ocean Marshall
• Niagara Falls—Niagara-on-the-Lake - Daniel Shakhmundes
• Orléans - Arlo Arrowsmith
• Ottawa—Vanier—Gloucester - Coreen Corcoran
• Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong - Jacques Boudreau 
• Stormont—Dundas—Glengarry - Karl MacKinnon
• Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt - Justin Leroux

New Brunswick 

• Beauséjour - Donna Allen
• Saint John—Kennebecasis - Austin Venedam
• Saint John—St. Croix - Keith Tays

Nova Scotia

• Dartmouth—Cole Harbour - Joseph Shea
• Sydney—Glace Bay - Michael Pittman

https://www.libertarian.ca/2025_candidates

Misinformation allegations withdrawn over Covid statements by Alberta doctor

Last year Alberta's College of Physicians and Surgeons charged pathologist Dr. Roger Hodkinson with making "inaccurate or misleading" statements that breached the CMA Code of Ethics  during the Covid pandemic, for which he could have lost his license. Hodkinson admitted breaching the Code but not to any inaccuracy, and received a simple caution. 

Outspoken but not inaccurate: medical tribunal makes no finding of misinformation by Dr. Hodkinson | The Democracy Fund (news release):

April 4, 2025 - "Dr. Roger Hodkinson will retain his medical license following a hearing before the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA), which resulted in minimal sanctions against the outspoken pathologist. Dr. Hodkinson faced allegations of unprofessional conduct regarding 17 public statements made in November 2020 and April 2021. His remarks were critical of public health officials and presented an alternative perspective on COVID-19, including the efficacy of masking and vaccines. 

Dr, Roger Hodkinson (courtesy TDF).

"Initially, the CPSA alleged that his statements were inaccurate or misleading. However, following negotiations with lawyers for The Democracy Fund, the CPSA limited its claims to arguing that Dr. Hodkinson’s comments violated the ethical code and extended beyond the scope of a general pathologist. While Dr. Hodkinson did not concede that any of his statements were false, he acknowledged that his criticisms of other physicians technically breached the Code of Ethics and Professionalism. He also admitted that he should have clarified that his views were outside the scope of a general pathologist.

"The case was resolved through a joint submission, resulting in Dr. Hodkinson receiving a caution and being required to complete an online course on influence and advocacy.

"Alan Honner was retained by TDF to represent Dr. Hodkinson. 'Dr. Hodkinson acknowledged that he could have used more measured language when critiquing physicians with whom he disagrees,' said Honner. 'However, he did not concede that any of his statements were misinformation, nor did the tribunal make such a determination.'

"Dr. Hodkinson now joins prominent health professional Dr. Jordan Peterson, who[m] their respective regulatory bodies have cautioned for making public comments that diverge from the official narrative.

"Last year, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith pledged to review the province’s regulated professions to ensure that the freedom of speech of professionals is adequately protected. She also committed to legislative changes to ensure that professionals are regulated based on competence and conduct rather than speech. 

"Dr. Hodkinson strongly supports safeguarding free speech for health professionals. 'The essence of progress in all scientific matters, including medicine, is debate regarding scientific findings,' he stated.

"Dr. Hodkinson earned his medical degree from Cambridge University and completed his pathology residency in Vancouver. He has served as an assistant clinical professor at the University of Alberta and as past Chair of the Royal College specialty examination in pathology. With several publications and awards to his name, he had until now maintained a spotless disciplinary record over his 50-year career."

Read more: https://www.thedemocracyfund.ca/outspoken_but_not_inaccurate

REAL ID enables real authoritarianism

REAL ID: Phony Security, Real Authoritarianism | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

April 21, 2025 - "Those who hoped the second Trump Administration would reject big spending, war, and restrictions on liberty continue to be disappointed. A new disappointment came when Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced her department would in May begin enforcing the REAL ID law.

Ron Paul, 2007, Photo: R.D. Young. CC BY 2.0 Wikimedia Commons.

"Passed in 2005, the REAL ID Act created federal standards for driver’s licenses. The law requires everyone applying for a driver’s license to provide the DMV with his social security number, proof of legal residence, and two proofs of his home address. 

"The REAL ID Act allows the Homeland Security Department to mandate, as it sees fit, the including of addition[al] items in the related government database, including 'biometric' identifiers. Biometric identifiers include personal data such as retina scans, fingerprints, and DNA.

"People who doubt that this database will be used to violate the rights of US citizens should ask what a present-day J. Edgar Hoover — a former FBI director who was notorious for collecting private information on politicians and other prominent individuals — would do with a database containing personal and even biometric information on American citizens. They should also consider the IRS’s history of targeting presidents’ political opponents. 

"Americans also have the threat of violations of their rights by hackers. The government has a poor track record of protecting data of US citizens.

"REAL ID’s supporters deny the law turns state driver’s licenses into national ID cards because states have no mandate to implement REAL ID. However, citizens of any state that refuses to adopt REAL ID will be unable to use their state-issued IDs for boarding an airplane or riding on a train. Once the initial uses of REAL ID are established, the government will then require REAL ID for other activities. For instance, local transportation authorities may be offered federal funds to implement REAL ID requirements for public transportation. 

"Several pro-Second Amendment organizations oppose REAL ID because it could be used to monitor gun owners. There is nothing in the law prohibiting a future progressive Homeland Security secretary from requiring REAL ID for a firearms purchase. Imposing a REAL ID mandate on gun ownership would further the authoritarian objective of having a database containing the name and address of, and how many and what type of firearms are owned by, every law-abiding gun owner in the country.

"REAL ID also menaces health freedom. One of the few victories for liberty during the covid hysteria was the failure of 'vaccine passport' schemes to be more widely imposed. These schemes attempted to forbid people from returning to their normal lives unless they proved they were 'fully vaccinated' against covid.

"REAL ID was marketed as a weapon in the 'war on terror.' However, Thomas Massie, the most consistent and courageous defender of liberty in the House of Representatives, pointed out that 9-11 hijackers used passports from their own countries.... 

"Like most post-9-11 security bills, REAL ID does nothing to protect the American people’s safety. It does, though, do much to endanger their liberty. REAL ID could even be the final piece of the transformation of America into a total surveillance society where government monitors, and thus controls, our actions. Americans who understand the danger must work to get the Trump administration to reverse its position."

Copyright © 2025 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.

Read more: https://ronpaulinstitute.org/real-id-phony-security-real-authoritarianism/

Boudreau runs to give Libertarians a voice

"We have to field candidates so libertarians can have a voice," explains Libertarian Party of Canada leader Jacques Boudreau. 

Libertarian Party of Canada leader enjoys country life near Petrolia | Sarnia Observer | Paul Morden: 

April 14, 2025 - "Jacques Boudreau is the only national party leader to campaign, so far this election, in Sarnia-Lambton-Bkejwanong. Campaigns of other leaders hadn’t stopped in the riding in Ontario’s far southwest as of Monday but Boudreau, leader of the Libertarian Party of Canada, is there daily. He lives in near Petrolia and is running in the April 28 election to be MP for Sarnia-Lambton-Bkejwanong.

Libertarian Party of Canada leader Jacques Boudreau. YouTube.

“'My wife and I moved to Petrolia February of last year,' he said. 'It was a lifelong dream for me to move to the country,” said Boudreau who lived in London. “In terms of lifestyle, I’ve never been this happy in my life'....

"After attending Western University, Boudreau worked as an actuary for 38 years. Now semi-retired, he’s involved in a life insurance startup. He described himself as [a]  'pretty average' swing voter until his early 40s, 'trying to find the right fit' and 'get a government that would get things right.'

"An 'epiphany' came when a financial newsletter he read included a link to mises.org, a website of an institute promoting teachings of Ludwig [von] Mises, an Austrian economist embraced by libertarians. 'I was so taken that for the next, I would say, 15 years, I would actually begin my day' on the site reading about Austrian economics and libertarianism, he said.... 'I could no longer defend my previously held beliefs and became a libertarian.'

"A few years ago, Boudreau noticed a lawn sign for a Libertarian candidate in the London riding where he lived but when he looked at his ballot on election day, it wasn’t listed there. He contacted the party to ask why and discovered what he would later experience firsthand. As a small party, it didn’t have the means to help candidates get on the ballot. 

"'I decided I was going to put my money where my mouth is and ran as a Libertarian candidate for the first time in the 2015 federal election,' he said,  This is Boudreau’s fourth federal election running as a candidate. He has also run in three provincial elections.... 

"Boudreau became national leader in 2021. He started out seeking a deputy leader post, thinking his proficiency in French could be helpful, and then the sitting leader decided not to seek another term. 'In a moment of madness, I put my name forth,' and became leader, Boudreau said.

"Nationally, the party calls for 'a marked reduction' in the size and powers of the federal government. 'I would shrink the government to a fraction of what it is now,' Boudreau said....

"He is disappoint[ed that] only 16 Libertarian candidates are registered to run this election.... Libertarians are independently minded, which is both a blessing and curse, he said. 'One of the things they treasure most in life is to be left alone,' which makes recruiting candidates a challenge, Boudreau said. 'As a political party, we are not a think tank. We have to field candidates so libertarians can have a voice.'”

Read more: https://www.theobserver.ca/news/national/federal_election/libertarian-party-of-canada-leader-enjoys-country-life-near-petrolia 

Socialist magazine warns Poilievre is a libertarian

American socialist magazine Jacobin has warned its readers that Pierre Poilievre is not just another right-wing populist, but has a "radical libertarian agenda". 

Pierre Poilievre Wants Radical Austerity for Canada | Jacobin | Ryan Kelpin:

February 1, 2025 - "Much has been written about [Pierre] Poilievre in recent years, often framing him as the champion of the Freedom Convoy, anti-lockdown politics during the height of COVID-19, or a right-wing populist fighting against woke tyranny. While these characterizations highlight key elements of his political strategy, they risk oversimplifying his ideology. Poilievre is not merely a populist reactionary; he is a deeply ideological figure with a long-standing engagement with ... particularly the ideas of Milton Friedman. His contemporary anti-state politics are grounded in this intellectual lineage.... Understanding Poilievre’s ideological foundations is critical to grasping the broader implications of his rise — and the threat it poses.

"Poilievre has often expressed admiration for Friedrich Hayek and the Virginia School of public choice founders James M. Buchanan and Gordon Tullock. However, his most consistent and fervent ideological inspiration comes from Friedman’s radical libertarian critiques of the state. This is evident in Poilievre’s decades-long proselytizing in the name of two of Friedman’s most significant books: 1962’s Capitalism and Freedom and 1963’s A Monetary History of the United States, 1867–1960. During his formative years in Calgary, he became an avid reader of Capitalism and Freedom, shaping his worldview around Friedman’s ideas about voluntary exchange versus coercion, economic freedom versus the bureaucracy of the welfare state, and the role of inflation and monetary theory. These ideas informed many of his university essays, including his 1999 scholarship-winning 'Building Canada Through Freedom' essay.... 

"Poilievre himself traced this ideological lineage in [a] recent interview with Jordan Peterson, stating, 'I’ve been saying precisely the same thing the entire time . . . building Canada on freedom. The entire piece was on making government small and maximizing personal freedom'.... For Friedman and Poilievre, voluntary exchange occurs in a social and power vacuum. This notion presents a romanticized view of private economy in which real-world consequences and inequality do not exist. Poilievre has expressed this extreme interpretation of voluntary exchange in stark terms, stating, 'Everything the government does, even the good things, is done by the coercive force of taxation, a gun to the head.' He has fleshed this out even further in the House of Commons:

Every exchange in a free market economy, literally every single one, without exception, is based on voluntary exchange. . . . By contrast, every single transaction done by government is done by force, even legitimate, desirable transactions. . . . However, surely, we should also agree that the use of that force should be limited to cases where it is absolutely unavoidable and necessary. We should not expand government into areas people can decide upon and act out on their own volition. The government continually gets involved in areas that are easily done through voluntary exchange. In fact, it replaces free choice with force very often....

"Poilievre routinely draws on not just Friedman but also Buchanan, whose public choice theory influenced Friedman’s later work, including Free to Choose. Poilievre’s rhetoric reflects their shared disdain for the welfare state, which he once referred to in a National Post op-ed as 'truly horrific,' claiming: '[it] ... engenders a self-serving bureaucracy whose survival depends on a growing clientele of poor welfare recipients. To end poverty, this bureaucracy would have to put itself out of business, something it will never do'....

"Poilievre has routinely championed several key neoliberal policy ideas. Dating to his time in the right-wing populist Reform Party, he has supported the idea of balanced budget legislation — or at least the principle of cutting $1 from government spending for every $1 of new expenditure. This approach aims to depoliticize spending by limiting the ability of 'special interests' to extract benefits from self-serving politicians and a growth-focused bureaucracy. Poilievre has also endorsed Friedman’s specific neoliberal proposals, such as a negative income tax system — where people earning below a certain threshold would receive payments to bring them up to that minimum income level — as well as universal basic income (UBI).... UBI, as Poilievre understands it ... would come with a catch: 'Governments would pay for Friedman’s basic income by eliminating all other programs, including housing, drug plans, childcare and the bureaucrats who administer it all.' Poilievre has criticized attempts to use UBI as a distributive tool....

"Poilievre has become most notable for his focus on the inflationary crisis of the 2020s. But there has been little examination of the intellectual roots of his inflation rhetoric — it is a mistake to understand it as simply part of his constructed populist persona. When asked by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation what book on economics he would recommend, he held up one book to the camera: his well-worn and bookmarked copy of Friedman and Anna Schwartz’s A Monetary History of the United States, saying that it 'taught [him] was that money supply was the driver of inflation.' This tome has become a cornerstone of his political philosophy, referenced frequently in interviews, his Friedman-inspired Free to Choose–esque YouTube video series Debtonation [see video] and even on the House floor....

"Poilievre’s views on inflation reproduce Friedman’s monetarism and his argument that the overproduction of money supply drives up purchasing costs and government deficits, characterizing inflation as an invisible, coercive tax created by centralized government. As he describes it, 'You could not design a more damaging and unjust tax than the inflation tax.' In his Debtonation series, Poilievre takes Friedman’s ideas to their extremes, making questionable connections between overproduction of the money supply, inflation, government debt, and even the suicide rate. He doesn’t simply reproduce Friedman’s ideas; he amplifies them to appeal to contemporary political audiences. Poilievre clearly views himself not just as a proponent of Friedman but as his Canadian ideological heir apparent....

"Poilievre’s view of the state and capitalism represents a more radical libertarian agenda than that of any previous potential Canadian prime minister. He is an idealogue, a true believer, but also a pragmatist and convincing speaker. If he has his way in 2025, Canada will continue deepening its commitment to neoliberalism, but with a Friedmanite flavor not yet seen in the country."

Read more: https://jacobin.com/2025/02/poilievre-friedman-neoliberalism-canada-converatives

Debtonation (Episode 1) | Pierre Poilievre | December 27, 2025:

Top UK court backs biological definition of 'woman'

The UK Supreme Court has ruled that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex. 

Supreme Court backs 'biological' definition of woman | BBC | Angus Cochrane:

April 16, 2025 - "Judges at the UK Supreme Court have unanimously ruled that a woman is defined by biological sex under equalities law. It marks the culmination of a long-running legal battle which could have major implications for how sex-based rights apply across Scotland, England and Wales. 

"The court sided with campaign group For Women Scotland, which brought a case against the Scottish government arguing that sex-based protections should only apply to people that are born female.... The Scottish government argued in court that transgender people with a gender recognition certificate (GRC) are entitled to the same sex-based protections as biological women. The Supreme Court was asked to decide on the proper interpretation of the 2010 Equality Act, which applies across Britain.

"Lord Hodge said the central question was how the words 'woman' and 'sex' are defined in the legislation. He told the court: 'The unanimous decision of this court is that the terms woman and sex in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex. But we counsel against reading this judgement as a triumph of one or more groups in our society at the expense of another'.... He added that the legislation gives transgender people 'protection, not only against discrimination through the protected characteristic of gender reassignment, but also against direct discrimination, indirect discrimination and harassment in substance in their acquired gender'....

"The Equality Act provides protection against discrimination on the basis of various characteristics, including 'sex' and 'gender reassignment'. Judges at the Supreme Court in London were asked to rule on what that law means by 'sex' - whether it means biological sex, or legal, 'certificated' sex as defined by the 2004 Gender Recognition Act.

"The Scottish government argued the 2004 legislation was clear that obtaining a GRC amounts to a change of sex 'for all purposes'. For Women Scotland argued for a 'common sense' interpretation of the words man and woman, telling the court that sex is an 'immutable biological state'.

"Speaking outside the Supreme Court following the ruling, For Women Scotland co-founder Susan Smith said: 'Today the judges have said what we always believed to be the case, that women are protected by their biological sex. Sex is real and women can now feel safe that services and spaces designated for women are for women and we are enormously grateful to the Supreme Court for this ruling.'

"First Minister John Swinney said the Scottish government accepted the judgement.... Swinney added: 'Protecting the rights of all will underpin our actions.' A Scottish government spokesperson insisted ministers had acted 'in good faith during the legal proceedings, and noted that the Equality and Human Rights Commission was updating its guidance in response to the judgement."

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg7pqzk47zo

What is a woman? Supreme Court sees sense – Helen Joyce and Michael Foran | The Spectator | April 16, 2025:

Canada's Greens fail to qualify for leaders' debate

Canada's Green Party failed to nominate enough candidates to qualify for the national leaders' debates, but were invited anyway - until the Commission reversed itself and disinvited them on the day of the first debate.

Party leaders invited to debate: (l to r) Yves-Francois Blanchet, Bloc Quebecois; Jagmeet Singh, New Democratic; 

Mark Carney, Liberal; Pierre Poilievre, Conservative. Jonathan Pedneault, Green. Yahoo News.

What’s the Controversy About Debates Commission Inviting Green Party? | Epoch Times | Lee Harding: 

April, 15, 2025 - "The leader of the Bloc Québécois is questioning why the Green Party can participate in a national televised debate even though the party falls short of qualifying criteria set by Canada’s Leaders’ Debates Commission. 'I have nothing against the Green Party, but if the rules disqualify it, how can we explain why it’s invited to the debate? The main effect is to reduce the speaking time of others,' Yves-François Blanchet wrote in a social media post in French on April 13.

"The commission did not respond to a request for comment from The Epoch Times. A spokesperson for the commission told the CBC it had 'made its decision with respect to which political parties met the debate participation criteria 27 days before election day'....

"Parties must meet two of three criteria to be invited to the debates: Having a sitting MP who’s been elected as a member of that party; having at least four percent national support in opinion polls; and running candidates in at least 90 per cent of all 343 ridings, which amount to 309.

"The commission, an independent body, invited the Greens to participate in the debate, saying the party had met the first and third criteria. However, that invitation was sent a week before the April 7 deadline for parties to submit their final list of candidates. The Green Party had submitted names for candidates in all ridings, on which the commission based its decision.... However, Elections Canada only lists 232 Green candidates, for just 68 percent of all ridings. 

"Nevertheless, Green Party co-leader Jonathan Pedneault will participate in the French debate on April 16 and the English debate on April 17. At a press conference on April 14, Pedneault said, 'it simply benefits Canadian democracy to have the Greens at the table and have as many voices to debate the future of our country.' Pedneault also said People’s Party of Canada [PPC] Leader Maxime Bernier should be included. 'The PPC should be at the table because those are issues and views that Canadians actually hold,' Pedneault said. The Green Party is polling around two percent and the PPC one percent.

"Bernier said on social media that he received his first indication that he would not participate in the debate when Radio Canada TV host Celine Galipeau called Bernier in French 'a leader who will not be at the debate.' In a March 25 press release, Bernier said, 'How is it possible that Ms. Galipeau know[s] this already? I think I have the answer. Radio-Canada/CBC will produce the debates, so they’re talking to the Commission, and I presume everybody there already knows that I won’t be invited'....

"Bernier added that under the 2021 rules he would automatically have been invited because the PPC received almost 5 percent of the vote in the last election, alleging the commission 'changed the rules only to exclude us.' In 2021, the commission decided a party could participate in debates if it met one of three criteria: a sitting MP in the House elected as a member of that party, candidates in the previous election received at least four percent of total valid votes cast, and polls taken five days after the election is called found the party had a national support level of at least four percent.... The PPC was left out of the 2021 debates, as it had earned just 1.62 per cent of the popular vote in 2019, did not elect an MP, and had an average level of 3.27 percent support in polls prior to the 2021 election. However, the party earned 840,993 votes for 4.94 per cent support in the 2021 election....

"The inclusion of the Greens in the French debate ensures Liberal Leader Mark Carney will be involved. Carney announced March 25 he would not participate in an additional French debate, to be broadcast on TVA, because of the Green Party’s absence. As a result, the TVA debate was cancelled."

Read more: https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/whats-the-controversy-about-debates-commission-inviting-green-party-5842129

Update: Green Party booted from leaders' debates due to lack of candidates | National Post | Rahim  Mohammed:

April 16, 2025 - "The commission overseeing the federal leaders’ debates has disinvited the Green party from the proceedings in a surprise last-minute ruling. The Leaders’ Debates Commission said in a Wednesday morning press release explaining the decision that the Greens aren’t running enough candidates to be a factor in the election.... The Green Party hadn’t named candidates in more than 100 of the 343 federal ridings in play, as of this week, putting it well below the 90 per cent threshold.... 

"Pedneault said last week that the candidate shortfall was due, in part, to a 'strategic decision' not to run Green candidates in ridings where the Conservatives were running strong, so as not to split the progressive vote. Green party officials had alternatively pointed the finger at Elections Canada, accusing returning officers of being slow to verify nomination signatures submitted by local candidates."

Read more: https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/green-party-booted-from-leaders-debate

Looking into Mark Carney's Values

          What Mark Carney ultimately wants, Peter Foster concluded in 2021 after reading Carney's
          manifesto Value(s), is "a technocratic dictatorship justified by climate alarmism"

Peter Foster: Mark Carney, man of destiny, wants to revolutionize society. It won't be pleasant | National Post | Peter Foster:

June 5, 2021 (updated January 16, 2025) - "In his book Value(s): Building a Better World for All, Mark Carney, former governor both of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, claims that western society is morally rotten, and that it has been corrupted by capitalism, which has brought about a 'climate emergency' that threatens life on earth. This, he claims, requires rigid controls on personal freedom, industry and corporate funding....

Mark Carney at World Economic Forum, Davos, 2010. 

Photo by WEF. CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons.

"Since the advent of the COVID pandemic, Carney has been front and centre in the promotion of a political agenda known as the 'Great Reset,' or the 'Green New Deal,' or 'Building Back Better.' All are predicated on the claim that COVID, and its disruption of the global economy, provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity not just to regulate climate, but to frame a more fair, more diverse, more inclusive, more safe and more woke world.

"Carney draws inspiration from, among others, Marx, Engels and Lenin, but the agenda he promotes differs from Marxism in two key respects. 

• First, the private sector is not to be expropriated but made a 'partner' in reshaping the economy and society. 
• Second, it does not make a promise to make the lives of ordinary people better, but worse. Carney’s Brave New World will be one of severely constrained choice, less flying, less meat, more inconvenience and more poverty: 'Assets will be stranded, used gasoline powered cars will be unsaleable, inefficient properties will be unrentable,' he promises.

"The agenda’s objectives are in fact already being enforced, not primarily by legislation but by the application of non-governmental — that is, non-democratic — pressure on the corporate sector via the ever-expanding dictates of ESG (environmental, social and corporate governance) and by 'sustainable finance,' which is designed to starve non-compliant companies of funds, thus rendering them, as Carney puts it, 'climate roadkill'.... Carney’s Agenda is promoted by the United Nations and other international bureaucracies and a vast and ever-growing array of non-governmental organizations and fora, especially the World Economic Forum (WEF), where Carney is a trustee. Also, perhaps most surprisingly, by its corporate victims. No one wants to become climate roadkill....

"Despite his thorough castigation of market society, Carney somehow also believes this 'corroded' society is clamouring to make great personal sacrifices for draconian climate actions and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Carney has been a prime pusher of 'net-zero,' the notion that climate-related human emissions must be entirely eradicated, buried or offset by 2050 if the world is to avoid climate Armageddon. He claims that net-zero is 'highly valued by society.' In reality, the vast mass of people have no clue what it entails; when Carney talks about this version of 'society,' he is talking about a small, radical element of it.....

"Carney is a classic example of what Friedrich Hayek called the “fatal conceit” of constructivist rationalism: the belief that the largely spontaneous institutions of the market order should be rejected in favour of more deliberately planned arrangements. Carney is undoubtedly an intelligent man, but Hayek stressed that the thing that intelligent people tend most to overestimate is the power of intelligence — particularly if they happen to be socialists. 

"Carney is also of the class that philosopher Karl Popper described as 'enemies' of an 'open society.' Popper noted that social upheavals tend to bring forth prophets who claim to understand the forces shaping the future, and promise salvation if they are given absolute power. Such was Plato’s model.... Similarly, Marx’s communism was a response to the turmoil of the Industrial Revolution....

"What Carney ultimately wants ... is a technocratic dictatorship justified by climate alarmism..... [A]ccording to Carney 'political technology' is needed to 'build a broad consensus around the right goals.' No question of debating the goals, or the science, just building a consensus to support them.... The threat is too great to permit any argument."

Read more: https://nationalpost.com/opinion/peter-foster-mark-carney-man-of-destiny-arises-to-revolutionize-society-it-wont-be-pleasant

Carney denies meeting with pro-CCP lobby group

Mark Carney has denounced reporting that alleges he met with a pro-Chinese-government lobbying group, claiming that he has "never heard of this group." 

Carney snaps at reporter over questions about China | Yahoo News | Brian Lilley:

April 10, 2025 - "China is an issue that won’t leave Liberal Leader Mark Carney alone and it’s clearly getting to him. On Thursday, he snapped at a reporter and disparaged a major daily newspaper for their coverage of his campaign and connections with China. 'Well, I’m sorry, but you can’t believe everything you read in The Globe and Mail,' Carney said. His remarks were nasty in tone, he was snarky.... 

"On Thursday, The Globe and Mail reported that Carney had met with executives from the Jiangsu Commerce Council of Canada [JCCC]. The JCCC is a Toronto-based group founded more than twenty years ago to ostensibly foster ties between China and Canada, but it is widely viewed as a front group for China’s United Front Work Department. The UFWD works on behalf of the Chinese government in Beijing to, among other things, spy on and exert influence over the Chinese diaspora in places like Canada....

“'I’ve never heard of this group, okay? Never heard of this group. Certainly didn’t have a setup meeting with this group, full stop. So check your sources before you write things like that,' Carney said. Moments later, Steven Chase, one of the Globe reporters who wrote the original story, posted photos of Carney smiling and shaking hands with two different executives from the JCCC....

"For the past two weeks, Carney and the Liberals have been dogged with bad stories relating to China and being too close to Beijing. Last week it was his candidate Paul Chiang encouraging people to kidnap Conservative candidate Joe Tay and hand him over to the Chinese Consulate in Toronto in exchange for a bounty. It took Carney four days to drop Chiang and replace him with Peter Yuen, who is now being accused of being associated with the JCCC and other pro-Beijing Chinese groups in Toronto.

"And ... this week the federal government’s Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections (SITE) Task Force, revealed a coordinated effort by the Chinese government to boost Mark Carney’s appeal to Chinese Canadian voters. This included what was described as 'large spikes of coordinated inauthentic behaviour' where articles positive about Carney from Beijing-aligned media outlets were boosted on the WeChat social media platform by accounts and influencers with ties to the Chinese government. The goal, to boost Mark Carney in the eyes of Chinese Canadian voters. Basically, China is trying to persuade Chinese Canadians to vote Liberal.

"This came after the same tactics were used during the Liberal leadership campaign to attack and disparage Carney’s main rival, Chrystia Freeland. Beijing is clearly still interfering in Canada’s elections and Beijing clearly favours Mark Carney and the Liberals."
Read more: https://ca.news.yahoo.com/lilley-carney-snaps-reporter-over-184820491.html

Carney not meeting with JCCC members, Photo from JCCC website (now deleted). Courtesy X.

UPDATED: Pro-Beijing group deletes post claiming it had 'in-depth meeting' with Carney | Western Standard | Jarryd Jäger:

April 10, 2025 - "Mark Carney has refuted claims that he met with the Jiangsu Commerce Council of Canada. The pro-Beijing group has since, at the behest of the Liberal Party, deleted its post claiming high-ranking representatives had an 'in-depth meeting' with him....

"'The web post referenced in the Globe and Mail article is inaccurate, as is the suggestion that Mr. Carney had any such in-depth discussion,' a Liberal Party spokesperson said in a statement after the story went viral. 'We have reached out to the organization correcting the record and asked that they remove such claims immediately.' As of Thursday evening, the URL that had led to the story instead resulted in a 404 error."
Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/news/carney-says-he-never-heard-of-pro-beijing-group-that-claimed-they-had-in-depth-meeting/63938

Carney shows 'arrogance' in response to allegations of Chinese influence | Rebel News | April 11, 2025:

Trump Tariffs: Liberation or Obliteration?

 President Trump called the day he announced his tariff plan 'Liberation Day.' Renaissance Macro Research head of US economic research Neil Dutta more appropriately labeled it 'Obliteration Day.'"

Liberation or Obliteration? | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

April 7, 2025 - "President Trump was elected in part because he promised to reduce prices and not drag the country into foreign wars. Sadly, President Trump has adopted a tariff policy that will raise prices and abandoned his 'America First' foreign policy in favor of a return to Bush-era neoconservatism.

Ron Paul, 2007, Photo: R.D. Young. CC BY 2.0 Wikimedia Commons.

"Despite criticizing President Biden for bombing Yemen, President Trump has authorized bombing that country under the false pretense that Yemen’s Houthis are threatening international shipping. President Trump has also threatened to bomb Iran. A false justification for this threat is that Iran is controlling the Houthis. If President Trump follows through on this threat against Iran, it could lead to another 'forever war.' He has also continued US support for Israel and Ukraine’s wars.

"President Trump started a trade war by imposing a ten percent universal tariff on imported products and other tariff expansions. Chinese imports will face a tariff of 54 percent, while goods imported from the European Union will 'only' be assessed a 20 percent tariff. 

"The day following President Trump’s tariffs announcement, US stocks lost 3.1 trillion dollars in value, while the dollar fell to its weakest level since October.

"China responded to the tariffs by imposing a 34 percent tariff on US imports along with other measures increasing the costs of US products in China. Canada imposed a 25 percent tariff on cars imported from the US. France['s] President Emmanuel Macron called on European businesses to refrain from investing in American businesses.... 

"President Trump’s actions are setting off a global trade war that means US consumers will suffer from increased prices for many products both foreign and domestic. Manufacturing and other American businesses that rely on imported raw materials and other inputs from abroad will have to pay more for these inputs, assuming they are able to get them at all. US exporters will suffer from decreased demand for US products in overseas markets.

"According to estimates by the Budget Lab at Yale University, President Trump’s tariffs will cost the average American household a 3,800 dollars loss of purchasing power. The Tax Foundation estimates the tariffs will reduce US GDP by at least 0.7 percent and decrease the average American’s after-tax income by about two percent. Middle- and lower-income Americans will obviously be hardest hit. The decrease in income, combined with the increase in prices and increase in the unemployment rate, will raise demand for government welfare programs and thus put pressure on Congress to reject attempts to cut spending.

"Thus far, Trump’s response to the economic chaos he has unleashed is to say everything will work out as other countries will negotiate 'beautiful' trade deals with the US. President Trump, on the same day he announced the new tariffs, called on the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates, saying it was a 'perfect time' to do so. The interest rate cut, though, would only further degrade the dollar.... 

"President Trump called the day he announced his tariff plan 'Liberation Day.' This may be the most misleading name since the Affordable Care Act. Renaissance Macro Research head of US economic research Neil Dutta more appropriately labeled it 'Obliteration Day.' President Trump’s tariffs, along with his support for war, could obliterate what is left of America’s peace and prosperity."

Copyright © 2025 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.

Read more: https://ronpaulinstitute.org/liberation-or-obliteration/

Sabine runs against Canada's authoritarian shift

David Sabine is running for the Libertarian Party of Canada in the Calgary riding of Airdrie-Cochrane. 

Libertarian running to combat Canada’s 'authoritarian shift' | Cochrane Eagle | Ryan Uytdewilligen:

Apr 2, 2025 - "David Sabine is Airdrie-Cochrane's Libertarian Party candidate in the 2025 Federal Election.

QUESTION: What is your political experience and why have you chosen to run in this election cycle with the Libertarian Party?

David Sabine. Cochrane Eagle.

 ANSWER: I ran for school trustee with TVDSB before returning west, my sister serves as a councillor in Alberta, my father pursued an NDP candidacy in Saskatchewan in the 1970s, and my grandparents supported Tommy Douglas as volunteers. While politics hasn’t been my career focus, my lifelong exposure equips me to run as a candidate, amplifying the voices of Libertarians in Airdrie-Cochrane. 

"Canada’s authoritarian shift over the past nine years — marked by excessive taxation, market intervention, an overreaching administrative state, censorship, and erosion of property and civil rights — concerns me deeply. Libertarian principles can influence the political dialogue for the better....

 Q: What will you and your party do to stand up to President Trump’s tariffs and 51st state rhetoric?

 A: President Trump’s tariffs and rhetoric are disruptive, but they only gain traction because of Canada’s deep economic vulnerabilities and societal fracture. The economic hardship expected from President Trump’s tariffs is a small fraction of the damage done by the Liberal party these past nine years. And decades of mismanagement and corruption by previous Canadian governments have left our economy fragile and Canadians divided. The calls for separation in Quebec and Alberta grow by the day. Canadians are burdened by trillions in debt and unfunded liabilities, over-regulation, excessive taxation, and policies that stifle economic growth. The chaos south of the border is not the root problem; it’s a symptom of our governments' own failures, amplifying the urgency for a bold shift in how we govern ourselves and engage with the world.

 Canada’s unique advantage of bordering the world’s largest economy is not a liability — it is our greatest opportunity. Treating the U.S. as an adversary is shortsighted and the divisive rhetoric from Canada’s mainstream parties is eroding a historically vital relationship beyond repair.

 A Libertarian Party approach would prioritize diplomacy and principled negotiation with the US President and state governors to secure genuine free trade with them. This isn’t just about lowering U.S. tariffs — it’s about dismantling Canada’s own self-inflicted barriers. We’d eliminate interprovincial trade restrictions that choke domestic commerce, scrap pipeline bans that kill investments in our energy sector, and end the equalization mandate that punishes productive regions. Supply management, which drives up costs for staples like dairy, cheese, eggs, butter, chicken, and turkey, would be abolished. Canadians have been sold a myth of free trade with the U.S., but our own massive tariffs and quotas on these essentials prove otherwise — keeping prices artificially high and Canadian consumers trapped.

 Q: What is the biggest issue facing Canadians that you wish to tackle?

 A: Libertarians fundamentally reject central economic planning, whether it’s Trump’s heavy-handed edicts or the suffocating policies of Canada’s recent governments. Both represent the same flaw: a belief that bureaucrats and politicians can micromanage the prosperity of citizens. Ottawa’s market distortions, bloated administration, and disregard for individual liberty, mirrors the authoritarian tendencies we criticize abroad. By slashing these domestic barriers, we’d not only counter U.S. pressure but rebuild an economy resilient enough to thrive, regardless of who occupies the White House.

 The Libertarian Party is also deeply concerned about the plight of our country's elderly. Taxpaying Canadians are strained under a shrinking GDP per capita, with socialism’s economic fallout driving taxes up, costs up, and doctors out. Health professionals, lured by far higher salaries and greater freedom elsewhere, are fleeing Canada’s punitive taxes and red tape in droves. Though healthcare is provincial jurisdiction, the next federal government must act with urgency — bolstering our currency, freeing markets to boost productivity, and refining immigration and foreign policy to let hardworking citizens prosper. Canada is facing an unprecedented crisis, driving the nation toward bankruptcy and saddling future generations with an unpayable tax burden.

 Q: Anything else you would like to add?

 A: The mission of the Libertarian Party of Canada is to reduce the responsibilities and expense of government. This, so that we may each manage our lives to mutually fulfill our needs by the free and voluntary exchange of our efforts and property for the value that best realizes happiness for ourselves, our families, and our communities."

Read more: https://www.cochraneeagle.ca/local-news/libertarian-running-to-combat-canadas-authoritarian-shift-10461732

The high, hidden cost of green electricity

Adding more solar and wind to the energy supply pushes up the price of electricity for consumers and businesses.

Solar and Wind Power Are Expensive | Fraser Institute | Bjørn Lomborg:

March 25, 2025 - "Global evidence is clear: Adding more solar and wind to the energy supply pushes up the price of electricity for consumers and businesses....  

"[F]rom 2005, the Ontario government began phasing out coal energy and dived headlong into subsidizing wind and solar generation.... From 2005 to 2020 the average, inflation-adjusted cost of electricity doubled from 7.7 cents to 15.3 cents. Since 2019 the Ontario government has subsidized these high costs through a slew of programs like the 'Renewable Cost Shift', lowering the direct pain to ratepayers but simply moving the increasing costs onto the government coffers. Today, this policy costs Ontario more than $6 billion annually...

"A relatively small amount of wind energy costs Ontarians over a billion dollars each year. One peer-reviewed study finds that the economic costs of wind are at least three times their benefits. Only the owners of wind power make any money, whereas the 'losers are primarily the electricity consumers followed by the governments.' Yet, politicians — supported by powerful green energy interests and credulous journalists — keep gaslighting voters claiming green energy is cheaper than fossil fuels....

"At best, this is only true when the sun is shining and the wind is blowing. At all other times, their cost is significantly higher. Modern societies need around-the-clock power. The intermittency of solar and wind energy means backup is required, often delivered by fossil fuels. That means citizens end up paying for two power systems: renewables and their backup.... This intermittency can be huge, as when solar power in the Yukon delivered a massive 150 times more electricity to the grid in May 2022 than it did in December 2022. It is also the reason that the real energy costs of solar and wind are far higher than green campaigners claim....

"One study shows that in China, when including the cost of backup power, the real cost of solar power becomes twice as high as that of coal. Similarly, a peer-reviewed study of Germany and Texas shows that the real costs of solar and wind are many times more expensive than fossil fuels. Germany, the U.K., Spain, and Denmark, all of which increasingly rely on solar and wind power, have some of the world’s most expensive electricity.... The International Energy Agency’s latest data from nearly 70 countries from 2022 shows a clear correlation between more solar and wind and higher average household and business energy prices. In a country with little or no solar and wind, the average electricity cost is about 16 cents per kilowatt-hour. For every 10 per cent increase in solar and wind share, the electricity cost increases by nearly 8 cents per kWh.... 

"In Germany, electricity costs 43 cents per kWh — much more than twice the Canadian cost, and more than three-times the Chinese price. Germany has installed so much solar and wind that on sunny and windy days, renewable energy satisfies close to 70 per cent of Germany’s needs — a fact the press eagerly reports. But the press hardly mentions dark and still days, when these renewables deliver almost nothing. Twice in the past couple of months, when it was cloudy and nearly windless, solar and wind delivered less than 4 per cent of the daily power Germany needed.... Last month, with cloudy skies and nearly no wind, Germany faced the costliest power prices since the energy crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with wholesale prices reaching a staggering $1.40 per kWh.

"Canada is blessed with plentiful hydro, powering 58 per cent of its electricity. This means that there has been less drive to develop wind and solar, which deliver just 7 per cent. But the urge to virtue signal remains. Indeed, the federal government’s 2023 vision for the electricity system declares that shifting away from fossil fuels is a “scientific and moral imperative” and “the greatest economic opportunity of our lifetime”.

"Yet the biggest take-away from the global evidence is that among all the nations in the world ... there is not one that gets much of its power from solar and wind and has low electricity costs.... Instead, there are plenty of nations with lots of green energy and exorbitantly high costs."

Read more: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/commentary/solar-and-wind-power-are-expensive

Scientist Destroys Green Energy Narrative w/ Facts in Minutes | Bjørn Lomborg | The Rubin Report | March 4, 2025:

Freedom Convoy organizers convicted of mischief

After a trial lasting more than a year, Freedom Convoy organizers Tamara Lich and Chris Barber have been convicted of mischief (but acquitted of most charges) for their role in the 2022 Ottawa protest.

Chris Barber, Tamara Lich not guilty on most charges for roles in 2022 convoy protests | CBC News | David Fraser: 

April 3, 2025 - "Chris Barber and Tamara Lich have been found not guilty of most charges against them for their roles in the 2022 truck convoy protest in Ottawa. Barber and Lich each faced six charges including mischief, intimidation, obstructing police and counselling others to do the same. 

"On Thursday at the Ottawa courthouse, Ontario Court Justice Heather Perkins-McVey found the pair not guilty of four charges apiece relating to intimidation and obstructing police. They were both found guilty of committing mischief. Perkins-McVey also found them both guilty of counselling to commit mischief themselves, but that finding was stayed at the request of Crown lawyers. Barber alone was found guilty of counselling others to disobey a court order. Lich was not charged with this. All told, Barber was found guilty of two charges, not guilty of four and had a seventh stayed. Lich was found guilty of one, not guilty of four and had a sixth stayed."

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/tamara-lich-chris-barber-freedom-convoy-trial-decision-1.7500015

'Freedom Convoy' organizers Lich, Barber found guilty of mischief | CBC News: The National | April 3, 2025:

Court finds Chris Barber guilty of mischief | Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (news release):

April 3, 2025 - "The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms is disappointed that the Ontario Court of Justice has found Chris Barber, a trucker and trucking company owner from Swift Current, Saskatchewan, guilty of mischief for his involvement in the peaceful Freedom Convoy protest.... Justice Heather Perkins-McVey delivered the decision this morning in the Ontario Court of Justice at the Ottawa Courthouse.

"In January and February 2022, thousands of Canadians travelled to the nation’s capital to protest mandatory Covid vaccination policies. Vaccine mandates [had] turned the millions of Canadians who chose not to receive a Covid vaccine into second-class citizens, denied them the right to travel, participate in sports, watch their children play sports, and visit ailing parents and grandparents in nursing homes. Mr. Barber, who himself had received the mandatory injection, travelled to Ottawa to protest the mandates he believed were harming not only the trucking industry but also all Canadians.

"The federal government illegally invoked the Emergencies Act on February 14, 2022, to use violence to suppress the Freedom Convoy protests. On February 17, police arrested Mr. Barber on charges of mischief, intimidation, obstructing a highway, and counselling others to commit the same offences. Mr. Barber pleaded “not guilty” to all charges on April 23, 2023, having done nothing other than peacefully exercise his freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly – protected by section 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

"The criminal trial of Chris Barber and Tamara Lich, originally scheduled for 16 days, consumed massive resources of Crown prosecutors, taking place over a period of 45 days from September 5, 2023, to September 14, 2024....

"Justice Centre President John Carpay, referencing the fact that 86 sexual assault cases have been tossed out in Ontario since 2016 due to court delays and insufficient court resources, stated, 'Crown prosecutors in Ontario claim that they do not have enough resources to prosecute people accused of sexual assault and other serious crimes. People accused of serious crimes are walking away without facing trial because of extreme delays, supposedly caused by the Crown lacking adequate resources. Yet the Crown has devoted massive amounts of its limited time and energy to prosecuting peaceful protesters who exercised their fundamental Charter freedoms.'

"'There seems to be a glaring double standard in prosecutions in Canada,' continued Mr. Carpay, 'and it appears that the charges against Chris Barber and Tamara Lich were laid for political reasons. In July 2021, Winnipeg police stood by and watched as vandals tore down and damaged a statue of Queen Victoria on the legislature grounds, in broad daylight, which was criminal behaviour. But no charges were laid against individuals who wilfully destroyed property because they were protesting against residential schools.... The Manitoba Crown, while possessing abundant video evidence of this blatantly criminal conduct, announced that nobody would be charged or prosecuted. Yet when Tamara Lich and Chris Barber played an active role in the entirely peaceful 2022 Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa, the Crown devoted its resources to an extensive, full-scale prosecution that dragged on for 31 months.'

"In Regina, the Chief of Police attended and spoke at a rally for Black Lives Matter on June 5, 2020, in violation of Saskatchewan’s Covid restrictions. Yet police issued tickets to citizens who protested against lockdowns, and prosecutors were relentless in seeking convictions of those charged. 'If Tamara Lich and Chris Barber had played a leadership role in organizing protests against racism, transphobia or climate change, they would not have faced 45 days of trial over a period of 31 months,' concluded Mr. Carpay.

"Counsel will carefully review the decision and confer with the client to determine any next steps."

Read more: https://www.jccf.ca/court-finds-chris-barber-guilty-of-mischief/

Ron Paul: Free speech is worth fighting for

Free Speech is Worth Fighting For | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

March 31, 2025 - "Our Founders, particularly James Madison who drafted the Bill of Rights, understood that our rights are not privileges granted to us by government. No, it was understood at the founding that these basic natural rights outlined by Madison were granted by our Creator and thus no mere mortal could take them away. And first among these is the First Amendment which recognizes that most basic of our natural rights: the right to express ourselves in any way we wish.

Ron Paul in 2012. Photo: David Carlyon.

CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.

"Unfortunately the US government has not always been in accord with this sentiment and has many times in our history been at war with our freedom of speech. From the alien and sedition acts at the beginning of our republic to Abraham Lincoln’s war on speech to the jailing of antiwar activists during both World Wars to Kent State, the political class is all for free speech unless it is threatening to the political class.

"Recently a new front has been opened in the war on free speech ... one that Americans must take seriously. On university campuses across the country students – both American and foreign guests – have taken to protesting US support for Israel’s actions in Gaza, where tens of thousands of innocent civilians have been killed. The political class in the United States is determined to defend Israel from its critics and has responded to these protests by threatening and blackmailing the universities if they do not crack down on speech the powers-that-be do not like. 

"Both Presidents Biden and Trump have used the power of US government funding to demand a crackdown on speech they don’t like, with President Trump recently pulling 400 million dollars in federal funding for Columbia University if they don’t silence the protesters. The real scandal is that nearly every US university – both public and “private” – is government funded in the first place. But for politicians to use the power of the purse to deny students the right to express themselves – as long as peaceful – just adds insult to injury.

"Last week a Turkish PhD student at Tufts University was arrested on the street by plainclothes government agents for reportedly simply writing an editorial in her university newspaper expressing her views on the Israel/Palestine conflict. She faces deportation from the country. And she is not alone. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has openly bragged about sending hundreds of students home because they express a political position he disagrees with. Others – including American citizens – have been expelled from their schools and have even had their degrees rescinded. For peacefully expressing a political position that powerful people in Washington disagree with.

"You may also [disagree] with the political position of these students. But to cheer their punishment by the US government is to turn your back on the founding principles of this country. Freedom of speech is a natural right not reserved for American citizens but for all of humanity. And it has been a natural right worth defending for nearly 250 years.

"First they came for foreign students expressing controversial positions and many Americans cheered because they were not foreign and did not like the opinions. But make no mistake: this war on speech will not end with only foreigners being punished. It never does."

Copyright © 2025 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.

Read more: https://ronpaulinstitute.org/free-speech-is-worth-fighting-for/ 

Canadian who stole Freedom Convoy donor info arrested over 2021 Texas GOP hack

Aubrey Cottle, the Oshawa website administrator who claimed responsibility for the 2022 computer hack of GiveSendGo's Freedom Convoy donor information, has been charged with a similar hack of the Texas GOP in 2021. 

Canadian Freedom Convoy donations hacker arrested for U.S. cyberattack on GOP | The Counter Signal | TCS Wire:

March 31, 2025 -"The Canadian hacker who claimed responsibility for leaking Freedom Convoy donor data in 2022 has been arrested following charges filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. 

Aubrey Cottle. X screenshot.

"On Friday, March 28th, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas announced the charges against Canadian left-wing hacktivist and self-proclaimed founder of 'Anonymous', Aubrey Cottle, 37 of Oshawa, Ontario.... He was arrested Wednesday by Canadian authorities and faces criminal charges both in Canada and the U.S. 

"The unsealed complaint in the Western District of Texas accuses Cottle of using illegal means to access a backup of the Texas GOP server containing sensitive personal information. The stolen data was exposed online, where prosecutors alleged Cottle also took credit openly via social media.

"Cottle also claimed responsibility for hacking the Christian donor site GiveSendGo in February of 2022. The hack, similar to his Texas GOP stunt, was intended to leak donor information, including names, addresses and donations amounts, leading to widespread harassment of donors. Cottle admitted to the hack on an unhinged TikTok livestream, resurfacing on X since his arrest broke to the public....  

"[I]n 2021 during an interview with Vice News, Cottle admitted to being involved in the 2008 Anonymous attack on the Epilepsy Foundation’s website where the hacker created flashing animations used to target users with photosensitive epilepsy....

"Cottle has been charged with unlawfully transferring, possessing, or using a means of identification to commit or aid unlawful activity. If convicted, he could face a sentence of up to five years in prison."
Read more: https://thecountersignal.com/canadian-freedom-convoy-donations-hacker-arrested-for-u-s-cyberattack-on-gop/

OPP charge Oshawa suspect in cyber crimes investigation | Durham Radio News:

March 31, 2025 - "OPP [Ontario Provincial Police] aren’t saying much about a cyber crimes investigation that led to charges against an Oshawa resident. The case is under a publication ban.... Aubrey Cottle, 37, is charged with mischief to computer data, unauthorized use of a computer and possession of a device to obtain unauthorized use of a computer. The accused remains in custody and is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Oshawa on March 31, 2025."
Read more: https://www.durhamradionews.com/archives/195774

Oshawa man linked to Anonymous facing charges in Canada and U.S. after internet hack targeting Texas Republican Party | Toronto Star | Calvi Leon:

April 1, 2025 - "A GTA man known for his alleged ties to the notorious hacktivist collective Anonymous is facing charges in Canada and the United States stemming from a 2021 data breach targeting the Texas Republican Party. Aubrey Cottle ... who goes by the online alias 'Kirtaner' ... appeared in court in Oshawa on Tuesday morning. None of the allegations have been tested in court.

"Cottle, who describes himself on social media as the founder of Anonymous, was reportedly involved in the data breach targeting the Christian crowdfunding site that raised money for the so-called 'Freedom Convoy' in early 2022.... During the protests, the names and personal details of donors to the GiveSendGo convoy crowdfunding campaign were breached and shared across the internet. According to Vice, Cottle admitted on the social media platform TikTok that he was responsible for the attack.

"'Yes, I doxxed the truckers, I did it, it was me, I hacked GiveSendGo baby, and I’d do it again,' Cottle yelled in a TikTok livestream on his account. 'I’d do it a hundred times. I did it. I did it. Come at me. What are you going to do, what are you going to do to me, ha?'...

"When OPP executed a search warrant at Cottle’s home, they seized more than 20 terabytes of data, including correspondence from his email address in February 2021 that claimed he had access to Epik’s networks, customer virtual machines, web domains and customer data. The email told the unknown recipient to “delete this message after reading'.... Court documents do not specify when OPP searched Cottle’s home. In 2022, he told CyberScoop that OPP had raided his home and took 'all my equipment' on Aug. 30 of that year. Cottle said a police detective told him the FBI was involved."
Read more: https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/oshawa-man-linked-to-anonymous-facing-charges-in-canada-and-u-s-after-internet-hack/article_5aa7503d-3c57-48b2-90f9-a8d9358a8408.html

Liberal MP drops out of election race

Liberal MP Paul Chiang, who called for bounty hunters to hand over a Conservative candidate to the Chinese government, has withdrawn his candidacy after Prime Minister Mark Carney refused to remove him. 

'PERSON OF INTEGRITY': Carney defends Liberal who wanted to turn in Conservative candidate to CCP | Western Standard | Jen Hodgson:

March 31, 2025 - "Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday morning vehemently defended Liberal MP Paul Chiang, who called for a Conservative candidate to be handed over to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). A total of 13 Hong Kong-Canadian advocacy groups have demanded Carney remove Chiang from running in the federal election, citing the danger of endorsing a CCP bounty on a Canadian.... [Don Valley North] Conservative candidate Joe Tay ... is wanted by Hong Kong authorities, under the power of Beijing, for running a pro-democracy YouTube channel in Canada....

"'The comments were deeply offensive, terrible,' said Carney. 'This is a terrible lapse of judgment by Mr. Chiang. He has apologized for those comments.... This is a regrettable situation. However, he will continue with his campaign.... He's made those apologies, he's made them directly to the individual concerned, he's made them directly to me, he has my confidence,' said Carney. 'I view this as a teachable moment.'"
Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/news/person-of-integrity-carney-defends-liberal-who-wanted-to-turn-in-conservative-candidate-to-ccp/63581

Mark Carney won’t fire controversial candidate Paul Chiang | CBC News: The National | March 31, 2025:

Liberal candidate Paul Chiang 'standing aside' following backlash | Western Standard | Jarryd Jäger:

April 1, 2025 - "Paul Chiang has announced that he will no longer be running as the Liberal candidate for Markham-Unionville. The now-former MP's move comes following backlash over his decision to encourage people to turn Conservative candidate Joe Tay in to the Chinese Communist Party....

"Chiang wrote in a statement posted to X.... [that[ 'this is a uniquely important election with so much at stake for Canadians,' and that 'as the Prime Minister and Team Canada work to stand up to President Trump and protect our economy, I do not want there to be distractions in this critical moment. That's why I'm standing aside as our 2025 candidate in our community of Markham-Unionville.'"
Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/news/breaking-liberal-candidate-paul-chiang-standing-aside-following-backlash/63622

Chiang's statement on X | March 31, 2025, 11:55 pm: