Ron Paul: Can Trump secure a Deal with Iran?

After five years of futile negotiations between the U.S. and Iran over the latter's nuclear enrichment program, it's time for President Trump to use his vaunted dealmaking powers.

Take the Deal, President Trump | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

May 26, 2025 - "Deal-making is said to be President Trump’s specialty, yet after five rounds of indirect talks with Iran – most recently just days ago – we seem as far away from an agreement as ever. The fifth round ended last Friday with no breakthrough, but at least no breakdown. However, each day that passes without a document signed on the table is another day for the neocons to maneuver the US president toward an attack on Iran.

"One way the war party does this is to continuously move the goal posts and change the rules of the game. Trump envoy Steve Witkoff, under great pressure from the neocons, has himself signaled at least three position-shifts: from no enrichment at all, to low-level enrichment for civilian uses, back to no enrichment at all.

"The neocons know that Iran will not give up its right to the civilian use of nuclear power and that is why they are applying maximum pressure to force Trump to officially adopt that position. They know if that becomes the US 'red line' then they will win and they will get their war.

"Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, in league with US neocons, has been warning us for 20 years that Iran is “months away” from a nuclear weapon – even though our own Intelligence Community recently re-affirmed that Iran is not working on a nuclear weapon at all.

"Of course this is the same Netanyahu who promised Congress in 2002 if the US would just invade Iraq, peace and prosperity would break out in the Middle East. 'If you take out Saddam, Saddam’s regime,' he told Congress in March of that year, 'I guarantee you that it will have enormous positive reverberations on the region.' We know how that worked out.

"Poll after poll shows that the American people are tired of intervention and tired of Middle East wars. President Trump himself recognized this in his scathing rebuke of neocons and interventionists during a recent speech in Saudi Arabia. But rebuke in a speech is not enough. President Trump must actively turn away from the neocons – many of whom are prominent in his own administration.

"The recent US debacle in Yemen – where billions were wasted, civilians killed, and US military equipment destroyed – is just a taste of what the US would be in for if the neocons get their way and take us to war with Iran.

"The Iranian foreign minister laid down in the simplest terms how the impasse could be solved, posting on X that, 'Zero nuclear weapons = we DO have a deal; Zero enrichment = we do NOT have a deal.'

"My own preference is non-intervention and I do not believe Iran has the desire or the ability to militarily harm the United States. I share President Trump’s view that it would be far better to re-establish relations with Iran and begin mutually beneficial trade with the country. But if a mutually acceptable nuclear deal is the best way to take the neocon war with Iran off the table, then a deal is worth supporting.

"President Trump should make his position clear to his negotiators: no more waffling or contradictions, get this agreement signed and put one in the 'win' column."

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.

https://ronpaulinstitute.org/take-the-deal-president-trump/

King opens Parliament – Canadians don't care

In an historic first, King Charles III flew to Ottawa this week to open Canada's new Parliament and read the Throne Speech. More than four out of five Canadians polled said they didn't care. 

Royally Indifferent: 83 per cent of Canadians say they ‘don’t care’ that King Charles will deliver throne speech | Angus Reid Institute: (news release):

May 26, 2025 – "While Prime Minister Mark Carney’s now-accepted invitation to King Charles to read the throne speech opening Canada’s 45th parliament may have been politically intended to leave U.S. President Donald Trump gobsmacked, Canadians themselves are raising little more than an arched eyebrow at the visit. A new public opinion poll from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute shows a whopping 83 per cent of Canadians say they are 'indifferent' or 'don’t care' about the monarch’s historic visit, where Charles will read the throne speech – which will outline the Carney government’s priorities for the upcoming parliamentary session....

"This week’s official visit to Canada by King Charles III represents a mixture of realpolitik, the unprecedented and the ordinary. It is Charles’ 20th visit to Canada, but his first as monarch. The occasion also marks the first time in 47 years that the sovereign has read a Canadian speech from the throne.   

"As to the motivations of the invitation to His Majesty, political symbolism appears to trump (pun intended) domestic desire.... Prime Minister Mark Carney has leaned heavily into invoking U.S. President Donald Trump’s infatuation with the British (and Canadian) royal family.... Domestically however, Canadians are less enchanted by the pomp, circumstance and mysticism of the crown and its accoutrements. Views of individual royals, along with the monarchy, have been steadily declining over time in this country.... 

"More Canadians say it’s a 'good thing' (37%) rather than a 'bad thing' (23%) that the king is opening parliament. It should be noted however, that a plurality (40%) say they 'aren’t sure' quite what to make of the whole endeavour.... 

"It’s rare that four-in-five Canadians agree on anything. But they are largely united in their ambivalence towards the king’s visit to Canada to open parliament. Apathy appears to rule even among those who see positives in Charles’ visit. A majority of those who describe the fact the King is delivering the throne speech as a 'good thing' also describe themselves as indifferent to the proceedings....

"The Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey from May 20-23, 2025, among a randomized sample of 1,685 Canadian adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum. The sample was weighted to be representative of adults nationwide according to region, gender, age, household income, and education, based on the Canadian census. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20."

Read more: https://angusreid.org/king-charles-throne-speech-canada/

Chris Barber petitions court for stay of proceedings

Chris Barber, who has been convicted and could be imprisoned for his part in organizing the 2022 Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa, is petitioning the court to stay proceedings before sentencing. 

Barber testifies to have Freedom Convoy charges dropped | Western Standard | Jen Hodgson:

May 21, 2025 - "Freedom Convoy organizer Chris Barber [was] in court [May 21] for hearings related to a Stay of Proceedings application in an attempt to have his charges dropped.... Ontario Justice Heather Perkins-McVey found Barber and co-organizer Tamara Lich guilty of mischief for their involvement in the peaceful protest in Ottawa in January and February of 2022. The decision [was] released on April 3.... Diane Magas, Barber’s lawyer, filed the stay application on April 16, arguing Barber had sought legal advice during the time of the protest and acted in good faith with local authorities.

"Barber in his application argued 'the legal advice given to him … during the Freedom Convoy was erroneous and that, as a result, the Crown is not entitled to convict him,' said the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF).... The application was filed one day after Barber learned the sentence the Crown was pursuing: two years in prison and the confiscation of Big Red [his truck].... If the judge approves the stay application, Barber will not go to prison, nor will his truck be seized."
Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/news/barber-testifies-to-have-freedom-convoy-charges-dropped/64917

Will Chris Barber be jailed for peacefully protesting? Court to decide soon | Justice Center for Constitutional Freedoms (news release): 

Big Red, courtesy Chris Barber/JCCF.

May 20, 2025 ""Mr. Barber’s legal team ... argue that he followed the advice of officials and the police in good faith during the protest and that the charges should be stayed despite his conviction for mischief and for counselling others to breach a court order on April 3, 2025. 

"In court documents submitted to the judge, the Crown claims that there is no merit to Mr. Barber’s Application and that it should be thrown out. The Crown argues that he knowingly broke the law during the peaceful Freedom Convoy protest. The Crown is also demanding that Mr. Barber’s primary source of income, his 2004 Kenworth long haul truck, called 'Big Red,' be seized and forfeited to His Majesty the King.

"If Justice Heather Perkins-McVey of the Ontario Court of Justice grants the Application, sentencing would not proceed, and the charges would be stayed.... Diane Magas, Mr. Barber’s lawyer, explained that an 'officially induced error defence' is rarely used but that it is an appropriate defence in the particular circumstances of this case....

"'To imprison a man who sought and followed legal advice would bring the administration of justice into disrepute,' stated John Carpay, President of the Justice Centre. 'Mr. Barber consistently followed the legal advice that he received from police officers, lawyers, and a Superior Court judge.'"
Read more: https://www.jccf.ca/will-chris-barber-be-jailed-for-peacefully-protesting-court-to-decide-soon/

Freedom Convoy organizer acquitted on all counts

Harold Jonker, Niagara region 'road captain' for the 2022 Freedom Convoy — who was charged with four counts of mischief and intimidation more than a year after the protest was over — was acquitted this week on all counts.  

Judge rules Crown did not prove any criminal wrongdoing by Niagara business owner Harold Jonker. JCCF photo. 

Freedom Convoy victory: Trucker Harold Jonker cleared of all charges in Ontario court | Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (news release):

May 20, 2025 - "The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms is pleased to announce that Harold Jonker, a trucking company owner, has been acquitted on all charges related to his peaceful involvement in the 2022 Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa. The decision was delivered today by Justice Kevin B. Phillips of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. 

"Mr. Jonker, a trucker from West Lincoln in Ontario’s Niagara region, joined the Freedom Convoy as a 'road captain' for the Niagara contingent and arrived in Ottawa on January 28, 2022. He remained in the capital for three weeks. During that time, he parked his vehicle along Coventry Road — away from the downtown — and was not fined or charged with any offences while in the city. 

"Fifteen months after the protest ended, in May 2023, police charged Mr. Jonker with mischief, counselling mischief, intimidation, and counselling intimidation. The allegations included that he helped organize and lead part of the Convoy, and that multiple trucks affiliated with his business, Jonker Trucking Inc., were present in downtown Ottawa during the protest. 

"Mr. Jonker’s trial took place from May 12 to 14, 2025, before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Ottawa. The Crown presented four witnesses, including two police officers and two civilians. In delivering his oral judgment on May 20, 2025, Justice Phillips addressed two main themes advanced by the Crown. 

"First, the Crown argued that interviews given by Mr. Jonker during and after the protest amounted to counselling mischief. However, Justice Phillips found that Mr. Jonker was treated by interviewers like ... someone describing events as he witnessed them. While supportive of the protest, Mr. Jonker’s words were expressions of opinion, not incitement to unlawful action. 

"Second, the Crown alleged that Mr. Jonker was responsible for Jonker Trucking vehicles that were observed in the downtown core. But the Court found insufficient evidence to show that Mr. Jonker had control over those trucks. Justice Phillips noted that, in Crown-submitted videos, Mr. Jonker explicitly stated that his own truck was parked in a yard, not downtown. Furthermore, the Crown offered no evidence ... that could prove Mr. Jonker had authority over vehicles belonging to the company. 

"Justice Phillips concluded that while the broader Freedom Convoy could be seen as a collective act of mischief, the Crown had failed to prove that Mr. Jonker was guilty of any of the charges beyond a reasonable doubt. 

"Constitutional lawyer Chris Fleury welcomed the decision, stating, 'Harold and I are elated with the outcome of his case. We agree with the trial judge that the Crown had not proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt'.... Mr. Jonker expressed his gratitude, stating, 'We are very thankful for the excellent legal support provided by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, and thankful that the judge saw through the Crown’s weak case and had the courage to do the right thing.'” 

For media inquiries, please contact media@jccf.ca. 

Read more: https://www.jccf.ca/freedom-convoy-victory-trucker-harold-jonker-cleared-of-all-charges-in-ontario-court/

Ron Paul: USA needs to rein in military spending

Cutting spending wasted on a futile pursuit of a global empire is not just a fiscal necessity. It is also the best thing Congress can do to promote peace and prosperity.

Cutting Military Spending Would Make for a Big and Beautiful Bill | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

May 19, 2025 - "Last week, Moody’s Ratings lowered the United States credit rating. Fitch Ratings and S&P Global Ratings had already lowered the US rating. This new downgrade was driven by Congress’s failure to make any efforts to reduce the almost 37 trillion dollars national debt. When Moody’s made its announcement, the House Budget Committee was scrambling to get the votes to pass legislation extending the 2017 tax cuts.

"President Trump has dubbed this the “big beautiful bill.” The bill also has new tax cuts including repealing federal taxes on tips and overtime. The bill 'offsets' the 'lost' revenue from the cuts by making some cost saving reforms in domestic welfare programs, most notably Medicaid and food stamps. However, it increases spending in other areas, most notably military spending.

"According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, the 'big beautiful bill' would increase the national debt by at least 3.3 trillion dollars over ten years. This number is likely to rise because several moderate Republicans are threatening to vote against the bill unless the Medicaid and food stamps 'reforms' are limited or dropped.

"Tax cuts are always worth supporting because they advance liberty and sound economics by ensuring the people have more and the government has less. However, tax cuts that are not combined with real spending cuts are delayed tax increases. This is because cutting taxes without cutting spending leads to more debt that leads to higher taxes. These tax increases are likely to come from the Federal Reserve’s monetization of debt, which weakens the dollar’s purchasing power. This 'inflation tax' benefits political and financial elites while hurting most Americans.

"The reason Republicans are finding it difficult to offset their tax plan in a way that is politically palatable is that they are following exactly the opposite of the politically smart path to cut spending. Instead of starting by cutting welfare for the poor, Republicans should have started by cutting welfare for the rich, particularly the military-industrial complex.

"Last week, while visiting the Middle East, President Trump delivered an important speech refuting the neocon crusade that has dominated American foreign policy thinking since 9-11. Yet, President Trump is proposing to increase the military budget to one trillion dollars.

"President Trump and congressional Republicans will never cut spending until they stop pretending they can pay down the national debt, cut taxes, and continue massive spending on militarism. Similarly, fiscal conservatives need to stop targeting single mothers on food stamps while increasing federal spending on foreign intervention.

"The debt that caused Moody’s and other credit rating agencies to lower the US government’s credit rating is because of spending, not tax cuts. Congress should be giving the people more tax cuts and offsetting them with deep cuts in military spending. Cutting spending wasted on a futile pursuit of a global empire is not just a fiscal necessity. It is also the best thing Congress can do to promote peace and prosperity. Congress should then begin phasing out welfare programs in a manner that does not harm those currently reliant on the programs. Congress should also rein in the welfare-warfare state’s great enabler by auditing then ending the Federal Reserve. It should also repeal the 16th Amendment. These actions would free the people from 1913’s great mistakes — fiat money and income taxes."

Read more: https://ronpaulinstitute.org/cutting-military-spending-would-make-for-a-big-and-beautiful-bill/

Carney bypasses Parliament to spend $70 Billion

Since taking power, Prime Minister Mark Carney has authorized more than $70 billion in spending without parliamentary approval, by using "special warrants" normally reserved for emergencies.  

Carney is already steamrolling basic constraints on power | National Post | Tristin Hopper:

May 16, 2025 - "Only two months into the job, Prime Minister Mark Carney is already steamrolling through the usual checks by which a Canadian government is supposed to spend and manage taxpayer money. During the federal election, Carney greenlit a record $70 billion without Parliamentary approval. And now, even before the House of Commons has reconvened, his government has signalled its intentions not to publish a budget. With both actions, the new Liberal government has neutered one of the reasons Canada has a Parliament in the first place: To review and manage the disbursement of money....

Mark Carney at World Economic Forum, Davos, 2010. 

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

"During his brief tenure, Carney has already used his executive authority to request two disbursements of money outside the federal government’s usual spending channels. On April 1, Carney was granted an order-in-council releasing $40.3 billion in emergency funds. The second, granted on May 2, was for $33.1 billion.

"The orders alone are not unprecedented: There’s long been a provision for the Governor General to release emergency funds to keep the lights on during a federal election. It’s called a 'special warrant'; an emergency dispensation of money 'urgently required for the public good.'

"Where Carney took the provision into uncharted territory is in the sheer scale of money, $73.4 billion, that he released via special warrants without the figures being approved by the House of Commons. In the snap election of 2011, by contrast, it only took $24.5 billion in special warrants to keep the federal government operational. The 2008 election required no special warrants.... 

"On the issue of a federal budget, Carney is also not violating any written rules in refusing to produce one. He’ll simply be breaking with more than a century of Parliamentary precedent in tabling multi-billion-dollar appropriations bills before the House of Commons with few specifics as to his government’s wider fiscal plans.

"It’s been more than five months since the federal government has actually approved funding the way it’s supposed to: Via an itemized 'money bill' that is approved in a vote by the House of Commons. The last one, for $21.6 billion, was passed on Dec. 10.... The Dec. 10 appropriations bill ... only covers four months of government spending.... There have been periods in Canadian history where the country has gone more than a year without a federal budget. But there were always extenuating circumstances. The most obvious being the failure to table a federal budget in 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the midst of the Second World War, similarly, the feds went a then-record 482 days between budget presentations.

"But what hasn’t really happened before is a government refusing to table a budget in the immediate aftermath of a contentious federal election resulting in a hung parliament.... Conservative MP Mike Lake noted that the Tories had a budget ready only five weeks after their victory in the 2011 general election. Wrote Lake, 'it is entirely unacceptable for this new Carney Liberal government not to present a budget at this time of fiscal chaos caused by the previous Liberal government.'"

Read more: https://nationalpost.com/opinion/carney-is-already-steamrolling-basic-constraints-on-power

Two provincial gov'ts question equalization formula

The government of Newfoundland and Labrador supports the Alberta premier's call for changes to the federal government's equalization formula.

Per Capita Equalization Payments to Provinces 2018-2019 ($millions). Courtesy Fairness Alberta.

Newfoundland Liberal gov backs Smith’s call for equalization rethink | The Counter-Signal | Quinn Patrick:

May 10, 2025 - "Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has garnered the support of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Liberal government for a reset on how the federal government distributes equalization payments. 

"Smith has called on Alberta to stop subsidizing provinces with productive economies like Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia.... 'That was never the intent of equalization, and it needs to end,' said Smith.

"Spokesperson for Newfoundland’s Liberal government Greg Gill responded by telling the National Post that he agreed with Smith’s sentiment on Thursday. 'Equalization is intended to ensure … fairness for all citizens. Currently, this fairness is not achieved for Newfoundland and Labrador,' said Gill.

"[Gill] said the equalization program hurts residents by negating the high cost of delivering services to the remote areas of the sparsely populated province.... Additionally, he argued that the program currently penalizes the province for developing offshore oil and its other natural resources.

"Last year, Newfoundland filed a court challenge against the federal program on the basis that it doesn’t make good on its constitutional purpose. The lawsuit seeks relief over several issues: the exclusion of service delivery costs in payment calculations, the fiscal capacity cap, the inequitable distribution of excess equalization program funding and the gross domestic product growth ceiling....

"Smith said in March that Alberta would no longer agree to 'subsidizing other large provinces who are fully capable of funding themselves.'

"Of the $26.17 billion in equalization payments earmarked for 2025-26, Quebec and Ontario will take the lion’s share for a combined $14.15 billion. Quebec alone will get $13.57 billion.

"On Monday Smith called for Albertans to begin receiving equitable per capita federal transfers and equalization payments at the same rate as Ontario, Quebec and B.C."

Read more: https://www.thecountersignal.com/p/newfoundland-liberal-gov-backs-smiths

Trump revisits a changed Middle East

President Donald Trump's return visit this week is to a Middle East that has changed dramatically since his first-term trip seven years ago. 

Trump plane 001, 2011, courtesy IowaPolitics.com. CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons.

What Will Trump Find in the Middle East This Week? | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

May 12, 2025 - "President Trump’s return to the Middle East this week, the first since his first-term 2017 visit, will take place amidst great turmoil. It is a region that bears little resemblance to  the Middle East of 2017 and it appears, at least from media reporting this past week, that the Trump Administration has some understanding of this reality.

"Syria has been over-run and is now controlled by the same al-Qaeda that the US government supposedly spent 20 years fighting in the 'war on terror.' Violence against religious and ethnic minorities has, predictably, exploded under the 'rule' of a self-proclaimed Syrian president who until very recently was on the US 'most wanted' terrorist list.

"After the October 7, 2023, Hamas raid [on Israel], Gaza has been reduced to rubble and turned into a humanitarian catastrophe. Tens of thousands of civilians have been killed and perhaps another million face starvation. US bombs and financial aid have facilitated the utter destruction of Gaza.

"Iran has made peace with Saudi Arabia thanks to Chinese mediation and is deepening its ties with the Kingdom. Thus, the US has little leverage in talks with the two former enemies.

"Israel is conducting military operations against several countries in the region simultaneously as the world increasingly condemns its aggression against its neighbors.

"After tearing up the JCPOA nuclear deal with Iran in his first term, President Trump is pushing for a new deal with Iran while threatening to attack if negotiations do not produce the results he demands.

"Massively increased US military action against the Houthis in Yemen starting in March did not result in their capitulation to US demands. Despite attempting to put the best spin on things, it is clear that the US retreated from the region in the face of a series of successful Yemeni actions in defense of their homeland. Biden and then Trump launched attacks against Yemen on behalf of Israel, but in the end the US president wisely removed US military assets from the area and called off the bombing.

"In short, President Trump will be wading into a minefield this week, but it is a peril that the US government has largely brought upon itself. Decades of US interventionism, from at least the 2003 Iraq war, have not produced the peaceful transformation of the region, as promised by the neocons and their mentor, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. From the unnecessary Iraq war – based on lies – to the destruction of Libya and Syria and countless other interventions, the Middle East is a basket case.

"And it turns out none of it actually helped Israel at all! Having ignited the tinder box of the region with US backing, Israel has now found itself friendless in a region increasingly hostile to its policies and even its very existence. Now there are indications that the Trump Administration is tiring of this entangling alliance as the MAGA base looks more warily on foreign interventionism.

"The lesson that President Trump should take with him is that to a large degree it has been US interventionism in the Middle East that has produced these poisoned fruits. His wise military disengagement from the Houthis in Yemen should serve as a US model for the region. Ties forged by trade and friendship produce peace and prosperity and are far preferable to endless neocon war cries."

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/what-will-trump-find-in-the-middle-east-this-week/

Singh delayed election to keep Liberals in power

Jagmeet Singh admits that a main reason he delayed a federal election was to prevent the Conservatives from forming a government.

Singh admits he delayed election to block Conservative majority | The Counter Signal | Clayton DeMaine, True North:

Apr 25, 2025 - "NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh claimed one of the main reasons he propped up the Liberal government and delayed the election was because he 'couldn’t stomach' a Conservative majority. During a press conference in Toronto on Friday, just days before the Monday election, Singh revealed that although for a few months, the NDP was projected to surpass the Liberals and thus become the official opposition, he chose to support the Liberals to prevent a Conservative government.

Jagmeet Singh in 2018. 

Yvonne Bambrick, Wikimedia Commona.

“'I could not stomach the idea of Pierre, Poilievre’s conservatives forming a majority government, I knew that was gonna be bad,' Singh said. 'I knew that was gonna be bad because of their cuts, because of their division, because the things they wanted, and I did not want to let that happen.'

"He said he also continued to prop up the Liberals despite the majority of Canadians wanting an election and for Trudeau to be ousted because he wanted Canadians to see the benefits of pharmacare and dental care before casting a ballot.

"Reporters asked him if his devotion to preventing Conservatives from getting into power and ensuring the Liberals do get in was the new purpose of his party, but Singh 'rejected the framing' of the question....

“I think what Poilievre and the Conservatives are proposing are incredibly dangerous. He wants to cut and slash the things that people need. He wants to divide our country in ways that I think are really, really troublesome,” Singh said. “He wants to slash and cut CBC when we need independent public journalism…he wants to do a lot of dangerous things.'

"Singh denied that he delayed the election to get his pension and said Poilievre will get a bigger pension than him but doesn’t believe people should have pensions. The Conservative platform includes a commitment to maintaining the eligibility age for the Canadian Pension Plan, increasing tax-free savings for seniors by $10,000 and extending the age at which seniors can withdraw from the Registered Retirement Savings Plans....

"One reporter asked him why Singh had been dancing and partying while his party’s support crumbles around him. Singh said in tough times one can 'either laugh or cry.'"

Read more: https://www.thecountersignal.com/p/singh-admits-he-delayed-election

Canadian Conservative's relatives detained in Hong Kong

Relatives of former Conservative candidate Joe Tay, a Canadian citizen with a bounty placed on his head by the Hong Kong government, were reportedly taken in for questioning by the national security police. 

Relatives of Tory Candidate and Activist Joe Tay Taken for Questioning by Hong Kong Police, Local Media Say | Epoch Times | Carolina Avendano:

May 8, 2025 - "Relatives of Conservative candidate and Hong Kong democracy activist Joe Tay were reportedly taken in for questioning by Hong Kong national security police, according to local media. The National Security Department took both Tay’s cousin and the cousin’s wife from their home in the Fo Tan area of Hong Kong to a police station on the morning of May 8 to assist with an investigation, according to government-owned Radio Television Hong Kong.

Joe Tay in 2014. CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Digital Broadcasting Corp. Hong Kong Ltd.

"Tay, a Canadian citizen who ran as a Tory candidate in the federal election, is one of several outspoken pro-democracy activists targeted by Hong Kong authorities. International bounties have been issued for Tay and several other activists.... Hong Kong authorities issued a warrant and offered a HK$1 million bounty (nearly CA$180,000) for Tay’s arrest in December 2024. Hong Kong officials have accused him of two offences: 'incitement to secession' and 'collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security.' The Epoch Times sought comment from Tay but didn’t hear back by publication time....

"[N]on-governmental human rights organization ... Hong Kong Watch also expressed concern about reports involving Tay’s relatives. 'The Hong Kong government is intensifying its campaign of Transnational Repression,' wrote the group in a May 8 social media post. 'Governments must act to protect diaspora activists now.'

"Tay’s situation drew national attention during Canada’s election campaign after it was reported that Paul Chiang, then an incumbent Liberal candidate for the Ontario riding of Markham-Unionville, had suggested Tay, his Conservative rival, be handed over to the Toronto Chinese consulate to collect the bounty placed on him. Chiang later issued an apology, calling his comments a 'complete lapse of judgment,' and promising to 'continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Hong Kong in their fight to safeguard their human rights and freedoms.' 

"Tay ... said ... that the situation left him fearing for his safety.... He added he had previously contacted the RCMP about his personal protection. 'Threats like these are the tradecraft of the Chinese Communist Party to interfere in Canada,' he said in a March 31 statement. 'And they are not just aimed at me. They are intended to send a chilling signal to the entire community in order to force compliance with Beijing’s political goals.'"

Read more: https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/relatives-of-tory-candidate-and-activist-joe-tay-taken-for-questioning-by-hong-kong-police-local-media-say-5854615

Hong Kong police take in relatives of wanted activist Joe Tay for questioning | Hong Kong Free Press | Hillary Leung:

May 8, 2025 - "A total of 19 overseas activists are wanted by Hong Kong national security police, including ex-student leader Nathan Law and lawmakers Ted Hui and Dennis Kwok. Police are offering HK$1 million for information related to them. Officers have also taken in a number of the activists’ family members for questioning as part of their investigations. Last week, police charged a relative of a wanted activist for the first time. Anna Kwok’s father, Kwok Yin-sang, was said to breached Article 23 – Hong Kong’s homegrown security law – by attempting to obtain funds from a life and personal accident insurance policy that belonged to her.  Anna Kwok, the executive director of the US-based Hong Kong Democracy Council, is accused of foreign collusion....

"In June 2020, Beijing inserted national security legislation directly into Hong Kong’s mini-constitution – bypassing the local legislature – following a year of pro-democracy protests and unrest. It criminalised subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts, which were broadly defined to include disruption to transport and other infrastructure. The move gave police sweeping new powers, alarming democrats, civil society groups and trade partners, as such laws have been used broadly to silence and punish dissidents in China. However, the authorities say it has restored stability and peace to the city."

Read more: https://hongkongfp.com/2025/05/08/hong-kong-police-take-in-relatives-of-wanted-activist-joe-tay-for-questioning/

Don't use tariffs to fund income tax cuts

It's folly to use tariffs to fund income tax cuts, warns Ron Paul. Tax cuts require spending cuts.

Tariff and Spend | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

May 5, 2025 -"President Trump has proposed using the revenue from his increased tariffs to lower or even eliminate income taxes — with a priority on removing Americans making less than 200,000 dollars a year from the tax rolls. Exempting more Americans from income taxes — and lowering taxes on other Americans— is certainly a worthwhile endeavor. However, replacing income taxes with tariffs may have negative consequences for the very Americans President Trump wants to help.

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

"Replacing with tariffs what the government raises from income taxes may require raising tariffs even higher than President Trump’s 'liberation' tariffs. This would cause more price increases and encourage other governments to retaliate by raising their tariffs, further disrupting supply chains and leading to even higher prices and shortages. The negative impacts of tariffs could dwarf the benefits of lower, or even no, income taxes.

"Consumers can try to avoid tariffs on goods. Massive avoidance of tariffs could lead to the imposing of higher tariffs or new taxes. The reason politicians must play the game of 'offsetting' tax reductions with tax increases is they refuse to make meaningful reductions in government spending. The politicians’ favorite tax is the Federal Reserve’s inflation tax because it is hidden. It is also regressive, making it the worst type of tax.

"The media and big spenders in both parties are screaming about how President Trump’s budget proposal contains large reductions in federal spending. However, even if all of President Trump’s 163 billion dollars of proposed cuts are enacted in law, the federal government will still spend about 1.7 trillion dollars next year in its 'discretionary' budget. The cuts would be less than eight percent.

"While President Trump is proposing many necessary cuts in federal agencies and programs, including those concerning the use of taxpayer money to promote 'wokeness,' his budget increases military spending to around a trillion dollars. It also makes no changes to Social Security or Medicare. This means President Trump’s supposed radical spending plan does not reduce spending on three of the four largest items in the federal budget. The fourth is interest payments on the national debt, which Congress cannot reduce except by cutting spending.

"Of course, it is unlikely that all, or even most, of President Trump’s spending cuts will be enacted into law. Prominent Republicans have already announced opposition to some of President Trump’s spending cuts. Some Republican defense hawks, including the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, have criticized President Trump’s budget plan for not spending enough on the military!

"The truth is that, if the president and Congress were serious about cutting spending, they would start by slashing the Pentagon’s budget. Very little of the military spending actually goes to defending the American people. Instead, much military spending goes to maintaining a global empire and lining the pockets of the military-industrial complex. Does anyone believe the safety of Americans depends on the US government maintaining over 700 military bases abroad?

"The fiscal crisis facing America is rooted in a larger philosophic crisis. Too many Americans have embraced the notion that the US government has the moral right and competence to run the economy, run the world, and even run our lives. This system will not change until a critical mass of people embrace the ideas of liberty. Those of us who know the truth must do all we can to spread the message of liberty, 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/tariff-and-spend/

AB gov't challenging federal Net-Zero regulations

The Alberta government is adding a constitutional challenge of the interim Net Zero regulations to the multiple court challenges they have filed against the federal government.

 

Danielle Smith in 2011. Photo by Dave Cournoyer. CC BY-SA 2/0, Wikimedia Commons.

Alberta to Challenge Constitutionality of Ottawa’s Net-Zero Electricity Regulations | Epoch Times | Carolina Avendano:

May 1, 2025 - "Alberta is taking Ottawa to the province’s Court of Appeal over the federal government’s net-zero electricity regulations, arguing the rules overstep provincial jurisdiction and could drive up costs while increasing the risk of power outages. The province announced the legal action during a press conference on May 1, where Premier Danielle Smith described it as 'another step to protect Albertans’ livelihoods' from federal policies the province says 'threaten' the reliability of its electrical grid and could increase electricity prices by 35 percent....

"The Clean Electricity Regulations are part of Ottawa’s plan to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. They set limits on carbon dioxide emissions for generation units that use fossil fuels, with the stated aim of achieving a low-carbon economy 'at the pace and scale needed to drive clean growth, strengthen our competitiveness and attract more major investments.' 

"The federal government last December shifted its target for a fully decarbonized electricity grid from 2035 to 2050.... Meanwhile, the current framework, finalized in December 2024, provides interim targets generators must meet by 2035, which Smith has also called 'unreasonable and unattainable,' arguing they 'will still make electricity unaffordable for Canadian families.'  

"Ottawa says the regulations are needed to protect the environment and human health from the effects of climate change. 'Cutting pollution in communities across the country is good for our climate, economy, health, and well-being,' said the government in December 2024.... 

"During her May 1 address, Smith cited an analysis by the Alberta Electric System Operator, which suggests the net-zero electricity regulations would make the province’s electricity system more than 100 times less reliable than the provincial adequacy standard by 2038. The report also suggests the federal regulations 'will fail to deliver meaningful reductions in carbon emissions in Alberta'....

"Alberta currently relies on natural gas for 75 percent of its power generation, according to provincial estimates. The premier has previously said the province has a 'quicker and cheaper' alternative solution to achieve a carbon neutral power grid by 2050, but that it would require Ottawa to give up attempts to 'interfere' in Alberta’s governance..... The province has filed multiple court challenges against Ottawa, many of them related to federal climate policies. 

"'Canada’s constitution is absolutely clear,' [Alberta Justice Minister Mickey] Amery said at the May 1 press conference. “The provinces have exclusive jurisdiction over the development, conservation, and management of sites for the generation and production of electrical energy.' Ottawa says the regulations are established under the authorities of the Canada Environmental Protection Act, 1999, which provides legislative basis for certain federal environmental and health protection programs."

Read more: https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/alberta-to-challenge-constitutionality-of-ottawas-net-zero-electricity-regulations-5850893

Mark Carney's winning campaign speech

Mark Carney's winning campaign speech (satire by Donald Bosch): 

"We are in a crisis, a crisis, a terrible crisis.  It's all Donald Trump's fault.  

Mark Carney at World Economic Forum, Davos, 2010. 

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

"We bear no responsibility for anything that happened in the last 10 years. 

"It was Donald Trump who did not balance our budget.  

"It was Donald Trump who created inflation.  

"It was Donald Trump who increased crime in Canada. 

"It was Donald Trump who made food unaffordable and houses too. 

"It was Donald Trump who increased the number of government employees. 

"It was all Donald Trump's fault.  

"Now, stop complaining about not being able to afford your rent, complain about Donald Trump instead, and make sure you Vote Liberal."