Justice Centre report tallies up lockdown costs

 A new report from the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms examines the immediate and long-term negative impacts of Canada's Covid lockdowns, including physical, social, and economic harms.

New Report – Five years on: Tracing the costs of lockdowns } Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (news release):

May 8, 2025 - "A new report from the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms examines the immediate and long-term negative impacts of Covid lockdowns, including physical, social, and economic harms. It also underscores the lack of transparent, evidence-based analysis by governments to justify these measures....

"One of the most concerning findings is the sharp decline in Canadians’ mental health. In 2019, 67 percent of Canadians rated their mental health as 'very good or excellent.' By 2023, that figure had dropped to just 54 percent. Meanwhile, the number of Canadians reporting 'fair or poor' mental health nearly doubled — from 8 percent to 15 percent. This trend was seen across all age groups, but especially among young adults.

"Indeed, despite facing minimal risk from Covid, young Canadians suffered some of the most serious consequences of lockdown measures. Non-Covid deaths among Canadians under age 45 rose by 22 percent, driven by factors such as disease, addiction, delayed treatment, and suicide. Physical activity among youth dropped significantly during this period, while time spent on screens—such as cell phones, computers, and tablets—increased sharply. Up to 70 percent of children and teens reported experiencing anxiety, depression, or other serious mental health issues.

"A particularly alarming trend was the surge in opioid-related deaths. From 2020 to 2023, annual opioid overdose deaths increased by 108 percent. In 2023 alone, 8,606 Canadians died from opioid toxicity—more than double the pre-lockdown average. British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario recorded the highest rates, with the vast majority of deaths involving fentanyl.

"During Covid, thousands of medical check-ups, diagnoses, and treatments were delayed or cancelled, resulting in a serious and ongoing backlog in Canada’s healthcare system.

"Wait times for medical treatments increased by 43 percent between 2019 and 2024, reaching a median of 30 weeks. MRI wait times rose by 55 percent. For certain cancers, including breast and prostate, surgery delays increased by as much as 34 percent. Since 2018, more than 74,000 Canadians have died while waiting for surgery or diagnostic care—over 15,000 of them in 2023–24 alone. The actual number is likely higher, due to poor provincial tracking and reporting....

"Lockdowns resulted in widespread job losses, particularly among low-wage workers, while the 'laptop class' remained largely unscathed. While many public sector jobs expanded during this time, Canadians in hospitality, retail, and service sectors faced prolonged unemployment. The expansion of public spending and government debt contributed to rising inflation, driving up the cost of food, housing, and other essentials.

"Crime rates also rose during the lockdown years. Homicides peaked in 2022 at 17 percent above trend, with 882 victims across Canada. Cybercrime nearly doubled, rising from 48,000 cases in 2019 to over 93,000 in 2023. Identity theft and fraud increased to 120 percent above trend in 2020, with similar levels in the following years. Particularly troubling was the rise in online child sexual exploitation, which reached 18,650 reported cases in 2023—a 173 percent increase from 2019.

"Benjamin Klassen, Education Coordinator at the Justice Centre, says the findings demand accountability. 

This report calls for governments to take responsibility for the damage done during this period and ensure that future public health policies uphold the Charter rights and freedoms of all Canadians.... 

The Charter requires governments to ‘demonstrably’ justify any freedom-limiting policy. To date, no federal or provincial government in Canada has conducted the kind of comprehensive impact assessment required to justify the lockdowns....

The evidence is clear: the harms of lockdowns outweighed their benefits. Canadians deserve an honest and transparent evaluation of lockdown harms, so that these mistakes are never repeated."

Read more: https://www.jccf.ca/new-report-five-years-on-tracing-the-costs-of-lockdowns-2/

Read study: https://www.jccf.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Five-years-on-Tracing-the-costs-of-lockdowns-1.pdf

America faces a Great Big Ugly Surveillance State

Trump's March executive order on "Eliminating Information Silos" seems designed to enable a Great Big Ugly Surveillance State.

Great Big Ugly Surveillance State | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

June 16, 2025 - "On March 20, President Trump signed an executive order 'Eliminating Information Silos.' The order directed heads of federal agencies to make sure officials designated by the president 'have full and prompt access to all unclassified agency records, data, software systems, and information technology systems.' The executive order did not attract much attention until it was more recently revealed that the administration was working with tech company Palantir to create a database containing all information collected by all federal agencies on all US citizens.

"A database consisting of all the information of American citizens collected by the various federal agencies such as the Social Security Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Pentagon would be a major step in creating a total surveillance state. This database could come in handy to future Dr. Faucis seeking to enforce mask and vaccine mandates. 

"Those with access to this database could see personal health records, education records, and tax returns. They may even be able to see how many firearms individuals have purchased and if they were associated with any organizations the government had labeled 'extremist.'

"Despite the obvious threat to liberty the 'big ugly database' poses, some commentators and 'influencers' who would normally oppose, or at least be skeptical of, expansion of the surveillance state are supporting it because they believe it will be used to locate illegal immigrants. Some conservatives are supporting this proposal because it will help identify students who have publicly opposed the U.S. government’s support for Israel’s actions in Gaza. Ironically, many of those supporting government cracking down on 'anti-Israel' students came to fame (and in some cases fortune) as critics of 'wokeness' and cancel culture.

"The abandonment of liberty because fear drives people to trust government promises of safety is a phenomenon we have witnessed several times.... An obvious example is the way many former friends of freedom supported the PATRIOT Act and other infringements on liberty following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. We also saw it during the covid hysteria when many embraced mask and vaccine mandates. Following the 2008 market meltdown, normally rather staunch opponents of government intervention supported the bailouts because they agreed with then-President George W. Bush who said he had 'abandoned free-market principles to save the free-market system.'

"Palantir, founded in 2003, has worked on helping government become more efficient at collecting and storing information about US citizens. The company, which was named after the seeing stones from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, is ... literally the creation of the surveillance state since one of its early investors was In-Q-Tel, a venture capital firm controlled by the CIA.

"Those discouraged by the surveillance state’s continued expansion under President Trump should be encouraged that more Americans than ever, including many who voted for President Trump, are seeing through the lie that the only way we can be safe is to surrender our liberty to politicians, bureaucrats, and crony capitalism. This should inspire us to redouble our efforts to spread the message of liberty."

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/great-big-ugly-surveillance-state/

For-profit hospitals flourish in Switzerland

Since 2012, the government of Switzerland has successfully integrated private for-profit hospitals into its system of universal health coverage. 

Integrating Private Health Care into Canada’s Public System: What We Can Learn from Switzerland | Fraser Institute | Yanick Labrie:

June 12, 2025 - Executive Summary 

"Access to timely care remains the Achilles’ heel of Canada’s health systems. To reduce wait times, some provinces have partnered with private clinics for publicly funded surgeries—a strategy that has proven effective, but continues to spark debate in Canada. This study explores how Switzerland successfully integrates private health care into a universal public system.... 

• In Switzerland, universal coverage is delivered through a system of managed competition among 44 non-profit private insurers, while decentralized governance allows each of the 26 cantons to coordinate and oversee hospital services in ways that reflect local needs and priorities.
• Nearly two-thirds of Swiss hospitals are for-profit institutions; they provide roughly half of all hospitalizations, births, and hospital beds across the country.
• All hospitals are treated equally—regardless of legal status—and funded through the same activity-based model, implemented nationwide in 2012.
• The reform led to a significant increase in the number of cases treated without a corresponding rise in expenditures per case, suggesting improved efficiency, better use of resources, and expanded access to hospital care.
• The average length of hospital stay steadily decreased over time and now stands at 4.87 days in for-profit hospitals versus 5.53 days in public ones, indicating faster patient turnover and more streamlined care pathways.
• Hospital-acquired infection rates are significantly lower in private hospitals (2.7%) than in public hospitals (6.2%), a key indicator of care quality.
• Case-mix severity is as high or higher in private hospitals, countering the notion that they only take on simpler or less risky cases.
• Patient satisfaction is slightly higher in private hospitals (4.28/5) than in public ones (4.17/5), reflecting strong user experience across multiple dimensions.

"Canada could benefit from regulated competition between public and private providers and activity-based funding, without breaching the Canada Health Act."

Read more: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/integrating-private-health-care-canadas-public-system-what-we-can-learn-switzerland

Read study: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/sites/default/files/2025-06/integrating-private-health-care-into-canadas-public-system.pdf

Court waives $38K in ArriveCan fines on Amish

A provincial court has waived more than $38,000 in outstanding fines on Ontario Amish who were convicted in absentia during the Covid pandemic, and faced loss of their homes and farms. for not using the controversial ArriveCan app.

TDF secures new victory for Amish: over $38,000 in fines waived | The Democracy Fund (news release):

June 05, 2025 - "The Democracy Fund (TDF) has achieved a significant legal victory for a group of Amish individuals convicted under the Quarantine Act for failure to complete the ArriveCan app. Following a May 22, 2025 court appearance, seven months of negotiations and numerous court appearances, TDF lawyers successfully had the group’s convictions set aside, resulting in over $38,000 in fines being waived.

"The Amish community, known for their traditional lifestyle and faith-based avoidance of modern technology, faced legal challenges after crossing the border at Niagara Falls. Their inability to use smartphones or interact with modern technology made it almost impossible to comply with the strict and continually-shifting COVID-19 regulations, particularly requirements involving the ArriveCan app. TDF took the position that the Amish did not receive proper notice of the offences, trial or conviction. They were convicted in absentia, and subsequently fined over $38,000. However, with the assistance of TDF, their cases were reopened, and through persistent advocacy, the convictions were ultimately set aside with fines being waived.

"For these Amish families, who depend on farming and community support, the prospect of paying such excessive fines was daunting. This resolution ensures that these legal entanglements do not threaten their livelihoods and properties.

"TDF Litigation Director Mark Joseph stated, 'This outcome is a testament to the importance of access to justice for all Canadians, regardless of their background or way of life. We are pleased that these families can now move forward without the burden of these oppressive fines. The Amish are extremely grateful for the support they've received from TDF donors.'

"While this case has been resolved, TDF continues to advocate for other members of the Amish community and other Canadians facing similar challenges with the legal system. The organization remains committed to defending constitutional rights and ensuring that all individuals receive fair treatment.

Founded in 2021, The Democracy Fund (TDF) is a Canadian charity dedicated to constitutional rights, advancing education, and relieving poverty. TDF promotes constitutional rights through litigation and public education and supports an access to justice initiative for Canadians whose civil liberties have been infringed by government lockdowns and other public policy responses to the pandemic."

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

What's up between Musk and Trump?

 After Donald Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill," conflict between Trump and Elon Musk was only a matter of time.

Can Trump and Musk Make Up? | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

June 9, 2025 - "Last week’s dramatic blowout between President Trump and his one-time top collaborator Elon Musk was shocking yet predictable. According to media reports, a cold war had been brewing between Musk’s people and Trump’s appointees and it was bound to break out into the open. It was only a matter of time.

Trump and Musk. Composite by Buadh, Wikimedia Commons.

"On the campaign trail, Musk provided much energy and helped ramp up enthusiasm for Donald Trump. His support for Trump made him a lightning rod for Trump-haters and he saw his personal wealth take a hit for his troubles.

"After Trump’s victory, Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency [DOGE] project was truly revolutionary. Americans were able to see up close and in real time just how government operates. Not only did the billions and trillions of dollars spent by the federal government not achieve the stated goals, but much of the spending actually harmed the United States.

"Americans were able to see that the 'aid' they send overseas does not provide food and relief for those suffering through disasters but is actually used to create a global US empire encompassing everything from the media to military spending to non-profits. 

"Once USAID was targeted by DOGE, for example, we learned that 90 percent of the 'independent' media in Ukraine was US government controlled. Other countries chimed in to say that much of their own 'independent' media is propped up by the US government. Foreign 'journalists' paid by the US government are going to publish what the US government wants to be published. That is one reason Americans to this day are so ill-informed about Ukraine and what started the war. For example, how many Americans know that their own government staged a coup in Ukraine in 2014 that directly led to the disaster we have seen these past three years?

"The message was there for anyone who wanted to see it: The United States is being undermined by a government that demands the right to intervene in every aspect of our lives – and of the lives of everyone on the planet. It is not sustainable.

"In the end it was Trump’s 'Big Beautiful Bill' that broke it all apart. The US House served up a massive funding bill that, as usual, blew up the national debt with more spending and promised that sometime down the road spending cuts would kick in and we would start saving money. We’ve seen this movie many times before.

"In a post seen by over a hundred million people on his social media platform X, Elon Musk finally could hold his tongue no longer. 'This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination,' he wrote.... Musk was no-doubt frustrated that despite all of the work he and his team did to uncover government waste, he hit a brick wall in a Washington that recoils from any attempt to shrink its size and level of interference in our lives.

"Can Trump and Musk 'make up' and find a way to work together in the future? After the smoke has cleared we can only hope for a return to the principles of DOGE and the idea that current levels of spending and debt are unsustainable. Surely both men can agree on that."

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/can-trump-and-musk-make-up/

Ron Paul to US Steel: beware the 'Golden Share'

President Trump will allow the Japanese takeover of U.S. Steel, but wants a "Golden Share" that will let him dictate company policy when national security is at stake. In fact, as Ron Paul notes, "there is almost no decision US Steel’s management could make that cannot be labeled as involving 'national security.'" 

A Golden Share Will Not Make America Great Again | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

Jun 2, 2025 - "Japanese company Nippon Steel’s plan to purchase US Steel was bound to provoke a strong reaction from left- and right-wing economic nationalists. After all, US Steel was once the world’s largest company, and it was the first company to be valued at over a billion dollars. US Steel was thus a symbol of America’s economic dominance. So it was not surprising that Nippon Steel’s purchase of US Steel was blocked by both the Biden and Trump administrations. This was disappointing — especially since Nippon Steel planned to invest billions in modernizing US Steel’s facilities.

"Last week, President Trump praised the deal with some added conditions. One major condition is that the US government will receive a 'golden share' in US Steel. This will enable the government to overrule any business decision made by the company’s management if the government determines the business decision threatens 'national security.' This power could be used to prevent US Steel from exporting steel to certain countries, as well as to require US Steel to prioritize production for the military and other government agencies. It could also be used to interfere with labor-management relations based on the idea that a labor dispute can disrupt production and thus harm national security. In fact, there is almost no decision US Steel’s management could make that cannot be labeled as involving 'national security.'

"Supporters of the 'golden share' have forgotten (or never learned) the lessons from the failures of allowing politicians and bureaucrats to run private businesses. When government takes a full or partial ownership interest in a business, the result is decisions made based on political considerations rather than on seeking to improve the company’s productivity and profits. This causes the company to lose money, resulting in laid off workers unless the government tries to cover up failures with subsidies. It also distorts the signals sent to other market actors via the price system because the government-run company is allocating resources based on considerations other than their most efficient use.

"This is not the only case where the Trump administration is harming the economy by interfering with businesses. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government sponsored enterprises created to support the housing market, may soon go public. President Trump has stated that the government would nonetheless continue to guarantee Fannie and Freddie backed mortgage loans. This will cause over-investment in housing as investors see only an upside from investing in Fannie and Freddie since the government will bail out Fannie and Freddie if they lose money while investors will keep the profits. The result will be a housing bubble, followed by a housing crash that may be worse than the one Fannie and Freddie — along with the Federal Reserve — helped cause in 2008. Once again, President Trump and his advisors have failed to learn from history.

"Government involvement with businesses may be promoted as intended to protect national security, or to protect 'great American companies' from being taken over by foreign companies, or to make the American dream of homeownership possible for every American, or to accomplish a myriad of other goals that may sound good in sound bites on the campaign trail. However, the result will be economic stagnation, recessions, or even depressions. To ensure a strong economy, government can get out of the way. A policy of limited government, free markets, free trade, peace, and sound money is the path to 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/a-golden-share-will-not-make-america-great-again/

Hillier ruling strengthens Charter right of assembly

In this year's case of Hillier v. Ontario, for the first time ever, a Canadian court has invoked the Charter right of peaceful assembly to overturn a law as unconstitutional.   

Hillier at 2021 anti-lockdown protest, Niagara Falls, Ont, Photo: Beth Baisch, Dreamstime

Ontario court ruling in Hillier case a positive sign for Charter freedoms | Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms | John Carpay:

April 10, 2025 - "Since lockdowns were imposed in March 2020, governments across Canada have admitted in numerous court challenges that provincial and federal health orders did violate one or more of the Charter freedoms of conscience, religion, expression, peaceful assembly, association, and mobility. In like manner, governments have admitted that vaccine mandates violated the Charter right to bodily autonomy. Canadian courts have consistently upheld these Charter violations as being reasonable and justified in a free and democratic society — until the Ontario Court of Appeal delivered its judgment in Hillier v. Ontario on April 7.

"Randy Hillier, a former Member of Ontario’s Provincial Parliament, challenged Ontario’s total and absolute ban on all outdoor protests, which the government imposed on citizens in April and May of 2021. While up to 10 people could gather for a wedding or funeral, or for a religious service or ceremony, it was illegal for two people to meet outdoors for a peaceful protest!

"Mr. Hillier faced charges and fines up to $100,000 for organizing peaceful political protests in Kemptville and Cornwall, and for attending protests in Smiths Falls, Belleville, Peterborough, Stratford, Kitchener, and Chatham throughout April and May 2021. His defence to these charges was that Ontario unjustifiably restricted his Charter freedom of peaceful assembly. In court, Ontario presented no evidence that its total ban on outdoor protests, including those in which Mr. Hillier participated, would reduce the spread of Covid.

"Overturning the November 2023 lower court ruling, Court of Appeal Justices Lauwers, Zarnett, and Pomerance ruled unanimously that Ontario’s absolute ban on peaceful assembly in 2021, particularly outdoor political protests, was an unjustified violation of the freedom of peaceful assembly as protected by Section 2(c) of the Charter.... The court declared that it could not countenance 'an outcome in which the state eliminates the free exercise of a fundamental freedom, without giving that elimination any actual thought'.... While stating that 'the pandemic posed significant challenges for Ontario,' the court declared that 'the Constitution does not fade from view in times of crisis.' 

"For the first time in Canadian judicial history, an appellate court has outlined the nature, purpose, and benefits of the Charter section 2(c) freedom of peaceful assembly, declaring it 'elemental' and 'integral to a functioning democracy.' Previously, peaceful assembly has been ignored and subsumed into the other Charter section 2 freedoms.... Peaceful assembly differs from the other fundamental freedoms because 'a demonstration is an act of solidarity, a coming together of similarly minded individuals,' who can 'make visible the extent and depth of support for a position,' the ruling said.

"The freedom of peaceful assembly protects the ability of citizens to get the community to pay attention to their message of protest or dissent, and entice others to become involved in redressing grievances. The court noted that 'outdoor protests are especially effective at amplifying minority voices and expressing political dissent.' Ontario’s total ban on peaceful protests denied citizens of their 'opportunity to influence public policy by this time-honoured method.' Significantly, the court ruled that social media and virtual gatherings ... cannot replace the 'traditional means of participating in public assemblies'..... 

"Governments across Canada have been put on notice that they cannot ban peaceful political gatherings. Freedom-loving Canadians can be encouraged that the Ontario Court of Appeal has elevated a previously 'forgotten freedom' to overturn a Covid-era ban on the exercise of that same Charter freedom. Could protection of Charter freedoms in Canada be making a comeback?"

Read more: https://www.jccf.ca/ontario-court-ruling-in-hillier-case-a-positive-sign-for-charter-freedoms/

The bridge to Freedom is never too far. Hillier Wins-Government loses! |  Randy Hillier | April 7, 2025: