Natural Resources padding tree-planting numbers

Natural Resources Canada claims its program to plan two billion trees by 2030 is ahead of target. But the federal environmental watchdog says that the department is using "creative accounting" to inflate its numbers. 

Ottawa using 'creative accounting' on its 2 billion tree pledge, environmental watchdog says | CBC News | David Thurton:

August 15, 2023 - "Canada's environmental watchdog says Ottawa is using 'creative accounting' to support the claim that its program to plant two billion trees is exceeding targets. Commissioner of Environmental and Sustainable Development Jerry DeMarco told CBC News that Natural Resources Canada (NRCAN) is using trees planted under a different program — and a different department — to boost its numbers. 

"'It's creative accounting,' DeMarco told CBC. "It's certainly within their prerogative to do that. But to achieve the benefits for climate, biodiversity and human health, adding trees is needed. Not simply finding trees and other programs that have already been planted and saying, "Oh, this now counts, we've got a higher number than anyone expected."'

"In August, Natural Resources Canada revised interim numbers on its progress toward the target of planting two billion trees by 2030-31. By 2022, NRCAN was supposed to have planted 90 million trees. NRCAN says that, to date, it has planted approximately 110 million trees. The department initially said it had planted 29 million trees in 2021. It now says it planted 83 million trees that year....

"NRCAN said it revised its 2021 figure by adding millions of trees planted through partner programs like Environment and Climate Change Canada's Low Carbon Economy Fund (LCEF). 'Data from the LCEF program … was received and validated against the two billion tree program's objectives this summer,' said Keean Nembhard, press secretary for Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson. In 2022, the department said it had planted 28 million trees through its partners, missing its interim target for that year of 60 million....

"Wilkinson said in an interview with CBC's Power and Politics that when the government announced its two billion trees initiative, it confirmed it would rely on other programs.... Wilkinson said that what Canadians care about is the government achieving the aims behind its program — enhancing biodiversity and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

"But the environmental advocacy organization Nature Canada said that if the government is counting existing trees that were already planted, it cannot claim its two billion tree program is offering any additional value. 'This, to me, is very disappointing," said Nature Canada's reforestation policy and campaign manager David Wallis.... 'They seem to realize they are not going to hit their target. Instead of coming clean to Canadians and fixing their program, they are choosing to deceive and make it look like they are planting more than they actually are.'   

"Ottawa is investing up to $3.2 billion over 10 years (2021-2031) in its tree-planting program. The government of Canada is planting only some of those trees. Ottawa relies on Indigenous communities, provinces, territories, businesses and non-profit organizations to do most of the planting. The federal government provides half of the money required to plant trees through cost-sharing agreements.... As of March, it had signed agreements with five of 10 provinces and two of three territories to meet the target."

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/two-billion-trees-environmental-sustainability-1.6936232

Is Trudeau's 2 Billion Tree Planting Promise a Failure? | The Agenda, TVO | May 19, 2023: 

SK gov't to use notwithstanding clause in Charter to implement school gender policy

Saskatchewan gov't to use notwithstanding clause in Charter to implement Parental Rights and Inclusion school gender policy.

Sask. premier to use notwithstanding clause to veto judge ruling on school pronoun policy | CBC News | Jason Warick:

September 28, 2023 - "A Regina judge has ruled that the Saskatchewan government's naming and pronoun policy should be paused for the time being, but Premier Scott Moe says he'll use the notwithstanding clause to override it. Moe, responding to today's injunction issued by a Regina Court of King's Bench Justice Michael Megaw, said he intends to recall the legislature Oct. 10 to 'pass legislation to protect parents' rights.'

"'Our government is extremely dismayed by the judicial overreach of the court blocking implementation of the Parental Inclusion and Consent policy — a policy which has the strong support of a majority of Saskatchewan residents, in particular, Saskatchewan parents,' Moe said in a written statement Thursday afternoon. 'The default position should never be to keep a child's information from their parents.'

"Last month, the province announced that all students under 16 needed parental consent to change their names or pronouns. Moe previously said he stands by the policy and that the province will do everything in its power to protect parental rights.

"The notwithstanding clause is a provision that allows governments to override certain Charter rights for up to five years when passing legislation. The clause can only override certain sections of the charter which deal with fundamental freedoms, legal rights and equality rights.... Once invoked, the notwithstanding clause prevents any judicial review of the legislation in question.... 

"UR Pride [University of Regina Pride Centre for Sexual and Gender Diversity] filed a lawsuit calling for the policy to be struck down. Their position was that it could cause teachers to out or misgender children and that policy violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Last week, lawyers for UR Pride argued for an injunction, pending a ruling in the lawsuit.

"The province's lawyers say the policy has been misinterpreted. They say parents should be involved when their children decide to change their names or pronouns....

"Megaw wrote that until there can be a full hearing, 'the importance of the governmental policy is outweighed by the public interest of not exposing that minority of students to exposure to the potentially irreparable harm and mental health difficulty of being unable to find expression for their gender identity.' Megaw ruled the policy cannot be implemented or enforced until its legitimacy has been decided by the court."

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/judge-grants-injunction-school-pronoun-policy-1.6981406

House committee wants Trudeau Foundation audit

The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee has voted unanimously to have Canada's Auditor-General investigate the Chretien government's 2002 endowment of $125 million to the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation. 

Taxpayer-funded Trudeau Foundation's $125 million endowment faces audit | Western Standard | Christopher Oldcorn:

Sep 22, 2023 - "The Commons Public Accounts committee unanimously voted 10-0 on Thursday to instruct the Auditor General to investigate the initial funds provided by taxpayers to support the Trudeau Foundation. According to Blacklock’s Reporter, the government gave the Foundation $125 million, some of which was used to purchase stocks in China.

"'I would like that the Auditor General within her powers look into the original agreement with the Government of Canada, which gave $125 million to the Trudeau Foundation,' said Bloc Québécois MP Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné (Terrebonne, QC), sponsor of the motion.... 'It is very unusual that a foundation with the name of an individual receive public funds,' said Sinclair-Desgagné. 'There are many foundations that have names of individuals, but they never receive public funds like the Trudeau Foundation. That imposes some responsibilities and obligations and we need to make sure.'

"MPs passed the motion 'that the Auditor General investigate the funding agreement between the Government of Canada and the Trudeau Foundation particularly as regards to the Foundation’s compliance with its obligations under this agreement.' 'The language could not be any clearer,” said Sinclair-Desgagné. 'We are asking for an investigation'.... 

"Parliament in 2002 approved the $125 million endowment. 'What is a more fitting legacy to the man who symbolized youth, excellence and the innovative spirit?' said then-Prime Minister Jean Chretien.

"Opposition MPs questioned the funding at the time. 'Access to Information does not apply to these foundations,” then-Canadian Alliance MP Val Meredith (Surrey-White Rock, BC) told a 2003 Commons Public Accounts committee hearing. 'We don’t have any control over what the agreement says, what they do with the money or whether they are spending it in the way it is supposed to be spent.' [The Foundation was put under FOI requirements in 2007 by the Harper government - gd] 

"Earlier, people said that up to 2021, the Foundation had an unknown amount of money in Chinese company shares. 'We had two investments,” Edward Johnson, chair of the board, told a June 8 hearing. The China portfolio had stocks in Tencent Holdings Limited, a video game company from Shenzhen, and in the software firm Baidu.

"The Foundation received a $140,000 donation from someone linked to China's Communist Youth League. After this came out, the CEO and the board quickly stepped down on April 10..... Justin Trudeau claimed he was not involved with the Foundation named after his family. However, his brother Alexandre was the executive director and he [the PM] did meet with a donor from China.

“'Those people who are trying to get short-term political gain by increasing polarization and partisanship in this country by launching completely unfounded and ungrounded attacks against charities or foundations must not succeed,' Trudeau told reporters on April 11."

Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/news/taxpayer-funded-trudeau-foundations-125-million-endowment-faces-audit/article_f5f924aa-593e-11ee-be84-abd0ae3f9487.html

Trudeau Foundation Uncovered | Senator Denise Batters | September 7, 2023:

Justin Trudeau finds an actual Nazi

After years of portraying Canadians who disagree with him – from the Freedom Convoy to parents protesting gender education to the opposition Conservatives – as Nazis, Justin Trudeau encounters the real deal.

Embarrassing Fallout of Mistakenly Honouring a Nazi a Richly Deserved Moment of Karma for Feds | Epoch Times | Peter Menzies: 

September 22, 2023 - "As the sun set Sept. 24 for the beginning of Yom Kippur, politicians were scrambling to atone in the wake of the news that an honoured guest given a standing ovation in Parliament was a little bit more contentious than your average Ukrainian freedom fighter.

"Yaroslav Hunka, 98-years-old, was introduced Sept. 22 as part of the pageantry surrounding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s address to Parliament. 'We have here in the Chamber today, a Ukrainian Canadian veteran from the Second World War who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians and continues to support the troops today even at the age of 98. His name is Yaroslav Hunka,' Speaker of the House Anthony Rota said....  'He is a Ukrainian hero, Canadian hero, and we thank him for all his service.'

"All good, right? Until it turned out that Hunka’s First Ukrainian Division had been strategically rebranded in the last days of the Second World War in an effort to disguise its original title, the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS. Connected to crimes against humanity during the Holocaust, this was a Nazi military unit ultimately under the command of Adolph Hitler.

"The first politician to speak out in protest was Conservative MP and Co-Deputy Leader Melissa Lantsman, a descendant of Holocaust survivors, a Jew, and the daughter of Ukrainian immigrants. And then others lowered the boom. The Friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre swiftly denounced 'Parliament’s recognition of a Ukrainian veteran who served in a Nazi military unit during the Second World War implicated in the mass murder of Jews and others,' and demanded an apology 'to every Holocaust survivor and veteran of the Second World War who fought the Nazis, and an explanation must be provided as to how this individual entered the hallowed halls of Canadian Parliament and received recognition from the Speaker of the House and a standing ovation.' By day’s end, Rota’s office had issued a full apology for the latest, enormous domestic and international embarrassment to be suffered by Trudeau and his increasingly troubled government....

"No doubt the engagement with Hunka was a mistake. Given that Francois-Phillipe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, recently X-posted that Canada and Japan have 'always' been allies, it’s clear there are many in Ottawa with little, if any, knowledge of even recent history. But this was also a richly deserved moment of karma for a government that has been far too swift to accuse others of sidling up to Nazis.

"It was only February 2022, after all, when Trudeau stood in the House of Commons and, in response to a question from Lantsman regarding what many viewed as his thuggish response to the Freedom Convoy, said: 'Conservative Party members can stand with people who wave swastikas. They can stand with people who wave the Confederate flag.' Lantsman, in shock that the prime minister would accuse a person of her history of such behaviour, demanded an apology, which she never got.

"Last week, when thousands of parents from coast to coast took to the streets to express their discontent with explicit sexual content in schools and radical gender ideology, Trudeau issued a statement inferring all involved are opposed to the rights of the LGBTQ community. 'Transphobia, homophobia, and biphobia have no place in this country. We strongly condemn this hate and its manifestations,' he said in a social media post. Others went further. In an email, members of the Greater Victoria Teachers Association were warned that 'these campaigns are being organized by known white supremacist groups. These campaigns use dog whistle techniques that try to frame their hateful message as "protecting children".' Police shut down the Victoria #1MillionMarch4Children because they couldn’t keep participants safe from a large mob of counter protesters.

"None of this is useful. Hyperbolic portrayals of anyone who disagrees with the left’s increasingly radical policies as goose-stepping psychos serve only to deepen divisions in society. Yet for years, it has been encouraged by a prime minister far too comfortable questioning the need to tolerate or accommodate dissenting views. Let this past week teach him and others that it is their job to heal wounds, not manufacture and exploit them. Too bad it took a humbling encounter with real Nazi history to remind them of that."

Read more: https://www.theepochtimes.com/opinion/peter-menzies-embarrassing-fallout-of-mistakenly-honouring-a-nazi-a-richly-deserved-moment-of-karma-for-feds-5497913?ea_src=ca-frontpage&ea_med=top-news-opinion-0

Trudeau Blames Nazi Ovation On RUSSIAN PROPAGANDA: Rising | The Hill | September 26, 2023:

UPDATE: Anthony Rota resigns as Speaker after honouring Ukrainian veteran who fought with Nazi unit | CBC News | John Paul Tasker:

September 27, 2023 - "September Liberal MP Anthony Rota is stepping down as House of Commons Speaker after inviting a former Ukrainian soldier who fought in a Nazi division to Parliament.... Rota's resignation will take effect at the end of the sitting day on Wednesday."

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/speaker-anthony-rota-resignation-1.6978422

Antifa types shut down Victoria BC parents' protest

Victoria police shut down the 1 Million March 4 Children parental rights rally at the Legislature after just 15 minutes, when masked counter-protestors in black hoodies pushed past police and rushed the stage.

Police shut down Victoria parental rights march within 15 minutes | True North | Lindsay Shepherd:

September 22, 2023 - "[W]omen’s rights advocate Meghan Murphy was only five minutes into her speech at the Victoria, B.C. 1 Million March 4 Children parental rights rally when police told organizers to shut down the event and leave. The march planned for later that afternoon never happened, as Victoria police (VicPD) ordered an end to the protest within 15 minutes of it starting on Wednesday, Murphy told True North.

"Murphy, as well as other rally speakers and organizers, were demonstrating on the B.C. legislature grounds in support of parental rights and removing gender identity ideology from school curricula. According to VicPD, 'At approximately 12:30 p.m., counter-protesters pushed past police and rushed the stage, creating an unsafe environment, and a decision was made to cease further planned activities.' Two arrests were made. 

""A contingent of rainbow-wearing counter-protesters ... [kept] a distance from the main protest. However, busloads of young counter-protesters wearing black hoodies began arriving at the grounds, and streams of the masked agitators headed straight for the stage. 

"Murphy said VicPD was to blame. 'The Victoria Police had committed to keeping the protesters away, there wasn’t supposed to be any physical contact between the counter-protesters and the people there to attend the rally, many of whom are parents, moms with kids, elderly women,' Murphy recounted. 'The police didn’t even attempt to separate protesters from us.'

"Murphy said that a counter-protester rushing the stage punched a police officer in the head and was promptly tackled to the ground by other officers. At that point, police shut down the entire affair.... Police and security escorted Murphy to her car when she left.

"'Following escalating tensions at a large demonstration in front of the BC Legislature today, with approximately 2,500 people in attendance, VicPD Officers are asking citizens to leave, and for others to avoid the area,' the department stated in a September 20 community notice.... 

"Dozens of 1 Million March 4 Children protests with hundreds or even thousands of attendees took place across the country, but the Victoria event was the only one shut down by police."

Read more: https://tnc.news/2023/09/22/police-shut-down-victoria-march/

Millions of Canadians believe far-right conspiracy theories, claims Canadian Anti-Hate Network

The Canadian Anti-Hate Network claims that as many as six million Canadians believe "one or more" far-right conspiracy theories, and wants $2.5 million a year from the federal government to monitor them. 

Canadian Anti-Hate Network claims 6 million Canadians conspiracy theorists | Western Standard | Christopher Oldcorn:

September 24, 2023 - "According to a 'media monitor' that receives federal subsidies, approximately 15% of Canadians are considered conspiracy theorists, as many as six million people. According to Blacklock’s Reporter, the Canadian Anti-Hate Network believes it needs additional financial support to combat those who aim to 'do away with our liberal democracy.' 

The Red Ensign, Canada's flag before 1965, is a hate symbol, says 

the Canadian Anti-Hate Network. Photo, Wikimedia Commons.

"'We believe 10% to 15% of Canadians are consuming far-right content and believe in one or more far-right conspiracy theories,' the Network wrote in a submission to the Commons Finance committee. It provided no source for the claim....  The Network applied for $5 million in funding over five years to serve as an unofficial 'anti-hate watchdog' for the Government of Canada.

"'None of the government’s programs explicitly name the far-right as a threat to Canada’s democracy and marginalized groups,” it wrote the Finance committee. 'None of them fund efforts to address the far-right movement as a significant origin of hate in Canada. We need to address the far right because it wants to do away with our liberal democracy.'

"The Network [has] received two grants, one for $268,400 to maintain its website and another separate grant of $268,400 to produce a school guide, Confronting and Preventing Hate in Canadian Schools. On June 29, 2022, then-Diversity Minister Ahmed Hussen called the Network 'an organization that I respect very much.'

"The Network’s school guide called the 'Red Ensign' a hate symbol, despite it being Canada's national symbol until 1965. .... [T]he guide stated the Conservative Party was susceptible to 'infiltration' by 'racists' and 'white nationalists.' Additionally, the guide cautioned children to be cautious of Canadians who use 'free speech' in political discussions, as it claimed this was one of the 'common defences of hate propaganda.'

"In its Finance committee submission, the Network described the Freedom Convoy as a 'product of Canada’s far-right movement'.... 'The COVID-19 conspiracy movement and Freedom Convoy have since pivoted to attacking the (sexual minority) community primarily by spreading the dangerous and inciting lie that transgender persons and sexual minority persons are pedophiles with an agenda,' wrote the Network. 'Today they are targeting school boards and trying to ban books, force students to use the wrong washrooms and force teachers to out the gender and sexual identity of their students to what might be unsafe homes.'"

Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/news/canadian-anti-hate-network-claims-6-million-canadians-conspiracy-theorists/article_dc0a1cee-5983-11ee-9aa1-53a564e310ae.html

Lich/Barber trial drags on with no end in sight

Originally scheduled to be completed in 16 days, the trial of Tamara Lich and Chris Barber has been adjourned for two weeks after hearing from only four witnesses in its first three weeks, and with no new end in sight. 

Trial of Lich, Barber takes hiatus after three weeks, judge 'unhappy' with Crown prosecutors | Western Standard | Jen Hodgson:

September 23, 2023 - "The trial of Tamara Lich and Chris Barber concluded its third week of hearings on Friday and will now take a two-week break. Justice Heather Perkins-McVey will recall court Wednesday, October 11, with September 29 set as the deadline to approve or not approve the evidence presented during the voir dire (trial within a trial) sections of the trial.

"Friday was Day 13 of what was originally scheduled to be a 16-day trial. Perkins-McVey scheduled an extra 10 court days on top of that, bringing the total to an anticipated 26 days. So far, the hearings have spun from one voir dire to the next, with Crown witnesses appearing in court unprepared.... 

"Kim Ayotte, general manager of emergency and protective services at the City of Ottawa, 'brought no notes to the witness stand,' The Democracy Fund tweeted from the courtroom Tuesday. “He states that he intends to rely only on his memory for events that occurred roughly 19 months ago.' Later, Ayotte said he had important notes that he had left in his office. 

"Crown witness Captain Ettienne Martel of the Sûreté du Québec appeared on the stand on Monday. He also had no notes and spoke through interpreters, one of which was dismissed after defence lawyers continually had to correct their translation before the judge.  Martel wanted to use notes he had brought, but didn’t write himself. Instead, they were prepared by a 'team of crowd control officers'.... Lawrence Greenspon, counsel for Tamara Lich, asked Martel if he prepared any notes himself. 'No,' Martel replied.... 

"Crown witness Serge Arpin, former chief of staff for Jim Watson, former Ottawa mayor, breached court rules and contacted Crown attorneys Thursday evening. 

"Perkins-McVey has shown her impatience with the Crown on several occasions, from being 'very unhappy' with it the first week, and questioning the relevancy of evidence presented by the Crown ever since. She continuously had to pause the trial so the witness can step out of the courtroom and she can address yet another blunder by the Crown, such as neglecting to send the defence counsels 'over 1,000 emails' as part of its disclosure — which led to yet another voir dire."

Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/news/trial-of-lich-barber-takes-hiatus-after-three-weeks-judge-unhappy-with-crown-prosecutors/article_04d09bba-5972-11ee-a207-4f7ab6c6ce0c.html

No end in sight for Tamara Lich trial (ft. Trish Wood) | True North | September 23, 2023:

Podcaster demonetized over anonymous charges

YouTube Has Demonetized Russell Brand Over Anonymous #MeToo Allegations | Reason | Robby Soave:

September 19, 2023 - "Russell Brand is a comedian, actor, and podcaster with a considerable following on social media platforms, including Rumble and YouTube. Once firmly on the political left, his contrarian views on COVID-19 and other subjects have earned him a substantial following among independents and conservatives, in the vein of figures like Joe Rogan and Glenn Greenwald.

"Last week, the London Sunday Times accused Brand of sexually assaulting multiple women during the time period from 2006 and 2013.... Brand has denied the allegations, but the consequences have been swift. His talent agency dropped him the same day the story was published, and now YouTube has demonetized his channel, meaning that he can't make money from advertisements.

"The reporting in The Sunday Times is very detailed, and the story does offer some corroborating details.... Brand has admitted in the past to struggling with drug abuse and sex addiction and engaging in lewd behavior—which doesn't mean he's guilty of rape but does put the accusations in context.

"It's fair, of course, to scrutinize the motivations of the accusers as well: The Sunday Times notes that the women wanted to talk to reporters because of 'Brand's newfound prominence as an online wellness influencer, with millions of followers on YouTube and other sites.' Brand's supporters may see this admission as evidence that he is being targeted specifically because of his recently established animosity toward mainstream media and institutions.

"Regardless of how one feels about this situation, YouTube's actions should raise eyebrows. The platform has not punished Brand for something he said—for some piece of video content he created. YouTube is punishing Brand for conduct that took place entirely off the platform and does not involve speech at all.

"As a private company, YouTube has the right, of course, to platform and deplatform anyone it wishes. It is not obligated to obey the First Amendment, extend due process to content creators, or enforce internally consistent rules. The company is free to do whatever it wants — and users are free to complain. And this seems like something worth complaining about. 

"YouTube's guidelines do require creators to remain 'responsible' both on and off the platform, and the company specifically prohibits 'abuse or violence, demonstrating cruelty, or participating in fraudulent or deceptive behavior that leads to real-world harm.' But let's keep in mind that Brand has not been convicted of any crime. His accusers remain anonymous. Will any prominent figure accused of sexual misconduct anonymously face similar sanction, prior to any criminal action taking place?

"Due process, the presumption of innocence, the burden of the proof — these things are not legally required in a situation like this, but wholly jettisoning them is morally, practically, and philosophically unsound. It's unwise for YouTube to put itself in the position of litigating extremely contentious off-site personal behavior. This sets a very dangerous, quasi-dystopian precedent."

Read more: https://reason.com/2023/09/19/russell-brand-youtube-demonetized-rape-accusations/

Russell Brand DEPLATFORMED on Streaming; Ad Revenue SUSPENDED In Stunning Censorship Move: Rising | The Hill | September 20, 2023:

Sunak slows down Britain's race to Net Zero

Declaring that "If we continue down this path, we risk losing the consent of the British people," Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced changes to slow down Britain's drive to Net Zero emissions.

Britain has finally joined the net sensibles | The Telegraph | Matthew Lynn: 

September 20, 2023 - "You might still be able to buy a petrol car for a few more years. You won’t have to rip out your old boiler right away.... [E]xtra taxes on your next summer holiday might be postponed, while that fiddly recycling scheme that required countless different bins could be scrapped. No doubt his critics will try to portray the Prime Minister’s modest watering down of green commitments as turning the UK into a climate-change denying pariah. In reality, the UK is just switching from 'net zero' extremism to 'net zero' sense, joining many other developed countries in recognising that carbon emissions can’t be eliminated right away and all we will do is bankrupt ourselves by trying.... 

"To listen to some of the reaction to the PM’s leaked announcement on climate change you might think he was sending the British army into the rainforest with chainsaws or re-opening the Kent and Durham coalmines.... Sunak is simply proposing some modest tweaks. The completely unrealistic target of banning the sale of petrol cars by 2030 will be pushed back by five years, bringing us into line with most of Europe. The phasing out of gas boilers will be postponed. And there will be no new taxes on flying, at least for now. The posturing that demanded the UK was the world leader on combating climate change, even though we account for only one percent of global emissions, and our stagnant economy can barely afford it, will be scrapped. Instead, we will more modestly adopt global standards.

"That is long overdue. The 'net sensibles', as they might be termed, are in the ascendancy across Europe. France’s President Macon had called for a 'regulatory pause' on climate change, arguing that it should not damage competitiveness. Italy’s PM Georgia Meloni argued in March that 'we cannot help the environment by destroying our industries' while Belgium’s PM Alexander de Croo in May argued climate change legislation should not overwhelm companies, arguing that Europe should 'not try to do everything at the same time'. 

"In a move that you might think would please the kind of hardcore Remainers who also are typically the most extreme advocates of green policies, the UK is simply aligning itself with the EU. It is hard to see anything very controversial about that. The alternative was to simply press on with an insane bid for world leadership, while making life tougher and tougher for families and businesses....

"[T]here is still a long way to go. For example, we could start fracking so that we could secure our domestic energy supplies while we transition to green alternatives, following the lead of Canada’s Justin Trudeau, hardly a right-wing populist. We could allow new oil fields to be developed at the same time as developing wind and solar power, following the lead of President Joe Biden, hardly a climate-change denier. Or we could explore the use of synthetic e-fuels as an alternative to electric cars, as the Social Democrat-Green coalition in Germany is insisting that it should.... 

"[U]nder Theresa May and Boris Johnson, cheered on by the likes of Labour’s Ed Miliband and Sir Keir Starmer, the UK had one of the most extreme climate change plans in the world. It was already starting to drag down the country’s economy, with expensive, unreliable energy, costly regulations, and endless green levies. It should be a relief to everyone that we have already joined the ranks of the 'net sensibles' recognising that climate change is a serious issue but that we can’t make much of a difference by ourselves, and there is no point in bankrupting ourselves in the process. But there is still a long way to go before we finally undo the damage of the last few years - and put in place some grown up climate policies instead."

Read more: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/09/20/britain-has-finally-seen-sense-on-net-zero/

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Net Zero Speech - IN FULL | 10 Downing Street | September 21, 2023:

Canada-wide protests over school gender policies

Arrests, heated exchanges mark rallies for and against teaching LGBTQ rights in schools | CBC News:

September 20, 2023 - "Competing protests sprouted up in cities and communities across Canada on Wednesday, as opposing groups loudly clashed on how schools address issues of gender identity.... Arrests were reported in Ottawa, Halifax, Vancouver and also Victoria — where Victoria police advised people to avoid the B.C. legislature amid protests they said had become 'unsafe' and which prompted at least two arrests.

"Earlier Wednesday, Ottawa police said two people were arrested for "inciting hatred" by "displaying hateful material" during a protest in the capital. An arrest was also reported at a protest in Halifax, where several hundred people participated in local protests and counter-protests. Another arrest was reported in Vancouver — where more than 1,000 people were present between the protests and counter-protests on Wednesday — but police did not immediately provide further details.

"Some parents and socially conservative groups are protesting LGBTQ-inclusive education policies in the classroom and in extracurricular settings under the banner of parental rights.... Policies emerging across the country, including in New Brunswick and Saskatchewan, that require young people to get parental consent before teachers can use their preferred first names and pronouns are at the heart of these protests. Those opposed to parental consent rules say the policies are a violation of children's rights and that transgender youth should not be outed to their parents by teachers.

"In Ottawa, thousands of people faced off in front of Parliament Hill and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh led a group of counter-protesters down Wellington Street. The street was closed in both directions between Elgin and Bank streets as over 1,000 people gathered for demonstrations. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his support for LGBTQ people across Canada, via a statement on X, the former Twitter. 'We strongly condemn this hate and its manifestations," wrote Trudeau, who was in New York to speak at the UN Climate Ambition Summit.... 

• In Hamilton, protesters marched from a local mall toward the headquarters of the local school board. Several hundred people, a total including both those involved in the protest and counter-protest, were present, according to CBC Hamilton. 
• The exterior of another school board in London, Ont., was a site where hundreds of protesters and counter-protesters appeared Wednesday. 
• In Calgary, police said more than 1,000 people were involved in protests and a fraction of that in related counter-protests, occurring Wednesday. 
• In Edmonton, police estimated that 1,200 people were involved in local protests and counter-protests in the provincial capital.
• Saskatchewan's two largest cities saw protests as well, as did several cities in Manitoba.
• In Yukon, dozens of protesters and several hundred counter-protesters stood on opposite sides of a street from one another in downtown Whitehorse on Wednesday.
• In St. John's, Grand Falls-Windsor and Corner Brook, N.L., protesters gathered at government buildings and parking lots. These gatherings saw tears and heated back-and-forth arguments.... 
• On Prince Edward Island, protesters gathered in downtown Charlottetown, where counter-protesters also made their presence known. A CBC News crew reported seeing a handful of skirmishes during the day's events — including an occasion in which a person was knocked to the ground....
• British Columbia also saw protests and counter-protests in Kamloops and Kelowna, where hundreds of people from both sides met outside the courthouse and city hall, respectively, carrying signs and shouting slogans. 
• Protests also occurred in Prince George and Surrey, B.C."

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/rallies-gender-schools-1.6972606

Thousands gather for dueling protests over gender identity policies on school | CITY News | September 20, 2023:

Appeals court upholds Missouri v. Biden injunction

The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a limited injunction against the federal government censoring social media. 

The Government Censored Me and Other Scientists. We Fought Back—and Won | The Free Press | Jay Bhattacharya:

September 11, 2023 - "When I was 19, I became an American citizen. It was one of the happiest days of my young life. The immigration officer gave me a civics test, including a question about the First Amendment. It was an easy test because I knew it in my heart. The American civic religion has the right to free speech as the core of its liturgy.... My parents had taught me that people here could criticize the government, even over matters of life and death, without worry that the government would censor or suppress us. But over the past three years, I have been robbed of that conviction. American government officials, working in concert with big tech companies, have attacked and suppressed my speech and that of my colleagues for criticizing official pandemic policies—criticism that has been proven prescient. 

"On Friday, at long last, the Fifth Circuit Court ruled that ... that the Biden administration did indeed strong-arm social media companies into doing its bidding. The court found that the Biden White House, the CDC, the U.S. Surgeon General’s office, and the FBI 'engaged in a years-long pressure campaign [on social media outlets] designed to ensure that the censorship aligned with the government’s preferred viewpoints'.... According to the judges, 'the officials’ campaign succeeded. The platforms, in capitulation to state-sponsored pressure, changed their moderation policies'....

"The trouble began on October 4, 2020, when my colleagues and I — Dr. Martin Kulldorff, a professor of medicine at Harvard University, and Dr. Sunetra Gupta, an epidemiologist at the University of Oxford — published the Great Barrington Declaration. The Declaration called for an end to economic lockdowns, school shutdowns, and similar restrictive policies on the grounds that they disproportionately harm the young and economically disadvantaged while conferring limited benefits to society as a whole. The Declaration endorsed a “focused protection” approach that called for strong measures to protect high-risk populations while allowing lower-risk individuals to return to normal life with reasonable precautions. Tens of thousands of doctors and public health scientists signed our statement....

"Four days after the Declaration’s publication, then-director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Francis Collins, emailed Fauci to organize a 'devastating takedown' of it. Almost immediately, social media companies such as Google/YouTube, Reddit, and Facebook censored mentions of the Declaration.... [I]n 2021 Twitter blacklisted me for posting a link to the Great Barrington Declaration. YouTube censored a video of a public policy roundtable of me with Florida governor Ron DeSantis.... I am not a political person; I am not registered with either party.... Yet at the height of the pandemic, I found myself smeared for my supposed political views, and my views about Covid policy and epidemiology were removed from the public square on all manner of social networks....

"In August 2022, my colleagues and I finally had a chance to fight back. The Missouri and Louisiana attorneys general asked me to join as a plaintiff in their case, represented by the New Civil Liberties Alliance, against the Biden administration. The aim of the suit was to end the government's role in this censorship—and restore the free speech rights of all Americans in the digital town square.... The case revealed that a dozen federal agencies — including the CDC, the Office of the Surgeon General, and the Biden White House — pressured social media companies like Google, Facebook, and Twitter to censor and suppress even true speech contradicting federal pandemic priorities. For instance, in 2021, the White House threatened social media companies with damaging regulatory action unless it censored scientists who shared the demonstrable fact that the Covid vaccines do not prevent people from getting Covid.... 

"On Independence Day this year, federal Judge Terry Doughty issued a preliminary injunction in the case, ordering the federal government to immediately stop coercing social media companies to censor protected free speech.... The government appealed, convinced it should have the power to censor scientific speech. An administrative stay followed and lasted much of the summer. But on Friday, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit unanimously restored a modified version of the preliminary injunction, telling the government to stop using social media companies to do its censorship dirty work: 

Defendants, and their employees and agents, shall take no actions, formal or informal, directly or indirectly, to coerce or significantly encourage social-media companies to remove, delete, suppress, or reduce, including through altering their algorithms, posted social-media content containing protected free speech. That includes, but is not limited to, compelling the platforms to act, such as by intimating that some form of punishment will follow a failure to comply with any request, or supervising, directing, or otherwise meaningfully controlling the social media companies’ decision-making processes....

"The decision isn’t perfect. Some entities at the heart of the government’s censorship enterprise can still organize to suppress speech..... But ... the federal government can no longer threaten social media companies with destruction if they don’t censor on behalf of the government. The Biden administration, which has proven itself to be an enemy of free speech, will surely appeal the decision to the Supreme Court. But I am hopeful that we will win there, just as we have at every venue in this litigation. I am grateful for the resilience of the U.S. Constitution, which has withstood this challenge."

Read more: https://www.thefp.com/p/i-fought-government-censorship-and-won

Was Biden's social media meddling illegal? | ReasonTV | August 18, 2023: 

Alberta pastor sentenced to jail time for Coutts role

For ministering at the 2022 Coutts blockade pastor Artur Pawlowski has been sentenced to 61 days in jail, less than time served, but has vowed to appeal the sentence.

Pawlowski sentenced to 61 days in prison on Coutts charges | Western Standard | Jonathan Bradley:

September 18, 2023 - "Street Church pastor Artur Pawlowski was sentenced to 61 days in jail for charges stemming from the Coutts Border Blockade, but he will not be incarcerated because of credit for time served.... 

"Pawlowski was arrested at his home by six police officers after he encouraged protestors at the Coutts Border Blockade to stay put in 2022. Pawlowski’s son Nathaniel said his father and he were getting ready to head to Coutts for the day when an undercover police minivan pulled up and six officers sprinted at them. Police told him that he was under arrest for mischief over $5,000. 

"Pawlowski was released from the Calgary Remand Centre under strict bail conditions in 2022. His release followed 51 days of continuous incarceration between the Edmonton and Calgary detention centres — many of which were spent in forced solitary confinement and under what he said were excessive and cruel conditions. Under threat of re-arrest and detention, he was not permitted to speak to or wave to his supporters who had lined the sidewalks outside the building on his release to offer support. Other bail conditions included a curfew from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. and house arrest — a combination he said was nonsensical and excessive. 

"Pawlowski was found guilty of mischief, willfully damaging and destroying essential infrastructure and breaching a release order at the Coutts Border Blockade in May.... 

"Krinke said he determined the sentence after reviewing case law, oral presentations and reference letters. He described Pawlowski’s church duties and politics. The Crown attorney requested eight to 10 months in jail for mischief and one day concurrently for breach of order. His defence lawyers asked for seven days in jail for mischief and one for breach of order....

"Krinke said least restrictive sanctions are the best, but that would not apply as much in this case. He added a discharge would be inappropriate. For a fine, he said it would not reflect the gravity. Probation would not make a dent. He called incarceration 'required to achieve denunciation and deference.' While incarceration would be required, [Pawlowski] had 78 days banked from time served and has vowed to appeal his sentence. 

"The mitigating factors were he had no prior criminal record, expedited the trial by agreeing to facts, and has helped poor people. The aggravating factors were the incident happened while he was under a court order and has not expressed contrition. 

"Krinke concluded by saying Pawlowski would not be going back to jail."

Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/news/breaking-pawlowski-sentenced-to-61-days-in-prison-on-coutts-charges/article_3f7da748-564e-11ee-aa3e-f3cc744bf9bc.html

Pawlowski Sentenced For Coutts Blockade Role | Micah Quinn | Bridge City News | September 18, 2023: 

Ontario unions organize to disrupt parents' march

Ontario unions are organizing to take urgent action against the planned parental rights protest March on September 20.   

Unions plan disruption, counter-protests against Wednesday parents march | Western Standard | Lee Harding:

September 15, 2023 - "The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) is strategizing on how to counteract the million-person march Wednesday. On September 11, OFL President Patty Coates sent an email to the OFL executive board, executive council, union heads, committees, coalitions, and community partners. Its notice read, 'Urgent Action Required: Rapid Response to September 20th Canada-Wide (anti-sexual minority) Protests.' 

"The email warned, 'the ultra-conservative right have planned nationwide events to protest teaching (sexual minority) content in schools under the guise of protecting children.' Although the rallying cry is entitled, 'A day to unite all religions in the defence of children against (sexual minority) indoctrination in Canadian schools,' Coates took a different view. 'We know that far from protecting students this will hurt them in so many ways,' she wrote. 'In this time of unprecedented hate and emboldened anger against so many people, it is time now, more than ever, for labour to show up as allies to protect targets of hate and bigotry wherever they may be.'

"The email said the one million person march protests were planned for Toronto, Hamilton, Burlington, Kitchener, Niagara Falls, London, Windsor, Orangeville, Barrie, Sudbury, Whitby, Ottawa and 'the list keeps on growing.'

"'We must make our voices louder and the message heard that there is no place for hate in our province,' Coates wrote. 'The OFL encourages all leaders/heads of unions to join with labour councils and community groups to organize workers and communities to form rapid response teams who can show up on the 20th at the locations listed and counter this rhetoric and these lies'.... Coates invited recipients to join her at a strategy meeting on the morning of Friday September 15 to 'draft a system to ensure that no city in Ontario where an event is planned is left unchallenged. Let’s work to broadcast the message that no groups will be left alone'....

"The million person march is the initiative of Muslim activist Kamel El-Cheikh. Hundreds of Muslim parents gathered in Ottawa June 9 and 13 to protest sexual minority education in schools. In September, Prime Minister Trudeau told an audience at a mosque in Calgary that 'people on social media, particularly fueled by the American right wing' were stirring up such protests."
Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/news/unions-plan-disruption-counter-protests-against-wednesday-parents-march/article_e7bc4f94-532f-11ee-90a3-a37360a254ec.html

Unions declare war on parental rights protest | True North | September 18, 2023:

Hamilton union leader says members will follow parental rights protestors | Western Standard | Jonathan Bradley 

September 18, 2023 - "Hamilton and District Labour Council (HDLC) President Anthony Marco said when protestors gather in a parking lot to participate in the One Million March for Children, it 'has got a couple seasoned activists who are willing to go over and take some pictures of licence plates'.... He said these HDLC members will be showing parental rights protestors they 'know they are being watched, that they are not doing this in secret, that people are noticing what they’re up to'.... As a person, he said it is not an action he plans on doing or has ever done....

"The Canadian Anti-Hate Network (CAHN) blasted the One Million March on Friday for wanting to stop sexual minority topics from being discussed in schools. The CAHN said these protests are supported by far-right and conspiratorial groups, including Christian nationalists, COVID-19 conspiracy theorists, sovereigntists and anti-public education activists. It said there are at least two brands involved in the One Million March. Hands Off Our Kids and Family Loves Freedom are organizing under #1MillionMarch4Children. 
Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/news/updated-hamilton-union-leader-says-members-will-follow-parental-rights-protestors/article_8e9c3d92-5641-11ee-badb-8fc07ec92968.html

Why is the Jewish community defending Soros?

Jews shouldn't be defending George Soros against Elon Musk | Jerusalem Post | Alan Dershowitz: 

June 23, 2023 - "An op-ed in The Jerusalem Post typified what many Jews have been saying since Elon Musk compared Soros to Magneto, a Marvel super-villain. The op-ed was headlined: 'This time every Jew is with George Soros.' It concluded that Musk’s 'attack must make every Jew, regardless of ideological orientation or political stripe, defend Soros.' Well, not this Jew.... 

"Musk has been falsely accused of antisemitism because of his criticism and mockery of George Soros. These accusations come from the ADL, the American Jewish Committee, and even the Israeli Foreign Ministry. Soros is Jewish by heritage. Musk is not. But their religious backgrounds should play no role in evaluating the charges and counter-charges.... No single person has done more to damage Israel’s standing in the world, and especially among so-called progressives, than George Soros. Without his support, the two major organizations that have done the most to shift the left-wing paradigm against Israel, would not have the pernicious influence they currently possess. 

"Human Rights Watch [HRW] was founded by publisher and human rights advocate Robert Bernstein.... Then a Soros-funded radical anti-Israel zealot named Kenneth Roth took over the organization and turned it into an organization that specialized in demonizing Israel.... Soros contributed $100,000,000 to Roth’s organization. (The Guardian, September 7, 2010) And since he has been funding this organization, its priorities have shifted even more to singling out Israel for demonization and applying a double standard to the nation-state of the Jewish people. The impact of this demonization cannot be overstated: HRW has done more to turn the international community and progressives against Israel than any other organization. This is ALL Soros’s fault, and Soros is justly condemned for shifting this paradigm against Israel.

"The second most influential organization in turning progressives against Israel is another Soros-funded group: J Street. Despite its claim to be a progressive pro-Israel and pro-Palestine organization, J Street has done much to turn most progressive and some liberal Democrats – especially members of Congress, as well as academics and media pundits – against Israel. Soros contributed a million dollars to J Street, which, according to Haaretz is '20 times larger than any previous donation J Street Action Fund received' (August 23, 2022). J Street now lobbies Congress against Israel and supports candidates who are virulently anti-Israel, as does Soros.

"Attorney Farley Weiss, former president of The National Council of Young Israel, put it exactly right when he concluded: 'Soros’s defenders try to shut down criticism of the billionaire by claiming it is antisemitic because Soros himself is Jewish. But no one has financed more destructive attacks on Israel and the American Jewish community than Soros. He is, at best, a self-hating Jew, and shouldn’t be let off the hook because of his ancestry.'

"I, too, have been a strident critic of Soros, and his pernicious influence not only on Israel but on American domestic issues, such as his funding of progressive candidates for district attorneys, such as Alvin Bragg and Chesa Boudin, who have politicized law enforcement. My criticism of Soros did not include comparing him to 'Magneto,' who, like Soros, survived the Holocaust. I would not make that comparison because I had never heard of this super-villain, but I agree with Musk that Soros’s acts, contributions and motivation do contribute to the erosion of the 'fabric of civilization'....

 "It is true that some right-wing antisemites have focused on Soros in promoting antisemitic conspiracy theories about “the Jews” controlling the world. Just as antisemites of the past blamed “the Rothschilds” for many of the world’s evils, so too some contemporary bigots blame Soros. The difference is that the Rothschilds were strong supporters of the Jewish community and of Zionism. Not only is Soros not a supporter, he is an opponent. He is 'Jewish' only on his parents’ side and he boasts of the fact that his mother was an antisemite.

"Even so, every Jew should condemn antisemitic and illegitimate misuse of Soros’s Jewish heritage. But this misuse should not prevent or deter legitimate criticism of Soros’s individual influence on the world, not as a Jew but as a super-villain in his own right."
Read more: https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-745296

CEO tweets against George Soros - and antisemitism on twitter soars | ILTV Israel News | May 17, 2023:

Ukrainians want draft-eligible refugees sent back

Ukrainian government officials are calling for NATO countries to extradite Ukrainian war refugees eligible for conscription. The Polish government is willing to do so (subject to court approval), but the governments of Czechia, Austria, and Hungary have indicated they will not comply. 

Poland May Start to Extradite Ukrainian ‘Draft Dodgers’ | Kyiv Post:

September 4, 2023 - "On Sept. 1 David Arachamia, leader of Ukraine’s Servant of the People party, said that Ukrainian law enforcement agencies should demand the extradition of men of military age who had illegally left Ukraine to escape mobilization and prosecute them. 

"The Polish news outlet, Rzeczpospolitej reported on data provided by Poland’s Border Guard that 2.87 million Ukrainian adults had crossed into Poland between Feb. 24, 2022 and Aug. 31 this year. It was estimated that around 80,000 men aged 18-60, who were potentially eligible for military service, had entered the country; the whereabouts of whom are currently not known. A spokesperson for the Polish Border Guard, Lt. Anna Michalska, is quoted as saying that it was not known how many actually met the exemption requirements.

"Ukraine shares borders with five countries where Ukrainian men may have entered: Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova. It is feared that the number of those who have fled may run into the tens of thousands. Fedir Venislavsky, a member of Ukraine’s National Security, Defense and Intelligence Committee said the numbers of those who illicitly avoided going to war and took refuge abroad is hugely significant. 'These people could be mobilized and increase the ranks of our armed forces, thereby strengthening our defense and security'....

"Inspector Mariusz Ciarka, a spokesman for the Poland’s Police Headquarters indicated that there had been a number of instances of individuals intercepted trying to cross the border illegally without an exemption.... In the case of those who appeared to have an exemption and crossed apparently legally, the inspector said it ... would be necessary for Ukraine to issue an international arrest warrant for each individual case. The details would be entered into Poland’s National Police Information System (KSIP) and shared with Interpol. If a Ukrainian was stopped for something such as a traffic offence, KSIP would flag the fact and the person would be detained. However, the police could not act on the warrant until a Polish court had approved extradition.

"In July the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) charged the MP Lyudmila Marchenko and her assistant with corruption or demanding a bribe to provide a man with a permit to leave Ukraine as well as registering him on the Shlyakh system, which allows men of military age to leave the country."
Read more: https://www.kyivpost.com/post/21242

Ukraine Demands Extradition of Its Draft-Age Men | European Conservative | Zoltán Kottász:

September 9, 2023 - "Neither the Austrian, nor the Czech government is willing to bow to Ukraine’s demands and extradite Ukrainian men who have fled the war-torn country. 'That would be a massive interference in our sovereignty, we would never do that,' a spokesman for the Austrian Interior Ministry said to Exxpress on September 7th. 'Such a request would likely contravene Czech law, making it impossible to approve it,' the Czech Justice Ministry stated in the Prague Monitor....

"With the war against Russia costing thousands of lives, the Ukrainian leadership is stepping up its efforts to recruit soldiers. But there are more and more reports of men fleeing the country to avoid military service.... The number of Ukrainian men who have successfully avoided mobilisation and sought refuge abroad could be in the tens of thousands, but there are no official statistics. What Eurostat’s statistics do tell us is that 17.7% of the 4 million Ukrainians who have been granted temporary protection in the EU since the start of the war are men aged 18-64....

"According to Exxpress, there are around 14,000 Ukrainian men aged between 18 and 54 who have been registered as refugees in Austria. The government in Vienna has clearly stated it will not deport any of them. Prague has also emphasised that extradition treaties do not apply under Czech law to crimes of a military or political nature. Polish authorities estimate that 80,000 Ukrainian men of military age may have entered Poland since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the German Interior Ministry has registered more than 200,000 men in the same age group since the start of the war. Tareq Alaows of the human rights organisation Pro Asyl, told Deutschlandfunk that evading conscription is a human right, therefore, the German government shouldn’t give in to Ukraine’s demands, if such demands were made.

"While people with disabilities and illnesses are mostly exempt from the draft, Hungarian-language Ukrainian news website, Kárpáti Igaz Szó reports that the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence recently updated its list of illnesses that are no longer considered debilitating enough to stop men from serving in the army. These include clinically cured tuberculosis, viral hepatitis, asymptomatic HIV, mental and neurological disorders that cause only minimal pain and rare physical manifestations."
Read more: https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/ukraine-demands-extradition-of-its-draft-age-men/

Germany just told Ukraine to F*CK off, along with 3 other E.U. countries | Redacted News | September 15, 2023:

Trudeau minister ordered to unblock Rebel News

A federal court judge has ordered Trudeau's environment minister, Steven Guilbeault, to stop blocking the account of Rebel News founder Ezra Levant on X, and to ensure it remains unblocked for as long as Guilbeault remains in Parliament. 

Court orders environment minister to unblock Rebel News founder on X | CBC News | Jim Bronskill, Canadian Press:

September 12, 2023 - "Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault must unblock Rebel News founder Ezra Levant on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter, under the terms of a court order. The order issued by Federal Court Justice Russel Zinn ends an action Levant filed two years ago claiming the Liberal minister was violating his constitutional rights by blocking him. Levant argued that his inability to see or respond to Guilbeault's posts on the platform limited his ability to engage in debate on matters of public concern.

"The order says the parties acknowledge that Guilbeault and the federal government 'do not admit and in fact deny any liability in respect of the allegations made in the application.' However, under the order, the minister must ensure his X account unblocks Levant immediately and remains unblocked for as long as Guilbeault remains a member of Parliament. The court also ordered the government to pay $20,000 toward Rebel's legal expenses....

"In an affidavit filed with the court, Treasury Board Secretariat official Tracey Headley said Service Canada confirmed that the account in question was not an official Government of Canada social media account. Levant argued in the initial notice of application to the court that the Guilbeault account had all the trappings of an official, state-run account, adding the content was public in nature. The notice said the freedom of expression protected by the Charter of Rights includes the derivative right to access government information where it is necessary for meaningful expression on the functioning of government.

"A federal filing in the case points out that in various Twitter posts while Guilbeault was Canadian heritage minister, Levant called him a 'kook,' a 'thug' and possibly 'the stupidest cabinet minister in Ottawa.' Levant noted in his submission that Guilbeault chose to block him rather than use the social media platform's less intrusive muting function, which allows a user to remove another user's posts from their timeline without unfollowing or blocking that account."
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/steven-guilbeault-must-unblock-ezra-levant-1.6964294

We Beat Trudeau's Cabinet Minister Steven Guilbeault in Court | Rebel News | September 12, 2023:

Rebel News just beat Steven Guilbeault in the Federal Court of Canada after a dispute surrounding censorship of the public on Twitter | Rebel News | Ezra Levant:

September 11, 20- "Like his boss Justin Trudeau, Steven Guilbeault hates Rebel News because he can’t control us.... They both admire China’s dictatorship and they think they can act like little dictators themselves, by censoring us. And they’re both thin-skinned and petty. So here’s what Guilbeault did. He ordered his government department to 'block' us on X, formerly Twitter. So we couldn’t receive any government news updates from his department’s Twitter account. We couldn’t read anything, we couldn’t reply, and of course we couldn’t ask him journalistic questions on Twitter. We were effectively kicked out of the public square, which is what Twitter has become.... 

"So we sued. We went to the Federal Court of Canada and argued that we had a right to see those tweets — that it was a government service like any other.... Guilbeault fought us for more than two years. We had a court hearing in Toronto this summer, and the government had seven lawyers in the court, all just to stop us from seeing their tweets.... Well, today Guilbeault finally caved — he agreed to a 'consent order' against him.... Guilbeault’s government lawyers tried to get me to sign a confidentiality clause, banning me from disclosing the details of his settlement. Even as he was admitting he had violated our rights, he wanted to keep it a secret.... Guilbeault has been ordered by the court to un-block me and to never ban me again, as long as he’s an MP....

"Guilbeault has been ordered to pay Rebel News $20,000 for making us waste two years and enormous legal fees to assert our constitutional rights. Of course, he’ll probably make taxpayers pay that for him, even though it was he who broke the law. $20,000 sounds like a lot of money, and it is — but unfortunately, it’s just a fraction of what we had to spend to finally get this little thug to back down. (I can only imagine how much it cost taxpayers for Guilbeault to have SEVEN government lawyers defending him — he’ll probably try to keep that amount secret, too.)

"In some ways, today’s victory is a small thing. But having the Federal Court smack down government censorship is never a small thing. And it sets a precedent for all other bullies in Trudeau’s government, reminding them that they cannot use public resources to carry out a vendetta against their political critics."
Read more: https://www.rebelnews.com/breaking_news_ezra_levant_defeats_trudeau_cabinet_minister_steven_guilbeault_in_court

Canada ranks low in health-care outcomes

Canada ranks near last place among OECD countries for health-care outcomes, well below those countries with hybrid public-private health systems.

Canada ranks near last place in OECD healthcare rankings | The Suburban | Charles S. Shaver, MD:

August 17, 2022: "Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones stated that she was 'looking at all options,' but was strongly criticized because this might lead to increased privatization. Of note is that health care is already 30% privately-funded in Canada. Meanwhile, Quebec is short 8,000 health workers compared to last summer. As a result, it is partially closing six emergency departments and will reduce services in some neonatal units.

"Yet consider countries ranked highest for health outcomes and wait times such as Denmark, Austria, France, Germany, and Belgium. They all have in common universal healthcare that covers everyone, but also a hybrid public-private system..... [W]e need to look at Europe — not the United States — to see what these countries are doing right. [As] Vancouver orthopedic surgeon Dr. Brian Day stated, 'Canada is the only country in the world where accessing private health care is outlawed, and where you’re forced onto a state wait-list of harm'....

"from 1997 [through] 2021, the cost of our public health insurance has increased by 210.2%. We spend over 11% of our GDP on health care — more than 27 comparable [OECD] countries. Yet among OECD countries, we are 25th of 26 in acute care beds/1000 population, 26th of 28 in MDs, 14th of 24 in nurses and 21st of 24 in MRI scanners....

"Residents of Nova Scotia face long waits in the emergency department and last year 43,000 left without being seen. At least 15 ERs have closed in British Columbia, 20 in Ontario, six in Quebec, three in New Brunswick, one in PEI, and a dozen in rural Newfoundland and Labrador. Most of this is due to a severe staffing shortage, especially of nurses. Last September, nearly half of Nova Scotia nurses worked overtime — the highest of any province. Many across Canada are burning out from poor working conditions and lack of financial incentives, and are leaving for Alberta or the United States.

"The Ontario College of Nursing processed only 2,000 applications last year and 4,300 to date this year; 26,000 are still waiting. Ironically, a nurse from Windsor recently applied for a licence in Michigan and was approved in only four days. Foreign-trained MDs are likewise limited. An advocacy group represents over 1,200 international medical graduates who have not yet been able to obtain a licence to practice in Canada. Of note is that last October, the Labour Mobility Act now requires Alberta regulatory bodies to review and accept or reject credentials within 20 business days; Quebec and all provinces should follow this example.

"Our Canadian health system is in crisis due to lack of adequate federal funding, a severe shortage of nurses and other health professionals, and the need to revamp the system to look for efficiencies. Germany has twice the population of Canada, yet we have 10 times as many health administrators. Money could be saved by pruning the bloated number of paper-pushers in hospitals and ministries of health, and redirecting savings into hiring more nurses and other health workers.... 

"[I]n Ontario, nurses’ salary increases have been limited to 1% annually by Bill 124, which should be repealed. Many orthopedic and other surgeons are underemployed and the increased money could provide increased OR time (possibly in privately-funded free-standing facilities) to shorten wait times for knee and hip replacements and cataract extractions.... One obvious fear of increased privatization is that nurses, MDs, etc. will leave the public system for the private one, leaving the former even more short-staffed. Hence ... adequate sick benefits and other financial incentives must be provided in the public system immediately so as to encourage nurses and other to return to the workforce....  

"If federal transfer payments do not increase and various creative means are not found to alleviate the staffing shortage, the status quo will continue. Most Canadians will continue to wait, many will suffer, and a few will die unnecessarily.... We must be open-minded, not fear change, and should learn from Europe how to successfully blend public and private systems so as to be more efficient and yet fair to all patients and health professionals."

Read more: https://www.thesuburban.com/opinion/op_ed/canada-ranks-near-last-place-in-oecd-healthcare-rankings/article_50a29114-868a-5436-a367-5094701fc325.html

Canada's health-care system is a laggard. Here's how the top-ranked countries do it | The Hub Canada | November 21, 2022:

Quebec gov't spending >$1 Billion to set up permanent Covid-vax centres

The Quebec government is committing more than $1 Billion over five years to set up permanent Covid-19 vaccination centres, and hopes to have 100 of those ready by October.

Vexa805, Covid-19 vaccination centre, Drummondville, Quebec. CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. 

Quebec to Make COVID-Era Vaccination Centres Permanent, Expand Testing Amid Rising COVID Cases | Epoch Times - Matthew Horwood:

September 9, 2023 - "As cases of COVID-19 continue to rise in Quebec, the province will spent $1.36 billion over five years to upgrade temporary vaccination centres set up during the pandemic and make them permanent, with some 100 centres with upgraded testing capabilities to be ready by October.

"Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé announced Sept. 8 that the centres will be offering more services, including blood, urine, stool, and infection tests. They will be in addition to the 160 existing sample collection centres. The investment, amounting to $272 million per year, is being made with the hopes of relieving hospital overcrowding with the arrival of the new COVID-19 variant called EG.5 variant, also known as Eris. 

"The province's goal is to have around 100 facilities ready by October to coincide with the arrival of the variant. The number of workers at the sites will also be scaled up. While Mr. Dubé said the province has 10,000 people ... currently working at vaccination centres, he hopes to mobilize up to 20,000 employees. The sites will still offer vaccinations against COVID-19, influenza, and shingles.

"Weeks ago, Mr. Dubé had said the province would be deploying a new vaccination campaign against the variant in the fall.... 'We’re just trying to finalize with those experts, who should be vaccinated and when and what are the exceptions.' At [the] Sept. 8 press conference that coincided with the announcement around vaccination centres, Mr. Dubé warned that the number of people infected with COVID-19 and staying at Quebec hospitals has tripled in the past month, rising from around 300 three weeks earlier to 881 as of Sept. 6. People admitted to hospitals for other reasons but later tested positive for COVID-19 can be included in those statistics.

"The health minister said he would not predict a resurgence of COVID-19 this fall but wanted to make sure the provincial health-care network is ready. Mr. Dubé also said he did not want to 'worry the population'.... The minister added that many people would already have some built-in immunity to the strain if they had previously contracted COVID-19 or been vaccinated against it.

"Health Canada is currently considering authorizing three new vaccines against the new variant: two mRNA vaccines, from Pfizer and Moderna, and a third one which is a non-mRNA vaccine from Novavax, CBC News reported."

Read more: https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/quebec-to-make-permanent-covid-era-vaccination-centres-expand-testing-amid-rising-covid-cases-5488481

NM governor uses public health order for gun ban

Last Friday New Mexico's governor, Lujan Grisham, issued a public health emergency order banning concealed and open gun carry in Albuquerque and surrounding Bernalillo county. The order applies for only 30 days, but can (and according to the Governor probably will) be renewed.

New Mexico's Governor Suspends the Right To Bear Arms, Saying the Second Amendment Is Not 'Absolute' | Reason | Jacob Sullum:

September 10, 2023 - "New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Friday issued a 'public health emergency order' that purportedly suspends the right to bear arms in Albuquerque and surrounding Bernalillo County. The order, which lasts for 30 days but can be renewed, applies to concealed or open carry of firearms on public property, with exceptions for police officers and security guards. Grisham said "citizens with permits to carry firearms are free to possess their weapons on private property (such as at a gun range or gun store), provided they transport the firearm in a locked box, use a trigger lock, or [use] some other mechanism that renders the gun incapable of being fired.'

"The order covers 'cities or counties averaging 1,000 or more violent crimes per 100,000 residents per year since 2021,' a criterion currently met only by Bernalillo County. Grisham, a Democrat, says the carry ban is a necessary response to 'recent shooting deaths of a thirteen-year-old girl on July 28, a five-year-old girl on August 14, and an eleven-year-old boy on September 6, as well as two mass shootings this year.' At a press conference on Friday, she conceded that the order was apt to be challenged in court as a violation of the Second Amendment.... 

"Yesterday the National Association for Gun Rights, together with a member who lives in Albuquerque, sued Grisham in federal court, arguing that her order flies in the face of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen. That decision overturned New York's sweeping limits on public possession of firearms and established a constitutional test for gun restrictions, which the Court said must be 'consistent with this Nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation.' Gun Owners of America, along with another Bernalillo County resident, filed a similar federal lawsuit against Grisham on Saturday. Both groups argue that Grisham's order plainly fails the Bruen test....

"The New Mexico Shooting Sports Association, a chapter of the National Rifle Association, said it planned to join the two other groups in challenging Grisham's order. Grisham said state police would be charged with enforcing the order, which prescribes a fine of up to $5,000 per violation. The Associated Press reports that Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina 'said he won't enforce it, and Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen said he's uneasy about it because it raises too many questions about constitutional rights.' In a statement issued on Friday, Allen said 'the temporary ban challenges the foundation of our Constitution, which I swore an oath to uphold.'

"Grisham seems unfazed by those concerns. 'The purpose is to try to create a cooling off period while we figure out how we can better address public safety and gun violence,' she said at Friday's press conference. 'There are gonna be a lot of questions about whether or not we think we have the legal rights to do that. I am sure … there will be a legal challenge, and I can't tell you that we [will] win it, given all of the different challenges to gun violence laws and restrictions on individual firearm access and control…. I think it's time to talk about the absoluteness of the discussion and the current court actions that suggest that the Second Amendment is an absolute right'....

"'I have emergency powers,' Grisham told The New York Times. 'Gun violence is an epidemic. Therefore, it's an emergency.' During the press conference, she also indicated that she probably would extend the order, which she said would be lifted only if 'the epidemic' of gun violence ended after 30 days, adding, 'I bet it's not over in 30 days'....

"State Reps. Stefani Lord (R–Sandia Park) and John Block (R–Alamogordo) on Saturday said Grisham's order was grounds for impeachment. 'This emergency order violates the Governor's oath to protect and defend the rights of New Mexicans,' they said in a press release. 'The legislature has a duty to intervene when the government is overstepping its boundaries, and Governor Grisham's order and comments disqualify her from continuing her tenure as Governor.' Lord called the order 'an abhorrent attempt at imposing a radical, progressive agenda on an unwilling populace'....

"When a reporter asked if Grisham 'really think[s] that criminals are gonna hear this message and not carry a gun in Albuquerque on the streets for 30 days,' Grisham said, 'No.' So 'even Grisham,' Lord says, 'believes this emergency order won't [stop] criminals from carrying or using weapons,' which suggests the order 'will only put New Mexicans in danger as they won't be able to defend themselves against violent crime.'"

Read more: https://reason.com/2023/09/10/new-mexicos-governor-suspends-the-right-to-bear-arms-saying-the-second-amendment-is-not-absolute/

Guns BANNED in New Mexico County Following Emergency Declaration, BLATANTLY UNCONSTITUTIONAL?! | Rising | The Hill | September 11, 2023:

Democracy on trial along with Lich & Barber

What's at stake in the trial of Tamara Lich and Christ Barber, writes Freedom Convoy organizer Tom Marazzo, are basic principles necessary for democracy to function. 

Trial of Tamara Lich and Chris Barber shows an endangered democracy | True North | Tom Marazzo:

September 6, 2023: "In a country once globally revered for its commitment to freedom and democracy, Canada finds itself entangled in a disturbing transformation—a crisis that stretches beyond public health to encompass failures of governance and the erosion of democratic ideals. Tamara Lich, Chris Barber, and the Coutts 4 serve as the flashpoints. The Coutts 4 have been held in detention for over 560 days without a bail hearing. It’s not merely unusual; it’s a flagrant assault on the very essence of democratic judicial proceedings The trial of Tamara Lich and Chris Barber started this week....

"How did the great nation of Canada veer so far off its democratic course? Why isn’t the Canadian government’s freeze of financial assets without warrant, charges, or conviction on trial? Why isn’t there a public inquiry into the government’s disastrous handling of the Covid-19 pandemic? Why no curiosity into where the Emergency Management Organizations – groups specially designed to manage such crises – were? 

"No, instead it’s Tamara Lich and Chris Barber who are on trial. While many Covid fines and charges are quietly being dismissed nationwide, individuals like Lich and Barber remain in the state’s crosshairs. It’s as if the government is using them as cautionary tales, warning the public: 'Raise your voice, and you’ll face disproportionate consequences.'

"In the case of Lich and Barber, all the federal government had to do was talk to us – but it refused outright. Why? To fabricate a Canadian January 6th. They didn’t want dialogue; they wanted division.... For the skeptics, the term 'Problem Reaction Solution Paradigm' might echo in your ears. It suggests that governments may intentionally fuel problems, only to offer solutions that conveniently bolster their authority.... But here’s the gut-punch: the individuals paying for these governmental mishaps aren’t high-ranking officials. No, they’re everyday Canadians like Lich and Barber ... because they dared to exercise their democratic right to protest....

"Even if you disagree with Tamara Lich or Chris Barber, their right to protest is your concern, too. If you’re silent today when their rights are being infringed, don’t be surprised if you find your own liberties in jeopardy tomorrow. Whether in Ottawa or Washington, D.C., it’s clear: governments are more committed to maintaining their public image than upholding the democratic processes they’re meant to safeguard....

"We’re staring at the disintegration of the principles that make democracy function. When governments prefer to silence their citizens rather than engage with them, we must ask: What’s next? Who’s next? If you believe that avoiding the front lines of protest shelters you from the corrosion of democratic values, you’ve misunderstood the gravity of the situation. Our democracy is endangered, and it’s high time we acted to restore it before the damage becomes irreversible."

Tom Marazzo is the author of The People’s Emergency Act, available on Amazon September 6th.

Read more: https://tnc.news/2023/09/06/marazzo-lich-barber/

"I was there for my kids": Freedom Convoy organizer speaks out in new book | Andrew Lawton Show, True North | September 9, 2023: