Reports of forced labor in China hearsay, Liberal MP Ma suggests

Floor-crossing Liberal MP Michael Ma has cast doubt on reports of forced labor in China, suggesting they are based on hearsay. 

Liberal MP Michael Ma downplays reports on China using forced labour | Toronto Sun | Lorrie Goldstein:

March 26, 2026 - "Liberal floor-crosser Michael Ma downplayed well-established reports of forced labour in China’s Xinjiang region on Thursday in an apparent attempt to discredit an expert witness on the topic at a House of Commons industry committee meeting. Ma launched a series of rapid-fire questions at Margaret McCuaig-Johnston, a senior fellow at the University of Ottawa and recognized as one of Canada’s preeminent commentators on Canada-China relations, who was testifying at the committee.

“'Have you witnessed forced labour in Xinjiang? Have you witnessed forced labour? Just a short answer — have you witnessed forced labour in Xinjiang, yes or no?' Ma demanded.... McCuaig-Johnston was clearly taken aback by Ma’s aggressive questioning as she testified that China uses slave labour from its minority Uyghur population in Xinjiang province in the production of Chinese-made vehicles.

"Ma asked her if she was relying on 'hearsay' in giving her testimony, prompting angry responses from Conservative MPs on the committee who accused him of ignoring numerous expert reports on forced labour and other human rights abuses in Xinjiang. Ma countered that he was asking legitimate questions and not expressing any opinion on Chinese labour practices. Asked later by a CBC reporter whether he believed there was forced labour in China, Ma said it goes on all over the world, but without citing China when he was asked about that specifically....

"Ma was elected as a Conservative in the riding of Markham—Unionville in the April 2025 federal election before crossing the floor to the Liberals in December. He accompanied Prime Minister Mark Carney on his trip to China in January to forge a 'new strategic partnership' with China. The Commons industry committee is examining Carney’s deal that eliminated Ottawa’s 100% tariff on Chinese-made electric vehicles and initially allow up to 49,000 Chinese-made EVs into the Canadian market, with a “most-favoured-nation” tariff rate of 6.1%....

"UPDATE: Ma later apologized for his remarks, saying he 'inadvertently came across as dismissive of the serious issue of forced labour.' He said he was talking about the Chinese city of Shenzhen, not Xinjiang province, where China has been widely accused of using its minority Uyghur population as forced labour."

Read more: https://torontosun.com/news/national/liberal-mp-michael-ma-china-forced-labour

China forced labour 'hearsay,' Liberal MP suggests | Canadian Press | March 26, 2026:

Chinese Media Amplify MP Michael Ma’s Dismissal of CCP’s Forced Labour | Epoch Times | Olivia Gomm:

March 27, 2026 - "Media in China are promoting Liberal MP Michael Ma’s skepticism about the existence of forced labour in China following an exchange with a China expert at a parliamentary committee meeting this week.... Chinese media outlet Guancha published an article on March 27 about Ma’s remarks, saying 'Canadian scholars hype "forced labour"' in the article’s headline. The article, which was widely cross-published on multiple Chinese-language platforms, said McCuaig-Johnston’s response to Ma 'caused an uproar'.... 

"Ma asked McCuaig-Johnston: “Your claim about forced labour in Shenzhen — have you witnessed this yourself? Have you been there ever?'... Responding to Ma’s questioning, McCuaig-Johnston said she has been to China 'many times' over nearly 50 years. Ma cut her response short and asked again whether she has witnessed the forced labour herself, to which she responded that she works 'closely with Human Rights Watch where researchers did witness it'.... The Guancha article said McCuaig-Johnston 'euphemistically admitted that she has not personally witnessed the so-called "forced labor" and is indeed hearsay.' It also said accusations of forced labour in China 'have always been absurd lies' that are 'based on ideological bias” and have been used to “smear China.”

"Conservative MP and industry critic Raquel Dancho ... commented on the Chinese media report, saying that whatever Ma’s intentions were, 'his questions parroted implicitly the CCP-certified position—that controversy around forced labour is manufactured.' 'Chinese state media used those questions to push their propaganda,' Dancho said in a post on X. 'Despite his excuse, this was the outcome'....

"Canada sanctioned Chinese officials in December 2024 for persecuting Uyghurs, Falun Gong practitioners, and Tibetans, noting that these groups are subject to various forms of suppression by the Chinese regime, including arbitrary detention and forced labour. The House of Commons voted unanimously in favour of a motion tabled by the Conservatives in February 2021 that declared Beijing’s persecution against Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in China a genocide. All opposition MPs and non-cabinet Liberal MPs supported the motion, while cabinet abstained from the vote."

Read more: https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/chinese-media-amplify-mp-michael-mas-dismissal-of-ccps-forced-labour-6004820

Canadian parties promise to cut income tax

With a federal general election called on Sunday for April 28, both Liberal and Conservative parties launched their campaigns with a promise to cut the federal income tax. 

Carney calls snap election for April 28 | CBC News:

March 23, 2025 - "Liberal Leader Mark Carney has triggered an early election with a short 36-day campaign that’s expected to revolve around the economy and threats from U.S. President Donald Trump. Canadians go to the polls April 28."
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.6695655

Liberals launch 2025 campaign with middle-class tax cut | Liberal Party of Canada (news release):

March 23, 2025 - "Today, Mark Carney launched the 2025 Liberal campaign by announcing a middle-class tax cut that will help Canadians keep more of what they earn and build a stronger Canada in the face of President Trump’s tariffs.... This middle-class tax cut will save two-income families up to $825 a year, by reducing the marginal tax rate on the lowest tax bracket by 1 percentage point. More than 22 million Canadians will benefit directly from this tax cut, and middle- and low-income Canadians will benefit the most....

“'So many Canadians are doing everything right. They’ve worked hard, secured a good job, and saved for the future. But often, it’s not enough,' added Mr. Carney. 'My new government will focus on helping hard-working Canadians keep more of their paychecks to spend where it matters most: on homes, groceries, and their families. Every Canadian should be able to afford necessities, feel secure, and get ahead financially – and this tax cut will help them do that.'”
Read more: https://liberal.ca/liberals-launch-2025-campaign-with-middle-class-tax-cut/

Poilievre To Cut Income Tax By 15% For The Average Canadian | Conservative Party of Canada (news release):

March 24, 2025 - "Today, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre launched his campaign to put Canada First and make life more affordable for Canadians. Poilievre announced he will cut income tax by 15%, dropping the tax rate on the lowest income tax bracket from 15% to 12.75%, meaning the average Canadian worker earning $57,000 will save $900, with two income families saving $1,800 a year. It’s time to let Canadians keep more of what they earn....

"Poilievre’s income tax cut is part of the broader Conservative Bring It Home Tax Cut on work, investment, energy and homebuilding. Conservative tax cuts will create jobs for Canadians and help build Canada’s economic fortress against American threats. It will allow consumers to spend more money supporting local businesses while rewarding hard work that makes everyone better off.... Let’s bring it home and put Canada first – for a change!"
Read more: https://www.conservative.ca/poilievre-to-cut-income-tax-by-15-for-the-average-canadian/

Poilievre's tax plan helps millionaires the most - just like Carney's | New Democratic Party of Canada (news release): 

March 24, 2025 - "This morning, Pierre Poilievre announced a tax plan that he says is about 'average Canadians.' What he doesn’t say is that the richest people benefit the most. Just like Carney’s proposal, the income tax cut is so broad that it helps millionaires and billionaires....

"Why is Poilievre cutting taxes for billionaires when working Canadians are struggling with the cost of living, housing, and healthcare?"
Read more: https://www.ndp.ca/news/poilievres-tax-plan-helps-millionaires-most-just-carneys

Fair Taxation: Making Our Tax System Work for Everyone | Green Party of Canada | website (accessed March 25, 2025):

"We have a simple goal: taxes that work for people, not profiteers. In the coming weeks, we’ll announce our new tax plan. It will put thousands of dollars back into working people’s pockets. This will be the biggest change to income tax in generations."
Read more: https://www.greenparty.ca/en/our-plans/fair-taxation

Liberals revoke MP Chandra Arya's nomination

10-year Liberal MP Chandra Arya, who was barred from running for the party leadership in January, has had his party nomination revoked just days before the expected election call. 

Liberals revoke Chandra Arya's nomination, after removing him from leadership race | CBC News | Canadian Press: 

Chandra Arya in 2017. Photo courtesy 

Presidential Office Building, Taiwan.

CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons.

March 21, 2025 - "Chandra Arya, a Liberal backbench MP whose short-lived bid to replace Justin Trudeau as leader was cut short by the party, says he has been dropped as the candidate for the Ottawa riding of Nepean. The 62-year-old has represented the riding since 2015.

"National campaign director Andrew Bevan informed Arya of the decision in a letter Thursday, just days before an expected election call. The move to remove him comes almost two months after the party also told Arya it would not accept him as a candidate for the party leadership.

"Arya had already been nominated, but the letter says new information obtained by the party's 'green light committee' led the campaign co-chair to recommend that his 'status as a candidate' be revoked. Bevan does not include any details about the new information.... The party also refused to provide any information when it rejected Arya's candidacy for the leadership race in January.

"The decision opens an Ottawa seat as an option for Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has thus far not declared which riding he intends to run in.... 

"Carney is widely expected to visit Rideau Hall to launch the election on Sunday, for a vote on either April 28 or May 5."

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/liberal-chandra-arya-dropped-nepean-1.7489486

CP NewsAlert: Carney to run in Ottawa riding of Nepean | Yahoo News | Nick Murray, Canadian Press:

March 22, 2025 - Mark Carney will seek election as a Liberal MP in the House of Commons in the Ottawa riding of Nepean. The Canadian Press has confirmed the move with two Liberal party sources.... More coming."

Read more: https://ca.news.yahoo.com/just-hours-left-pm-carney-100016187.html

Mark Carney kicks out Liberal MP to steal their seat! | National Telegraph | March 23, 2025:

Ruby Dhalla booted from Liberal leadership race

First it was Chandra Arya. Now Ruby Dhalla has also been disqualified from the Liberal Party of Canada leadership race. 

Ruby Dhalla kicked out of Liberal leadership race after 'extremely serious' violations: party | CBC News | Catharine Tunney & David Cochrane:

February 21, 2025 - "A Liberal Party of Canada committee voted unanimously on Friday to disqualify former MP Ruby Dhalla from the race to be the next leader. Azam Ishmael, the party's national director, said in a statement that the Liberal leadership vote committee determined she made 10 violations, some involving the party's leadership and expense rules.... A source, speaking on the condition they not be named, said Dhalla was also accused of failing to disclose the involvement of a non-Canadian citizen in her campaign, which the party alleges would amount to foreign interference if it happened during an election period.

Ruby Dhalla in 2012. Wikimedia Commons.

"Dhalla learned about her official disqualification live on television. After the initial story went up citing a source, Dhalla went on live with CBC's Power & Politics to defend herself. Just as the segment began, the Liberal Party sent out official word.... 

"'It is very alarming and very shocking,' she said. 'I think it speaks to the state of the Liberal Party of Canada that a candidate who is running to become leader of the party and running to be prime minister of our country is finding out she is being disqualified on air from an email that the media outlet that she is interviewing with has received.'

"Dhalla called the allegations against her 'fabricated, fictitious and fake' meant to 'complete Mark Carney's coronation' as leader. 'They did not want anyone challenging the front-runner, the blue-eyed boy, Mark Carney,' she said. 'I will not allow the Liberal Party of Canada or anyone, for that matter, to smear my name or to smear the name of the thousands of volunteers in our campaign'....

"The probe came after Elections Canada published the donation data it received from the candidates up until Feb. 9. The data showed 12 donations under a tab called 'Statement of Contributions returned to Contributors or Remitted to the Chief Electoral Officer.' Of the 12 names on the list, three pairs share the same last name and postal code. All 12 are recorded as donating $1,750, the maximum amount permissible by law....

"Under Canadian election law, couples are allowed to make separate donations using the same credit card. On Thursday, Dhalla campaign spokesperson Jacy Lafontaine said that 'six couples donated using the same credit card' and the party did not provide the required attestation forms at the time of donation

"Dhalla billed herself as a true outsider in the race to replace Prime Minster Justin Trudeau and pitched policies that broke with current Liberal doctrine.Among them are promises to deport illegal immigrants and impose life sentences for possession of hard drugs. Dhalla has also called for an 'economic czar' to identify waste and overspending and a new "health czar" to review the health-care system. She had met the party's steep entry fee of $350,000, a requirement to gain a spot in the official debates next week.

"Last month, Nepean MP Chandra Arya said he had been informed by the party that he wasn't permitted to run. The remaining candidates are former MP Frank Baylis, former central banker Mark Carney, former finance minister Chrystia Freeland and former House leader Karina Gould."

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ruby-dhalla-liberal-leadership-1.7465430

Liberal Party Scandal: Ruby Dhalla Breaks Her Silence | Mario Saves Canada | February 25, 2025:

Chandra Arya kicked out of Liberal leadership race

Ontario Liberal MP Chandra Arya has announced, and a Liberal Party of Canada spokesman has confirmed, that he will not be allowed to run for Liberal leader. No reason was given. 

Arya says Liberals won't let him seek leadership, questions 'legitimacy of the next prime minister' | National Post | Sarah Ritchie:

January 26, 2025 - "One of the seven Liberal leadership hopefuls says the party is not allowing him to run.... Ontario member of Parliament Chandra Arya said the Liberal party informed him he’s out of the running to be its next leader. Arya, who was the first to announce his candidacy to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, said he is waiting on official communication from the Liberals and is considering his next steps.... 

Chandra Arya in 2017. Photo courtesy 

Presidential Office Building, Taiwan.

CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons.

“'This decision raises significant questions about the legitimacy of the leadership race and, by extension, the legitimacy of the next prime minister of Canada,' Arya said in a social media statement on Sunday. He did not elaborate on his concerns or provide reasons the party gave for declining his candidacy.

"Liberal party spokesman Parker Lund confirmed Arya would not be a candidate, citing a section of the national leadership rules that state a prospective candidate can be disqualified if they are found to be 'manifestly unfit for the office' of leader.... Lund did not say what specifically led to Arya being removed from the race.

"Arya was one of seven people who submitted paperwork and a refundable $50,000 deposit last week to enter the race.... Former finance minister Chrystia Freeland and former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney ... former Government House leader Karina Gould, MP Jaime Battiste and former MPs Ruby Dhalla and Frank Baylis have also submitted the paperwork to enter the race. The party has up to 10 days to approve the candidates.... 

"Arya made headlines early on in the race for saying he does not speak French and suggesting in an interview with the CBC that he didn’t think it was important to Quebecers that the prime minister speak the language."

Read more: https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/arya-liberal-leadership-out

Speak French, understand Quebec or don’t run for party leadership, some Liberals say | National Post | Antoine Trépanier & Stephanie Taylor: 

January 10, 2025 - "'Quebecers, like all Canadians, at the end of the day, they want to see the work to be done. It is not that whether you’re polished in French and English,' said Arya in an interview. 'What is important for Canadians is their prosperity, not for the current generation alone, but for the future generation. That is the thing that Quebecers and all Canadians look forward, and that’s what I’m going to deliver,' added the Ottawa MP....

"With several potential candidates still considering launching a leadership bid, bilingualism has emerged as one of the main criteria for entering the race."

Read more: https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/french-quebec-liberal-leadership

The coming of Kamala Carney

Social media has embraced Mark Carney for Liberal leader (and Prime Minister of Canada) with a fervor that recalls the boomlet for Kamala Harris last summer. But his victory is by no means assured.

by George J. Dance 

"May you live in interesting times," goes the ancient Chinese curse. Canadian politics has certainly got a lot more interesting this month.

Mark Carney at World Economic Forum, Davos, 2010. 

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

Ten days ago I made a prediction that Trudeau would exploit the threat of Trump tariffs to stay on as Liberal leader and prime minister. In my opinion Trudeau is far too much the narcissist to voluntarily give up power. As well, I believed leadership candidate Mark Carney's claims that he was an "outsider" to the federal government, and thought the Liberal insiders would close ranks to stop him.

However ,while it is still way too early to say, and I am for now sticking with it, that part of my prediction appears to be wrong. It looks like Carney's path to the Prime Minister's office will be much easier than I had thought.

How did I go wrong? For one thing, I thought that Carney and Trudeau would be rivals, if not enemies. It turns out, though, that Carney has been on Team Trudeau for some time, serving as Justin's Special Adviser and Chair of the Liberal Task Force on Economic Growth since last September. I still find it inconceivable that Trudeau voluntarily give up power, but it is possible that he is being forced out, due to his abysmal polling numbers and/or pressure from Carney's colleagues in the United Nations (where Carney is Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance) or the World Economic Forum (where he is an Agenda Contributor and a Foundation Board member). 

Social media has embraced Carney with a fervor  that recalls the boomlet for Kamala Harris last summer. But his coronation is not a sure thing. For one thing, he has not even been officially approved as a candidate yet - no one has. Until the party announces an official list, there is no way of knowing even who will be on the ballot. 

The other announced candidates so far are all Members of Parliament (MPs): two of Trudeau's cabinet ministers and an assortment of his backbenchers. With Carney the perceived front runner, it is easy to imagine these MPs forming an ABC (anyone but Carney) alliance and depriving him of the win, just like what happened to Michael Ignatieff in his first run for the Liberal leadership. While Ignatieff did eventually win the leadership, his political fortunes never recovered after that loss; as leader, he was unable to unite the party, and he ended up leading the Liberals to a third-place finish in the next election. 

There is also the complication that, while the Liberals are charging the candidates $350,000 each to run, they are making party membership free. Until January 23, anyone can sign up and vote on the next Prime Minister; if I remember correctly, you don't even have to be a citizen. That seems like a play for a high number of votes, but it also looks like a call for every crank and right-wing troll to join the party. In such a milieu, who knows who will eventually emerge as the winner?   

There is even an outside chance that the race does not end with a clear winner, and has to be rescheduled. If so, that brings me back to my original scenario, with Justin Trudeau leading the party in one final campaign. 

We will just have to wait and see. I for one intend to keep a close eye on the Liberal race. 

We indeed live in interesting times.

Carney launches campaign with independent media ban

Mark Carney kicked off his leadership campaign with a press conference from which independent media were excluded. 

Carney bans independent media from campaign launch | True North | Quinn Patrick, True North Wire:

January 16, 2025 - "'You’re not welcome here,' was the message Liberal leadership candidate Mark Carney’s campaign team had for independent media journalists who tried to attend his launch in Edmonton, Alberta. 

Courtesy X.

"The former Bank of Canada and Bank of England Governor met with supporters to announce his leadership bid on Thursday.... While the event welcomed legacy media journalists, independent reporters were told they were not welcome and barred from entry.

"Police refused entry to True North’s Isaac Lamoureux after he arrived at the venue to cover Carney’s official campaign announcement. Other independent journalists including The Western Standard’s James Snell, The Counter Signal’s Keean Bexte and freelance reporter Mocha Bezirgan were also denied access.

"Police told Lamoureux he was not allowed to enter the premises after contacting event organizers who refused True North entry. Shortly thereafter, Lamoureux was asked to leave after organizers told police that he was 'not welcome.'  

"Bexte, who is an accredited journalist with the Alberta legislature, recorded a video of the incident."

Read more: https://tnc.news/2025/01/16/carney-bans-independent-media-campaign-launch/

NDP cancels confidence agreement with Liberals

New Democratic Party of Canada leader Jagmeet Singh has "ripped up" his supply and confidence agreement with the governing Liberal Party.

Jagmeet Singh ends coalition agreement with Trudeau Liberals | True North | Clayton DeMaine:

September 4, 2024 - "NDP leader Jagmeet Singh announced an end to his NDP-backed coalition government with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal party. On Wednesday afternoon, Singh posted a video on X announcing an end to the NDP-Liberal agreement signed in 2022. The agreement kept the Liberal government in power in exchange for NDP priorities.

"'The fact is, the Liberals are too weak, too selfish and too beholden to corporate interests to fight for people. They cannot be the change. They cannot restore the hope. They cannot stop the Conservatives. But we can,' Singh said in the video. 'In the next federal election, Canadians will choose between Pierre Poilievre, callous cuts, or hope, hope that when we stand united, we win'.... 

"According to poll aggregator 388 Canada, the Conservatives are projected to win a majority government with 210 seats if an election were held today. The same poll shows the NDP would score only 16 seats and the Quebec separatist Bloc Quebecois would win more than double the seat count.

“'Justin Trudeau has proven again and again that he will always cave in to corporate greed. The Liberals have let people down. They don’t deserve another chance,' Singh said. 'There is an even bigger battle ahead, the threat of Pierre Polievre and Conservative cuts from workers, retirees, young people, patients, and from families. He will cut in order to give more to big corporations and wealthy CEOs'....

"In a letter to the NDP caucus that was leaked to the media and posted by Columnist Brian Lilley of the Toronto Sun on X, Singh said that when parliament resumes in the Fall, the NDP will vote on items based on their conscience rather than in support of the NDP-Liberal coalition.... 'We will approach every vote on its own merit, we will push for measures that help Canadians, we will not shy away from vigorously holding this government to account, and we will fight Pierre Poilievre’s cuts,' the letter said. 'If this means triggering an election, we will be ready.'"
Read more: https://tnc.news/2024/09/04/singh-ends-coalition-agreement-with-trudeau-liberals/

Jagmeet Singh has finally left behind Justin Trudeau! | Toronto Sun | Brian Lilley:

LILLEY: Singh breaks up with Trudeau, ends coalition deal | Toronto Sun | Brian Lilley:

September 4, 2024 - "In an email sent to the NDP caucus, with warnings not to share with media outlets, the party tried to claim the coalition was incredibly good and incredibly bad for Canadians at the same time. 'No fourth party has ever set the agenda as we have. Millions of Canadians have benefitted as a consequence,' the email states, claiming victory before denouncing the coalition. 

"There you have it, working with the Liberals was consequential: It delivered for Canadians, it left everyone frustrated and disappointed. If the NDP can’t figure out if their coalition was good, how should the rest of of us evaluate their partnership?

"The news, by the way, was broken not by the NDP themselves, but by yours truly on X, before the Trudeau’s PMO was even informed....

"Singh was due to face his own NDP caucus next week at a retreat in Montreal. There have been grumblings about the damage propping up the Liberals has done to the party. While publicly New Democrats will herald policy moves like the federal dental care and pharmacare, privately they will admit these programs are not what was promised and the bare minimum the Liberals could have done. Pressure within the NDP to leave the deal grew stronger after the Trudeau Liberals imposed binding arbitration to end rail work stoppages. Even though Singh called that act a line in the sand that couldn’t be crossed, no one believed he would leave because he’d made the threat so often..... 

"The NDP now wants to pivot from being Justin Trudeau’s junior partner to being the giant slayers, ready to take on Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives.'Justin Trudeau has proven again and again he will always cave to corporate greed. The Liberals have let people down, they don’t deserve a second chance,” Singh said in a campaign-style ad released on social media. 'There is an even bigger battle ahead, the threat of Pierre Poilievre and Conservative cuts.' Singh will have a hard time convincing voters that he’s the attack dog to take on Poilievre when he’s been a lapdog for Trudeau during the last couple of years.

"The end of the agreement doesn’t mean the coalition will fall apart and Canadians will head to the polls.... Singh and the NDP will make decisions on a vote-by-vote basis, which could very well see the current government last until October 2025, or perhaps fall when the budget comes forward next spring."
Read more: https://torontosun.com/news/lilley-unleashed-jagmeet-singh-has-finally-left-behind-justin-trudeau

Canada's Liberals swing sharply statist

Policy resolutions passed at this month's Liberal Party of Canada convention show a party structure and membership that want a far more authoritarian and interventionist federal government. 

Abolish the free press, and other fringe policies just adopted by the Liberals | National Post - Tristin Hopper, First Reading:

May 10, 2023 - "One of the most notable items to emerge from last weekend’s Liberal Party convention was that party members voted to effectively abolish the existence of a free press. A resolution – passed without debate – said the party should 'explore options to hold online information services accountable for the veracity of material published on their platforms.'  

"Party resolutions are non-binding and they’re typically more extreme than the platforms that parties will ultimately sell to voters come election time.... However, it’s notable that the Liberals are now entertaining far more extreme positions than they used to.... Now, party members are flirting with federal legislation to banish cars from cities, enact a guaranteed income and culturally remake the Prairies.... 

"[T]wo resolutions ... advocate ... unprecedented curbs on Canadian free speech. A resolution on 'combatting misinformation' says that the federal government should 'limit publication' of the online news media to those whose 'sources can be traced.' So, if you’re a news outlet employing anonymous sources – say, like [those] that first broke the SNC-Lavalin scandal – ... the federal government should ban you from the internet. And then there’s the 'truth in politics' resolution, which proposes the establishment of an 'independent body' that would impose 'sanctions' on political parties that it deems are not telling the truth....

"To remain 'culturally competitive' with the rest of the world, Canada should buckle down on building 'walkable and bikeable' cities. This resolution also warns that the goal is often compromised by misinformation.... As such, this resolution recommends the creation of a fund paying cities to close 'major commercial streets to car traffic'....

"[T]here is a resolution that calls for a wholesale cultural and economic restructuring of the Canadian prairies — the part of Canada that just happens to never vote Liberal. Entitled 'A Green Transition for the Prairies Provinces,' it proposes a widespread campaign of bringing 'electrified' transportation and non-oil jobs to the remote and 'alienated' peoples of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. And just in case this resolution didn’t ping absolutely every single Alberta anxiety about the Liberal Party, it makes sure to note that top-down federal controls during the COVID-19 pandemic provide a model as to how to achieve 'desirable results' in transitioning the Prairies....

"Speaking of COVID-19, delegates also favoured the creation of a kind of permanent CERB, a 'Guaranteed Liveable Basic Income.' The resolution states that such a policy would end poverty and actually cost Canada nothing because it would 'increase entrepreneurship by giving everyone the ability to take risks whilst also significantly improving health and educational outcomes'....

"Delegates want[ed] Canada to build a high-speed rail line from Windsor to Quebec City. And then, they wanted Canada to draw up an 'affordable, accessible, modern and practical rail system' to serve everywhere else in Canada that has railroad tracks. No mention is made of VIA Rail, the Crown corporation that essentially has that exact mandate, and generally just delivers money-hemorrhaging, chronically late passenger rail service....

"[A resolution to] end all ‘subsidies’ to the oil sector ... sounds fine.... But ... consider what qualifies as an 'oil and gas subsidy.' The environmental groups which popularized the term count absolutely anything that could be framed as an energy company receiving services or even abstract in-kind support from the government. In recent years, this has grown to include federal research funding to clean up oil spills, grants to transition transit buses from diesel to natural gas and even the costs of arresting activist groups who illegally blockade natural gas projects. So, under its 'Climate Crisis' resolution, the Liberal Party calls for all of this to end. The resolution also calls for all public investment funds to be forced to divest from fossil fuels."

Read more: https://nationalpost.com/opinion/wacky-policies-adopted-by-the-liberals-at-their-recent-convention

2023 Liberal Convention – Preview with party strategists | CPAC – May 4, 2023:

Canadian MP quits Liberal caucus over allegation

Canadian MP Han Dong has left the Liberal caucus after allegations that he advised the Chinese government to delay the release of two Canadians being held on spying charges.

Canada MP Han Dong steps down over Chinese interference claims | BBC News = Nadine Yousif:

Mar. 23, 2023 - "A Canadian member of parliament has stepped down from his party's caucus over allegations he was involved in Chinese political interference. Han Dong has been accused of lobbying a Chinese diplomat to keep two Canadians imprisoned in China. On Wednesday, Mr Dong said that he will leave Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's governing Liberal Party to sit as an independent. Mr Dong has denied the allegations against him.

"'To all my colleagues in the parliament, media reports today quoting unverified and anonymous sources have attacked my reputation and called into question my loyalty to Canada,' Mr Dong, who was elected to parliament in 2019, said in an emotional evening address to Canada's House of Commons. 'Let me be clear, what has been reported is false. And I will defend myself against these absolutely untrue claims,' he said.

"In an unconfirmed report published by Canadian media outlet Global News citing anonymous national security sources, Mr Dong was accused of suggesting to China's consul-general in Toronto, Han Tao, that the release of two imprisoned Canadians should be delayed. The two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, were imprisoned in China for more than 1,000 days on spying charges. The pair became known worldwide as the 'Two Michaels'. Their detention was widely viewed as retaliation for the 2018 arrest of Huawei senior executive Meng Wanzhou in Canada at the request of the US....

"Mr Dong allegedly suggested to the diplomat in February 2021 that a release of the two Canadians would benefit the federal Conservative Party of Canada, which is seen as unfriendly to Beijing.

"Mr Kovrig and Mr Spavor were eventually released on 24 September, 2021 [four days after the 2021 federal election - gd].. The following day, Ms Meng was released from detention in Canada and returned to China following a deal with US prosecutors.

"The allegations against Mr Dong come as Canada grapples with wider accusations that China attempted to interfere in the last two federal elections and a mayoral election in Vancouver. A series of reports published in recent months by broadcaster Global News and newspaper The Globe and Mail, based on anonymous national security sources and leaked classified documents, indicated concerns that Beijing interfered by putting pressure on its consulates in Canada to support certain candidates. The alleged interference is not believed to have altered the outcome of either federal elections."

"Mr Trudeau has faced growing political pressure to launch a public inquiry and this month appointed an independent special rapporteur to look into the reports and determine whether such an inquiry is needed. A majority of MPs in the House of Commons on Thursday passed a non-binding motion calling for a public inquiry, with most Liberals voting against it. Mr Dong cast his vote in favour."

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65054559

Liberal MP allegedly nominated due to CCP help

As critics push Trudeau on China interference, Liberal MP says he has become ‘target’ | Lethbridge News - Canadian Press:
December 23, 2022 - "Politicians including a Liberal MP and a senator say they fear allegations of Chinese interference in the 2019 federal election will lead to anti-Asian racism.... In an interview with The Canadian Press, Liberal MP Han Dong suggested that claims of Beijing’s interference have been light on detail. 'If it’s so vague, then I think a lot of Chinese Canadians feel that they might be targeted,' he said. 'I have a big target on the back.' 

"Global News reported last month that after the 2019 election, senior officials had briefed Trudeau about a 'vast campaign of foreign interference' allegedly waged by China’s consulate in Toronto. The allegations, which The Canadian Press has not been able to verify, involve the Chinese Communist Party flowing funds to a pro-Beijing network in Canada that included at least 11 Liberal and Conservative candidates who ran in that election....

"Dong argues the reporting has left unanswered questions that could cause people to make assumptions based on anti-Asian tropes.... 'The worst of vagueness is (that) it’s very easy to trigger another round of anti-Chinese racism or anti-Chinese hate we saw during the pandemic,' said Dong, who immigrated to Canada from China in his youth. 'I’m worried that the outcome of it will negatively hurt the Chinese Canadian community here'....

"In spring 2021, the Conservatives had objected to a suggestion Trudeau made that their questions about Chinese interference could wade into intolerance.... Former Tory MP Kenny Chiu, who was born in Hong Kong, had compared Trudeau’s response to the communist regime’s tactics of conflating dissent with anti-Chinese sentiment. In an interview this week, Chiu said that Dong’s argument follows the same logic, whether intentionally or not.... Chiu lost his seat in the 2021 election, during which he was the subject of a Chinese-language disinformation campaign that he suspects was linked to Beijing, although authorities have never confirmed this."
Read more: https://lethbridgenewsnow.com/2022/12/23/as-critics-push-trudeau-on-china-interference-liberal-mp-says-he-has-become-target/

News report identifies Liberal MP helped by Chinese interference | True North - Cosmin Dzsurdzsa: 
February 25, 2023 - "Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) sources and documents claim to show that Liberal MP Han Dong received assistance from the Chinese consulate in Toronto during his nomination race in 2019. Global News reporter Mackenzie Gray tweeted on Friday that the consulate was involved in transporting seniors and students to vote for him at a party meeting. It is alleged that CSIS had urged senior officials in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office to rescind Dong’s nomination due to the alleged foreign influence involved.

"It is alleged that the seniors were told to vote for Dong to be the candidate by having his name written on their arms. It is also alleged that Chinese international students were also equipped with fake residence addresses and sent to the nomination meeting in support of Dong under the pretense that not doing so could threaten their student visa status. Dong told Global News that he denies the allegations, claiming instead that his nomination followed ordinary procedures.... 

"The Prime Minister’s Office has also responded to the story, saying that there was 'factual inaccuracies' to the report. 'As you are aware, we are unable to comment on your questions regarding secret or top secret matters. That is the law. There are so many factual inaccuracies in your questions that it is not possible to even begin to answer your questions,' wrote the PMO. 'Han Dong is a strong representative who served his community through the pandemic and consistently works to make life better for people, including calling out discrimination that is too often targeted at the Chinese Canadian community.'”
Read more: https://tnc.news/2023/02/25/news-report-identifies-liberal-mp-helped-by-chinese-interference/ 

"Is Justin Trudeau in Trouble?", Ratio'd, True North, Feb. 28, 2023:

Mendicino accused of falsifying dates to mislead trial judge

Records obtained in an Access to Information request suggest that Canada's Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino (as Immigration Minister in 2020) had documents backdated, apparently to mislead a judge in a civil suit. 

Mendicino backdated government documents, misleading federal judge | Western Standard - Matthew Horwood:

October 4, 2022 - "Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino backdated government documents in an apparent bid to mislead a federal judge, records show. Access To Information files in the case date back to 2020, when Mendicino was minister of Immigration.... Mendicino, a lawyer, would not respond to questions.

Marco Mendicino. Photo: pm.gc.ca

"According to Blacklock's Reporter, Parliament in 2019 passed the College Of Immigration And Citizenship Consultants Act. The Act was not immediately proclaimed in force. The name 'College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants' was already trademarked and used by a private Vancouver company. 

"Records show on Nov. 20, 2020 Crown lawyers attended a federal court injunction hearing in a Trademarks Act dispute with the British Columbia firm. Staff in Mendicino’s department stressed the importance of proclaiming the act in force. It was 'a key first step,' wrote staff. 

"'The hearing on November 20 was premised on the College Act properly being proclaimed,' said Justice Janet Fuhrer, the presiding judge....

"Government lawyers were 'duty bound to bring to the court’s attention the development of the proclamation of the act,' Fuhrer said at the time. Lawyers instead used backdated documents to pretend the act was in force. Records show Mendicino’s department and the Privy Council Office hastily posted website notices falsely claiming the act was in force.... The Privy Council Office on the same day as the November 20 trademark hearing published a garbled Order In Council on its website implying the act was in force.... The notice included a 'date modified' entry of April 31, 2017, despite there only being 30 days in April.

"Staff in Minister Mendicino’s department worked through the weekend drafting a news release subsequently posted Thursday, November 26 on a department website. The news release stated: 'Mendicino announced today the College Of Immigration And Citizenship Consultants Act is now in force.' It was not. 

"Records show federal lawyers cited the website notices in falsely telling the court the act was in force. The law 'was proclaimed in force on November 20,' one lawyer wrote the court on November 25. In fact, the act would not come into force until December 9. 'Oh boy,' read an email between Department of Immigration lawyers. 'The College Act is not yet in force and will not be until December 9,” read another email: 'The department will need to consider remedial measures given public communication.' 

"Neither the Privy Council Office nor Attorney General David Lametti’s office would comment."

Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/news/mendicino-backdated-government-documents-misleading-federal-judge/article_a53ca5c6-43f7-11ed-aa14-3b2b5a1d6088.html

Thoughts on Canada's cannabis legalization

by George J. Dance

On October 17 I got an early birthday present – well, early because my birthday is a week away, but in fact something for which I had been wishing and waiting for almost 50 years – cannabis prohibition is over in Canada.

This is a huge step for liberty, which must be acknowledged. Canada is only the second nation in the world, and the first in the developed world, to have taken this step. Due credit has to be given to the Young Liberals who have called for prohibition's repeal for decades, and to Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who successfully pushed repeal through his caucus. If Trudeau does nothing else of value, history will remember and thank him for that.

We should also remember, of course, that Trudeau is no libertarian, but a pragmatic "progressive liberal," who was convinced by one libertarian argument: that prohibition leads to an illicit black market with all of its attendant problems. He championed legalization, not from any belief in personal liberty, but simply for the "public good."

Consequently, there is little that is libertarian in prohibition's replacement. A libertarian would like to see growing and smoking marijuana treated, under the law, as little different from growing and eating lettuce. While the law can arguably constrain some marijuana use (from DUI to public smoking), that has nothing to do with the basic right to treat one's own body the way one prefers (at least when no one else is harmed). Instead of that, we have a highly regulated regime, with many harmless actions still criminalized, as a recent CTV report reminds us.

Growing cannabis is banned outright in two provinces. In all the others, growing five or more plants in one's house or garden is illegal. It is even illegal to transport budding or flowering plants to or from one's home: "For example, if someone is moving, they must make sure the plants don’t have any buds or flowers on them before they transport them. Those caught with a budding or flowering cannabis plant in their possession in public could be sentenced to up to five years in prison."

Possessing more than 30 grams of dried marijuana, outside one's home, is also "punishable by up to five years in prison." Possessing any amount at all, when leaving or entering Canada, is illegal: "Anyone found guilty of importing or exporting cannabis without authorization could face fines or up to 14 years in prison."

While you may grow marijuana (in the other 8 provinces), do not try selling any of it: "Unless they’re a licensed retailer, any individual who sells cannabis to others can face steep fines and possible jail time." You may give it away, but only up to the prescribed 30 grams; give someone 31 grams, and the penalty is the same as if you sold it: you "could be charged under Bill C-45’s distribution laws and face up to 14 years in prison."

That last should give Canadian cannabis users pause. For years, if not decades, we bought marijuana from reliable, trusted private dealers, and in recent years, from public dispensaries. All those dealers and dispensaries faced jail time just for the crime of honestly meeting our needs – and all of them still do. The entire network of marijuana sales that Canadians relied on before October 17, all of it illegal, remains just as illegal, and just as criminalized, today.

Some provinces ban cannabis sales except by the provincial government. Others, like Ontario, allow private dispensaries, but require those to buy from the provincial government. Cannabis cannot be bought online, except from a single website. (No, one cannot even buy from another province's website). Even if one successfully bought cannabis online from another source, it still could not be shipped to them: "although it’s permitted to give less than 30 grams of cannabis to an adult friend, it’s not OK to send it to them via the mail or a courier because organizations can’t legally possess or distribute the drug without explicit authorization."

Indeed, the police can still raid your home, confiscate your cannabis, and arrest you if they suspect you are buying from an unlicensed source: "if someone purchases pot from an unlicensed seller, they would be in possession of illegal cannabis.... Individuals found guilty of possessing illicit cannabis can be fined or imprisoned for up to five years."

Unfortunately, many more steps remain for us to take on this trek. Fortunately, we do not have to take them alone. Social attitudes to cannabis have changed drastically, and will do so even more now that the stigma of illegality is removed. Cannabis activists will become more prominent and more respected. As well, we have a potent ally in the Charter of Rights, which our courts have invoked over and over to strike down laws and regulations regarding medical cannabis, and will no doubt do so for the recreational stuff as well.

So the fight for the freedom to use cannabis is only beginning. Nevertheless, it is appropriate to celebrate this sign of progress.

~~
Reference: Jackie Dunham, "10 Things that are Still Illegal after Pot Legalization," CTV News, October 18, 2018. Web, Oct. 21, 2018.