Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Invokes The Emergencies Act

[Rick Plant]

'Freedom Convoy' organizers discussed playing 'race card' with Metis heritage

OTTAWA - Organizers of the "Freedom Convoy" discussed using their ties to Métis identity to play the "race card" as part of an overall strategy to control their public image and garner sympathy for their cause, text messages suggest.
The messages between Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, obtained by Ottawa police and entered as evidence by the Crown in Lich's bail hearing this week, indicate how acutely aware the organizers were of the optics of the protest.

The convoy's connection to Pat King, who has spread racist conspiracy theories, as well as the appearance of Nazi and Confederate flags in the early days of the protest, prompted accusations that it was sympathetic to white nationalist causes.

While planning the convoy, Lich and Barber appeared aware that racial identity could be raised in criticisms of it. Lich has described herself as Métis, and on Jan. 20, about a week before demonstrators arrived in Ottawa, Barber texted Lich that his wife was Métis as well.

"It's going to work in our favour," replied Lich. "Playing the race card works both ways lol."

That same day, Lich congratulated Barber on his interview on a podcast, describing it as very "PC"⁠ — or politically correct⁠ — "but also direct."

Barber said to Lich on Jan. 22 that all of his years of "social media trolling" were going to pay off. "I'll spin and use it all against them," he said in reference to those critiquing the convoy.

The protest against COVID-19 restrictions and the Liberal government swarmed the capital's downtown with large trucks, blocking streets and blaring loud horns for more than three weeks. Protesters also blockaded multiple border crossings. It all prompted the federal government to invoke the Emergencies Act and the police to use force to clear the crowd.

For their role in the protest, Lich and Barber have been charged with mischief, obstructing police, counselling others to commit mischief and intimidation.

Barber remains out on bail, while a justice of the peace ruled Friday that Lich had breached a release condition and revoked her bail.

At Lich’s bail hearing this week, Barber’s lawyer was granted a publication ban on court documents showing his cellphone communications, except for those with Lich.

Diane Magas, counsel for Barber, said the Crown’s submission may lack the full context or intent of the messages, and could be misleading or inaccurately interpreted.

The 4,000-page document filed with the court says it includes all messages — numbering in the thousands — found on Barber’s phone. Dozens are directly between Barber and Lich, not including group chats.

Lich's lawyer, Lawrence Greenspon, declined to comment on the messages outside court on Friday.

The conversations between the pair appear to illuminate their shifting feelings about King. He is known for boosting the white nationalist "great replacement theory," predicated on an anxiety that white people are being replaced.

King remains in an Ottawa jail on charges of mischief, intimidation, obstructing police, disobeying a court order, perjury and obstruction of justice.

His lawyer has not yet responded to requests for comment.

On Jan. 22, Lich told Barber they need to have "a very frank discussion" with King, raising concerns about past allegations against him.

Despite these concerns, Lich also said he was needed by the movement — in apparent contrast to later statements in which the convoy tried to distance itself from King.

"We need him and I don't care about his past but it only takes one," she said. "We have to control his rhetoric. Not even threatening to throw snowballs at the parliament (sic)."

"I know he's had issues. I've got skeletons in the closet to (sic)," Barber replied.

But a few days later, on Jan. 26, Lich said if King "doesn't stop now and right now he needs to go home."

"Honestly I hate to do it. I believe a part of his heart is in this for the right reasons but he will bring down this whole thing."

On Jan. 29, the day after the convoy arrived in the capital, Barber messaged Lich about an interview King had done.

"I'm concerned he is putting us in a bad light. Is he supposed to speak today?? I'm nervous what he's gonna say," he said.

"No. He is not speaking. Period. We have people that will look after him," said Lich.

A text message from Lich to Barber on Jan. 30 said she had received a call from the "command centre" that had a "strategy to gridlock the city."

"Can you head over there with me soon," she asked Barber. "I don't want to make those decisions on my own."

During this period, some Conservative MPs cheered the arrival of the convoy, as the party opposed the Trudeau government’s vaccine mandates for federal workers and travellers.

On Jan. 31, Tory MP Marilyn Gladu posted a photo to social media of herself and caucus colleague Candice Bergen at a restaurant with two men Gladu described as "hard-working truckers in Ottawa."

Erin O’Toole’s reluctance to stake out a clear position on the protest was among the reasons a majority of his caucus ousted him on Feb. 2 and replaced him with Bergen as interim leader.

A couple days later, Lich wrote, “Candace Bergen (sic) wants to meet soon. What (do) you think?”

Barber didn’t directly respond to the question. The next day, Lich expressed enthusiasm for appearing on an American media outlet.

“We must be on Fox at 6:30,” she wrote.

Christopher Martin-Chan, a spokesman for Bergen, said ultimately no meeting took place between convoy representatives and the interim leader.

Conservative MP Glen Motz had been speaking with Lich and was willing to act as liaison to have MPs listen to her concerns. He suggested meetings with Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino and Transport Minister Omar Alghabra, said Martin-Chan.

Motz confirmed he spoke directly with Lich "in an effort to resolve the ongoing protest," and tried to facilitate a meeting with the ministers.

"Unfortunately, after several conversations with both ministers, they declined any resolution meeting with the protest organizer," he said, adding he believes if the Liberal government had taken that meeting, the protest would have been resolved differently.

Alghabra's office said in a statement that it was not “not appropriate or responsible to Canadians to meet with individuals who blocked our borders, hurt our economy, and terrorized the residents of downtown Ottawa.”

A spokesman for Mendicino echoed those sentiments.

After the ministers declined to meet, Motz said he tried setting up a meeting between Lich and Bergen, which Lich's legal team declined as "resolution would only be beneficial if it included the government."

Ottawa police, with help from police forces from across Canada, cleared the protesters out of the capital in a massive operation beginning Feb. 18.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/freedom-convoy-organizers-discussed-playing-race-card-with-metis-heritage-1.5980936

[Rick Plant]

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau blames Russia for global food crisis as Ukraine grain deal announced
https://www.thestar.com/politics/federal/2022/07/22/prime-minister-justin-trudeau-blames-russia-for-global-food-crisis-as-ukraine-grain-deal-announced.html

[Rick Plant]

'Freedom Convoy’ organizer Tamara Lich back in court for bail review



“Freedom Convoy” organizer Tamara Lich is once again arguing to be released from jail after a justice of the peace denied her bail earlier this month.

Lich was ordered to remain in jail to await trial for her role in the protest that paralyzed downtown Ottawa in February, after the court decided she had breached her bail conditions.

She had been ordered not to communicate with key convoy organizers except through counsel or in the presence of counsel, but was re-arrested after having contact with fellow protest leader Tom Marazzo at an awards gala in Toronto last month.

In court Monday, her lawyer Lawrence Greenspon argues the two organizers did nothing more than shake hands and pose for a photo together at the gala.

Marazzo is also a leader of a group called Veterans 4 Freedom, which staged several rallies in Ottawa over the Canada Day weekend.

Lich faces charges of mischief, obstructing police, counselling others to commit mischief and intimidation for her role in the massive protest against COVID-19 restrictions and the Liberal government.

Failing to comply with bail was more recently added to the list.

Lich appeared in court in person, with her hands neatly folded in her lap as she sat in the prisoner’s box of the Ottawa courtroom.

She has now spent 48 days in jail while she waits to answer to non-violent charges, Greenspon said. He added that she may end up spending more time in custody before her trial than she would ultimately have to serve if she is found guilty.

“We’re asking your honour to put an end to this injustice,” Greenspon said to Justice Andrew Goodman at the end of the defence’s arguments.

Crown counsel Moiz Karimjee disagreed, saying there’s the potential for Lich to serve a lengthy prison sentence for her role in gridlocking Ottawa.

Justice Goodman challenged the Crown about whether he has found a case of mischief that’s come close to the maximum sentence of 10 years.

“The answer to that is no, because there’s never been an occupation of a city, the capital of Canada, for three weeks,” Karimjee said. “If not in a situation such as this, then what other situation?”

This was the fifth time Lich was before the court to argue for her freedom from jail while she awaits a trial.

The convoy organizer was originally arrested and charged in February, the day before police moved in to remove the three-week protest from Ottawa’s streets.

She was released the next month with a long list of conditions, including a ban from using all social media.

This is the second time the Crown has argued she breached those conditions. The first time, the judge not only allowed her to remain out of jail but also allowed her to come back to Ontario to attend the award gala, where Lich was a guest of honour.

At the Toronto event, Lich received an “Freedom Award” from the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms in recognition of her leadership role during the convoy.

After Lich was caught on video with Marazzo, police sought a Canada-wide warrant for the alleged breach of her bail conditions. She was arrested in her home town of Medicine Hat, Alta.

The Crown told the court Monday that the case is not about politics.

“It’s not about what views one espouses, whether we believe in vaccination or not,” Karimjee said. “It is about the rule of law.”

Lich’s trial date has not been set.

https://globalnews.ca/news/9013662/tamara-lich-freedom-convoy-bail-hearing-ottawa/

[Rick Plant]

Canada's inflation rate accelerates again 8.1%, but not as sharply as forecast

OTTAWA, (Reuters) - Inflation in Canada picked up speed again in June with prices rising at their fastest pace since January 1983, official data showed on Wednesday, but the rise was not as steep as forecast, leaving analysts unsure about how forcefully the Bank of Canada would respond.

Canada's annual inflation rate hit 8.1% in June, up from 7.7% in May, driven by higher costs at the gas pump and almost everywhere else, Statistics Canada said, but short of forecasts it would accelerate to 8.4%.

"For one of the rare times in the last two years, we've actually got a number that's below expectations," said Doug Porter, chief economist at BMO Capital Markets. "The bad news is we still got the highest inflation in roughly forty years."

Gas prices rose 54.6% in June compared with a 48.0% gain in May, though "price increases remained broad-based with seven of eight major components rising by 3% or more."

Indeed, all three core measures of inflation, which the Bank of Canada watches carefully, rose in June. CPI Common, which the central bank says is the best gauge of the economy's performance, hit 4.6% from a upwardly revised 4.5% in May.

The central bank last week said it expected headline inflation to be around 8% for the next few months. It also surprised with a rare 100 basis points rate increase, a move aimed at fending off a price spiral.

Later on Wednesday, in an interview with broadcaster CTV, Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem said inflation is likely to remain "painfully high" and above 7% for the rest of 2022, though it probably will ease back in July compared with June.

With inflation quadruple the 2% target, economists and money markets both see more oversized hikes coming, though not another 100-bp surprise.

"It's no time for complacency from the Bank of Canada and we expect them to maintain a relatively forceful policy stance in September," said Andrew Kelvin, chief Canada strategist at TD Securities. "The debate for September should really be between a 50 or a 75-basis-point move."

Money markets are betting on a 50-bp increase on Sept. 7, with two further hikes in October and December to bring the policy rate to 3.5%, up from a record low 0.25% at the beginning of the year.

The June data was not all negative, with grocery and shelter price gains easing after months of acceleration. Looking ahead, economists noted gas prices have fallen so far in July, giving Canadian consumers a bit of relief.

"Gasoline prices are currently tracking almost a 9% decline in July, so we know we're going to go the other way next month," said Doug Porter, chief economist at BMO Capital Markets.

The Canadian dollar was trading down at 1.2871 to the Greenback, or 77.69 U.S. cents.

© 2022 Reuters

[Rick Plant]

CanadianPM @CanadianPM

Live from Quebec City: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and @GGCanada, Mary Simon, welcome His Holiness Pope Francis to the Citadelle of Quebec and deliver remarks. Tune in: http://ow.ly/CKR350K5QJI



https://twitter.com/CanadianPM/status/1552417265148207105

[Rick Plant]

Pope arrives in Quebec City for meetings with Trudeau, Indigenous leaders

Pope Francis arrives in Quebec City on Wednesday, July 27, where he is expected to meet Gov. Gen. Mary Simon, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as well as Indigenous leaders and other dignitaries at the Citadelle of Quebec. Following his meetings at the Citadelle, the Pope will ride through the Plains of Abraham in his Popemobile and greet the public. Pope Francis has said he hopes that this week-long trip to Canada, which started on Sunday, July 24, can help to heal the wrongs done to Indigenous people by the Roman Catholic Church.

Watch:

[Rick Plant]

The CPC is now the Convoy Party of Canada

Ottawa residents were understandably concerned about a Canada Day repeat of the anti-vaccine protests that gridlocked their city’s downtown at the start of this year. But while our nation’s capital managed to survive the festivities mostly unscathed, the so-called convoy’s creeping takeover of this country’s official Opposition continues apace.

Leadership race front-runner Pierre Poilievre made that abundantly clear last week when he decided to march with James Topp, the controversial far-right leader of the convoy’s latest iteration. Far from turning his back on the more extremist elements of that movement, Poilievre seems determined to hug them as close as possible.

If there was any remaining doubt about the CPC’s new status as the Convoy Party of Canada, it should have been dispelled Tuesday evening when the party decided to disqualify Patrick Brown from the leadership race. Writing in the Toronto Sun, former Liberal strategist (and Trudeau antagonist) Warren Kinsella concluded: “The Conservative Party of Canada has effectively been taken over by the convoy types. And who was the biggest critic of the ‘freedom’ convoy types? None other than Patrick Brown.”

As Kinsella noted in his column, a comparison between the recently released CPC membership list and the list of GiveSendGo donors who supported the convoy earlier this year revealed plenty of overlap. A not-so-grand total of 14,707 different members reportedly gave nearly $1.78 million to support the illegal occupation of Ottawa, with all of those donations coming in February, Kinsella wrote. It’s fair to assume many of those members will be casting their leadership ballots for Poilievre, especially after his recent walkabout.

Indeed, based on the convoy’s popularity among the current Conservative membership, Poilievre’s Canada Day stunt may not be as politically suicidal as it might seem from afar. As EKOS pollster Frank Graves noted, his data shows that while 68 per cent of Canadians oppose the convoy, that figure drops to 30 per cent among CPC voters, with nearly twice as many (55 per cent) supporting it. That ratio of support to opposition is only eclipsed by People’s Party of Canada voters, whom Poilievre is almost certainly targeting in both the leadership race and beyond.

But the convoy-tinged rot in the CPC goes much deeper than some of its members.

As CTV reported recently, former Saskatchewan premier and party heavyweight Brad Wall was in regular contact (some 26 texts, along with nearly 30 minutes of phone calls) with Chris Barber, a Saskatchewan truck driver and one of the original convoy’s chief organizers. Barber was subsequently charged alongside Tamara Lich with intimidation, obstruction of a peace officer and mischief, and has a history of racist statements and behaviour (including two Confederate flags hanging in his garage). But in February, he also had the ear of one of the Conservative Party of Canada’s leading lights.

When pressed by CTV to explain this relationship, Wall offered up a brief statement: “I know him from Swift Current. He’s connected to relatives and I’d like to keep that confidential and private.”

Stephen Carter, a former adviser to multiple premiers and mayors in Alberta, doesn’t think that’s nearly good enough. “This should be disqualifying,” he said on the latest episode of his podcast The Strategists. “You don’t reach out to someone and offer good advice to bad people.”

Wall and his fellow convoy-curious conservatives clearly don’t see them that way. They see the convoy’s fans as a valuable source of donations and political support, and they’re apparently willing to overlook the talk about overthrowing a democratically elected government and charging the prime minister with treason in order to get it.

That relationship is only going to get cozier if Poilievre becomes the one in charge, an outcome that seems practically inevitable at this point.

If nothing else, this should put to rest once and for all the notion that there is a moderate version of the Conservative Party of Canada just waiting to emerge. Instead, a resounding victory by Poilievre would almost certainly mean a turn further to the right, towards the sort of Fox News-style, nonsense-on-steroids politics that defined the convoy and seems to intrigue its enablers.

Now, it’s up to Canadians to decide whether they want that from their government-in-waiting — and whether they’re willing to trust its leaders with the reins of power.

https://www.nationalobserver.com/2022/07/07/opinion/cpc-now-convoy-party-canada

[Rick Plant]

Happy Birthday to Chrystia Freeland, Canada's Deputy Prime Minister - August 2

Chrystia Freeland is right on ‘friend-shoring.’ Our allies need Canada to help reduce dependence on Russian energy



During Janet Yellen’s first visit to Canada in June as U.S. treasury secretary, she and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland again discussed “friend-shoring” — the idea Canada must prioritize trade with countries which share our values.

Freeland’s remarks deserve more attention than they’ve received. She did more than talk about an economic concept; she gave concrete examples and a call to action. “What we can really contribute to a world of friend-shoring is critical minerals and metals and energy,” she said. “We owe it to our allies as good partners to really step up.”

Freeland is absolutely right. For economic as well as geopolitical reasons, Canada must do more to export critical resources to countries we count as allies. That includes building the infrastructure Canada needs to access international markets.

She’s also correct in suggesting we owe it to our allies to step up and do more. In diplomatic circles, Canada isn’t seen as a reliable partner these days. Far from being viewed as nice and dependable, we are now viewed by many as a country that talks a big game — but often can’t match its words with action.

Canada has given international partners ample reason to question whether we’re able or willing to build big infrastructure projects. Foreign governments and investors have expressed frustration that we appear determined to keep all our critical resources for ourselves. The reputational damage this has created cannot be overstated.

In Korea recently, a senior government official suggested to me that Canada is effectively “hoarding” its critical resources. That leaves Korea with no other choice, he said, but to acquire them from regimes that don’t share Korea’s (or Canada’s) values. It was a serious and sobering assessment from a key strategic ally.

This perception isn’t limited to the Indo-Pacific. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is coming to Canada in August, in part to make the case for Canada developing new liquified natural gas and hydrogen export capacity. Like most Europeans, he’d prefer that his country import energy from Canada — and lower its dependence on Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
Given the global stakes involved, we have a moral obligation to move quickly. As Freeland acknowledged, “these are big, challenging projects” which take years to complete once necessary approvals have been secured. The government should identify two or three critical energy infrastructure projects, and then fast-track their approvals.

Done responsibly, the development of critical energy infrastructure would do more than strengthen economic and energy security for Canada and its allies. It would also enhance global environmental security, by allowing like-minded nations to import energy from a country committed to reducing emissions and combating climate change.

To be clear, our allies need Canada to be an exporter of innovative forms of clean energy such as green and blue hydrogen. They don’t want us to be short-term suppliers, but permanent partners. They want our help to transition away from less reputable energy suppliers, as they shift toward renewable sources of energy.

Similarly, as Canada and our allies move toward greater adoption of electric and zero-emission vehicles, our deposits of critical minerals and metals will be in increasingly high demand. We therefore need to significantly expand the supporting supply chain export infrastructure — roads, railways and ports — from coast to coast to coast.

In the past year, we’ve witnessed a surge in investment here in Canada to transition car and truck plants to the production of electric and zero-emission vehicles. We’ve also seen new foreign investment in Canada to develop new battery production facilities. Those investments were made here, not elsewhere, on the promise of access to critical minerals and metals.

These are scarce resources. Over the past two decades, countries that don’t share Canada’s world view have gone about securing extraction rights on multiple continents for minerals and metals crucial to the green economy. If we don’t develop our own critical resources, we will put Canada and our allies at risk.

Various leaders throughout history have been credited with the (perhaps apocryphal) observation that countries don’t have friends, only interests. In that sense, some may view “friend-shoring” as a misnomer. What is clear, however, is Canada has allies — and it is in our interests to supply resources to those allies facing heightened threats.

https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2022/07/31/chrystia-freeland-is-right-on-friend-shoring-our-allies-need-canada-to-help-reduce-dependence-on-russian-energy.html