Media and political leaders falsely characterized the Freedom Convoy as an extremist movement, according to confidential emails between Ontario Provincial Police commanders. There was no evidence convoy members were anything but political protesters, said one commander: “It is not an ‘extremist’ movement.”
Cabinet and political aides schemed on ways to perpetuate media coverage depicting Freedom Convoy members as “crazies,” the Public Order Emergency Commission was told yesterday. A lawyer for the truckers read out text messages in which Liberal aides contemplated a media campaign to depict protesters as violent, adding: “We need something to back this up.”
Hate thought leads to hate crime, Senator David Arnot (Sask.), a former Saskatchewan human rights commissioner, said yesterday. Arnot’s remarks came amid testimony at the Senate human rights committee that claimed the Freedom Convoy was rooted in hatred of Muslims: “Hate thought, hate speech, begets hate crime. We know that.”
Federal regulators polled Canadians on support for potential postal service cuts and a 36 percent hike in stamp rates. A Department of Public Works report complained of “ongoing financial losses” at the post office: ‘Do you agree Canada Post should be allowed to deliver letters less frequently than five days a week?’
Auditors have found more improper contracting at Canadian missions aboard, this time involving embassies and consulates in Central and South America. Auditors in Mexico City expressed dismay over a mysterious $500 million bookkeeping entry later dismissed as a coding error: “No mission has a budget of that magnitude.”
Secret cabinet minutes disclose Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested using the Emergencies Act days before the extraordinary measure was invoked against the Freedom Convoy. Cabinet at the time publicly assured Canadians the Highway Traffic Act was sufficient to deal with protesters outside Parliament: “The Prime Minister set up the conversation.”
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino was “very persistent” in discussing the Freedom Convoy, according to RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki. The remark is detailed in minutes of a police meeting. Mendicino denied directing police operations: “My Minister very persistent.”
Rideau Hall last year paid out more than $319,000 in settlements to four unidentified employees, records show. The payments followed then-Governor General Julie Payette’s abrupt resignation over allegations of workplace harassment: “Everyone has the right to work in a safe and healthy environment.”
A federal handgun sales ban will not “meaningfully” reduce gun crime, the RCMP union and Regina’s police chief testified at the Commons public safety committee. Federal authorities have sought to enforce a ban through cabinet order: “The issue is people who are criminals.”
The federal Leaders’ Debates Commission paid $8,500 to settle out of court a defamation claim by Rebel News Network Limited. The payment was disclosed in Public Accounts tabled in Parliament: “There is room in the nation for the expression of opposing points of view.”
The Ottawa Police Service days before cabinet invoked the Emergencies Act distributed a memo falsely claiming foreign extremists bankrolled the Freedom Convoy. The memo by a U.K. think tank mentioned “Trump” five times and summarized Facebook insults against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: “Funding appears to be coming from a host of U.S. and international sources.”
The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce yesterday was fined $5.6 million for breach of consumer protection rules. The federal penalty came on top of $11 million in refunds and interest the Bank was mandated to pay under Cost Of Borrowing Regulations: “CIBC was negligent.”
Parliament in promoting a federal dentacare program runs a risk Canadian employers will repeal private plans to offload coverage, medical professionals warn the Senate national finance committee. “It is a real fear,” said the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association: “Either incentivize employers to maintain their dental benefits or you disincentivize them through large government fines.”
Taxpayers face a half billion write-off on overpayments to federal employees due to payroll bungles, auditors said yesterday. “About half of these request had been outstanding for more than three years,” wrote Auditor General Karen Hogan: ‘It may eventually result in the amount being written off.’
Toronto could be a niche market for raw seal meat, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said yesterday. Federal agencies for years have subsidized attempts to build a market for seal: “Did you say there is a demand for seal meat in Toronto? Is that what you said?”
