WE really need to get rid of this guy
- Thread starter Retired_Can_Soldier
- Start date
Harper kept his minorities in power with fewer seats by using whichever party would help him on any particular legislation. It is possible if the PM stops thinking himself as glorious emperor and works with any 1 of the parties. Will Emperer TrueDope do that?
Will the other parties want to taint themselves with his BS? Perhaps the Bloc for the good of the nation?
Has anyone heard any signs of life from the Greens (either one) lately?
Trudeau should step down to prevent Poilievre from winning election: LGBTQ+ activists
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Lyndsay Armstrong and Sarah Smellie
Published Sep 04, 2024 • Last updated 19 hours ago • 4 minute read
HALIFAX — As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau digs in his heels and pledges to stay on as Liberal leader despite dwindling public support, some LGBTQ+ activists say he is putting queer and gender diverse people at risk.
Queer advocates say a Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would be dangerous for LGBTQ+ Canadians, and some are pushing for Trudeau to step aside to give the Liberals a better chance of winning the next election — which must be held on or before Oct. 20, 2025.
The executive director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Queer Research Initiative said she’s concerned about the potential harm of a Conservative government for queer Canadians. She pointed to Poilievre’s comments saying minors should not have access to puberty blockers and transgender athletes should be barred from women’s sports and change rooms.
“The normalization of this rhetoric is dangerous, and so are the potential policies that he could implement,” Sarah Worthman said.
Poilievre’s comments on change rooms and gender affirming care for young people serve to villainize trans people, Worthman said. “Poilievre has admitted on the record that he’s willing to use Section 33 — so there’s essentially no stopping him from rolling back different rights … especially the rights of trans and gender diverse people in Canada.”
Section 33 — known as the notwithstanding clause — of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms gives Parliament the ability to override certain portions of the Charter for a five-year term, but Poilievre’s office has said he would only use the clause for criminal justice reforms.
Meanwhile, Worthman said the Liberals would have a better chance of beating the Conservatives if they switched Trudeau out for someone new, but she didn’t say with whom. Worthman added that the federal NDP, led by Jagmeet Singh, would also benefit from a change in leadership.
The Conservatives did not provide someone for comment, but instead sent an email with a series of transcribed answers that Poilievre gave to journalists between June 2023 and February 2024 on LGBTQ+ issues.
The answers include Poilievre in 2023 saying Canada should continue offering refuge for persecuted LGBTQ+ people from around the world. They also include Poilievre in February saying “female spaces should be exclusively for females, not for biological males” when asked if transgender women should be barred from women’s sports or being admitted into women’s shelters or prisons.
At the time, the Tory leader also said he was opposed to youth under 18 taking puberty blockers, medicine often used by transgender youth to temporarily suppress the hormones that cause puberty.
Helen Kennedy, executive director of Egale Canada, said there has been a marked rise in hateful rhetoric about LGBTQ+ people in Canadian politics, which has left “members of our community to feel like they’re being hunted at the moment by their own political leaders.”
“Certainly not every conservative is anti-LGBTQ, but right at the moment it appears that the leader of the federal Conservative party is using this as a vote-getter,” she said. “It’s really based on political opportunism … and it’s really alarming.”
A Statistics Canada report released this year reported 491 hate crimes targeting sexual orientation in 2022, marking a 12 per cent rise from the previous peak recorded in 2021.
Fae Johnstone, executive director of political advocacy group Queer Momentum, said she’s worried a Poilievre government would roll back the hard-fought rights of trans Canadians. However, both Johnstone and Kennedy stopped short of calling for Trudeau to step down as leader.
“I think (Poilievre) wants to normalize government interference in the private lives of Canadian citizens under the guise of parental rights, or protecting people from gender ideology,” Johnstone said.
Montreal-based Celeste Trianon, who runs a centre that helps trans people in Quebec who wish to change their legal name or gender marker, said Poilievre’s comments on gender-affirming care for youth are cause for alarm.
“What I’m most fearful of is the criminalization of trans people,” Trianon said. She said she does not believe Poilievre’s assertion that he would use the notwithstanding clause only for criminal justice reforms.
“Having passports that match their chosen name, or access to gender-affirming health care — if that ends up being criminalized, which is possible with the use of the notwithstanding clause, it’s going to amount to a de facto ban on trans lives,” she said.
It’s for this reason that Trianon believes the Liberals should follow the lead of the U.S. Democratic party, which has seen a swell of support since replacing President Joe Biden with Vice-President Kamala Harris as the party’s nominee in November’s presidential election.
“I believe right now that’s what the Liberals need and, to a lesser degree, the NDP could benefit from this as well,” she said.
Randy Boissonnault, a federal cabinet minister who was previously Trudeau’s special adviser on LGBTQ+ issues, said in a recent interview queer people are right to be worried about what may happen if Poilievre wins the upcoming election.
“Poilievre has said that our rights, LGBTQ2S+ rights, are woke ideology. He has two members of his caucus who are part of the Canadian Pride caucus who do not come to meetings if we talk about trans matters,” he said.
Boissonnault, however, said Trudeau is the best person to lead the party though another election, adding that the prime minister is a champion of LGBTQ+ rights.
“We don’t need political leaders telling our trans community that they don’t belong … We have way too many LGBTQ2S+ plus kids that commit suicide simply because they think their lives are never going to get better. And I don’t stand for it and the prime minister doesn’t stand for it.”
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Lyndsay Armstrong and Sarah Smellie
Published Sep 04, 2024 • Last updated 19 hours ago • 4 minute read
HALIFAX — As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau digs in his heels and pledges to stay on as Liberal leader despite dwindling public support, some LGBTQ+ activists say he is putting queer and gender diverse people at risk.
Queer advocates say a Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would be dangerous for LGBTQ+ Canadians, and some are pushing for Trudeau to step aside to give the Liberals a better chance of winning the next election — which must be held on or before Oct. 20, 2025.
The executive director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Queer Research Initiative said she’s concerned about the potential harm of a Conservative government for queer Canadians. She pointed to Poilievre’s comments saying minors should not have access to puberty blockers and transgender athletes should be barred from women’s sports and change rooms.
“The normalization of this rhetoric is dangerous, and so are the potential policies that he could implement,” Sarah Worthman said.
Poilievre’s comments on change rooms and gender affirming care for young people serve to villainize trans people, Worthman said. “Poilievre has admitted on the record that he’s willing to use Section 33 — so there’s essentially no stopping him from rolling back different rights … especially the rights of trans and gender diverse people in Canada.”
Section 33 — known as the notwithstanding clause — of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms gives Parliament the ability to override certain portions of the Charter for a five-year term, but Poilievre’s office has said he would only use the clause for criminal justice reforms.
Meanwhile, Worthman said the Liberals would have a better chance of beating the Conservatives if they switched Trudeau out for someone new, but she didn’t say with whom. Worthman added that the federal NDP, led by Jagmeet Singh, would also benefit from a change in leadership.
The Conservatives did not provide someone for comment, but instead sent an email with a series of transcribed answers that Poilievre gave to journalists between June 2023 and February 2024 on LGBTQ+ issues.
The answers include Poilievre in 2023 saying Canada should continue offering refuge for persecuted LGBTQ+ people from around the world. They also include Poilievre in February saying “female spaces should be exclusively for females, not for biological males” when asked if transgender women should be barred from women’s sports or being admitted into women’s shelters or prisons.
At the time, the Tory leader also said he was opposed to youth under 18 taking puberty blockers, medicine often used by transgender youth to temporarily suppress the hormones that cause puberty.
Helen Kennedy, executive director of Egale Canada, said there has been a marked rise in hateful rhetoric about LGBTQ+ people in Canadian politics, which has left “members of our community to feel like they’re being hunted at the moment by their own political leaders.”
“Certainly not every conservative is anti-LGBTQ, but right at the moment it appears that the leader of the federal Conservative party is using this as a vote-getter,” she said. “It’s really based on political opportunism … and it’s really alarming.”
A Statistics Canada report released this year reported 491 hate crimes targeting sexual orientation in 2022, marking a 12 per cent rise from the previous peak recorded in 2021.
Fae Johnstone, executive director of political advocacy group Queer Momentum, said she’s worried a Poilievre government would roll back the hard-fought rights of trans Canadians. However, both Johnstone and Kennedy stopped short of calling for Trudeau to step down as leader.
“I think (Poilievre) wants to normalize government interference in the private lives of Canadian citizens under the guise of parental rights, or protecting people from gender ideology,” Johnstone said.
Montreal-based Celeste Trianon, who runs a centre that helps trans people in Quebec who wish to change their legal name or gender marker, said Poilievre’s comments on gender-affirming care for youth are cause for alarm.
“What I’m most fearful of is the criminalization of trans people,” Trianon said. She said she does not believe Poilievre’s assertion that he would use the notwithstanding clause only for criminal justice reforms.
“Having passports that match their chosen name, or access to gender-affirming health care — if that ends up being criminalized, which is possible with the use of the notwithstanding clause, it’s going to amount to a de facto ban on trans lives,” she said.
It’s for this reason that Trianon believes the Liberals should follow the lead of the U.S. Democratic party, which has seen a swell of support since replacing President Joe Biden with Vice-President Kamala Harris as the party’s nominee in November’s presidential election.
“I believe right now that’s what the Liberals need and, to a lesser degree, the NDP could benefit from this as well,” she said.
Randy Boissonnault, a federal cabinet minister who was previously Trudeau’s special adviser on LGBTQ+ issues, said in a recent interview queer people are right to be worried about what may happen if Poilievre wins the upcoming election.
“Poilievre has said that our rights, LGBTQ2S+ rights, are woke ideology. He has two members of his caucus who are part of the Canadian Pride caucus who do not come to meetings if we talk about trans matters,” he said.
Boissonnault, however, said Trudeau is the best person to lead the party though another election, adding that the prime minister is a champion of LGBTQ+ rights.
“We don’t need political leaders telling our trans community that they don’t belong … We have way too many LGBTQ2S+ plus kids that commit suicide simply because they think their lives are never going to get better. And I don’t stand for it and the prime minister doesn’t stand for it.”
Trudeau should step down to prevent Poilievre from winning election: LGBTQ+ activists
LGBTQ+ activists say Justin Trudeau’s pledge to remain the Liberal leader through to the next election, is putting them at risk.
Trudeau should step down to prevent Poilievre from winning election: LGBTQ+ activists
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Lyndsay Armstrong and Sarah Smellie
Published Sep 04, 2024 • Last updated 19 hours ago • 4 minute read
HALIFAX — As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau digs in his heels and pledges to stay on as Liberal leader despite dwindling public support, some LGBTQ+ activists say he is putting queer and gender diverse people at risk.
Queer advocates say a Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would be dangerous for LGBTQ+ Canadians, and some are pushing for Trudeau to step aside to give the Liberals a better chance of winning the next election — which must be held on or before Oct. 20, 2025.
The executive director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Queer Research Initiative said she’s concerned about the potential harm of a Conservative government for queer Canadians. She pointed to Poilievre’s comments saying minors should not have access to puberty blockers and transgender athletes should be barred from women’s sports and change rooms.
“The normalization of this rhetoric is dangerous, and so are the potential policies that he could implement,” Sarah Worthman said.
Poilievre’s comments on change rooms and gender affirming care for young people serve to villainize trans people, Worthman said. “Poilievre has admitted on the record that he’s willing to use Section 33 — so there’s essentially no stopping him from rolling back different rights … especially the rights of trans and gender diverse people in Canada.”
Section 33 — known as the notwithstanding clause — of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms gives Parliament the ability to override certain portions of the Charter for a five-year term, but Poilievre’s office has said he would only use the clause for criminal justice reforms.
Meanwhile, Worthman said the Liberals would have a better chance of beating the Conservatives if they switched Trudeau out for someone new, but she didn’t say with whom. Worthman added that the federal NDP, led by Jagmeet Singh, would also benefit from a change in leadership.
The Conservatives did not provide someone for comment, but instead sent an email with a series of transcribed answers that Poilievre gave to journalists between June 2023 and February 2024 on LGBTQ+ issues.
The answers include Poilievre in 2023 saying Canada should continue offering refuge for persecuted LGBTQ+ people from around the world. They also include Poilievre in February saying “female spaces should be exclusively for females, not for biological males” when asked if transgender women should be barred from women’s sports or being admitted into women’s shelters or prisons.
At the time, the Tory leader also said he was opposed to youth under 18 taking puberty blockers, medicine often used by transgender youth to temporarily suppress the hormones that cause puberty.
Helen Kennedy, executive director of Egale Canada, said there has been a marked rise in hateful rhetoric about LGBTQ+ people in Canadian politics, which has left “members of our community to feel like they’re being hunted at the moment by their own political leaders.”
“Certainly not every conservative is anti-LGBTQ, but right at the moment it appears that the leader of the federal Conservative party is using this as a vote-getter,” she said. “It’s really based on political opportunism … and it’s really alarming.”
A Statistics Canada report released this year reported 491 hate crimes targeting sexual orientation in 2022, marking a 12 per cent rise from the previous peak recorded in 2021.
Fae Johnstone, executive director of political advocacy group Queer Momentum, said she’s worried a Poilievre government would roll back the hard-fought rights of trans Canadians. However, both Johnstone and Kennedy stopped short of calling for Trudeau to step down as leader.
“I think (Poilievre) wants to normalize government interference in the private lives of Canadian citizens under the guise of parental rights, or protecting people from gender ideology,” Johnstone said.
Montreal-based Celeste Trianon, who runs a centre that helps trans people in Quebec who wish to change their legal name or gender marker, said Poilievre’s comments on gender-affirming care for youth are cause for alarm.
“What I’m most fearful of is the criminalization of trans people,” Trianon said. She said she does not believe Poilievre’s assertion that he would use the notwithstanding clause only for criminal justice reforms.
“Having passports that match their chosen name, or access to gender-affirming health care — if that ends up being criminalized, which is possible with the use of the notwithstanding clause, it’s going to amount to a de facto ban on trans lives,” she said.
It’s for this reason that Trianon believes the Liberals should follow the lead of the U.S. Democratic party, which has seen a swell of support since replacing President Joe Biden with Vice-President Kamala Harris as the party’s nominee in November’s presidential election.
“I believe right now that’s what the Liberals need and, to a lesser degree, the NDP could benefit from this as well,” she said.
Randy Boissonnault, a federal cabinet minister who was previously Trudeau’s special adviser on LGBTQ+ issues, said in a recent interview queer people are right to be worried about what may happen if Poilievre wins the upcoming election.
“Poilievre has said that our rights, LGBTQ2S+ rights, are woke ideology. He has two members of his caucus who are part of the Canadian Pride caucus who do not come to meetings if we talk about trans matters,” he said.
Boissonnault, however, said Trudeau is the best person to lead the party though another election, adding that the prime minister is a champion of LGBTQ+ rights.
“We don’t need political leaders telling our trans community that they don’t belong … We have way too many LGBTQ2S+ plus kids that commit suicide simply because they think their lives are never going to get better. And I don’t stand for it and the prime minister doesn’t stand for it.”
Trudeau should step down to prevent Poilievre from winning election: LGBTQ+ activists
LGBTQ+ activists say Justin Trudeau’s pledge to remain the Liberal leader through to the next election, is putting them at risk.
![cpt101412540[1].jpg](https://forums.canadiancontent.net/data/attachments/22/22759-c75464e7847c656e6d933ec19132ecac.jpg "cpt101412540[1].jpg")
you know things are bad when your own people turn against you.Trudeau should step down to prevent Poilievre from winning election: LGBTQ+ activists
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Lyndsay Armstrong and Sarah Smellie
Published Sep 04, 2024 • Last updated 19 hours ago • 4 minute read
HALIFAX — As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau digs in his heels and pledges to stay on as Liberal leader despite dwindling public support, some LGBTQ+ activists say he is putting queer and gender diverse people at risk.
Queer advocates say a Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would be dangerous for LGBTQ+ Canadians, and some are pushing for Trudeau to step aside to give the Liberals a better chance of winning the next election — which must be held on or before Oct. 20, 2025.
The executive director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Queer Research Initiative said she’s concerned about the potential harm of a Conservative government for queer Canadians. She pointed to Poilievre’s comments saying minors should not have access to puberty blockers and transgender athletes should be barred from women’s sports and change rooms.
“The normalization of this rhetoric is dangerous, and so are the potential policies that he could implement,” Sarah Worthman said.
Poilievre’s comments on change rooms and gender affirming care for young people serve to villainize trans people, Worthman said. “Poilievre has admitted on the record that he’s willing to use Section 33 — so there’s essentially no stopping him from rolling back different rights … especially the rights of trans and gender diverse people in Canada.”
Section 33 — known as the notwithstanding clause — of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms gives Parliament the ability to override certain portions of the Charter for a five-year term, but Poilievre’s office has said he would only use the clause for criminal justice reforms.
Meanwhile, Worthman said the Liberals would have a better chance of beating the Conservatives if they switched Trudeau out for someone new, but she didn’t say with whom. Worthman added that the federal NDP, led by Jagmeet Singh, would also benefit from a change in leadership.
The Conservatives did not provide someone for comment, but instead sent an email with a series of transcribed answers that Poilievre gave to journalists between June 2023 and February 2024 on LGBTQ+ issues.
The answers include Poilievre in 2023 saying Canada should continue offering refuge for persecuted LGBTQ+ people from around the world. They also include Poilievre in February saying “female spaces should be exclusively for females, not for biological males” when asked if transgender women should be barred from women’s sports or being admitted into women’s shelters or prisons.
At the time, the Tory leader also said he was opposed to youth under 18 taking puberty blockers, medicine often used by transgender youth to temporarily suppress the hormones that cause puberty.
Helen Kennedy, executive director of Egale Canada, said there has been a marked rise in hateful rhetoric about LGBTQ+ people in Canadian politics, which has left “members of our community to feel like they’re being hunted at the moment by their own political leaders.”
“Certainly not every conservative is anti-LGBTQ, but right at the moment it appears that the leader of the federal Conservative party is using this as a vote-getter,” she said. “It’s really based on political opportunism … and it’s really alarming.”
A Statistics Canada report released this year reported 491 hate crimes targeting sexual orientation in 2022, marking a 12 per cent rise from the previous peak recorded in 2021.
Fae Johnstone, executive director of political advocacy group Queer Momentum, said she’s worried a Poilievre government would roll back the hard-fought rights of trans Canadians. However, both Johnstone and Kennedy stopped short of calling for Trudeau to step down as leader.
“I think (Poilievre) wants to normalize government interference in the private lives of Canadian citizens under the guise of parental rights, or protecting people from gender ideology,” Johnstone said.
Montreal-based Celeste Trianon, who runs a centre that helps trans people in Quebec who wish to change their legal name or gender marker, said Poilievre’s comments on gender-affirming care for youth are cause for alarm.
“What I’m most fearful of is the criminalization of trans people,” Trianon said. She said she does not believe Poilievre’s assertion that he would use the notwithstanding clause only for criminal justice reforms.
“Having passports that match their chosen name, or access to gender-affirming health care — if that ends up being criminalized, which is possible with the use of the notwithstanding clause, it’s going to amount to a de facto ban on trans lives,” she said.
It’s for this reason that Trianon believes the Liberals should follow the lead of the U.S. Democratic party, which has seen a swell of support since replacing President Joe Biden with Vice-President Kamala Harris as the party’s nominee in November’s presidential election.
“I believe right now that’s what the Liberals need and, to a lesser degree, the NDP could benefit from this as well,” she said.
Randy Boissonnault, a federal cabinet minister who was previously Trudeau’s special adviser on LGBTQ+ issues, said in a recent interview queer people are right to be worried about what may happen if Poilievre wins the upcoming election.
“Poilievre has said that our rights, LGBTQ2S+ rights, are woke ideology. He has two members of his caucus who are part of the Canadian Pride caucus who do not come to meetings if we talk about trans matters,” he said.
Boissonnault, however, said Trudeau is the best person to lead the party though another election, adding that the prime minister is a champion of LGBTQ+ rights.
“We don’t need political leaders telling our trans community that they don’t belong … We have way too many LGBTQ2S+ plus kids that commit suicide simply because they think their lives are never going to get better. And I don’t stand for it and the prime minister doesn’t stand for it.”
Trudeau should step down to prevent Poilievre from winning election: LGBTQ+ activists
LGBTQ+ activists say Justin Trudeau’s pledge to remain the Liberal leader through to the next election, is putting them at risk.
Trudeau parties at Toronto film fest while hundreds wait in bread lines
Author of the article:Joe Warmington
Published Sep 06, 2024 • Last updated 23 hours ago • 3 minute read
It’s a tale of two realities in the city, with people standing in two separate lines.
In one, people hope to catch a glimpse of a star. In another, people wait for food.
As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hung out with members of The Tragically Hip and Hollywood stars on Friday, not far away were lineups at food banks.
Sometimes Canada comes across as a a tone-deaf country of haves and have nots.
Certainly, there’s no champagne, hors d’oeuvres or cocktails served at food banks. Just the basics. It’s fancier for those on the VIP list inside the Toronto International Film Festival, however.
This is the story of a literal prince and pauper. And toll collectors and toll payers too. The only difference is the pauper doesn’t get a chance to play the prince as fantasized in Mark Twain’s classic novel. These paupers are kept behind security barriers while the prince and his subjects devour the good life at the expense of the public.
And take selfie pictures with the celebrity world and beautiful people. The elite awash in privilege, with the help from millions of taxpayer dollars, live like kings while the other half fend off hunger. This was no movie. You couldn’t write a script more contrasting.
In some ways this was another let them eat lobster moment that we saw at last summer’s East Coast cabinet retreat! Some believe this offers another example of how the fancy live while being oblivious to those around the corner not doing as well.
“Canada has become a major destination for the film industry — and the Toronto International Film Festival is a big reason why,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in an X Post. “Congratulations to everyone at @TIFF_NET on kicking off another year. Thanks for bringing the world to Canada.”
People close to Trudeau, however, tell me the prime minister is genuine in his interest in developing filmmakers and future musicians. They say he believes what conservatives think of as corporate welfare is actually investing in Canada and Canadians to help create jobs and prosperity.
It’s a fair debate to have. But one can’t deny these food lines near the movie lines. While it’s cool that Trudeau is a Hip fan and enjoys being around movies stars and celebrities, what he doesn’t say is Canadian taxpayers fund a large part of this party. It’s our money that pays for this fun.
The 2024 budget indicates an earmark of “$23 million over three years, starting in 2024-25 for The Toronto International Film Festival, which attracts leading filmmakers and actors from around the world, playing an important role in Toronto’s entertainment and tourism industries.”
So TIFF, which has not commented on how they use this cash, is getting millions from taxpayers while people can’t afford their rent, mortgages, car payments, schooling, tanks of gas or groceries?
Also on X, Trudeau posted a meeting with film students in which he wrote, “these students right here are why we invest in the arts. They have stories to tell, and I want the world to hear them.”
When he says investments he means public grants for those pushing liberal ideals while ignoring those growing bread lines in Liberal ridings like Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland’s University-Rosedale.
There are valid arguments on all sides of subsidizing the arts or media. Media companies, like the one which publishes this column, are eligible for millions of federal aid too. And don’t forget the federal government getting ready to pony up $104-million for the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament in 2026.
But when people can’t afford to live day to day, more than two million don’t have doctors while hundreds of thousands are leaning on food banks, there should be a discussion if movies, music, soccer or media can’t make a go of it through corporate sponsorship, why should taxpayer’s help foot the bill?
Trudeau, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow are all happy to pose for pictures when it comes to taxpayer-funded projects. With a minority government and a potential federal election looming, the cynical side of those who follow politics say this was effectively a $23-million photo op around an applauding crowd of those who get their piece of this slush fund.
Whatever your political bent, it’s hard to justify leaders living the high life on taxpayers’ money on one side of the street while there are food bank lineups on the other side.
And that’s a tragedy you may not find on a screen at the film festival.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Joe Warmington
Published Sep 06, 2024 • Last updated 23 hours ago • 3 minute read
It’s a tale of two realities in the city, with people standing in two separate lines.
In one, people hope to catch a glimpse of a star. In another, people wait for food.
As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hung out with members of The Tragically Hip and Hollywood stars on Friday, not far away were lineups at food banks.
Sometimes Canada comes across as a a tone-deaf country of haves and have nots.
Certainly, there’s no champagne, hors d’oeuvres or cocktails served at food banks. Just the basics. It’s fancier for those on the VIP list inside the Toronto International Film Festival, however.
This is the story of a literal prince and pauper. And toll collectors and toll payers too. The only difference is the pauper doesn’t get a chance to play the prince as fantasized in Mark Twain’s classic novel. These paupers are kept behind security barriers while the prince and his subjects devour the good life at the expense of the public.
And take selfie pictures with the celebrity world and beautiful people. The elite awash in privilege, with the help from millions of taxpayer dollars, live like kings while the other half fend off hunger. This was no movie. You couldn’t write a script more contrasting.
In some ways this was another let them eat lobster moment that we saw at last summer’s East Coast cabinet retreat! Some believe this offers another example of how the fancy live while being oblivious to those around the corner not doing as well.
“Canada has become a major destination for the film industry — and the Toronto International Film Festival is a big reason why,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in an X Post. “Congratulations to everyone at @TIFF_NET on kicking off another year. Thanks for bringing the world to Canada.”
People close to Trudeau, however, tell me the prime minister is genuine in his interest in developing filmmakers and future musicians. They say he believes what conservatives think of as corporate welfare is actually investing in Canada and Canadians to help create jobs and prosperity.
It’s a fair debate to have. But one can’t deny these food lines near the movie lines. While it’s cool that Trudeau is a Hip fan and enjoys being around movies stars and celebrities, what he doesn’t say is Canadian taxpayers fund a large part of this party. It’s our money that pays for this fun.
The 2024 budget indicates an earmark of “$23 million over three years, starting in 2024-25 for The Toronto International Film Festival, which attracts leading filmmakers and actors from around the world, playing an important role in Toronto’s entertainment and tourism industries.”
So TIFF, which has not commented on how they use this cash, is getting millions from taxpayers while people can’t afford their rent, mortgages, car payments, schooling, tanks of gas or groceries?
Also on X, Trudeau posted a meeting with film students in which he wrote, “these students right here are why we invest in the arts. They have stories to tell, and I want the world to hear them.”
When he says investments he means public grants for those pushing liberal ideals while ignoring those growing bread lines in Liberal ridings like Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland’s University-Rosedale.
There are valid arguments on all sides of subsidizing the arts or media. Media companies, like the one which publishes this column, are eligible for millions of federal aid too. And don’t forget the federal government getting ready to pony up $104-million for the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament in 2026.
But when people can’t afford to live day to day, more than two million don’t have doctors while hundreds of thousands are leaning on food banks, there should be a discussion if movies, music, soccer or media can’t make a go of it through corporate sponsorship, why should taxpayer’s help foot the bill?
Trudeau, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow are all happy to pose for pictures when it comes to taxpayer-funded projects. With a minority government and a potential federal election looming, the cynical side of those who follow politics say this was effectively a $23-million photo op around an applauding crowd of those who get their piece of this slush fund.
Whatever your political bent, it’s hard to justify leaders living the high life on taxpayers’ money on one side of the street while there are food bank lineups on the other side.
And that’s a tragedy you may not find on a screen at the film festival.
WARMINGTON: Trudeau parties at Toronto film fest while hundreds wait in bread lines
It’s a tale of two realities in the city, with people standing in two separate lines.
Unemployment reaches non-pandemic high of 6.6%: StatsCan
Author of the article:Bryan Passifiume
Bryan Passifiume
Published Sep 06, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 1 minute read
OTTAWA — Canada’s job woes continued in August, with unemployment reaching its highest levels, outside of the COVID-19 pandemic, since mid-2017.
And while Canada’s workforce increased by nearly 83,000 people over the past month, the country lost nearly 44,000 full-time jobs over the same time period.
Released Friday, Statistics Canada’s August 2024 Labour Force Survey said that while Canada’s employment rate fell by 0.1 percentage points in August, the unemployment rate rose 0.2 points to 6.6%.
That’s the highest unemployment has been since May 2017, minus the high unemployment levels seen during COVID-19.
While StatsCan said last week that Canada’s economy continued to beat Bank of Canada forecasts and grew by 2.1% in the second quarter of 2024, experts fear weak momentum heading into the fall could see the annualized GDP at 0.5% in the third quarter — far below predictions made in the central bank’s latest monetary policy report.
Canada, according to statements from Statistics Canada themselves, must generate around 50,000 new jobs every month to ensure stable employment rates.
Conservative finance critic Jasraj Singh Hallan told the Toronto Sun he blames the Liberals’ poor track record on preserving Canadian jobs.
“Canadians are barely hanging on by a thread and are struggling to house and feed themselves and their families, but Justin Trudeau is off living the high life and bragging about how Canadians never had it so good,” he said, referencing the prime minister’s late-week trip to take in opening night at the Toronto International Film Festival.
“His policies are creating carnage, but Justin Trudeau is too busy hobnobbing and taking selfies with elites and celebrities at a film festival to care.”
www150.statcan.gc.ca
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Bryan Passifiume
Bryan Passifiume
Published Sep 06, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 1 minute read
OTTAWA — Canada’s job woes continued in August, with unemployment reaching its highest levels, outside of the COVID-19 pandemic, since mid-2017.
And while Canada’s workforce increased by nearly 83,000 people over the past month, the country lost nearly 44,000 full-time jobs over the same time period.
Released Friday, Statistics Canada’s August 2024 Labour Force Survey said that while Canada’s employment rate fell by 0.1 percentage points in August, the unemployment rate rose 0.2 points to 6.6%.
That’s the highest unemployment has been since May 2017, minus the high unemployment levels seen during COVID-19.
While StatsCan said last week that Canada’s economy continued to beat Bank of Canada forecasts and grew by 2.1% in the second quarter of 2024, experts fear weak momentum heading into the fall could see the annualized GDP at 0.5% in the third quarter — far below predictions made in the central bank’s latest monetary policy report.
Canada, according to statements from Statistics Canada themselves, must generate around 50,000 new jobs every month to ensure stable employment rates.
Conservative finance critic Jasraj Singh Hallan told the Toronto Sun he blames the Liberals’ poor track record on preserving Canadian jobs.
“Canadians are barely hanging on by a thread and are struggling to house and feed themselves and their families, but Justin Trudeau is off living the high life and bragging about how Canadians never had it so good,” he said, referencing the prime minister’s late-week trip to take in opening night at the Toronto International Film Festival.
“His policies are creating carnage, but Justin Trudeau is too busy hobnobbing and taking selfies with elites and celebrities at a film festival to care.”
The Daily — Labour Force Survey, August 2024
Employment was little changed in August (+22,000; +0.1%) while the employment rate decreased 0.1 percentage points to 60.8%. The unemployment rate rose 0.2 percentage points to 6.6%.
Unemployment reaches non-pandemic high of 6.6%: StatsCan
Statistics Canada says the unemployment rate increased to 6.6 per cent in August -- up from 6.4 per cent in July.
Trudeau's really bad week is only getting worse
PM's partnership with Singh ends, a top adviser quits and unemployment goes up again
Author of the article:Brian Lilley
Published Sep 06, 2024 • 3 minute read
Justin Trudeau has had a really, really bad week.
The news of Jagmeet Singh ending the coalition between the Liberals and New Democratic Party would be enough to ruin any politician’s week. Then it was revealed that Trudeau’s campaign director for the next election was quitting because he doesn’t think the PM can win.
Now, add to that Friday’s unemployment numbers that showed the jobless rate is up at 6.6% and that we lost 44,000 full-time jobs in August all while adding just shy of 100,000 new people to the labour market.
At least Trudeau got to escape to the Toronto International Film Festival and hang out with Canada’s artistic elite.
The NDP has been planning for their break-up for some time. Party insiders say the decision to end the coalition was made almost three weeks ago, the video shot two weeks ago, and social media materials designed for MPs delivered this week.
While the NDP plotted, they kept the news well hidden from Trudeau’s team who found out minutes before Singh released his video statement and minutes after the story was broken by the Toronto Sun.
Trudeau and his team knew the deal would come to an end one day, but they weren’t expecting it to happen before the House of Commons resumes in two weeks.
That’s if MPs even return to Ottawa for a fall sitting on Sept. 16.
Rumours that the government is considering proroguing the House until a later date are rampant. Speaking on background with Liberals, Conservatives and New Democrats, they all say they expect it to happen and that strategically it makes sense.
That’s especially true now that Jeremy Broadhurst, a long-time Liberal staffer, adviser and Trudeau’s national campaign director, has quit.
Broadhurst has been a key part of Trudeau’s success going back to 2015. Those who know how Trudeau’s team operates say losing Broadhurst is a major blow.
To add insult to injury, news of his departure was leaked to the Toronto Star, including an unnamed source saying that Broadhurst told the PM, “… he didn’t think Trudeau could win the next election.” That kind of leak is damaging to Broadhurst on his way out, but it is more damaging to Trudeau’s team who look amateurish, sloppy and ill prepared for an election that could come sooner than expected.
If the House of Commons does return on Sept. 16, we could end up with an election before the Americans choose their next president on Nov. 5. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has promised to move a motion of non-confidence as soon as possible, if that were to pass – which is unlikely – then we’d vote before the Yanks.
It might be something Trudeau would enjoy actually, an entire election where he could campaign against Donald Trump at a time when the circus of the American vote is high on everyone’s minds.
The Liberals have been trying to tie Poilievre to Trump for more than a year. It hasn’t worked because it is an unfair comparison and also because Trump has been a distant thought for most.
Campaigning at the same time as the Americans might be Trudeau’s only hope to try and squeak out a win by playing the fear card – vote Liberal or get a Canadian Donald Trump.
The biggest change with the end of the Liberal-NDP coalition, a supply and confidence agreement, is that uncertainty now rules the day in federal politics. We could actually have an election very soon, either in the fall after the economic statement or in the spring after the budget. Or we could go all the way until October 2025.
There are a lot of factors at play and plenty of unknowns, which is going to make this coming session much more interesting to watch.
torontosun.com
PM's partnership with Singh ends, a top adviser quits and unemployment goes up again
Author of the article:Brian Lilley
Published Sep 06, 2024 • 3 minute read
Justin Trudeau has had a really, really bad week.
The news of Jagmeet Singh ending the coalition between the Liberals and New Democratic Party would be enough to ruin any politician’s week. Then it was revealed that Trudeau’s campaign director for the next election was quitting because he doesn’t think the PM can win.
Now, add to that Friday’s unemployment numbers that showed the jobless rate is up at 6.6% and that we lost 44,000 full-time jobs in August all while adding just shy of 100,000 new people to the labour market.
At least Trudeau got to escape to the Toronto International Film Festival and hang out with Canada’s artistic elite.
The NDP has been planning for their break-up for some time. Party insiders say the decision to end the coalition was made almost three weeks ago, the video shot two weeks ago, and social media materials designed for MPs delivered this week.
While the NDP plotted, they kept the news well hidden from Trudeau’s team who found out minutes before Singh released his video statement and minutes after the story was broken by the Toronto Sun.
Trudeau and his team knew the deal would come to an end one day, but they weren’t expecting it to happen before the House of Commons resumes in two weeks.
That’s if MPs even return to Ottawa for a fall sitting on Sept. 16.
Rumours that the government is considering proroguing the House until a later date are rampant. Speaking on background with Liberals, Conservatives and New Democrats, they all say they expect it to happen and that strategically it makes sense.
That’s especially true now that Jeremy Broadhurst, a long-time Liberal staffer, adviser and Trudeau’s national campaign director, has quit.
Broadhurst has been a key part of Trudeau’s success going back to 2015. Those who know how Trudeau’s team operates say losing Broadhurst is a major blow.
To add insult to injury, news of his departure was leaked to the Toronto Star, including an unnamed source saying that Broadhurst told the PM, “… he didn’t think Trudeau could win the next election.” That kind of leak is damaging to Broadhurst on his way out, but it is more damaging to Trudeau’s team who look amateurish, sloppy and ill prepared for an election that could come sooner than expected.
If the House of Commons does return on Sept. 16, we could end up with an election before the Americans choose their next president on Nov. 5. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has promised to move a motion of non-confidence as soon as possible, if that were to pass – which is unlikely – then we’d vote before the Yanks.
It might be something Trudeau would enjoy actually, an entire election where he could campaign against Donald Trump at a time when the circus of the American vote is high on everyone’s minds.
The Liberals have been trying to tie Poilievre to Trump for more than a year. It hasn’t worked because it is an unfair comparison and also because Trump has been a distant thought for most.
Campaigning at the same time as the Americans might be Trudeau’s only hope to try and squeak out a win by playing the fear card – vote Liberal or get a Canadian Donald Trump.
The biggest change with the end of the Liberal-NDP coalition, a supply and confidence agreement, is that uncertainty now rules the day in federal politics. We could actually have an election very soon, either in the fall after the economic statement or in the spring after the budget. Or we could go all the way until October 2025.
There are a lot of factors at play and plenty of unknowns, which is going to make this coming session much more interesting to watch.
LILLEY: Trudeau's really bad week is only getting worse
The PM can't catch a break as Jagmeet Singh quits the coalition, his election campaign director quits and unemployment rises.
Toronto man who allegedly vowed to kill Trudeau, Freeland gets bail
Author of the articleostmedia News
Published Sep 09, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 1 minute read
A man accused of making death threats against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on social media has been sprung on bail.
A Toronto man who allegedly recorded himself claiming that he would violently kill Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland has been sprung on bail.
Andrew Marshall, 61, is now facing two counts of uttering threats.
He was charged by the RCMP last Wednesday and was released on bail Friday. None of the allegations have been tested in court.
“Like all Canadians, Mr. Marshall has rights and freedoms. He has the right to freedom of speech, the right to reasonable bail, and the right to a fair trial,” his lawyers said in a statement.
“Having secured his release from custody, we will continue to defend Mr. Marshall’s Charter rights as his case proceeds.”
According to cops, Marshall’s legal woes are tied to a TikTok video published last Monday.
In the video, Marshall unloads on what he perceives as his free speech being curtailed.
He said in the most recent video: “I make videos — or all my comments, that are just simple comments — but I get them taken down all the time. It’s just getting ridiculous.”
And, he allegedly said “if it was up to him,” he would kill Trudeau and Freeland. He also allegedly targets the media, immigrants, Muslims, cops and the LGBTQ community with his wrath.
Among Marshall’s bail conditions are that he’s to have no contact with Trudeau and Freeland, cannot use the internet to post his missives or comment on social media, and he’s prohibited from possessing weapons and must refrain from applying for a firearm licence.
torontosun.com
Author of the article
ostmedia NewsPublished Sep 09, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 1 minute read
A man accused of making death threats against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on social media has been sprung on bail.
A Toronto man who allegedly recorded himself claiming that he would violently kill Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland has been sprung on bail.
Andrew Marshall, 61, is now facing two counts of uttering threats.
He was charged by the RCMP last Wednesday and was released on bail Friday. None of the allegations have been tested in court.
“Like all Canadians, Mr. Marshall has rights and freedoms. He has the right to freedom of speech, the right to reasonable bail, and the right to a fair trial,” his lawyers said in a statement.
“Having secured his release from custody, we will continue to defend Mr. Marshall’s Charter rights as his case proceeds.”
According to cops, Marshall’s legal woes are tied to a TikTok video published last Monday.
In the video, Marshall unloads on what he perceives as his free speech being curtailed.
He said in the most recent video: “I make videos — or all my comments, that are just simple comments — but I get them taken down all the time. It’s just getting ridiculous.”
And, he allegedly said “if it was up to him,” he would kill Trudeau and Freeland. He also allegedly targets the media, immigrants, Muslims, cops and the LGBTQ community with his wrath.
Among Marshall’s bail conditions are that he’s to have no contact with Trudeau and Freeland, cannot use the internet to post his missives or comment on social media, and he’s prohibited from possessing weapons and must refrain from applying for a firearm licence.
Toronto man who allegedly vowed to kill Trudeau, Freeland gets bail
A man accused of making death threats against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on social media has been sprung on bail.
And I thought the going rate was six years .Toronto man who allegedly vowed to kill Trudeau, Freeland gets bail
Author of the article
Published Sep 09, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 1 minute read
A man accused of making death threats against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on social media has been sprung on bail.
A Toronto man who allegedly recorded himself claiming that he would violently kill Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland has been sprung on bail.
Andrew Marshall, 61, is now facing two counts of uttering threats.
He was charged by the RCMP last Wednesday and was released on bail Friday. None of the allegations have been tested in court.
“Like all Canadians, Mr. Marshall has rights and freedoms. He has the right to freedom of speech, the right to reasonable bail, and the right to a fair trial,” his lawyers said in a statement.
“Having secured his release from custody, we will continue to defend Mr. Marshall’s Charter rights as his case proceeds.”
According to cops, Marshall’s legal woes are tied to a TikTok video published last Monday.
In the video, Marshall unloads on what he perceives as his free speech being curtailed.
He said in the most recent video: “I make videos — or all my comments, that are just simple comments — but I get them taken down all the time. It’s just getting ridiculous.”
And, he allegedly said “if it was up to him,” he would kill Trudeau and Freeland. He also allegedly targets the media, immigrants, Muslims, cops and the LGBTQ community with his wrath.
Among Marshall’s bail conditions are that he’s to have no contact with Trudeau and Freeland, cannot use the internet to post his missives or comment on social media, and he’s prohibited from possessing weapons and must refrain from applying for a firearm licence.
Toronto man who allegedly vowed to kill Trudeau, Freeland gets bail
A man accused of making death threats against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on social media has been sprung on bail.
Woman tells ex-Woodstock mayor's trial of repeated sexual assaults
Trevor Birtch is on trial for the second time this year
Author of the article:Jane Sims
Published Sep 05, 2024 • Last updated 5 days ago • 4 minute read
Editor’s note: This story contains details about alleged assaults and sexual assaults that may be disturbing to some readers.
She told a harrowing story about what happened on a drive to Turkey Point.
That’s where the woman, aged 39, who says she was routinely sexually assaulted by former Woodstock Mayor Trevor Birtch, 49, said they were in August 2021 when she was brutally beaten by an unknown man and forced into a sex act by the top elected official of the Oxford County city.
The woman whose identity is protected by court order said through questions from assistant Crown attorney Jennifer Moser at Birtch’s Superior Court sexual assault trial she was in a relationship with him for years. At the time she suffered from various illnesses and addictions, but is now virtually clean.
On that day in August 2021, Birtch picked her up at her Woodstock home in his little electric car and they headed out of town partaking in their usual routine – drinking, snorting cocaine and smoking pot. She wasn’t sure, but they might have ingested some of her prescription medications as well.
They stopped briefly, she said, to look at the scenery, but Birtch made it clear they had a deadline to make. They ended up at a secluded spot where there was a man sitting at a picnic table.
The woman said she tripped on a tree root and broke her ankle – she was too high to be upset – while Birtch was putting together a picnic. He and the man were having a conversation, and the stranger talking crudely about Woodstock, homeless people, the Catholic church and women.
The woman said she talked back and the stranger began smacking her around, while Birtch watched. While she was on the ground, she said the man held a knife to her eye and kicked her in the head. She remembered a woman’s voice yelling she was going to call the police and Birtch finally stepping in.
“Don’t worry buddy,” she recalled Birtch saying. “She’s probably going to beat me when I get home.”
She said she was covered in blood when Birtch put her in the front seat and her jaw felt out of position. Birtch said he had “a jaw aligner” in his car. He pulled over to a grassy area, they got out of the car, he unzipped his pants, wanting her to perform a sex act. This time, she refused.
Later, when he took her to a hospital for her injuries, she said nothing about any sexual assaults. “It happened so many times. I really didn’t tell anyone what was going on with me.”
Birtch, the former two-term mayor who was turfed out of office in 2022, is on trial for the second time this year, this time pleading not guilty to three counts of sexual assault involving the woman who began her testimony on Thursday.
He was found guilty last month of sexual assaulting and assaulting another woman with whom he carried on a relationship in 2021. A date for his sentencing still has to be determined.
There are many parallels between the two cases. Both complainants believed they were in loving relationships with Birtch and both described frightening acts of sexual violence.
The woman who testified Thursday said she first met Birtch when she was 17 and worked as a janitor at the Woodstock courthouse. Later, they became friends when they attended the same non-denominational church.
It wasn’t until 2017, when she was 33, that the sexual relationship began. The woman said she saw Birtch at an outdoor concert near her home. By then, he was mayor. She said he hugged her and said he would come back to smoke some marijuana.
“Every day after that, he was at my house smoking weed,” she said.
She said she had romantic feelings for him, however Birtch “would always be bragging about his mayor’s job.” He would pop over to her house between meetings and events, the woman said.
The relationship was “pretty normal” except he was married, the woman said. The relationship was sexual and loving, until he told her he had a work trip – and it turned out to be a trip with his now ex-wife, the woman said.
The woman cut ties with Birtch until 2019, when she needed his help and police connections after a traumatic event. “We kind of got back into it but we didn’t. He was a completely different person,” she said.
By then, she was on her own and taking sleeping pills every day and suffering from a variety of ailments. Birtch wanted her to be dependent on him, telling her that he didn’t want her to return to her medications for fear she wouldn’t need him.
She said Birtch had her write down “Trevor loves me and you can trust him” on a piece of paper to read out loud anytime he said something she didn’t believe.
But then, she said, the rapes began. The first time was in her bed. The second time began in the bathroom and Birtch followed all over her home into her bedroom. Another time, she said she was so drunk and high, she couldn’t move off the couch when she said Birtch assaulted her.
The woman said Birtch told her he would be her friend and help her, but wanted sex in return. “There was always a threat there,” she said. “I felt I was forced to do it.
“It’s not sex, it’s rape. . . . It happened all the time,” she said, but she never told her friends.
“It got to the point that it could happen to me, and I could go next door to my neighbour’s (home) and have pizza. I know it’s not my fault, but I kept letting it happen.”
The woman is expected to continue her testimony on Friday.
jsims@postmedia.com
torontosun.com
Trevor Birtch is on trial for the second time this year
Author of the article:Jane Sims
Published Sep 05, 2024 • Last updated 5 days ago • 4 minute read
Editor’s note: This story contains details about alleged assaults and sexual assaults that may be disturbing to some readers.
She told a harrowing story about what happened on a drive to Turkey Point.
That’s where the woman, aged 39, who says she was routinely sexually assaulted by former Woodstock Mayor Trevor Birtch, 49, said they were in August 2021 when she was brutally beaten by an unknown man and forced into a sex act by the top elected official of the Oxford County city.
The woman whose identity is protected by court order said through questions from assistant Crown attorney Jennifer Moser at Birtch’s Superior Court sexual assault trial she was in a relationship with him for years. At the time she suffered from various illnesses and addictions, but is now virtually clean.
On that day in August 2021, Birtch picked her up at her Woodstock home in his little electric car and they headed out of town partaking in their usual routine – drinking, snorting cocaine and smoking pot. She wasn’t sure, but they might have ingested some of her prescription medications as well.
They stopped briefly, she said, to look at the scenery, but Birtch made it clear they had a deadline to make. They ended up at a secluded spot where there was a man sitting at a picnic table.
The woman said she tripped on a tree root and broke her ankle – she was too high to be upset – while Birtch was putting together a picnic. He and the man were having a conversation, and the stranger talking crudely about Woodstock, homeless people, the Catholic church and women.
The woman said she talked back and the stranger began smacking her around, while Birtch watched. While she was on the ground, she said the man held a knife to her eye and kicked her in the head. She remembered a woman’s voice yelling she was going to call the police and Birtch finally stepping in.
“Don’t worry buddy,” she recalled Birtch saying. “She’s probably going to beat me when I get home.”
She said she was covered in blood when Birtch put her in the front seat and her jaw felt out of position. Birtch said he had “a jaw aligner” in his car. He pulled over to a grassy area, they got out of the car, he unzipped his pants, wanting her to perform a sex act. This time, she refused.
Later, when he took her to a hospital for her injuries, she said nothing about any sexual assaults. “It happened so many times. I really didn’t tell anyone what was going on with me.”
Birtch, the former two-term mayor who was turfed out of office in 2022, is on trial for the second time this year, this time pleading not guilty to three counts of sexual assault involving the woman who began her testimony on Thursday.
He was found guilty last month of sexual assaulting and assaulting another woman with whom he carried on a relationship in 2021. A date for his sentencing still has to be determined.
There are many parallels between the two cases. Both complainants believed they were in loving relationships with Birtch and both described frightening acts of sexual violence.
The woman who testified Thursday said she first met Birtch when she was 17 and worked as a janitor at the Woodstock courthouse. Later, they became friends when they attended the same non-denominational church.
It wasn’t until 2017, when she was 33, that the sexual relationship began. The woman said she saw Birtch at an outdoor concert near her home. By then, he was mayor. She said he hugged her and said he would come back to smoke some marijuana.
“Every day after that, he was at my house smoking weed,” she said.
She said she had romantic feelings for him, however Birtch “would always be bragging about his mayor’s job.” He would pop over to her house between meetings and events, the woman said.
The relationship was “pretty normal” except he was married, the woman said. The relationship was sexual and loving, until he told her he had a work trip – and it turned out to be a trip with his now ex-wife, the woman said.
The woman cut ties with Birtch until 2019, when she needed his help and police connections after a traumatic event. “We kind of got back into it but we didn’t. He was a completely different person,” she said.
By then, she was on her own and taking sleeping pills every day and suffering from a variety of ailments. Birtch wanted her to be dependent on him, telling her that he didn’t want her to return to her medications for fear she wouldn’t need him.
She said Birtch had her write down “Trevor loves me and you can trust him” on a piece of paper to read out loud anytime he said something she didn’t believe.
But then, she said, the rapes began. The first time was in her bed. The second time began in the bathroom and Birtch followed all over her home into her bedroom. Another time, she said she was so drunk and high, she couldn’t move off the couch when she said Birtch assaulted her.
The woman said Birtch told her he would be her friend and help her, but wanted sex in return. “There was always a threat there,” she said. “I felt I was forced to do it.
“It’s not sex, it’s rape. . . . It happened all the time,” she said, but she never told her friends.
“It got to the point that it could happen to me, and I could go next door to my neighbour’s (home) and have pizza. I know it’s not my fault, but I kept letting it happen.”
The woman is expected to continue her testimony on Friday.
jsims@postmedia.com
Woman describes repeated assaults at ex-Woodstock mayor's trial
A woman testified she was routinely sexually assaulted by former Woodstock mayor Trevor Birtch, whom she first met when she was 17
When will soft-on-crime Trudeau face Willie Horton moment?
Author of the article:Brad Hunter
Published Sep 09, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 3 minute read
WILLIE HORTON: Soft on crime is dog at the ballot box. Trudeau will soon find this out. MDC
WILLIE HORTON: Soft on crime is dog at the ballot box. Trudeau will soon find this out. MDC
Joseph Fournier, 17, readily coughed up the dough in the cash register.
After all, he was just a gas station attendant working his way through high school.
But that night in October 1974 in Lawrence, Mass., his cooperation with a thug named William Horton and two accomplices didn’t matter. Horton — later better known as Willie — stabbed the boy 19 times, then stuffed his body in a trash can.
Willie was hammered with life without parole. But the angels of the caring professions sprung Willie on a weekend furlough in 1986 — and he disappeared.
JOSEPH FOURNIER: Murdered at 17.
JOSEPH FOURNIER: Murdered at 17.
Until April 3, 1987, when he arrived in Oxon Hill, Md., Horton then twice raped a woman after pistol-whipping, stabbing, binding, and gagging her fiancé. A cop’s bullet ended his run.
He was sentenced to two CONSECUTIVE life terms and, uh, here’s another 85 years just in case. Maryland would not be returning Horton to Massachusetts.
“I’m not prepared to take the chance that Mr. Horton might again be furloughed or otherwise released. This man should never draw a breath of free air again,” Judge Vincent J. Femia said.
But in the 1988 presidential election between Republican George H.W. Bush and Democrat Michael Dukakis, Horton had his star turn. Dukakis was governor of Massachusetts then and later torpedoed the program but by then, it was too late.
American cities had turned into shooting galleries by 1988 as crack gangs unleashed homicide on an epic scale. The GOP latched onto Horton as emblematic of everything wrong with the justice system.
Horton figuratively murdered Dukakis’ presidential campaign the same way he murdered Joseph Fournier.
Bush campaign manager, Lee Atwater joked: “By the time we’re finished, they’re going to wonder whether Willie Horton is Dukakis’s running mate.”
Willie Horton may have cost Michael Dukakis the 1988 U.S. election. GETTY
Willie Horton may have cost Michael Dukakis the 1988 U.S. election. GETTY
Dukakis wasn’t particularly soft on crime but Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau certainly is.
In this country, we have Willie Hortons several times a day. Every day. A quick perusal of police blotters from Vancouver to Buena Vista confirms this.
The agonizing question quivering on the lips of the police and public is this: What’s this guy doing out?
Last week, a “deeply disturbed” criminal justice system frequent flier allegedly slashed a stranger’s hand off and minutes later murdered another man he had never met. He had been arrested 60 times.
“Rehabilitation — at all costs — is the federal government’s mantra; they are ideologically wedded to that premise,” one defence lawyer told me several years ago. “As for the victims and their families, they are definitely an afterthought.
“The sole focus for this government is on the offender.”
Vancouver cops hunting for the attacker who murdered one man and chopped off the hand of another. POSTMEDIA
Vancouver cops hunting for the attacker who murdered one man and chopped off the hand of another. POSTMEDIA
Last week, Ottawa’s very own Donald Musselman was the beneficiary of Canada’s new judicial order. When he was 18, Musselman shot to death a father in the ByWard Market.
While he was caged, he beat a fellow jailbird to death.
Musselman got a life sentence with no chance of parole for 12 years for the murder in the market. He pleaded out to manslaughter in the jailhouse beating. After the second death, it is unlikely he’ll get parole after 12 years but, hey, this is Canada and anything is possible.
x
Donald Musselman was found guilty of second-degree murder in the 2019 shooting death of Ottawa musician Markland Campbell. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the 2021 jailhouse killing of Zakaria Sheek-Hussein. ott
As I said, it’s no secret Canada is soft on crime. Even criminals know it. They breach again and again and again, and there are no consequences — except to the victim.
Willie Horton is already in the house for Trudeau, but we simply can’t keep track of every outrage and fumble in the criminal justice file.
That tally will surely be squared on election day.
Horton himself — who always insisted his name was William — is now 73 and banged up at the Jessup Correctional Insitute in Maryland.
bhunter@postmedia.com
@HunterTOSun
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Brad Hunter
Published Sep 09, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 3 minute read
WILLIE HORTON: Soft on crime is dog at the ballot box. Trudeau will soon find this out. MDC
WILLIE HORTON: Soft on crime is dog at the ballot box. Trudeau will soon find this out. MDC
Joseph Fournier, 17, readily coughed up the dough in the cash register.
After all, he was just a gas station attendant working his way through high school.
But that night in October 1974 in Lawrence, Mass., his cooperation with a thug named William Horton and two accomplices didn’t matter. Horton — later better known as Willie — stabbed the boy 19 times, then stuffed his body in a trash can.
Willie was hammered with life without parole. But the angels of the caring professions sprung Willie on a weekend furlough in 1986 — and he disappeared.
JOSEPH FOURNIER: Murdered at 17.
JOSEPH FOURNIER: Murdered at 17.
Until April 3, 1987, when he arrived in Oxon Hill, Md., Horton then twice raped a woman after pistol-whipping, stabbing, binding, and gagging her fiancé. A cop’s bullet ended his run.
He was sentenced to two CONSECUTIVE life terms and, uh, here’s another 85 years just in case. Maryland would not be returning Horton to Massachusetts.
“I’m not prepared to take the chance that Mr. Horton might again be furloughed or otherwise released. This man should never draw a breath of free air again,” Judge Vincent J. Femia said.
But in the 1988 presidential election between Republican George H.W. Bush and Democrat Michael Dukakis, Horton had his star turn. Dukakis was governor of Massachusetts then and later torpedoed the program but by then, it was too late.
American cities had turned into shooting galleries by 1988 as crack gangs unleashed homicide on an epic scale. The GOP latched onto Horton as emblematic of everything wrong with the justice system.
Horton figuratively murdered Dukakis’ presidential campaign the same way he murdered Joseph Fournier.
Bush campaign manager, Lee Atwater joked: “By the time we’re finished, they’re going to wonder whether Willie Horton is Dukakis’s running mate.”
Willie Horton may have cost Michael Dukakis the 1988 U.S. election. GETTY
Willie Horton may have cost Michael Dukakis the 1988 U.S. election. GETTY
Dukakis wasn’t particularly soft on crime but Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau certainly is.
In this country, we have Willie Hortons several times a day. Every day. A quick perusal of police blotters from Vancouver to Buena Vista confirms this.
The agonizing question quivering on the lips of the police and public is this: What’s this guy doing out?
Last week, a “deeply disturbed” criminal justice system frequent flier allegedly slashed a stranger’s hand off and minutes later murdered another man he had never met. He had been arrested 60 times.
“Rehabilitation — at all costs — is the federal government’s mantra; they are ideologically wedded to that premise,” one defence lawyer told me several years ago. “As for the victims and their families, they are definitely an afterthought.
“The sole focus for this government is on the offender.”
Vancouver cops hunting for the attacker who murdered one man and chopped off the hand of another. POSTMEDIA
Vancouver cops hunting for the attacker who murdered one man and chopped off the hand of another. POSTMEDIA
Last week, Ottawa’s very own Donald Musselman was the beneficiary of Canada’s new judicial order. When he was 18, Musselman shot to death a father in the ByWard Market.
While he was caged, he beat a fellow jailbird to death.
Musselman got a life sentence with no chance of parole for 12 years for the murder in the market. He pleaded out to manslaughter in the jailhouse beating. After the second death, it is unlikely he’ll get parole after 12 years but, hey, this is Canada and anything is possible.
x
Donald Musselman was found guilty of second-degree murder in the 2019 shooting death of Ottawa musician Markland Campbell. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the 2021 jailhouse killing of Zakaria Sheek-Hussein. ott
As I said, it’s no secret Canada is soft on crime. Even criminals know it. They breach again and again and again, and there are no consequences — except to the victim.
Willie Horton is already in the house for Trudeau, but we simply can’t keep track of every outrage and fumble in the criminal justice file.
That tally will surely be squared on election day.
Horton himself — who always insisted his name was William — is now 73 and banged up at the Jessup Correctional Insitute in Maryland.
bhunter@postmedia.com
@HunterTOSun
HUNTER: When will soft-on-crime Trudeau face Willie Horton moment?
Joseph Fournier, 17, readily coughed up the dough in the cash register.
A new government is needed to unwind nine years of Liberal tax mistakes
Kim Moody: People will search for ways to lower their tax bills when personal tax rates approach 50%
Senator kept staffer as sex slave, forced him to perform oral sex, lawsuit alleges
Her accuser is the son of Gary Condit
Author of the article:Brad Hunter
Published Sep 09, 2024 • Last updated 2 days ago • 3 minute read
Republican California State Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil, 50, was allegedly also ready for oral arguments.
A California senator kept her married chief of staff as a sex slave and demanded he frequently perform oral sex on her, the former staffer claims.
Republican Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil, 50, was hit with the allegations late last week in a bombshell lawsuit filed in Sacramento, according to the Sacramento Bee. Her lawyer calls the claims “bogus” and “financially motivated.”
Father-of-three Chad Condit, 57, the son of infamous former California congressman Gary Condit, claims that he injured his back performing oral sex on his boss in a car.
Condit claims the trysts were “sex-based quid pro quo.” He says he endured “unwelcome advances and sexual behaviours coupled with punishment and flexing of power.”
Alvarado-Gil was elected in 2022 and hired the veteran political operative as her chief of staff. She kicked him to the curb in December 2023, according to the Sacramento Bee.
The politician vigorously denied the lurid allegations, slamming Condit as a money-grubbing “disgruntled former employee” who has “fabricated an outlandish story.”
The oral sex in the car narrative is just one of the incidents listed in the suit.
“They were driving together and they pulled over to go to the restroom,” the lawsuit said. “When he came back to the car, she had her pants pulled down and said, ‘I want you to kiss it and prove your loyalty.'”
She allegedly “had her legs spread and turned towards him exposing her vagina. Her direction was for him to submit to her demand and to orally pleasure her vagina.”
In the lawsuit, Condit said he “acted without thinking” following months of abuse. In their final oral sex session, he claimed he suffered a serious injury, adding it was because of twisting in a small car seat.
Eventually, he said, he began pushing back on Alvarado-Gil’s alleged sexual demands. He said in the suit that his refusal to service the boss “made her unhappy with him.”
FUN-LOVING: California State Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil flipped from the Democrats to the GOP over crime.
California State Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil flipped from the Democrats to the GOP over crime.
Condit’s father, longtime Democratic Congressman and party stalwart Gary, was embroiled in his own sordid swamp after his intern Chandra Levy vanished in 2001 and was later found murdered. Gary Condit was never named a suspect.
Alvarado-Gil allegedly took an interest in the Levy case and asked the chief of staff if “he would be like his father.” The politician also allegedly asked Condit how he felt about “throuples.”
“(She asked) whether (he) thought his wife would be into that,” the suit claimed, adding that Alvarado-Gil shared her own sexual fantasies with Condit and other staffers.
Alvarado-Gil also allegedly proclaimed she “prefers short black men and old white guys like (Condit),” and “if (Republican state Sen. Roger Niello) was younger and I was single, I would jump bones.”
Condit claims that when he tried to torpedo the sexual hijinks, his job was threatened. Using the previous oral sex injury to his back, he said he began putting the kibosh on her oral sex requests.
In addition, Condit claimed he was handed a disciplinary letter about his “inappropriate behaviour” and telling his wife that he was having an affair. She allegedly threatened to hire his wife.
Alvardo-Gil — like Condit — is married with six children. But Condit said in his suit that Alvardo-Gil had a “lifetime free pass” to cheat on her hubby, who also allegedly engaged in extramarital affairs.
Her lawyer, Ognian Gavrilov, said: “A disgruntled former employee has fabricated an outlandish story, presented without evidence, to get a payday.
“We expect that the senator will be fully cleared of any wrongdoing of these bogus, financially motivated claims.”
Alvarado-Gil was elected as a Democrat but flipped to the Republicans over crime issues and policies.
bhunter@postmedia.com
@HunterTOSun
drive.google.com
torontosun.com
Her accuser is the son of Gary Condit
Author of the article:Brad Hunter
Published Sep 09, 2024 • Last updated 2 days ago • 3 minute read
Republican California State Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil, 50, was allegedly also ready for oral arguments.
A California senator kept her married chief of staff as a sex slave and demanded he frequently perform oral sex on her, the former staffer claims.
Republican Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil, 50, was hit with the allegations late last week in a bombshell lawsuit filed in Sacramento, according to the Sacramento Bee. Her lawyer calls the claims “bogus” and “financially motivated.”
Father-of-three Chad Condit, 57, the son of infamous former California congressman Gary Condit, claims that he injured his back performing oral sex on his boss in a car.
Condit claims the trysts were “sex-based quid pro quo.” He says he endured “unwelcome advances and sexual behaviours coupled with punishment and flexing of power.”
Alvarado-Gil was elected in 2022 and hired the veteran political operative as her chief of staff. She kicked him to the curb in December 2023, according to the Sacramento Bee.
The politician vigorously denied the lurid allegations, slamming Condit as a money-grubbing “disgruntled former employee” who has “fabricated an outlandish story.”
The oral sex in the car narrative is just one of the incidents listed in the suit.
“They were driving together and they pulled over to go to the restroom,” the lawsuit said. “When he came back to the car, she had her pants pulled down and said, ‘I want you to kiss it and prove your loyalty.'”
She allegedly “had her legs spread and turned towards him exposing her vagina. Her direction was for him to submit to her demand and to orally pleasure her vagina.”
In the lawsuit, Condit said he “acted without thinking” following months of abuse. In their final oral sex session, he claimed he suffered a serious injury, adding it was because of twisting in a small car seat.
Eventually, he said, he began pushing back on Alvarado-Gil’s alleged sexual demands. He said in the suit that his refusal to service the boss “made her unhappy with him.”
FUN-LOVING: California State Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil flipped from the Democrats to the GOP over crime.
California State Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil flipped from the Democrats to the GOP over crime.
Condit’s father, longtime Democratic Congressman and party stalwart Gary, was embroiled in his own sordid swamp after his intern Chandra Levy vanished in 2001 and was later found murdered. Gary Condit was never named a suspect.
Alvarado-Gil allegedly took an interest in the Levy case and asked the chief of staff if “he would be like his father.” The politician also allegedly asked Condit how he felt about “throuples.”
“(She asked) whether (he) thought his wife would be into that,” the suit claimed, adding that Alvarado-Gil shared her own sexual fantasies with Condit and other staffers.
Alvarado-Gil also allegedly proclaimed she “prefers short black men and old white guys like (Condit),” and “if (Republican state Sen. Roger Niello) was younger and I was single, I would jump bones.”
Condit claims that when he tried to torpedo the sexual hijinks, his job was threatened. Using the previous oral sex injury to his back, he said he began putting the kibosh on her oral sex requests.
In addition, Condit claimed he was handed a disciplinary letter about his “inappropriate behaviour” and telling his wife that he was having an affair. She allegedly threatened to hire his wife.
Alvardo-Gil — like Condit — is married with six children. But Condit said in his suit that Alvardo-Gil had a “lifetime free pass” to cheat on her hubby, who also allegedly engaged in extramarital affairs.
Her lawyer, Ognian Gavrilov, said: “A disgruntled former employee has fabricated an outlandish story, presented without evidence, to get a payday.
“We expect that the senator will be fully cleared of any wrongdoing of these bogus, financially motivated claims.”
Alvarado-Gil was elected as a Democrat but flipped to the Republicans over crime issues and policies.
bhunter@postmedia.com
@HunterTOSun
Alvarado-Gil Complaint FINAL.pdf
drive.google.com
Senator kept staffer as sex slave, forced him to perform oral sex, lawsuit alleges
A California senator allegedly kept her married chief of staff as a sex slave and demanded he frequently perform oral sex on her.
Former B.C. Conservative candidate files lawsuit accusing party of defamation, fraud, discrimination
Alexandra Wright was ousted as the party’s candidate for Kelowna-Mission and replaced by entrepreneur Gavin Dew
Author of the article:Alec Lazenby
Published Sep 11, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 3 minute read
Alexandra Wright was ousted as the B.C. Conservative candidate in Kelowna-Mission by the party.
Alexandra Wright was ousted as the B.C. Conservative candidate in Kelowna-Mission by the party.
Kelowna lawyer and farmer Alexandra Wright has filed a lawsuit against the B.C. Conservatives a little over a month after she was ousted as the party’s candidate for Kelowna—Mission and replaced by entrepreneur Gavin Dew.
“I think anybody who’s been watching the Conservatives over the past few months have gotten a little concerned about what they’re doing to the democratic process, and what they’re doing to people who entered into the election race in good faith,” she told Postmedia.
Back in August, Wright said she had been offered $20,000 in money for her campaign if she switched to Vernon—Lumby to make room for Dew in her Kelowna riding.
Conservative spokesperson Anthony Koch disputed her claims that she had been dropped due to the party’s courting of Dew and for comments critical of Sandher Fruit Packers, which had hosted an event for Conservative Leader John Rustad with fruit growers and packers several days before Wright’s dismissal.
He instead said “she was not performing as a candidate” and accused her of not being “out in the community building relationships, fundraising for her campaign, or door-knocking to meet voters face to face to hear about the issues that matter to them.”
In the lawsuit, Wright alleges those comments represent defamation and could hurt her business or future job prospects.
She is also accusing the party of breach of contract, discrimination and fraudulent statements, citing the way her dismissal as a candidate was handled by executive director Angelo Isidorou, who she alleges explicitly told her the dismissal was a result of her criticism of Sandher.
Sandher has been fined over $180,000 for non-compliance in the areas of wastewater management, worker safety and for failing to report a refrigerant spill.
Wright is seeking over $800,000 in damages and for the Conservatives to remove all negative posts about her performance as a candidate as well as any claims that she had breached the party’s code of conduct.
Isidorou declined to provide Postmedia a statement, but described the lawsuit as “frivolous and vexatious.”
It is expected the statement of claim will be couriered to the Conservatives on Thursday, meaning the party will have until Oct. 4 to file a response.
“This was an opportunity for me to enter into a completely different aspect of business. This was something that I took very seriously, and I really thought that I was aligned with the party. And, I mean, I had big plans to become a minister, but unfortunately, I never got that opportunity,” says Wright.
Wright said she considered running as an Independent, but is exhausted from what she has gone through over the past month.
She said she will be supporting former B.C. United candidate Ashley Ramsay in Kelowna—Mission, who recently announced she will be running as an Independent.
“I do believe that this might be the year of the Independent. I’m pretty excited for some of the local talent that have decided to put their names in the ring,” she said.
“It just seems to me like the other parties, all they have to offer is mudslinging, and they don’t really have anything to offer the average voter who really wants somebody ethical, who’s got integrity and who speaks to the community.”
torontosun.com
Alexandra Wright was ousted as the party’s candidate for Kelowna-Mission and replaced by entrepreneur Gavin Dew
Author of the article:Alec Lazenby
Published Sep 11, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 3 minute read
Alexandra Wright was ousted as the B.C. Conservative candidate in Kelowna-Mission by the party.
Alexandra Wright was ousted as the B.C. Conservative candidate in Kelowna-Mission by the party.
Kelowna lawyer and farmer Alexandra Wright has filed a lawsuit against the B.C. Conservatives a little over a month after she was ousted as the party’s candidate for Kelowna—Mission and replaced by entrepreneur Gavin Dew.
“I think anybody who’s been watching the Conservatives over the past few months have gotten a little concerned about what they’re doing to the democratic process, and what they’re doing to people who entered into the election race in good faith,” she told Postmedia.
Back in August, Wright said she had been offered $20,000 in money for her campaign if she switched to Vernon—Lumby to make room for Dew in her Kelowna riding.
Conservative spokesperson Anthony Koch disputed her claims that she had been dropped due to the party’s courting of Dew and for comments critical of Sandher Fruit Packers, which had hosted an event for Conservative Leader John Rustad with fruit growers and packers several days before Wright’s dismissal.
He instead said “she was not performing as a candidate” and accused her of not being “out in the community building relationships, fundraising for her campaign, or door-knocking to meet voters face to face to hear about the issues that matter to them.”
In the lawsuit, Wright alleges those comments represent defamation and could hurt her business or future job prospects.
She is also accusing the party of breach of contract, discrimination and fraudulent statements, citing the way her dismissal as a candidate was handled by executive director Angelo Isidorou, who she alleges explicitly told her the dismissal was a result of her criticism of Sandher.
Sandher has been fined over $180,000 for non-compliance in the areas of wastewater management, worker safety and for failing to report a refrigerant spill.
Wright is seeking over $800,000 in damages and for the Conservatives to remove all negative posts about her performance as a candidate as well as any claims that she had breached the party’s code of conduct.
Isidorou declined to provide Postmedia a statement, but described the lawsuit as “frivolous and vexatious.”
It is expected the statement of claim will be couriered to the Conservatives on Thursday, meaning the party will have until Oct. 4 to file a response.
“This was an opportunity for me to enter into a completely different aspect of business. This was something that I took very seriously, and I really thought that I was aligned with the party. And, I mean, I had big plans to become a minister, but unfortunately, I never got that opportunity,” says Wright.
Wright said she considered running as an Independent, but is exhausted from what she has gone through over the past month.
She said she will be supporting former B.C. United candidate Ashley Ramsay in Kelowna—Mission, who recently announced she will be running as an Independent.
“I do believe that this might be the year of the Independent. I’m pretty excited for some of the local talent that have decided to put their names in the ring,” she said.
“It just seems to me like the other parties, all they have to offer is mudslinging, and they don’t really have anything to offer the average voter who really wants somebody ethical, who’s got integrity and who speaks to the community.”
Former B.C. Conservative candidate files lawsuit accusing party of defamation, fraud, discrimination
Former B.C. Conservative Kelowna-Mission candidate Alexandra Wright has filed a lawsuit in B.C. Supreme Court against the party
