Do Canadians want a government leader who breaks the law?
By Lethbridge Herald on September 17, 2022.
Editor:
Mr. Poilievre got elected as the leader of the Federal Conservative Party and is now the leader of the official opposition in Ottawa. In February of this year the truckers convoy paralyzed downtown Ottawa and Mr. Poilievre said he was OK with that.
So here is a hypothetical situation: I block an intersection in downtown Lethbridge, stop all traffic because I have a issue with something the mayor did. The local police arrive and tell me to move on. Instead of moving I’m giving them the finger and tell them to get lost.
I can assure you that I would be in the backseat of a cruiser locked up and charged in no time at all and my vehicle would be towed. Preventing a business from opening his/her store for business because of my action, or parking my vehicle and sounding the horn around the clock preventing people from sleeping or preventing people from going to work likewise would result in arrest and charges.
All of the actions mentioned are against the law and law makers should be on board with that.
However, Mr. Poilievre – rather then condemning the unlawful actions of the protesters in Ottawa – condoned it and spoke in support of them. He is in fact telling the protesters that what they are doing is OK and it’s the Liberal government that is to be blamed for the mess.
Our local Conservative member of Parliament, Rachael Thomas, was OK with the protesters too.
She claimed she walked to work at the time of the protest and rather then going around it she decided to walk through the blocked off area near the Parliament buildings and she claimed that there was no problem at all – no airhorns, no illegal activity, the protesters were having picnics, they were cleaning the sidewalks and generally behaving quite admirable and having a good time.
Mr. Poilievre and Mrs. Thomas pretended not see what the rest of the country saw on the news. I guess it was all fake news. The previous president of the USA, Mr. Donald Trump, would have been proud of them after all he was the one said “you can’t believe every thing you see with your own eyes.”
I am no fan of Trudeau, he is a dreamer and drama teacher and every time he opens his mouth he confirms it, the sooner we get rid of him the better, but do we really want to elect law makers that condone law-breaking?
Barney Feenstra
Lethbridge
13-12
Maybe not Barney but we need lawmakers to condone freedom of speech and peaceful assembly and protests! With all the so-called racists and misogynists that apparently were present I struggled to see any evidence of it on our biased legacy media even they struggled to put forth that narrative. As far as laws being broken a few horns being blown at an inappropriate time is small fish.
Were you there? Obviously not! “A few horns being blown” ? Orderly conduct? Respectful gatherings?
False.
BTW , I was there and witnessed some of it. I know of people in the downtown core whose lives were turned upside down during the occupation, because that was what it was – an occupation.
Freedom of expression is a jewel of democracy and must be respected, but the lawful gathering rather quickly degenerated into holding an entire urban centre hostage . If you were there, you would (or should) understand that.
You really need to view this other than thru your rose coloured glasses John
https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/gunter-more-evidence-about-the-liberals-convoy-paranoia-emerges
Not at all. Unless you are suggesting I did not “see what I saw” and did not “speak with people directly”.
So you are going to believe the lies another one of Kenney’s supporters feed you and ignore the true facts, right?
No Johnny-boy I can’t say I was there. I like most Canadians had to depend on the Legacy Media for my information. Having said that did YOU see evidence of the so-called racists or misogynists that were apparently abound?
I consider Swastikas and Confederate flags, symbols of hate , but perhaps you do not?
Fact is I witnessed multiple times, multiple vehicles displaying both flags together , sometimes alongside upside down Maple Leafs.
A so called “Freedom Convoy” hurling profanity at Trudeau , threats toward public health leaders – all tolerated (initially) by the authorities. Try to imagine the consequences of such vitriol in other countries where “freedom” is not an option.
Reporters being spit on and their lives threatened because their TV stations dared to promote getting vaccinated. One stupid old senior , when defending the Truckers, right on TV said “We have guns and we know how to us them” You can’t make yourself look any dumber than that and it likely got him arrested.
This was not freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. It stopped being that as soon as they blocked lawful movement and commerce. If they wanted to camp on the front lawn of parliament for months I’d support that, same with the trailers and vehicles parked in a farmer’s field just outside Milk River. Thats peacefull protest.
Agreed! Restricting movement of goods between countries like what seemed to be happening down at Coutts was unlawful and should not be tolerated at all! What happened in Ottawa was completely different.
Once again Johnny , the loser, has to have his say to prove he just doesn’;t get it. When are you going to learn?
Come-on FC are you not mature enough here to rise above the name calling? (Apparently not) Do you think you are on a grade-school playground here? Oh, and by the way can you tie-in the Klein years to the Poilievre landslide victory? You can do it FC I HAVE FAITH IN YOU!
Yes I can from seeing the gatherings at their rallies and listening to people who were there. Once again the majority of the people were seniors letting these fake conservatives treat them like morons, and believing every lie they feed them. Like the rest of them you ignore the fact that Klein gave you the highest power bills in Canada, you are still paying the second highest. He gave you the highest property taxes, the highest vehicle registration fees, the highest vehicle insurance fees, the highest new driver license fees, the highest long term health care fees, the highest liquor fees and helped the rich screw us out of about $800 billion and dumped a $260 billion Orphan wells cleanup mess onto the backs of our children , yet you don’t care. How do you explain why members of Klein’s own family tried to help us vote him out?
The seniors in my circle of friends are smart enough to understand it, but you aren’t. We see Kenney’s pal Poilievre as just another reformer for Canadians to defeat, like they did Harper, Manning, Scheer and O’Toole we know there is nothing conservative about him. We don’t support fake conservatives defending criminals like you do.
Yes, FC Klein gave us all that and MORE! Like a balanced budget and a provincial debt PAID IN FULL!
Now, we are seeing charges coming for the blockades. Protesting is one thing, blockading is another.
“Fort Macleod councillor, 2 other ‘key participants’ charged in Coutts border blockades.” (cbc.ca)
The charges are mischief over $5000. “Mischief is a serious criminal offence in Canada, and if unsuccessfully defended, will lead to a criminal record, fines, probation, and sometimes even time spent in prison.”
Again, other convoy leaders are headed for trial, including those who wished to overthrow the federal government. Will there be courage to charge them with sedition? Sedition is an indictable offence in Canada which can lead to a maximum of 14 years in prison.
What appears to surround some of this blockade activity has been expressed well in an Alberta Views article, “The Dramatic Fall of Jason Kenney.” Quotes include: “Kenney consciously tied his brand of Alberta conservatism to a version of the prosperity doctrine that has dominated thinking on the religious right for generations. The mantra links hard work and individual wealth to personal virtue, and, in religious circles, the will of God. On the flip side, a lack of wealth is associated with lack of personal effort or worth. The ‘prosperity first’ dogma and belligerent leadership that have come to define the modern conservative movement in Canada are great for riling up people who feel alienated from the political mainstream.”
Can you please help me to understand; specifically, what laws did, Mr. Poilievre and Mrs. Thomas supposedly break?
I understand as far as some of the convoy protestors and the leaders who ever they were, were charged with mischief.
Yes, apparently the group at Coutts was unfortunately infiltrated by some with extreme views and weapons. Once discovered; the legitimate protestors peacefully dispersed. I understand, the Coutts group were disassociated and unaffiliated with the Ottawa group.
Can you please help me understand how the Prime Minister of Canada has not been charged with instilling “hate speech” against the Canadians which disagree with him. I could easily quote the names and insults he has made about Canadian citizens, who disagree with him ; but I will just sum it up by referring to his comment;
There is no room for these people.
What does that mean? It sounds ominous. Comments like that were sadly made in the 1930’s in Germany, and we all know what happened.
What has happened to Mr. Trudeau? Has his narcissistic personality snapped? Or has he always been like this; and now his true persona is showing through? As you Mr. Feenstra so aptly put it ” he is a dreamer and drama teacher and every time he opens his mouth he confirms”
Maybe he has just been acting, playing a character all along. But who got played?
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/rex-murphy-the-trudeau-factor-in-pierre-poilievre-s-big-win/ar-AA11WpC0?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=7cec20a066594deca6fc411777060fa0#:~:text=Rex%20Murphy%3A%20The%20Trudeau%20factor%20in%20Pierre%20Poilievre%27s%20big%20win
If you are referring to the January 31st speech given shortly after testing positive and during the occupation in Ottawa (where I was at the time), he quoted a statement from Irwin Cotler who was appalled at the desecration of monuments and symbols of hatred and racism . Cotler had earlier defended the importance of freedom expression but drew a line with the incidents in the early days of the occupation. Trudeau had earlier referenced insults to the memory of our veterans and simply stated the obvious: “….there is no place in our country ….” Now perhaps this is not the incident Mr Elford was thinking about. Be that as it may, words taken out of context matter. In the quote that I mentioned , without knowing the entire gist of the matter, someone could be forgiven for suggesting that Trudeau was indicating that anyone who disagrees with him should not have “room” within the nation. In this instance, that is not the case.
Trudeau has and is a disappointment to many , including myself, but his words during the occupation were not .
Yeh they were. A massive over reaction. Here are some facts.
https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/gunter-more-evidence-about-the-liberals-convoy-paranoia-emerges
You’re right, Skippy and Thomas did not break the law but they did tie themselves to the illegal blockade good or bad. And yes it was an “illegal” blockade not a peaceful protest, you stop lawful movement of citizens and commerce you cannot hide behind the charter. It’s settled constitutional law Guelph vs Soltys(2009)
As my conservative friends are pointing out. By supporting a situation that cost the taxpayers $36 million proves these Reformers are not true conservatives. You wouldn’t see Lougheed doing it. He was a lot smarter with our money.
Mr. Elford, it is illegal in Canada to aid and abet a person who is in the act of breaking a law. To aid means to actively assist, as in driving a getaway car for bank robbers, while to abet, which is what both Mr. Poilievre and Mrs. Thomas appear to have done, is to advise or encourage a person in an illegal act.
I don’t know any of the facts as to what conversations took place between the two politicians and the occupiers, so prosecuting an allegation of advising would, I imagine, be difficult. But a reasonable person may well conclude that meeting with the protesters and taking coffee to the protesters, which is what Mr. Poilievre did, could be seen as offering encouragement, the import of which, it could also be argued, was amplified by the political office he held at the time. Similarly, Ms Thomas’ public statements could also be seen as offering encouragement. That said, I don’t know if Ms Thomas’ public statements of support for the occupiers were made during the occupation or after.
Why then hasn’t Jason Kenney been charged with calling his own MLAs lunatics? Trudeau did nothing wrong and I think most Canadians aren’t dumb enough to believe Rex Murphy anymore the guy has become the laughing stock of the younger generation.
Charged with telling the truth?
Barney I certainly agree with you. My friends and I aren’t fans of Trudeau either but as our Lawyer friends point out being a dreamer, or drama teacher didn’t cost us a penny compared to what these fake conservatives have done to us and it’s hard to bash Trudeau and ignore all the stupidity Ralph Klein displayed. The fact that Trudeau gave Albertans an extra $30 billion to help us survive is not chicken feed and we know these Reformers would never have done it. We don’t hear our oil executive bashing Trudeau, yet these reformers claim he is trying to shut down our oil industry, which is just another lie they have created, for ignorant Albertans to believe .
Tell me again what the national debt was before this drama teacher was our PM and what it is now and tell me again he hasn’t cost us anything haha and wow he gave us 30 billion? How many billions of dollars has alberta given to other provinces in equalization payment? Ill tell you its much more than 30 billion but I guess it was nice that he gave us a little bit of our own money back haha the level of bias in your comments is astounding and in typical liberal fashion pick and choosing facts while totally ignoring others.
Play the what-about deflection card all you want, but that will not change the fact that in taking a page out of Trump’s playbook, Pierre Poilievre has embraced the politics of outrage and grievance. His core messages are as follows. First, “I feel your pain.” No he doesn’t, how could he? Second, “I know who is responsible.” Really? Third, “I alone can fix things.” In fact, he is the purveyor of simple answers to complex problems, and that’s a bigger lie than the one most teenage boys tells their girlfriend on their third date.
You certainly have it right. Why would anyone support another Alberta trained Reformer who was selling reform Party Memberships for Jason Kenney , in Calgary, when he was 16 years old. A guy who praises criminals, for creating a mess that cost taxpayers $36 million and he doesn’t care and bashes Trudeau for doing the right thing to try to protect all Canadians from the stupid gun violence we are seeing in the U.S. Apparently Poilievre doesn’t give a damn about children being gunned down in their classrooms, or seniors in a grocery store. Banning assault rifles that can kill many people very quickly and hand guns that can be hidden easily was a smart move and even us hunters agree. There is no question he is trying to be another Donald Trump and cater to the mindless Canadians who are too dumb to see it.
So would you rather we had a Reform Party refusing to provide help to the citizens during a pandemic and an international oil industry crash? We know these Reformers would never have helped us and aren’t you forgetting that it was Reformer Stephen Harper who took Canada from a $19 billion surplus to a $151 Billion debt ,and it helped get him kicked out. While Kenney whined about all the money Notely wasted in running up a $60 billion debt, by building 55 new schools and fixing other things these Reformer broke Kenney has now run it up to $115 billion in a lot less time than it took Notely . Like his pal Harper looking after their rich friends is far more important. It also got Kenney kicked out or didn’t you notice. The fact is if these fools were collecting proper royalties, and taxes, like Lougheed did Canada wouldn’t be in this mess. They aren’t in Norway and Alaska. Of course believing the Reform Party lie that Alberta is broke because we have had to send billions to other provinces proves how ignorant you are. Alberta has never sent a penny to other provinces it all comes out of our Federal Taxes that all Canadians pay into. Maybe you had better do some research and listen to the intelligent people for a change.
“Stephen Harper’s Legacy Good, Bad and a dose of ugly”
Helping the rich screw us out of billions, just like Ralph Klein and the rest of these Reformers have done to Alberta is just plain stupid. Who have their biggest supporters been, Seniors who are dumb enough to believe all their lies. The conservative seniors in my world are FEDUP with them. believing every lie they are fed.
“Debunked: Alberta doesn’t send the most money to Ottawa”
The equalization formula as it is now, was determined in the Harper Conservative years. It is based on individual income through Revenue Canada, and not just forked over in a lump sum to the feds. Individual income in Alberta remains high as compared to ‘poorer’ individual incomes throughout the rest of the country. As it has been said, and Jason Kenney, who was part and parcel of the Harper government when this equalization formula was determined, and who knows full well how to pay less in equalization, and if, ‘Alberta’ wishes to hand over less in equalization, we need to do more fair taxation so that everyone pays their fair share, which is not happening now. ‘Alberta’ has even been told by many across the rest of the country, that if we wish to pay less in equalization, that we need to implement a sales tax like everyone else, and Kenney knows this as well,….instead of whinging re: not getting enough funding from the feds. It’s all about catering to the base who those who lead right wing conservatism know, in this day and age, get riled up over these things.
Remember when trudeau let all of our rail roads get blackaded for months? What charges were laid against anyone when that happend? Oh thats right none because trudeau and the media took there side. Yet when its conservatives gathering together it gets turned into a “takeover” haha yet most the people at the demonstration were more civilized than the rail and bridge blockers from a few years back. Poilierve made it clear he supported the law abiding citizen not the ones casuing trouble but of course the news skipped that part…. Im sure it has nothing to do with the cbc bring fully funded by the liberals or the funding most news in canada gets from
The liberals. You cant call out pierre without calling out justin for the rail blockades, snc lavalin, black face, trips the break ethics laws, mandates and all the other laws he’s broken.
So, which of the “law abiding” citizens, whose vehicles were parked illegally, was Mr. Poilievre supporting?
Typical paranoid right-wing d-bag rant. Embellished, exaggerated low I.Q. blathering. WTG, local!
When are you going to learn that these aren’t conservatives , they are Reformers and don’t give a damn about who they hurt with their stupid policies. Praising criminals like we have seen these reformers do is just plain stupid and supporting them is even dumber. the true conservatives in my world aren’t that dumb so why are you? Yet as the lawyers point out nothing Trudeau has done has cost Albertans anything compared to what your Reform Party friends have done to us. how do you explain that?
And yet the rail blockades were loudly and repeatedly condemned outright – by members of the Conservative party of Canada , many of whom are loudly supporting the so called “Freedom Convoy” (in Ottawa and the multiple ports of entry). Financial issues arose from both rail and truck convoys. Speaking against (or support) for one should be for the other equally. All parties appear to be guilty of hand picking a particular cause no matter how disruptive actions are.