The Andrew Lawton Show

Police in Calgary and Edmonton moved in on anti-Israel encampments at the University of Calgary and the University of Alberta on the weekend, while McGill University in Montreal is fighting in court today for an injunction to clear the occupation on its campus. More than two years ago, the federal government invoked the Emergencies Act to clear out Freedom Convoy demonstrators in Ottawa – a decision that has since been ruled unconstitutional by the Federal Court. Where is the line between a legitimate (albeit disruptive) protest and an illegal occupation? True North’s Andrew Lawton discusses with Canadian Constitution Foundation lawyer Josh DeHaas. Weeks after the federal government finally conceded there might be too many temporary foreign residents in Canada, Immigration Minister Marc Miller has suggested one way to decrease the numbers – convert them to permanent residents instead. Also, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s annual Teddy Awards – honouring the very worst in government waste – have been released, with a federal agency a lifetime achievement award for paying seniors to talk about their sex lives and CBC being honoured for paying millions of dollars in executive bonuses. CTF federal director Franco Terrazzano joins the show to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was ejected from the House of Commons yesterday after refusing to withdraw a comment that Justin Trudeau was a “wacko” (although he offered to replace it with “extremist” and “radical”). The pearl-clutching Liberals and journalists should be less focused on tone-policing and more on governing, True North’s Andrew Lawton says. Plus, a new documentary, Covid Collateral, exposes the harms of lockdowns and the censorship of scientists throughout the pandemic. Filmmaker Vanessa Dylyn joins to discuss. Plus, it’s the four year anniversary of the order-in-council that prohibited over 1500 types of firearm and promised a two year “buyback” that has so far never materialized. Rod Giltaca of the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights weighs in on where things stand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has vowed that his efforts to keep criminals behind bars will be constitutional, telling the Canadian Police Association he will “make them constitutional using whatever tools the constitution allows me to use to make them constitutional. I think you know exactly what I mean.” It looks like he’s teasing the first ever federal use of the Charter’s notwithstanding clause. True North’s Andrew Lawton weighs in on why that matters. Also, the capital gains tax hike proposed in the federal budget is the ‘final nail in the business investment coffin,’ one economic analyst says. Jake Fuss from the Fraser Institute joins to explain why. Plus, British Columbia has asked the federal government to reverse its pilot project on decriminalizing drug use in public spaces just one year into the three year trial. Is this finally a recognition of failure on the part of the drug-permissive B.C. government? Centre for Responsible Drug Policy founder Adam Zivo joins to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

According to a Hill Times report, Justin Trudeau has told Liberal members of Parliament not to worry, because despite the Conservatives’ large lead over the Liberals, this will all get sorted out next year. True North’s Andrew Lawton says any Liberal MPs serious about their political futures should be showing Trudeau the door right about now. Also, anti-Israel protesters at McGill University in Montreal have established an encampment to demand the university divest endowment funds from Israel and cut ties with Israeli academic institutions. Columnist and Montrealer Barbara Kay joins the show to discuss. Plus, new data show that carbon emissions in British Columbia have continued to rise despite the province’s long-running carbon tax. Why should Canadians keep going along with this? Kris Sims from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation weighs in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As more and more people sound alarms about the implications of the Liberal government’s latest budget, Justin Trudeau and Chrystia Freeland are still saying it’s a budget that injects “fairness” into the Canadian economy. This comes as the Canadian and Ontario governments each pony up $5 billion to create 1,000 jobs creating electric vehicles and batteries for Honda. True North’s Andrew Lawton digs in with Aaron Wudrick of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. Also, activists and the government say extreme weather events are the fault of climate change and justification for aggressive environmental policy – but according to the data, this just isn’t true. Andrew unpacks with Dr. Kenneth Green from the Fraser Institute. Plus, what should government do – if anything – about Canada’s low birthrate? Andrew sat down with Crestview partner Ginny Roth at the Canada Strong and Free Network conference in Ottawa to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Liberal government continues to drag in the polls, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has set out to put himself out in front of more Canadians – evidently of the mind that he’s the solution and not the problem. In one podcast interview this week, Trudeau accused Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of feeding into angry populism rather than providing solutions. True North’s Andrew Lawton weighs in. Also, Canadian Armed Forces soldiers who were expelled because they didn’t get vaccinated against COVID-19 have received waivers allowing them to return to work. Is this a step in the right direction or too little too late? Lawyer Catherine Christensen of Valour Law joins to discuss. Plus, the federal government says plastic is a toxin – using that argument as a rationale to regulate and restrict plastics. This comes as a massive U.N. summit convenes in Ottawa with the goal of setting up a “plastics treaty.” Andrew unpacks with plastics scientist Chris DeArmitt of Phantom Plastics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been nearly four years to the day since the Liberal government prohibited more than 1,500 types of firearms and set in motion a “buyback” to confiscate the lawfully-owned guns from their owners. Since then, not a single gun has been acquired. In fact, Alberta and Saskatchewan have put up roadblocks making it next to impossible for the government to confiscate guns in those provinces, and now Canada Post has said it wants nothing to do with the buyback, dashing federal hopes that the Crown corporation could manage the firearm pickups and transfers. True North’s Andrew Lawton weighs in. Also, a massive U.N. summit has convened in Ottawa with the goal of setting up a “plastics treaty.” Andrew discusses with Chris DeArmitt of Phantom Plastics. Plus, is defunding CBC as easy or desirable as it sounds? Andrew shares an interview with Jen Gerson, co-founder of the Line, recorded at the Canada Strong and Free Network conference. Antisemitism has become the new normal in Canada with the tacit or even explicit endorsement of political leaders. Andrew talks about it with author and broadcaster Dahlia Kurtz, author of the new book “Dear Zionist, You Are Not Alone.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Footage from a weekend anti-Israel rally shows protesters openly cheering for Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, referring to it as a sign that Palestinians are almost free and calling for Oct. 7 to become “every day” for Israelis. Antisemitic protesters feel safe enough in their views that they no longer feel the need to mask their Jew hatred with terms like “anti-Zionist,” True North’s Andrew Lawton points out, noting that calls for dead Jews should terrify, but not surprise, us. The federal government spent $2.2 million in legal fees trying to defend its use of the Emergencies Act in Federal Court, only to get a decision that broke the law in doing so. Also, CBC is getting tens of millions of dollars more from the feds but the president of the state broadcaster won’t even do an interview with a CBC journalist. Kris Sims from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation joins to weigh in. Plus, a United Nations summit taking on plastic is starting up in Ottawa this week. What does this mean for Canadian consumers and businesses? Vinyl Institute president Aiñe Curran joins to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An increasing number of young Canadians can’t afford to buy a home, but Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek says not to worry: a lifetime of renting can give “more freedom” and make people feel “liberated,” calling home ownership an outdated concept. True North’s Andrew Lawton says it’s a convenient way to avoid solving the housing crisis, and also markedly similar to the controversial “own nothing and be happy” trope advanced a few years back by a World Economic Forum author. Also, Andrew shares his full fireside chat with Premier Blaine Higgs about federalism, conservatism, and parental rights, filmed live at the Canada Strong and Free Network’s annual conference in Ottawa last week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The federal government unveiled its latest budget yesterday and, surprise surprise, it’s full of big spending with no plan to balance the budget. But the Liberals did find room to shovel more money to CBC and over a billion dollars to “combat hate.” True North’s Andrew Lawton unpacks it with Franco Terrazzano of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and Catherine Swift of the Coalition of Concerned Manufacturers and Businesses of Canada. Plus, Andrew shares his interview with Christine Van Geyn of the Canadian Constitution Foundation from the Canada Strong and Free Network conference about the dismal state of civil liberties in Canada. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Canada’s Governor General is supposed to be apolitical and above partisanship, but Her Excellency Mary Simon opted to convene a panel about the dangers of “online harms” while the federal government is championing a controversial law that uses such harms as a pretext to regulate internet speech. The panel had no critics of the legislation, but plenty of people championing it. True North’s Andrew Lawton weighs in. Also, it’s budget day, so Andrew checks in Canadian Federation of Independent Business vice-president of legislative affairs Ryan Mallough to see how rough a ride Canadians are in for. Plus an interview with former federal finance minister Joe Oliver from last week’s Canada Strong and Free Network conference. Lifelong Liberals are breaking with their party over Justin Trudeau’s leadership of it. Andrew checks in with former Liberal member of Parliament Dan McTeague about why that is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh may not know how to negotiate but apparently he can read polls, now saying that carbon taxes aren’t the only option to fight climate change. Justin Trudeau says he’s “confused” about Singh’s position now, which has previously been unequivocal support, even as resistance to the tax swells across Canada. True North’s Andrew Lawton weighs in. Also, Kris Sims from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation joins for her regular Monday checkin. Plus, Andrew’s fireside chat with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith from last week’s Canada Strong and Free Network conference in Ottawa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the third and final day of the Canada Strong and Free Network’s flagship conference in Ottawa and True North’s Andrew Lawton Show is once again live from the exhibit hall. In today’s show, Andrew speaks to former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott about freedom, conservatism, and why the right has to articulate its own position on climate and the environment instead of accepting the left’s premises. Also, the Fraser Institute’s Paige MacPherson on choice and education, plus the Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s Franco Terrazzano on whether there is hope on the horizon for Canadian taxpayers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Across the country, communities are being hollowed out and overrun by tent cities and increasing homeless populations. What has gone so wrong? True North’s Andrew Lawton catches up with former Toronto mayoral candidate Anthony Furey to discuss on the margins of the Canada Strong and Free Network’s annual conference, the flagship event for the country’s conservative movement. Also on the show, former adviser to Margaret Thatcher John O’Sullivan, plus Tracey Wilson of the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights, and some other folks who get pulled in as the show progresses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Canada's flagship conservative conference, hosted by the Canada Strong and Free Network, kicks off today in Ottawa, with a roster of speakers including former British prime minister Boris Johnson, former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott, and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. True North is broadcasting live from the convention all week.In today's kickoff episode, True North's Andrew Lawton speaks to Canada Strong and Free Network president Adam Bolek about the conference theme, "leading with conviction." Also on the show: Macdonald-Laurier Institute domestic policy director Aaron Wudrick, Durham member of Parliament Jamil Jivani, and filmmaker-turned-Conservative candidate Aaron Gunn. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A report from the “sustainable economy” firm Corporate Knights says Justin Trudeau’s government pledged to spend $48.6 billion on climate change over the last nine years but has ‘only’ spent $34.3 billion, calling for the government to “follow through” on its commitments. True North’s Andrew Lawton says encouraging the government to throw more money at the weather isn’t going to change anything. Also, the firearms industry group that contracted with the federal government to work with firearms stores on the so-called gun buyback now says the government is in over its head. Wes Winkel, president of the Canadian Sporting Arms and Ammunition Association, joins the show to discuss. Plus, a study from the Aristotle Foundation finds that while Jewish groups condemn attacks on Muslims, Muslim groups in Canada don’t tend to reciprocate. Study author Rahim Mohamed explains his findings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Saskatchewan has just expanded its provincial firearms office, putting public safety and protecting the rights of law-abiding gun owners front and centre as the federal government continues to curtail lawful gun ownership in this country. Saskatchewan’s approach has been celebrated by firearms advocates – Andrew welcomes to the show the province’s firearms commissioner, Robert Freberg, and chief firearms officer, Murray Cowan, to explain why. Also, as federal members of Parliament take a big pay raise, Alberta MLAs have opted to freeze their wages. Andrew discusses with Canadian Taxpayers Federation Alberta director Kris Sims, as well as why CBC is in desperate need of a defunding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Three NDP MPs – including longtime party stalwart Charlie Angus – have announced today they aren’t seeking re-election, with Angus acknowledging the beginning of a new “political era.” True North’s Andrew Lawton says it’s no surprise, as the latest polling shows Conservatives could make serious gains even in NDP ridings, including Angus’. The public inquiry into foreign interference is underway, vindicating past reporting that the Liberals were the beneficiary of assistance from the Chinese regime. Former Conservative MP Kenny Chiu joins to discuss. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has conceded that a “massive spike” in temporary residents in Canada has been “far beyond” what the country can absorb, but his former immigration minister, Sean Fraser, says the federal government isn’t to blame for this, but rather businesses that have made use of temporary foreign workers. Trudeau’s about-face on immigration has left an opening for a real conservation about the issue in the next election – but will political leaders have the courage to have one? Macdonald-Laurier Institute researcher Joe Adam George joins to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Justin Trudeau has said what many Canadians had already figured out – that his government’s record on immigration has led to a “massive spike” that is “far beyond what Canada has been able to absorb.” The Conservatives have yet to provide their own target for immigration, except to say that it needs to be tied to housing, jobs, and healthcare. True North’s Andrew Lawton says Trudeau’s flip flop is no accident. Also, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith calls the federal government’s failure to confiscate a single gun four years after announcing its “buyback” program a great success for Albertans and gun owners. Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights CEO Rod Giltaca joins the show to weigh in. Plus, Canadian soldiers have been relying on food banks with increasing frequency – prompting questions about whose who put on a uniform to serve Canada are treated by their country. Veteran and author Tom Marazzo weighs in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thousands of Canadians gathered across the country yesterday to protest the latest hike to the carbon tax. This increase makes almost everything more expensive while Canadians are already grappling with a rising cost of living, but the federal government has been unflinching. Justin Trudeau says premiers are to blame for making “political hay” instead of coming up with their own alternative carbon taxes. Andrew discusses with Canadian Taxpayers Federation Alberta director Kris Sims. Also, Veterans Affairs Canada is getting dragged for wishing Canadians a happy “March holiday season” on Easter weekend. Plus, the federal government’s official housing advocate says Canada’s housing market is rife with racism and white supremacy. A new essay from C2C journal says this isn’t the case. Author Peter Shawn Taylor joins to explain why. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Liberal government faces criticism over its so-called online harms bill, an adviser to Justin Trudeau has written an op-ed defending the bill and calling concerns about its effect on free speech “rage farming.” True North’s Andrew Lawton sets the record straight, then speaks with Canadian Constitution Foundation litigation director Christine Van Geyn about why people should be worried about the bill. Also, April 1 is proving to be a pivotal day for Canadian taxpayers – the carbon tax increase, a pay raise for members of Parliament, and even a hike to the alcohol tax. Perhaps this is why so many Canadians are poised to protest across the country on Monday. Franco Terrazzano, federal director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, joins to navigate through it all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Liberal member of Parliament has once again apologized for comparing Pierre Poilievre to Nazis, after previously apologizing for comparing Poilievre to Nazis. The apology rings hollow when it’s clear Hardie actually views the Conservatives this way, True North’s Andrew Lawton says. Also, the federal government continues to defend its carbon tax – which is set to increase once again on Monday. Economics professor Ross McKitrick says Canada needs a leader who will be honest about climate policy. Plus, a new poll shows Canadians want “major changes” to the healthcare system, yet reform is always treated like a third rail in Canadian politics. Lawyer Josh Dehaas from the Canadian Constitution Foundation joins to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The gun “buyback” the Liberals announced four years ago, which was supposed to be completed by 2022, has so far racked up $42 million in costs without even confiscating a single gun. Even so, the government is still committed to this approach, which is squarely aimed at registered and legally-owned firearms, and not those overwhelmingly used in gun crime. True North’s Andrew Lawton says it’s bad news for taxpayers, but good news for lawful gun owners. Also, a new study from the Fraser Institute shows that government spending and public sector employment are on the rise in almost all provinces – meaning government is getting bigger and bigger with no end in sight. Andrew unpacks the numbers with Jake Fuss, the Fraser Institute’s fiscal studies director. Plus, city councillors in the British Columbia city of Quesnel have condemned the mayor’s wife for, as a private citizen, distributing copies of the True North-published book “Grave Error,” a scholarly work pushing back at the mainstream narrative on residential schools. One of the co-editors, Professor Tom Flanagan, joins the show to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Liberals are pushing to bump back the fixed election date by a week. They say it’s so the election doesn’t fall on Diwali, a Hindu holiday, but it conveniently delays the election enough so that dozens of MPs first elected in 2019 will be eligible for their gold-plated MP pensions. The government says this is purely coincidental, but True North’s Andrew Lawton is less convinced. What do you think? Canadian Taxpayers Federation Alberta director Kris Sims joins to discuss. Also, a Globe and Mail columnist is lamenting that excessive free speech leads to political outcomes he dislikes – such as the election of Donald Trump. Thus, he argues for “rigid regulation” of online speech. Plus, a Freedom Convoy participant has been convicted of two counts of mischief for his involvement in the Ottawa demonstration more than two years ago. Lawyer David Anber joins to discuss the case of his client, Jason Vanderwier, and what it means for justice and the right to protest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mounting protests at Jewish businesses, institutions, and even neighbourhoods combined with the acceptability of virulently anti-Israel language reveal that antisemitism is the new normal in Canada, although many argue the only thing that’s changed is its visibility. While many in the federal government have condemned the most extreme examples of antisemitism on display, they feed into antisemitism with their rhetoric and equivocation on Israel, True North’s Andrew Lawton discusses. Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs president Shimon Koffler Fogel joins to weigh in further. Plus, Canadians will soon see their online speech censored if Bill C-63 passes. For a look at how bad things can get, Canadians need to take a look at Ireland and its Orwellian hate speech law. Gript senior political correspondent Ben Scallan joins from the Emerald Isle to explain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says Justin Trudeau has just one day to scrap the impending carbon tax hike before the Conservatives will force a motion of non-confidence in Trudeau’s government. Poilievre says he’s willing to fight a “carbon tax election.” While the motion has little chance of succeeding, True North’s Andrew Lawton says Trudeau shouldn’t be afraid to defend the carbon tax at the ballot box if he’s so confident it’s the right call. Also, a University of Toronto professor says he was punished for playing a philosophical game with students meant to spark debate. His mistake was including the statement “men can become women” as launching point for debate. Prof. Leigh Revers, who wrote about the ordeal in the National Post, joins Andrew to explain. Plus, members of Parliament voted in favour of an anti-Israel NDP motion this week, with the Conservatives and three Liberals opposed. Robert Walker of Honest Reporting Canada joins the show to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a Radio-Canada interviewer that he thinks about quitting his job daily, noting that it is "boring" or "challenging" depending on whose translation of the interview you believe. In either case, Trudeau is trying to play the victim and make Canadians feel sorry for him, True North's Andrew Lawton says. Meanwhile, he continues to gaslight Canadians about the carbon tax, when Canadians – including most premiers – are in a full-out revolt over it. Canadian Taxpayers Federation Alberta director Kris Sims joins to discuss. Plus, even the new Ontario Liberal leader is vowing no provincial carbon tax. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Seven of ten provincial premiers have called on the federal government to scrap its planned carbon tax increase, although Justin Trudeau continues to double down. With Trudeau’s government paying no heed to calls from his provincial counterparts and the cash-strapped Canadians they represent, Trudeau is making it clear it’s his way or the highway. True North’s Andrew Lawton discusses Colin Craig of SecondStreet.org. Also, True North’s Rachel Emmanuel was barred from reporting on Trudeau’s visit to Calgary yesterday and threatened with arrest if she even stood inside the building hosting the prime minister’s press conference. She joins to explain what went down. Plus, from the ongoing trial of Tamara Lich and Chris Barber to the Coutts 4, concerns about politicized prosecutions are abound in the justice system. Former Encana CEO Gwyn Morgan delved into the phenomenon in an essay for C2C journal, on “the worrisome wave of politicized prosecutions.” He joins Andrew to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new poll finds that just under half of Canadians think the federal government’s plan to regulate internet speech will make online platforms safer. But a majority agree with the government’s bolstering of sentences for hate speech. True North’s Andrew Lawton says it’s clear from the last few years that many Canadians simply don’t support free speech, which may make this catastrophic bill a political win for the Liberals. Also, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has taken aim at corporate Canada, telling business leaders at a trade board meeting that he won’t be beholden to big business and lobbyists and that if they want anything from his government, it has to serve Canadians’ interests. Macdonald-Laurier Institute domestic policy director Aaron Wudrick weighs in. Plus, the federal government is defending its carbon tax and other environmental policies by appealing to the existence of a “climate crisis.” But does the evidence support such a claim? Fraser Institute senior fellow Kenneth Green says it doesn’t. He joins Andrew to explain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Canada’s state broadcaster, CBC, was whining about its budget while simultaneously paying out upwards of $15 million in bonuses in 2023, new documents reveal. News like this will make the call to defund CBC a much easier sell for Canadians, True North’s Andrew Lawton says. He discusses with Canadian Taxpayers Federation federal director Franco Terrazzano. Also, despite the RCMP making the explosive claim that drugs distributed through government “safe supply” programs are being diverted and sold by organized crime, British Columbia Premier David Eby says he’s yet to review any evidence of diversion. Plus, Margaret Atwood has weighed in on the Liberal government’s online harms bill, calling Bill C-63 “Orwellian.” The Liberals are using child protection as a shield for censorship. Andrew discusses with former CRTC vice-chair Peter Menzies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called on his supporters to help him put pressure on Liberal and NDP MPs by writing letters to them, phoning their offices, and even organizing protests to oppose the carbon tax and its scheduled April 1 increase. Do you agree with the tactic? True North’s Andrew Lawton weighs in with Canadian Taxpayers Federation Alberta director Kris Sims. Also, CBC didn’t have access to the Oscars red carpet but still sent a journalist to cover it – from outside. Plus, the Liberal government has reversed its announced pause on funding to UNRWA, the United Nations agency whose employees were implicated in Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel. Brian Lee Crowley of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute joins to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Polls have consistently put the Conservatives under Pierre Poilievre in firm majority territory, with some showing the Liberals almost in third place behind the NDP. The Liberals have responded by embracing their favourite pastime – importing American political fights. Justin Trudeau’s and the Liberal party’s attacks on the Conservatives are increasingly about Donald Trump, True North’s Andrew Lawton points out. Also, the federal government’s proposed online hate speech ban is coming under fire for having such an ill-defined test for what constitutes hate speech. Andrew discusses with law professor Bruce Pardy. Plus, former broadcaster Jamil Jivani has been elected member of Parliament for Durham. He joins the show to discuss his win and his plans when he gets to Ottawa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite dozens of recommendations from the Public Order Emergencies Commission on reforms to the Emergencies Act, the federal Liberal government is only committing to engaging in further consultations with provinces, Indigenous groups, and other stakeholders, before entertaining changes. True North’s Andrew Lawton says that after the Federal Court finding that the government’s use of the act was unconstitutional, they want to just shove everything under the rug. Also, Justin Trudeau’s assault on free speech, Bill C-63, opens the door to mass regulation of internet speech under the guise of combatting “online hate.” Andrew discusses with Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms president John Carpay. Plus, while it seems like wokeness is out of control, a new study from the Macdonald-Laurier Institute suggests Canadians aren’t actually that woke after all. Author Eric Kaufmann, a professor at the University of Buckingham, joins to explain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Conservative candidate Jamil Jivani won the Durham byelection yesterday, meaning he’ll be headed to Parliament in the seat previously held by Erin O’Toole. While the Conservative win is not surprising, the margin of victory was decisive and spells bad news for the Liberals heading into the 2025 election, True North’s Andrew Lawton says. Also, the Liberals have extended one of their media bailout programs until 2027 – after the next election. Canadians are against the carbon tax, but the government is doubling down on it. Franco Terrazzano of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation joins to discuss. Plus, University of Saskatchewan law professor Dwight Newman on how the Liberals’ “online harms” bill might actually make things worse for the people it purports to protect. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Justin Trudeau’s long-promised Online Harms Act, Bill C-63, has been tabled. The bill reintroduces a section of the Canadian Human Rights Act prohibiting online “hate speech,” which the bill defines as speech “likely to foment detestation or vilification of an individual or group of individuals on the basis of a prohibited ground of discrimination.” Trudeau and his justice minister claim the bill will comply with the Charter, but their record on civil liberties and free speech should concern all Canadians. True North’s Andrew Lawton weighs in, then discusses with Canadian Constitution Foundation litigation director Christine Van Geyn. Also, the federal government is still planning on hiking its carbon tax in a few weeks, even though most Canadians are against it. Kris Sims from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation checks in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spadina—Fort York member of Parliament Kevin Vuong was elected as a Liberal but never joined the party’s caucus as he had been booted during the campaign for failing to disclose a withdrawn sexual assault charge. Since 2021, he has continued to represent his constituents as an independent MP, and has increasingly been supportive of positions the Conservatives are taking up – from condemning antisemitism to opposing the carbon tax to combatting foreign interference. In this wide-ranging special edition of The Andrew Lawton Show, Andrew Lawton sits down with Vuong in his Toronto home to discuss his past, present, and future as an MP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Liberals’ long-promised ban on “online harms” is expected in the coming weeks. Among other things, the bill will take aim at so-called “hate speech,” which past attempts at legislating suggest the Liberals will define at a lower threshold than what exists in criminal law at present. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said this morning that Justin Trudeau is a “woke authoritarian” cannot be trusted with online speech. Also, a Prince Edward Island municipal councillor is facing removal from office over a sign he posted outside his home that said “Truth: Mass grave hoax. Reconciliation: Redeem Sir John A’s integrity.” Josh DeHaas of the Canadian Constitution Foundation joins to discuss the case of John Robertson. Plus, the only area of healthcare where access seems to be expanding is assisted suicide, or MAID. Dr. Ramona Coelho joins to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training has become the norm in corporations, the public sector, and academia in an attempt to cleanse institutions of systemic racism and purge people’s biases. While the goal may be noble at its core, there is no proof these programs work. In fact, they actually make things worse, according to a new research report from Prof. David Millard Haskell of the Aristotle Foundation. He joins True North’s Andrew Lawton to discuss. Also, British Columbia is doubling down on its “safe” drug supply programs despite a growing amount of evidence it is harmful. National Post writer Adam Zivo weighs in. Plus, Canada’s finances may be in a terrible place, but a new study from the Fraser Institute lays out a roadmap to a balanced budget by as soon as 2027 if a serious course correction takes place. The think tank’s director of fiscal studies, Jake Fuss, returns to the show to explain how. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault says the federal government will no longer fund municipal road projects, because building roads encourages people to use cars. He said the money should instead be spent on fighting climate change. The announcement was condemned by Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who said he was “gobsmacked” by it. True North’s Andrew Lawton weighs in. Also, it’s the two year anniversary of Justin Trudeau’s invocation of the Emergencies Act, which he still defends despite the Federal Court finding it unconstitutional Freedom Convoy organizer Tom Marazzo joins to discuss. Plus, a new study from the Aristotle Foundation, authored by Laurier University professor David Millard Haskell finds no evidence in support of diversity, equity and inclusion policies. In fact, sometimes they have adverse effects on diversity. Haskell discusses his findings with Andrew. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New data from Statistics Canada show that just 37 per cent of Canadians trust the media. While it’s more than the number that trust federal politicians (28 per cent), journalists have a lower trust score than the school system, the justice system, and police. An exchange yesterday between Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and a Canadian Press reporter may reveal why this is, True North’s Andrew Lawton says. Also, anti-Israel protesters have descended on Toronto’s Jewish Mount Sinai hospital where they blocked access and in one case scaled the building to fly a Palestinian flag. Yet the politicians who condemned protests at hospitals during the pandemic have been silent. Meanwhile, a Liberal-appointed senator has apologized for saying that Canada should do security checks on anyone coming from Gaza. Plus, NDP MP Charlie Angus’ proposed private member’s bill would ban promoting how oil and gas development can be good for Indigenous communities. First Nations LNG Alliance CEO Karen Ogen-Toews joins The Andrew Lawton Show to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Auditor General Karen Hogan has taken aim at the government's multimillion-dollar boondoggle that is the ArriveCan app. Hogan's report found that Canada's paid too much, the public service didn't ensure value for money, and the whole thing lacked even basic management and due diligence. True North's Andrew Lawton asks whether anyone is surprised. Aaron Wudrick of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute joins to discuss. Also, Health Canada officials floated a ban on smoking in private homes as an acceptable tobacco control measure ahead of a global World Health Organization summit. Justin Trudeau has been so far silent on the attempted arson of a Regina Catholic church on the weekend. He can't condemn vandalism and threats against other religious institutions quickly enough, but never wants to wade into assaults on Christians. Plus, while CBC was complaining about budget woes, it was sending executives on high-flying foreign junkets. Kris Sims from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation returns to weigh in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Democrat member of Parliament Charlie Angus has tabled a bill that could throw people who promote oil and gas in Canada into jail for up to two years. He said advertising from the energy sector should be treated like tobacco advertising because of the climate crisis. True North’s Andrew Lawton weighs in and discusses with Michael Binnion of the Modern Miracle Network. Also, Justin Trudeau says Pierre Poilievre wants to “make Canada great again.” He meant it as an insult, but polling suggests he might be right. Plus, the final instalment of our Unjust Transition series, featuring Bryan Gould of Aspenleaf Energy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is standing by her proposed ban on gender reassignment treatments and hormone therapies for minors despite criticism from the left. Smith’s events in Ottawa and Toronto were met with protests by trans rights activists. True North’s Andrew Lawton discussed the policies and response to them in a sit-down interview with Smith, as well as the general tenor of Alberta’s relationship with the federal government. Also, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has confirmed, after several days, that he supports the ban on puberty blockers for minors. Plus, in today’s edition of Unjust Transition, Andrew speaks to Secure Energy CEO Rene Amirault. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After throwing former House of Commons speaker Anthony Rota under the bus for his decision to honour Ukrainian SS veteran Yaroslav Hunka in the House of Commons last September, news has emerged that Justin Trudeau invited Hunka to a Toronto reception that same week. True North’s Andrew Lawton says Trudeau scapegoated Rota when he was just as culpable. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has taken aim at foreign property ownership, despite the fact that she and her husband own multiple properties in four countries, including Canada. Also, campus antisemitism is on the rise, as is antisemitism elsewhere. Andrew stopped in Davos to ask University College London provost Michael Spence to condemn it, but at first he didn’t want to. Plus, the latest episode of Unjust Transition features geoLOGIC Systems CEO David Hood.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The left has been harshly critical of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s planned ban on cross-sex hormones and gender reassignment for minors, as well as her requirement of parental consent for gender changes at schools. But polling shows parents, even non-conservatives, across Canada are overwhelmingly in favour of such policies. Will common sense win out? Also, True North’s Andrew Lawton checks in with Phelim McAleer, co-creator of the Climate Change on Trial podcast, for an update on climate scientist Michael Mann’s lawsuit against Mark Steyn as the trial enters its fourth week. Canadian Taxpayers Federation Alberta director Kris Sims returns for her regular Monday drop-in to talk about the Liberals’ “carbon tax rebrand” and a brewing “Wing night mutiny.” Plus, in today’s instalment of Unjust Transition, Andrew talks to the President of Liberty Energy, Ron Gusek. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Liberal government has tabled legislation delaying the implementation of assisted suicide for people suffering from mental illnesses to 2027. The Liberals say they aren’t ready to make the change now, but are still committed to doing so down the road. True North’s Andrew Lawton, a survivor of suicide and mental illness, says this is a disastrous move reflective of a culture of death in Canada. He discusses with Conservative MP Michael Cooper. (Note: This episode was recorded shortly before Holland tabled the bill, when the specific timeline was not known). Also, in today’s edition of Unjust Transition, Andrew speaks to Chance Oil and Gas president Richard Wyman about the facts of Canada’s energy sector that the federal government just doesn’t get. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Justin Trudeau’s national security and intelligence adviser, Jody Thomas, did an interview on her way out of the role defending the government’s invocation of the Emergencies Act by claiming that the Freedom Convoy was increasingly violent with talk of weapons and death threats – although she provided no evidence for the claims. True North’s Andrew Lawton says if this is the national security advice Trudeau was getting, Canada is in trouble. Also, Andrew provided an update from the Michael Mann v Mark Steyn climate change/defamation trial in D.C., talking about how curious it is that someone claims to have been defamed without being able to demonstrate any damages. Plus, for four years we’ve been told to “trust the science,” but is it possible that this is what unleashed the Covid pandemic in the first place? Andrew discusses with C2C Journal contributor Margret Kopala, author of the essay “A Pandemic Caused by Science?” In today’s instalment of Unjust Transition, Andrew talks to Northback CEO Mike Young about why you shouldn’t listen to the naysayers when it comes to coal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The United Nations refugee agency operating in the Palestinian terroritories, UNRWA, is facing bombshell allegations from Israel that a dozen of its staff were involved in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, with one of them actively involved in a kidnapping. Canada has paused funding of UNRWA but an NDP MP’s response was to donate money to the agency. True North’s Andrew Lawton says UNRWA’s association with terrorists is nothing new – this is just the latest example. Also, Andrew gives an update on Michael Mann v Mark Steyn, the climate change free speech trial underway in Washington, D.C. Plus, we launch a new segment called Unjust Transition, an interview series with representatives of Canada’s energy sector who are speaking out against the federal government’s desire to transition away from oil and gas. Today’s episode features Michael Binnion, head of the Modern Miracle Network and CEO of Questerre Energy. That, and a chat with Avi Yemini and Ezra Levant on the streets of Davos about why independent journalists are the only ones holding the World Economic Forum and its elites to account. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Canadian commentator and author Mark Steyn is on trial for allegedly defaming Michael Mann, a former Penn State climate professor and the creator of the infamous “hockey stick graph” showing a surge in global warming in the 20th century. In a 270-word blog post in 2012, Steyn called the graph “fraudulent.” Twelve years later, the case is finally on trial in Washington, D.C. True North’s Andrew Lawton is in the courtroom this week covering it. In this episode, he gives a primer on the case with Phelim McAleer, who, along with Ann McElhinney, is chronicling the case through daily recaps and reenactments in the podcast Climate Change on Trial. Also, Canadian Taxpayers Federation Alberta director Kris Sims returns to talk about Alberta ramping up oil production and how the tax on the carbon tax is gouging Canadians. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For a brief moment this week, it looked like Justin Trudeau was facing criticism from inside his own house when Avalon member of Parliament Ken McDonald indicated support for a leadership review. However, soon after McDonald backtracked and praised Trudeau’s abilities as a campaigner while assuring people he wasn’t seeking a review. While it isn’t all that believable, it shows that Trudeau still has a tight grip on his caucus with no room for dissent, True North’s Andrew Lawton says. Also, thousands of people came out in Alberta yesterday to hear from Tucker Carlson as well as Premier Danielle Smith, Jordan Peterson, Conrad Black, and W. Brett Wilson. True North’s Rachel Emmanuel joins the show to talk about what went down. Plus, what does the Federal Court’s smackdown of Trudeau’s use of the Emergencies Act mean for civil liberties in Canada? Lawyer James Manson of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms weighs in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s now a matter of fact and law that Justin Trudeau’s use of the Emergencies Act was illegal. The government violated the constitution by freezing bank accounts and cracking down on civil liberties. And even invoking the Emergencies Act in the first place was done without compliance with the act itself. Even though the federal government is vowing to appeal, yesterday’s Federal Court ruling is a black mark on Trudeau’s government. In this edition of The Andrew Lawton Show, Christine Van Geyn of the Canadian Constitution Foundation returns to dig into the decision and discuss what it means. Former Conservative leader Candice Bergen returns to talk about why she remains proud of being on the “right side of history” for opposing the act. Plus, the Liberals are still trying to make their misguided firearms “buyback” happen. Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights CEO Rod Giltaca joins to discuss the latest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the two-year anniversary of the first leg of the Freedom Convoy setting out for Ottawa from Delta, British Columbia. Today, the Federal Court ruled that Justin Trudeau’s use of the Emergencies Act was unreasonable and outside the parameters of the act. True North’s Andrew Lawton discusses what this means for Canada. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Liberal government has announced a two-year cap on international student visas amid mounting frustrations with Canada’s immigration system and rampant fraud within the international student visa program. The cap will reduce by 35% the number of student visas issued, but is this enough to deal with the problems? True North’s Andrew Lawton says it’s unlikely. Also, the salaries for members of Parliament are set to rise by $8,100 to $16,200 this year. Canadian Taxpayers Federation Alberta director Kris Sims joins to weigh in. Plus, True North has returned from Davos after a week of holding the elites and their anti-energy, anti-free speech agenda to account. Andrew does a debrief of our coverage of the World Economic Forum. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the many ideas discussed at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos this year was freedom of expression. Global elites often aren’t fond of freedom of expression, from tech companies that restrict their users’ speech to leaders of international organizations calling for regulation of what they call “misinformation.” True North’s Andrew Lawton takes a look at what some of them are trying to do – and why Canadians in particular should be worried. Also, Chrystia Freeland told her WEF colleagues how the Canadian government needs to force “decarbonization” – but that it’s okay because it will lead to “more jobs.” Plus, the return of Andrew’s famous Davos hot chocolate rankings, back by popular demand.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Javier Milei made his first appearance at the World Economic Forum since becoming president of Argentina. He didn’t mince words about the dangers of socialism and the “parasites” who leech off government instead of creating. True North’s Andrew Lawton says it’s what world leaders need to do rather than kissing Klaus Schwab’s ring and going along with the WEF’s grand vision. True North is on the ground reporting on the WEF annual meeting. In this edition of the show, Andrew talks about how few Davos delegates are willing to explain why they’re there and what they’re doing. Plus, Chrystia Freeland was a last-minute addition to the speakers’ line-up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a different feeling this year in Davos than in the last couple of years. The rich and powerful used to roam the streets freely without anyone paying them attention. Now, the number of independent journalists paying attention to the World Economic Forum has grown, and the attendees are far more skittish. The ones that do appear are trying to gaslight people about their records, from John Kerry saying he never flies by private jet and Alibaba Group president J. Michael Evans downplaying the “individual carbon footprint tracker” he touted in Davos just two years ago. True North’s Andrew Lawton discusses this and the latest as his live coverage of the World Economic Forum’s 2024 annual meeting continues. Plus, Klaus Schwab says WEF attendees are the “trustees of the future.” Do you trust your future with them? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The World Economic Forum’s 2024 annual meeting is underway and True North is on the ground all week bringing you the coverage that only independent media will. The Andrew Lawton Show is live from Austria – the nearest affordable place to stay while reporting on the conference. In this episode, Andrew talks about the conference agenda and Klaus Schwab’s belief that people are the problem when it comes to falling trust in institutions – rather than the institutions themselves. Andrew checks in with his True North colleague Cosmin Dzsurdzsa for early impressions from the ground. Plus, while WEF is talking up the necessity of transitioning away from traditional energy sources, Albertans are being told to rein in their electricity usage as the province deals with extreme cold temperatures. Kris Sims from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation joins to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The World Health Organization’s is forging ahead with its planned pandemic treaty, which is likely to include a range of measures that should concern Canadians. The draft agreement puts the WHO at the helm of public health emergencies, getting countries to commit to “follow WHO’s recommendations.” It also asks states to commit to restricting “false, misleading, misinformation or disinformation.” Law professor and Rights Probe executive director Bruce Pardy joins the show to discuss. Also, the agenda for next week’s World Economic Forum annual meeting has sessions about the next pandemic, the future of free speech, and several about accelerating the “transition” away from oil and gas. Plus, more than three months after the devastating October 7 attacks by Hamas, the media continues to demonize Israel. Columnist Barbara Kay returns to expose the extent of the gaslighting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland has had nothing to say about Rebel News journalist David Menzies’ arrest, which took place while he was questioning her on her way into a Richmond Hill event. Freeland’s silence is particularly curious given how she’s taken up the press freedom cause in the past, even co-hosting a media freedom conference with her then-counterpart in the United Kingdom. True North’s Andrew Lawton says the hypocrisy is brazen but shouldn’t be all that surprising. Plus, Rebel News founder Ezra Levant joins the show to explain why Rebel is suing Freeland and the RCMP. Plus, while people are starting to talk about the housing and employment challenges being exacerbated by immigration, no one is willing to talk about mass immigration’s cultural effects. With the Canadian consensus on immigration eroding, Macdonald-Laurier Institute domestic policy director Aaron Wudrick says we need a grown-up conversation about immigration. He joins the show to discuss what that should look like. Also, the agenda for next week’s World Economic Forum annual meeting has sessions about the next pandemic, the future of free speech, and several about accelerating the “transition” away from oil and gas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rebel News reporter David Menzies was arrested for “assaulting a police officer” while he was attempting to question Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland at a Richmond Hill, Ont. event yesterday. While he was released without charges, the incident was a brutal overreach given the video footage shows no assault. The police were effectively serving to protect Freeland from uncomfortable questions, True North’s Andrew Lawton says. Menzies joins the show to explain what went down and why he’s now suing Freeland and the police. Also, the Canadian Military Journal, the official publication of the Canadian Armed Forces, devoted a whole issue to attacking the military for being rooted in “patriarchy” and “white supremacy.” Veteran and author Tom Marazzo and Veterans 4 Freedom president Drew MacGillivray join the show to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The same Toronto Police Service whose horses trampled an Indigenous woman during the Freedom Convoy protests saw some of its officers serving coffee to anti-Israel protesters who blocked a bridge in a Jewish neighbourhood on the weekend. Toronto police chief Myron Demkiw has apologized and launched a “thorough review” of the day’s events. True North’s Andrew Lawton says the police have clearly picked a side, which should make Toronto Jews very nervous. He discusses with lawyer Ari Goldkind. Also, the federal government has spent nearly half a million dollars on awards ceremonies for its own employees over the last 10 years. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s Kris Sims joins with the latest. Plus, True North is returning to Davos – not as Klaus Schwab’s invited guests, but as journalists. Except the World Economic Forum has barred us from getting into any of the official venues. Andrew explains why it isn’t going to stop him or his colleagues. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Conservative MP Leslyn Lewis has sponsored a petition calling on Canada to withdraw from the United Nations and the World Health Organization, saying Canada’s membership in these bodies has undermined the “health rights and freedom of Canadians.” Liberal and NDP MPs have accused Lewis and the Conservatives of being dangerous conspiracy theorists as a result. What do you think? True North’s Andrew Lawton weighs in. Also, the British Columbia Supreme Court has ruled that it would violate drug users’ constitutional rights to keep them away from playgrounds. This comes as a new report from the Macdonald-Laurier institute exposes how so-called safe supply policies have failed. The report’s author, National Post columnist Adam Zivo, joins the show to discuss. Plus, is civility dead? Author Alexandra Hudson calls for a return of civility to bridge the widening political divide in her new book “The Soul of Civility” and comes on to share her thoughts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harvard president Claudine Gay has resigned after countless examples of plagiarism were exposed by independent journalists. Now that she’s out, the media is blaming it all on conservatives, with one commentator going so far as to say exposing Gay’s plagiarism was an “attack on diversity.” True North’s Andrew Lawton weighs in. Plus, starting this year, Saskatchewan isn’t collecting the carbon tax on fuel and home heating as it protests the federal government’s exemption for Atlantic Canadians and their home heating oil. Saskatchewan Crown Corporations Minister Dustin Duncan joins The Andrew Lawton Show to discuss. Also, the Federal Court has ruled that Rebel News’ lawn signs promoting Ezra Levant’s book “The Libranos” were illegal. Levant weighs in on what this means for free speech and political discourse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Justin Trudeau is starting off 2024 defiant. In one of his year-end interviews with the legacy media, Trudeau said his declining popularity in the polls has nothing to do with him. He has been steadfast in his commitment to lead the Liberals into the next election. Do you think he’ll be able to hold onto his leadership all year? True North’s Andrew Lawton weighs in. Also, Saskatchewan is no longer collecting the carbon tax on natural gas and electrical heat in protest of the federal government’s carbon tax exemption on home heating oil, mostly benefitting Atlantic Canadians. Plus, SecondStreet.org’s Colin Craig joins the show to discuss how wait times in Canadian hospitals are getting worse and what Canada can do to address this glaring issue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The year 2023 has come and gone – and it was a busy one for True North journalists. In this edition of The Andrew Lawton Show, the last of the year, Andrew checks in with True North journalists Sue-Ann Levy, Rachel Emmanuel, and Cosmin Dzsurdzsa on their favourite stories from the year past. They discuss the re-election of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, the Million Person March for parental rights, the tragic suicide of Toronto principal Richard Bilkszto, and the London Public Library's embrace of censorship. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Of the few certainties in the world, one is that government spending, left unchecked, will continue to grow. 2023 was no exception, with the Canadian government getting bigger than ever and Canadian taxpayers footing the bill. In this year-end edition of the show, Andrew Lawton checks in with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation's Kris Sims and Franco Terrazzano on the worst and zaniest examples of taxpayer waste before taking in the bigger picture of how the bureaucracy gets so out of hand in the first place. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Justin Trudeau once claimed Canada was a post-national country, and later that Canada was a genocidal nation. Canada and Canadian identity have been under attack by the left – and many of its harshest critics have taken over key institutions including academia and the media. Does Canada have a positive future? True North's Andrew Lawton discusses with Aristotle Foundation founder Mark Milke in a conversation that also touches on history, philosophy, and the importance of free speech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sheila Gunn Reid has become a star independent journalist in Canada, but a decade ago she wasn't all that political and never would have imagined a job in media. Now the editor-in-chief of Rebel News, Gunn Reid got her start by making trouble for Liberal candidates on Twitter, and soon found she had a knack for journalism the legacy media wasn't doing. She joins True North's Andrew Lawton to talk about how she got her start in media as a mom and farmer in rural Alberta. Gunn Reid and Lawton also talk about media bias, independent journalism, and, erm, pickles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While the Covid era has come to an end, the courts are still filled with cases of people who were targeted by the Orwellian regime that covered Canada for the better part of three years. In many cases, constitutional challenges have fallen on deaf ears, with courts giving wide latitude to governments. In this edition of The Andrew Lawton Show, Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms president John Carpay joins for a check-in on the state of civil liberties in Canada and whether we should be pessimistic, optimistic, or somewhere in between.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the holiday season, so why not shake up the format a bit? In this edition of The Andrew Lawton Show, True North’s Andrew Lawton takes questions live from show listeners on anything and everything. Plus, a breakdown of yesterday’s interview with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pierre Poilievre is just about to conclude his first full year as leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. In this year-end interview on True North's The Andrew Lawton Show, Poilievre sits down to discuss the past year and offer a bit of a glimpse at what may come in the year ahead. In this wide-ranging interview, he and Lawton discuss inflation and housing, legal and illegal immigration, Israel, and free speech – and why Poilievre thinks Trudeau is a "radical authoritarian." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Renowned psychologist and author Jordan Peterson had jokingly offered to take over as Harvard president following a plagiarism scandal embroiling the Ivy League school’s current president, Claudine Gay, and backlash to the school’s light touch when it comes to rampant on-campus antisemitism. In a post on X, Peterson hinted that he has a “proven academic track record, a now-international reputation, and the ability to stand up to the bloody narcissists of the woke mob.” Would you support a Peterson takeover of the Ivy League? Also, the House of Commons has voted to advance a bill requiring age verification to access online pornography, with only the Liberals opposed. True North’s Andrew Lawton says the goal of keeping porn away from children is a noble one, but this bill is the wrong way to do it. Plus, Prof. Tom Flanagan joins the show to discuss his new book “Grave Error,” an anthology challenging the mainstream media and establishment narrative about residential schools and unmarked graves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Countries at the United Nations’ COP28 climate summit have agreed to “transition away” from oil and gas, which Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault is trumpeting as a “global consensus” for clean energy. True North’s Andrew Lawton says the UN and Canada are in lockstep when it comes to harming the Canadian economy and killing jobs while doing nothing for the climate. He discusses with ClimateDepot.com publisher Marc Morano Also, a new anthology gives former Ontario premier Mike Harris his due as a “transformational premier” who influenced Ontario politics and Canadian politics. Alister Campbell, editor of “The Harris Legacy,” joins the show to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jagmeet Singh and the NDP are doing a victory lap after the Liberals unveiled a plan to provide dental insurance for up to nine million low-income, uninsured Canadians. However, the program is an exapnsion of an existing one that already covered children. Moreover, the "universal national pharmacare" plan laid out in the NDP/Liberal supply and confidence agreement is still nowhere to be found. Jagmeet Singh has underdelivered yet again – but still thinks he won, True North's Andrew Lawton says. Also, Macdonald-Laurier Institute managing director Brian Lee Crowley on why supporting Israel is in Canada's national interests. Plus, the Fraser Institute's Jake Fuss on why Canadian generosity is at a record low. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nearly 250,000 people have signed a viral House of Commons petition calling for a vote of non-confidence in Justin Trudeau’s government. These petitions are non-binding, but they do reflect growing frustration with the Liberal government at a time when Trudeau’s poll numbers have been dwarfed by Pierre Poilievre’s. Did you sign the petition? Also, after two months, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly finally condemned Hamas’ sexual violence against Israeli women and girls in its October 7th attacks. Toronto Sun columnist Brian Lilley joins to discuss how Trudeau’s “feminist” foreign policy is empty words. Plus, Kris Sims from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation on how the government managed to spend $200 million just to administer its carbon tax. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

She’s back! True North founder and editor-in-chief Candice Malcolm has returned from maternity leave, relaunching The Candice Malcolm Show and gearing up for some big plans for True North. In this edition of the Andrew Lawton Show, Candice and Andrew talk about the decline of legacy media, the rise of independent media and what the future likely holds for both. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andrew Tate is a self-described manipulator, pimp, and pornographer, yet he’s also become a curious hero for some on the right who see him as a victim of cancel culture. The truth, True North’s Andrew Lawton says, is that the enemy of your enemy isn’t always your friend. He discusses with journalist and author Jonathon Van Maren. Also, the federal government is still considering a criminal ban on residential school “denialism.” Andrew explains why that’s so dangerous for free speech. Plus, why are more parents opting out of the public system and sending their kids to independent schools. Paige MacPherson from the Fraser Institute joins to dig in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Canada’s first ever citizen-led inquiry, the National Citizens Inquiry into the country’s Covid-19 response, has come to a close, issuing its commissioners’ final report this morning. The report exposes harms caused by lockdowns, vaccine mandates, and other Covid interventions by the government, calling on the government to put civil liberties front and centre moving forward. While the inquiry is damning, it has no official status and was boycotted by all invited public officials. Does it matter? True North’s Andrew Lawton discusses with National Citizens Inquiry administrator Ches Crosbie. Also, a Liberal member of parliament is blaming Pierre Poilievre and the “far-right” for a shooting in Winnipeg. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another day, another tense press conference featuring Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and the legacy media. Poilievre challenged a Canadian Press reporter’s question in an exchange that has legacy media talking heads calling him a “bully” and predicting he’ll lose the election. They’re used to no one challenging them, True North’s Andrew Lawton says. These are the journalists Justin Trudeau just announced even more money for. Kris Sims from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation joins the show to discuss. Plus, the NDP is reportedly going to give the Liberals an extension on coming up with a pharmacare plan and won’t be pulling their support from them for failing to do so by the end of this year. Also, a new report from C2C Journal exposes the “dangers and delusions” of central bank digital currencies, which the Bank of Canada is actively exploring. Author Gleb Lisikh weighs in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Liberals delivered their fall fiscal update yesterday, painting a grim picture of Canada’s finances despite Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland’s claim that Canada is not and never has been “broken.” The update shows more spending, more deficits, and more taxes, with millions more going to bailing out Canadian journalists and ballooning debt servicing costs. True North’s Andrew Lawton discusses with Conservative finance critic Jasraj Singh Hallan. Plus, the federal government has vowed to fight to defend its plastics ban despite a court finding it was unconstitutional. What does this mean for Canadian industry? Catherine Swift of the Coalition of Concerned Manufacturers & Businesses of Canada joins to weigh in. While antisemitic protests have become a mainstay across the country, Quebec has proven to be a particular hotbed for Jew hatred. National Post Barbara Kay explains why that is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Canadian Human Rights Commission has been quiet on six weeks of rampant antisemitic hate and calls for violence against Jews and Israelis, but has published a discussion paper taking aim at the real source of discrimination – Christmas and Easter. The human rights commission says Christmas and Easter being holidays is discriminatory against non-Christians, making Canada a religiously intolerant “settler colonial state.” True North’s Andrew Lawton discusses with Rebel News founder Ezra Levant. Plus, a new report from C2C Journal exposes the “dangers and delusions” of central bank digital currencies, which the Bank of Canada is actively exploring. Author Gleb Lisikh joins the show to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An analysis of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s daily itineraries by journalist Glen McGregor reveals that in Trudeau’s eight years in office, he’s taken 22 months – nearly two years – of “personal” days. This is 24 per cent of his term that has been days off, with no public events or publicly disclosed meetings. True North’s Andrew Lawton weighs in. Legacy media journalists are criticizing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre for calling the Trudeau government “socialist” – even though one of Trudeau’s ministers publicly called himself a “proud socialist” a couple of weeks ago. Also, the Federal Court has struck down the federal government’s plastics ban as unconstitutional, the latest rebuke of Trudeau’s environmental policies. Andrew discusses with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s Kris Sims. Plus, does Canada need a top-to-bottom reform of its tax system? Macdonald-Laurier Institute researcher Aaron Wudrick says we do. He joins the show to explain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Reform Party leader Preston Manning was tapped by the Alberta government to lead an inquiry into Alberta's legislative response to Covid. The panel found that Albertans need better protection against infringements on their rights and freedoms and that Alberta's emergency management agency – not public health officials – should take the lead on emergency response. The panel also recommends against school closures, which it found should only be a last resort and for as short a time as possible. Manning joins True North's Andrew Lawton to discuss the panel's report and recommendations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The federal government has finalized yet another extension of its amnesty period for firearms banned by order-in-council in May 2020, meaning owners of newly prohibited guns may have a reprieve if Justin Trudeau’s Liberals are ousted in the next election. True North’s Andrew Lawton discusses why this is good news and focuses in on what Alberta has done to push back against Ottawa gun control. Also, a new study from the Aristotle Foundation finds that despite the proclamations of Trudeau and the mainstream media, Canada is not a systemically racist country after all. Aristotle Foundation president Mark Milke joins the show to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bernie Farber, the founder of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, admitted in an X post that the CAHN lacks the “resources” to look into anything other than the “extreme right.” This was his explanation for CAHN’s relative silence in the wake of Hamas’ attacks on Israel and rampant antisemitism across Canada at pro-Palestine rallies. True North’s Andrew Lawton says Farber accidentally said the quiet part out loud, admitting a lot of Jew hatred comes from the left. Also, the media is freaking out over Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s upcoming appearance with Tucker Carlson. Plus, interviews and stories from the Alberta UCP AGM and the ARC Forum in London. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's United Conservative Party government has taken an unequivocally Alberta-first stance in its policies and messaging. From passing the Sovereignty Act to running ads in Ottawa taking aim at federal policy, Smith has been unafraid of positioning Alberta as Confederation's provincial watchdog. In this special edition of The Andrew Lawton Show, we share Andrew's fireside chat with Smith, recorded after her speech at True North Nation in Calgary last month – True North's first ever live and in-person event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The first ever conference for the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) concluded this afternoon, wrapping up three days of discussions about responsibility, freedom and citizenship in the context of uplifting individuals and families, rather than states and globalism. True North’s Andrew Lawton spoke to dozens of attendees from different backgrounds and found one fairly common goal – a rejection of wokeness and grievance politics. In this edition of the show, live from London, Andrew recaps the conference and shares some interviews he did there. Plus, thousands of Alberta United Conservative Party members are set to descend on Calgary this week for what’s shaping up to be the biggest political party convention Canada has ever seen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While the World Economic Forum and globalist commentators push for open borders, attendees at the Alliance for Responsibility (ARC) Forum in London, United Kingdom, are more concerned with dismally low birth rates in the west and unfettered mass migration. True North’s Andrew Lawton comes to you live from London after wrapping up Day 2 of the inaugural ARC Forum. According to a new poll, more Canadians than ever believe the country’s immigration rates are too high. This comes as the Liberal government continues to ramp up immigration targets despite an affordability crisis. The consensus on immigration is changing – not just in Canada, but around in the world. Plus, the Federal Court has defended Justin Trudeau’s 2020 gun ban in a ruling delivered yesterday. Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights CEO Rod Giltaca joins the show to discuss what this means for gun owners and Canadians as a whole. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

True North’s Andrew Lawton is live from London, United Kingdom, where the first Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) Forum kicked off today. The conference features 1,500 delegates from 72 countries with discussions about citizenship, responsibility and individualism, rather than globalism and collectivism. Andrew says this makes it an important counterbalance to the World Economic Forum and its annual Davos summits. Also, a Liberal cabinet minister says if western Canadians want their concerns about the carbon tax to be heard, they need to vote Liberal. Plus, Kris Sims of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation on the return of the Alberta legislature and the federal government’s home heating oil backtrack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many of the progressives who wish to censor speech they disagree with as “hate speech” and mandate pronoun usage are defending their right to free speech when challenged on endorsing or condoning Hamas violence against Israel. If you hope that pointing out this double standard will change anything, you’re mistaken, True North’s Andrew Lawton says: the anti-free speech left doesn’t care. True North’s Sue-Ann Levy joins to talk about the Toronto District School Board-sanctioned student walkout to protest Israel underway today. Plus, free speech-loving doctors and medical professionals are holding a conference in Nova Scotia this weekend to take a stand for Free Speech in Medicine. Organizer Dr. Chris Milburn joins the show to explain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre spoke in support of a private member’s bill banning federal vaccine mandates. Liberal MPs including Mark Gerretsen and Seamus O’Regan said it was a “waste of time” and accused Poilievre of not being focused on real issues. True North’s Andrew Lawton says the Liberals just don’t want to be forced to defend their atrocious Covid record. Also, True North journalist Noah Jarvis joins the show to discuss his series on waste, mismanagement and conflicts of interest at the federal clean technology crown corporation Sustainable Development Technology Canada. Plus, lawyers Christine Van Geyn and Joanna Baron of the Canadian Constitution Foundation have a new book out about the government’s assaults on freedom over the last three years. They join the show to talk about Pandemic Panic: How Canadian Government Responses to Covid 19 Changed Civil Liberties Forever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A massive poll conducted by the federal government found that a majority of Canadians think Justin Trudeau is on the wrong track on nearly all issues. In spite of these numbers, the Liberals have doubled down on their record and ramped up their attacks on the Conservatives. Do you think there’s anything they could do to turn the ship around? True North’s Andrew Lawton weighs in. Also, several Liberal and New Democrat politicians and left-wing media personalities have called for a “ceasefire” between Israel and Hamas. They claim to be speaking up for “peace,” but all they’re doing is denying Israel’s right to self-defence. JSpaceCanada chair Joe Roberts joins the show to discuss. Plus, Girl Guides of Canada is banning its chapters from participating in Santa Claus parades because of the organization’s commitment to “secularism and inclusivity.” This comes as the Canadian Armed Forces prevents chaplains from offering religious prayers at Remembrance Day ceremonies. Veteran Tom Marazzo is back to talk about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dozens of students at the Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) law school have signed – and deleted – an open letter condemning Israel as a “settler colony.” The signatories say they “support all forms of Palestinian resistance and efforts toward liberation” and explicitly Palestinians should be judged by different rules than Israelis because the former are the “oppressor.” True North’s Andrew Lawton discusses. Lawyer Ari Goldkind says Toronto police have failed to protect the city’s Jews from a spike in antisemitism. He joins Andrew to weigh in. Plus, Kris Sims from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation joins for her regular Monday check in – this time discussing Rideau Hall’s $8 million barn. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new poll shows that not only most Canadians favour Pierre Poilievre to Justin Trudeau, but even those who voted for Trudeau in 2021 are split on whether he should step down ahead of the next election. While the polls have consistently bad for the Liberals, Trudeau has been unequivocal that he plans to contest the next election – and his caucus has been in lockstep behind him. Do you think he should run or resign? Also, Trudeau has told Alberta Premier Danielle Smith the federal government will fight Alberta’s proposed withdrawal from the Canada Pension Plan, prompting Smith to tell Ottawa to butt out. True North’s Andrew Lawton discusses with Aaron Wudrick of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. Plus, the criminal mischief trial of Tamara Lich and Chris Barber continues, with testimony this week from Ottawa residents opposed to the Freedom Convoy. Epoch Times reporter Matthew Horwood joins the show to give the latest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The media and politicians were quick to take Hamas at its word and lay blame against Israel for a Palestinian rocket that crashed into a hospital parking lot in Gaza. Media outlets have quietly rewritten their stories and headlines in the past day, but even this morning Minister François-Philippe Champagne referred to the hospital bombing as an “attack.” True North’s Andrew Lawton weighs in. Plus, anti-Israel protests continue to mount, with increasingly antisemitic rhetoric. Andrew discusses with Ratio’d host Harrison Faulkner. Plus, the federal government has vowed to outlaw online “hate speech” as part of its “online harms” bill. Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms president John Carpay joins the program to unpack what this means for free speech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Liberals have seized on a wave of antisemitic protests to reiterate their pledge to introduce a law regulating “online harms.” The bill, which the Liberals originally promised to table in 2021, would ban restrict online “hate speech” at a lower threshold than what exists in law right now – and penalize social media platforms that allow it. True North’s Andrew Lawton says the answer to hate is not censorship. After taking credit for making grocery store owners lower their prices, the Liberals are now complaining that grocers haven’t provided a firm plan. Canadian Taxpayers Federation federal director Franco Terrazzano weighs in. Also, United Conservative Party members will vote on policy resolutions aimed at protecting parental rights when it comes to children changing gender and pronouns at school Alberta Premier Danielle Smith hasn’t yet committed to taking the same actions that the governments in New Brunswick and Saskatchewan have though. True North COO and longtime Alberta politico William McBeath joins the show to discuss. Plus, American media have taken notice of Pierre Poilievre’s handling of a reporter who accused him of being Trump-like in an awkward interview. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh survived a leadership review on the weekend, though fewer NDP members voted for him than did in his last two reviews. More notably, NDP members adopted a resolution calling on the NDP to withdraw its support of the Liberal government unless the Liberals make good on their promise of a national pharmacare plan. True North’s Andrew Lawton weighs in. Also, the federal government withheld documents from the RCMP, preventing the RCMP from fully investigating the SNC-Lavalin scandal. Democracy Watch founder Duff Conacher joins the show to discuss. Plus, what does the Supreme Court of Canada’s rebuke of the ‘no more pipelines’ law, Bill C-69, mean for the Canadian oil and gas sector? The Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s Kris Sims is back to break it down. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Federal Court of Appeal held a hearing yesterday to decide whether it was reasonable to dismiss Brian Peckford’s and Maxime Bernier’s legal challenge of the Covid vaccine mandate for air travel as “moot.” The Federal Court ruled earlier that since the government lifted the mandate, there was no point in adjudicating whether it was unconstitutional (despite the government asserting it had a right to reintroduce it). True North’s Andrew Lawton discusses with lawyer Eva Chipiuk. Fraser Institute senior fellow Kenneth Green joins to discuss how “Covid theatre” replaced public health policy. Plus, Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman on Hamas’ call for global jihad tomorrow and international human rights lawyer Sarah Teich on the “settler” narrative being peddled to justify Hamas violence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Canada’s state broadcaster, CBC, is refusing to refer to Hamas as terrorists in its coverage of the terrorist group’s attacks on Israel over the last four days. A memo sent to its journalists also forbids them from mentioning Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza in 2005. True North’s Andrew Lawton says this shouldn’t come as a surprise given the way the media covers Israel in general, including the latest attacks. Honest Reporting Canada executive director Mike Fegelman joins the show to discuss. Also, CUPE is doubling down after its Ontario president, Fred Hahn, lauded “resistance” in a Thanksgiving message. Plus, the federal government is extending its amnesty on firearms banned by order-in-council in 2020 to 2025, meaning the amnesty will last until after the next federal election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices