S02E05 COVID Test Internment

We have arrived at the fourth anniversary of the Covid pandemic and the implementation of draconian restrictions throughout Canada.  Traditionally, the fourth anniversary is celebrated with fruit and flowers, however this is something of a bitter celebration as some repressive measures continue. What, if anything, have we learned? For one thing, we learned that it is easy to rule by fear. We also convey a Justice Centre message for International Women's Day. We look at a Radio Canada story about puberty blockers, and we revisit the BC MLA Selena Robinson story now that she has resigned from the NDP caucus.

Sign the Petition: Stop the Online Harms Act

X Post by @JCCFCanada, Mar 8, 2024: On International Women’s Day, the Justice Centre envisions a Canada where...

Washington Times, Mar 12, 2024: COVID-19 tested our commitment to freedom; 4 years later, we’re still failing

Vancouver Sun, Mar 22, 2022: COVID-19: About 2,500 B.C. health-care workers lost jobs over refusal to vaccinate

The Canadian Press via The National Post, Mar 7, 2024: Freedom Convoy trial judge will hear argument that Lich, Barber conspired to organize an illegal protest

Justice Centre, Mar 7, 2024: Charges stayed against Derek Sloan and Henry Hildebrandt over their peaceful pro-freedom protests

Justice Centre, Jan 18, 2024: ArriveCAN ticket case dismissed, but Charter rights remain in limbo

Justice Centre, Feb 20, 2024: Quebec teacher challenges Education Minister’s gender transition policy

The Telegraph via MSN, Mar 12, 2024: NHS bans puberty blocker prescriptions for children in ‘landmark decision’

The National Post, Mar 6, 2024: 'You broke my heart': Read Selina Robinson's resignation letter to the B.C. NDP caucus

John Carpay in the Western Standard, Feb 13, 2024: Sorry Selina, but what goes round, comes round

The Globe and Mail, Mar 8, 2024: Former NDP chief says Jewish members are feeling uncomfortable in the party

Lindsay Shepherd in True North, Mar 1, 2024: Two BC libraries ban the book “Grave Error”

Justice Centre Report, May 13, 2020: No longer demonstrably justified: An Analysis of Alberta’s COVID-19 Modelling – May 13, 2020

Theme Music "Carpay Diem" by Dave Stevens

John takes us through his critique of the proposed federal Online Harms Act. While acknowledging some good in it, he notes that most of that good is duplication of existing laws, while the bad is, in his words, "the worst attack on free speech in modern Canadian history." The federal government is using "safety" as the justification, and their main target is "hate speech." The government says it wants to bring the law in line with the Supreme Court, but John demonstrates how even that court has difficulty in producing a coherent definition of "hate."

Justice Centre, Feb 29, 2024: Online Harms Act threatens free expression in Canada

Justice Centre Petition: Stop the Online Harms Act

John Carpay in the The Epoch Times, Mar 5, 2024: Online Harms Act the Latest Manifestation of Canada's New Maternal Fascism

The National Post, Jan 13, 2012: Richard Warman's hate speech quagmire

Joseph Brean in The National Post, Feb 29, 2024: The history of Section 13, the controversial hate speech law the Liberals just revived

i24 News, Nov 9, 2023: Berlin criminalizes slogan 'From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free

The National Post, Nov 17, 2023: Charge stayed against Calgary pro-Palestinian protester who chanted 'from the river to the sea'

The National Post, Mar 5, 2024: Online harms bill could spark 'an absolute tsunami of complaints'

CBC, Feb 26, 2024: Groups fighting anti-Black racism file complaint against Canadian Human Rights Commission

CanLII, Feb 27, 2013: Saskatchewan (Human Rights Commission) v. Whatcott, 2013

Justice Centre, Feb 2, 2020: Yaniv v. Various Waxing Salons

Carson Jerema in The National Post, Feb 27, 2024: Don't believe the Liberals, online harms act targets free speech

Michael Geist in The Hub, Feb 27, 2024: Red flags abound in new online harms legislation

Andrew Coyne in the Globe and Mail, Feb 27, 2024: One cheer for the new Online Harms Act

Theme Music "Carpay Diem" by Dave Stevens

Quebec lawyer and Director of French Canada for the Justice Centre Olivier Séguin tells us about a case where a teacher is suing the provincial government to get rid of its guide on transgender issues for schools. The teacher had been ordered by her to school administration to hide a 14-year-old's female-to-male social transition from her parents. The school thought it was following the law, but the Ministry of Education's guide appears to be misleading. Mr. Séguin gives some context as to how this case fits into the province's politics as Quebec parents wake up to the woke agenda.

Justice Centre, Feb 20, 2024: Quebec teacher challenges Education Minister’s gender transition policy

The Canadian Press via CTV News, Sep 1, 2023: Quebec police probe threats after school says nonbinary teacher prefers Mx. pronoun

The National Post, Jan 17, 2024: Montreal doctor suspended for three months after argument over patient's pronouns

The Canadian Press via Global News, Sep 12, 2023: No to mixed-gender bathrooms in Quebec schools, says education minister

Rebel News, Mar 1, 2024: Une enseignante conteste la directive de l'école concernant la divulgation de l'identité de genre

Theme Music "Carpay Diem" by Dave Stevens

Lawyer Marty Moore gives us a round-up of court cases involving gender issues and parental rights across Canada. Starting in New Brunswick, the fight moved west to Saskatchewan and then into Alberta with new policy announcements by Premier Danielle Smith. Court challenges in Alberta, he believes, are inevitable. If the province opts to use the Notwithstanding Clause, as the government did in Saskatchewan, there is a potential for a sea change in how constitutional questions are settled, as more provinces move to overrule activist courts.

Marty Moore on X, Feb 10, 2024: "We may be on the cusp of a sea change in constitutional law in Canada, where Canadian legislatures, outside of QC, exercise increasing authority under the notwithstanding clause..."

National Post, Feb 1, 2024: Alberta's new transgender rules: From restricted treatments to pronouns and parental rights

Justice Centre, Feb 20, 2024: Quebec teacher challenges Education Minister’s gender transition policy

CBC, Jun 18, 2023: N.B. premier stands by changes to school LGBTQ policy, says he does not want an election

Regina Leader-Post, Sep 28, 2024: Moe vows to use notwithstanding clause after court injunction halts pronoun policy

Justice Centre, Jan 10, 2024: Intervening for parental rights: UR Pride v. Saskatchewan

National Post, Feb 16, 2024: Judge rules challenge of Saskatchewan’s pronoun law can proceed

National Post, Feb 15, 2023: Ontario school trustee barred from meetings after questioning gender transition policy

Western Standard, Feb 11, 2024: WATCH: NDP MP says children have rights, parents do not

Edmonton Journal, Feb 15, 2024: Alberta law professors believe province's planned transgender policies violate Charter rights

Barry Cooper in the Western Standard, Feb 17, 2024: Where do Alberta lawyers get such kooky ideas?

Policy Options, Aug 24, 2023: Longstanding Canadian confidence in the judicial system may be on shaky ground

True North, Feb 15, 2024: CSIS admits to monitoring parental rights activists, compares them to neo-Nazis

CanLII, Apr 29, 2019: PT v Alberta, 2019 ABCA 158

The Spectator (UK), Feb 13, 2023: How did the Tavistock gender scandal unfold?

Theme Music "Carpay Diem" by Dave Stevens

John starts the show by discussing the kerfuffle around Selina Robinson, forced to resign from the provincial cabinet in British Columbia for remarks about Israel pre-1948. It was a collision of outrage and cancel culture. Everyone involved failed, including Robinson and the mainstream media. Free speech and accurate reporting were completely ignored. We move on to other stories with similar themes, about media bias, free speech on campus, and we finish up with Danielle Smith's transgender policies.

John Carpay in the Western Standard, Feb 13, 2024: Sorry Selina, but what goes round, comes round

B'nai Brith, Jan 30, 2024: An Evening with Our Jewish Public Officials

Glacier Media via Castanet, Feb 1, 2024: College instructors group calls on B.C. minister to resign for criticizing pro-Hamas teacher

National Post via MSN, Jan 26, 2024: Pro-terror college instructor who claimed victory at not being fired... is fired

Vancouver Sun, Nov 2, 2023: How public comments made outside of the workplace can become 'off-duty misconduct'

Brian Lilly in the Toronto Sun via MSN, Feb 6, 2024: Canada's biased media do themselves no favours with Poilievre

Blacklock's Reporter, Feb 8, 2024: Media Untrustworthy, Biase

CBC, Feb 9, 2024: Trudeau 'pissed off' by Bell Media's 'garbage decision' to lay off journalists

John Carpay in the Western Standard, Feb 8, 2024: Unbelievable but true, as NDP legislator demands pro-energy speech ban

Justice Centre, Feb 6, 2024: Justice Centre Weekly: Glenn Blackett on the importance of professional dissent - S02E02

Joel Kotkin in The National Post, Feb 8, 2024: 'Decolonized' universities dividing Canadians--Higher education goes Medieval

Justin Deschamps in Badlands Media, Feb 7, 2024: Gender Ideology Has Become Law--The Cautionary Tale of Canada's Subversive, Incremental Lawfare

True North, Feb 2, 2024: “A step forward” LGBT Albertans react to Danielle Smith’s new gender policies

Pamela Paul in The New York Times, Feb 2, 2024: As Kids, They Thought They Were Trans. They No Longer Do.

Theme Music "Carpay Diem" by Dave Stevens

Lawyer James Manson discusses the hearing for Harold Jonker on Tuesday, January 30. Mr. Jonker is a trucker and a former town counsellor who was penalized by his Township for attending the Freedom Convoy. Mr. Manson says he's pleased because he felt Mr. Jonker received a fair hearing. We speculate about the positive influence on the country following the recent ruling that the Emergencies Act was an unlawful response to the Freedom Convoy.

Justice Centre, Sep 26, 2022: Harold Jonker v. The Township of West Lincoln

Justice Centre Weekly on YouTube, Nov 6, 2023: On the unexpected EI appeal decision (with James Manson) - S01E29

CanLII, Mar 22, 2012: Doré v. Barreau du Québec, 2012 SCC 12

Paul Daly in The Canadian Bar Review, Oct 6, 2023: The Doré Duty--Fundamental Rights in Public Administration

John Carpay in The Epoch Times via the Justice Centre, Jan 23, 2024: Emergencies Act: Finally, a Canadian Court Rules Against Government

The Canadian Encyclopedia: The FLQ and the October Crisis - Timeline

Peter Rosenthal in the Manitoba Law Journal via CanLII, 1991: The New Emergencies Act: Four Times the War Measures Act, 1991

Theme Music "Carpay Diem" by Dave Stevens

John gives us a brief account of his experience introducing Tucker Carlson at Rogers Place in Edmonton the evening of January 24th. Then we turn to the big ruling from the Federal Court in the Emergencies Act case that determined "the decision to issue the Proclamation was unreasonable and led to infringement of Charter rights not justified under section 1," (to quote from Justice Mosley's decision). Many contributed to this victory. The big winners are the Canadian people.

Rebel News, Jan 25, 2024: Unhinged Liberals have a meltdown after Tucker Carlson invades Canada

True North, Jan 26, 2024: Liberal MPs urge Poilievre to condemn Carlson and criticize Danielle Smith

Justice Centre, Jan 23, 2024: Court Ruling: Federal Government acted illegally in responding to 2022 Freedom Convoy

Johb Carpay in The Epoch Times via the Justice Centre, Jan 23, 2024: Emergencies Act: Finally, a Canadian Court Rules Against Government

John Carpay in the Western Standard via the Justice Centre, Jan 24, 2024: Finally, a judge who didn’t just say ‘it just doesn’t matter any more’

Reuters via MSN, Jan 24, 2024: Trudeau govt to appeal ruling on use of emergency powers to end 2022 protests

Blacklock's Reporter, Jan 26, 2024: ArriveCan Audit Due Feb. 12

Blacklock's Reporter, Jan 26, 2024: MPs See ‘Apparent Reprisals’

Justice Centre, Jan 18, 2024: ArriveCAN ticket case dismissed, but Charter rights remain in limbo

Justice Centre, Sep 19, 2023: Québec lockdown curfew on trial this week

“In Conversation” with the Justice Centre at Toronto's Leña Restaurante, Feb 1, 2024

Theme Music "Carpay Diem" by Dave Stevens

We open the new season with a discussion of three recent Justice Centre victories: 1) The Michal Princ case in Alberta where a doctor was accused of professional misconduct for providing Covid vaccine exemptions, 2) the Leah McInnes case. Leah, a Saskatchewan nurse, who had been accused of unprofessional conduct because she protested—both in the streets and on social media—against lockdowns and vaccine mandates, and 3) an ArriveCAN ticket case in Ontario. The ticket case has ties, in spirit, with the Peckford ArriveCAN case, in which our lawyers have requested leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada after lower court rulings that our Charter-based lawsuit against the ArriveCAN was moot.

Justice Centre, Jan 18, 2024: College drops charges against Alberta doctor who granted Covid vaccine exemptions

The Democracy Fund, Sep 14, 2023: CPSO drops disciplinary proceedings against Ontario physician for opposing harmful Covid policies

Justice Centre, Jan 19, 2024: Free speech victory: Charges against nurse who opposed vaccine mandates defeated

Jordan Peterson in the National Post, Jan 17, 2024: Bureaucrats will rue the day they tried to shut me up

Justice Centre, Oct 10, 2023: Saskatchewan nurse faces disciplinary proceedings over expressing her opinions

Justice Centre, Jan 18, 2024: ArriveCAN ticket case dismissed, but Charter rights remain in limbo

Justice Centre, Nov 10, 2023: BC healthcare workers’ vaccine mandate challenge: Tatlock, Koop, et al. v. BC and Dr. Bonnie Henry

Justice Centre, Jan 11, 2024: Peckford, Bernier take travel restrictions to Supreme Court of Canada

The New Westminster Times, Jan 19, 2024: Unreconciled: Veteran Powell River Paramedic Forced Out Of His Job For Opposing City Name Change

Theme Music "Carpay Diem" by Dave Stevens

John takes an in-depth look at last month's Hillier ruling, in which the judge ignored the plaintiffs’ expert report. Then, after giving us the reasons we need to keep taking governments to court, he lists the Justice Centre's many achievements in 2023.

Justice Centre, Nov 27, 2023: Judge ignores evidence of lockdown harms when justifying Charter violations

CanLII, Feb 28, 2022: Ontario v. Trinity Bible Chapel et al, 2022 ONSC 1344

More from the Justice Centre, 2023:

Jul 27: Hearing for Ontario vaccine passports postponed

Aug 1: Alberta court strikes down public health orders that violated Charter freedoms

Oct 27: Protecting citizens’ freedoms during a public health emergency

Mar 24: Three charges dropped for anti-lockdown protestors in Regina

High School Curriculum on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Oct 23: BC nurse Amy Hamm’s prosecution continues

Nov 28: Nurse who protested vaccine-passports under investigation: College of Registered Nurses Saskatchewan v. McInnes

Nov 21: Windsor Constable appealing conviction for Freedom Convoy donation: Brisco v. The Windsor Police Service

Nov 10: BC healthcare workers’ vaccine mandate challenge: Tatlock, Koop, et al. v. BC and Dr. Bonnie Henry

Aug 9: Harvest Ministries suing Québec government for forcing event cancellation

Sep 20: Transsexual and parent groups support children’s rights in SK court case

Oct 18: Grandmother sues Chilliwack School Board for censoring citizens

Dec 12: $290-million class action against Freedom Convoy participants: Zexi Li et al v. Chris Barber et al

Dec 4: Pastor challenges Dr. Bonnie Henry over illegal discrimination between faith groups

Sep 19: Québec lockdown curfew on trial this week

Apr 4: Digital ID, Surveillance, and the Value of Privacy – Part One

Our Resources

Theme Music "Carpay Diem" by Dave Stevens

John tells us about his experience at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) Conference in London, England, at the beginning of November. He took a lot of notes over the three days and shares some of his observations. Later, we discuss the Chris Barber/Tamara Lich trial.

Alliance for Responsible Citizenship Forum

The ARC Conference YouTube page

Britannica: medieval warm period

Matt Walsh on YouTube, Dec 10, 2023: The Victim Hierarchy

Reuters via MSN, Dec 11, 2023:  University of Pennsylvania president resigns after antisemitism testimony

ARC video on YouTube: Smartphone Addiction and Gen Alpha - Jonathan Haidt, Social Psychologist

Good Reads: The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure by Jonathan Haidt Greg Lukianoff

ARC video on YouTube: Konstantin Kis in’s speech to world leaders at ARC Conference 2023

ARC video on YouTube: How to fix climate change. But Smartly. - Bjorn Lomborg, Climate Policy Researcher

True Discipline on X, Apr 29, 2023: Increase in 12th grade boys identifying as conservative

Ayaan Hirsi Ali Website

Justice Centre, Nov 20, 2023: BC healthcare workers prevented from returning to work despite understaffing

Sudbury Star, Dec 9, 2023: Lack of staff, strategy hurting health care in Northern Ontario, report says

John Carpay in The Epoch Times, Dec 10, 2023: Lich-Barber Criminal Trial Shows Ideological Crown Prosecutors and Misplaced Priorities

Justice Centre, May 25, 2023: Charge dropped against teenager fined for playing basketball in park

BBC, Jul 2, 2021: Statue of Queen Victoria toppled in Winnipeg, Canada

Kathryn Marshall in The National Post, Dec 3, 2023: Our judicial system is broken, but politicians don't seem to care

Theme Music "Carpay Diem" by Dave Stevens