The New Boss, Redux

The installed, unelected, and ruling by fiat boss:

Carney had tried to downplay the role he played in the relocation during the Liberal leadership race, saying the decision was finalized after he ceased to be chair. He also said, “I do not have a connection with Brookfield Asset Management.” However, Brookfield announced the move while he was still the chairman and documents show he had championed the decision.

But it’s not just Conservatives: Some on Bay Street are raising concerns about the transparency of Carney’s business dealings, too, according to financiers who spoke to the National Post on the condition they not be named.

Carney’s quick ascension to prime minister without having held elected office, and his swift decision to put all his assets other than his “personal real estate” into a blind trust mean that Canadians are not fully aware whether he could find himself in conflicts of interest for his work at Brookfield, a firm with US$1 trillion in assets under management. Or more precisely, the billions in capital Carney personally helped raise for net-zero projects around the globe.

“He’s the prime minister of the country, having never been scrutinized,” said a managing partner at an asset management firm. “I think now people are going like, ‘Hold on a second. What have we got here’?”

 

(Sidebar: more here.)

**

Carney’s affiliation — whether current or not — therefore makes comments from WEF founder Klaus Schwab alarming, at least to sceptics. With another Canadian prime minister having a sympathetic ear for the WEF, it raises questions about the World Economic Forum's ability to influence domestic policy from outside the country.

“We penetrate the cabinets,” Schwab said in 2017. “So, yesterday, I was at a reception for Prime Minister Trudeau, and I know that half of his cabinet — or even more than half — are actually Young Global Leaders of the World Economic Forum.”

“I have to say, when I mention names like Mrs. (Angela) Merkel and even Vladimir Putin, and so on, they all have been Young Global Leaders of the World Economic Forum. But what we are very proud of now is the young generation, like Prime Minister (Justin) Trudeau.”

Schwab and his colleagues created a controversial initiative called the Great Reset — to critics, a top-down agenda driven by a wealthy, unelected global elite.

Meanwhile, Carney has branded himself a political outsider...

 **

Mark Carney considers himself a "European"

NOT a Canadian

He said this on a panel at the WEF

This man is just another CANADA LAST globalist loserpic.twitter.com/5Ldk6bCt2t

— The Pleb 🌍 Reporter (@truckdriverpleb) January 14, 2025

**

A review of corporate documents reveals that Brookfield—the influential $900 billion Canadian investment fund from which Liberal Prime Minister-to-be Mark Carney stepped away from in order to replace Justin Trudeau as Canada's leader—maintains over $3 billion in politically sensitive investments with Chinese state-linked real estate and energy companies, along with a substantial offshore banking presence. One of its major real estate ventures, a $750 million entry into high-end Shanghai commercial property in 2013, involved a Hong Kong tycoon affiliated with the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC)—which the CIA labels a central "united front" entity of Beijing.

 

(Sidebar: more here.) 

** 

Because "transparency":

“Look inside yourself,” Prime Minister Mark Carney yesterday told reporters questioning his refusal to divulge his stock options. Both the Prime Minister and Mrs. Carney were paid by federal contractors prior to his swearing in Friday: “What possible conflict would you have?”

 

This carbon tax:

Carney’s plan appears to shift toward what some call a “shadow” tax system – continuing to tax major polluters in the same way as before. While this version of carbon pricing may be less visible to consumers, its economic impact is no different. ...

At its core, the carbon tax accumulates costs at every stage of the food supply chain. It starts with farmers, who pay carbon taxes on fuel, fertilizers, and equipment – taxes that are further compounded by GST. Despite government rebates, production costs continue to climb.

The cost burden doesn’t stop there.

When wheat is transported to a mill, the trucking company pays carbon taxes on fuel, which gets passed on through shipping fees. The mill then incurs additional costs for electricity and operations. These costs continue to stack up as the flour moves through distribution, into bakeries, and onto grocery store shelves.

By the time a loaf of bread reaches the consumer, multiple layers of carbon tax have been applied at different stages, increasing the final retail price.

Consider a hypothetical scenario: If a farmer starts with a $100,000 base production cost and each intermediary pays an additional $5,000 in carbon tax, the final price could increase by as much as $89,513 – of which $67,230 consists solely of carbon tax and GST on the tax itself.

While politicians often focus on the direct tax that consumers see at the register, the real economic pressure accumulates throughout the supply chain. And Carney’s policy shift does little to alleviate this burden.

The impact of the carbon tax on food prices is even more evident when analyzing the growing disconnect between wholesale and retail food prices.

Since the carbon tax was introduced at $20 per metric ton in 2019, Canada’s agri-food sector has struggled with declining competitiveness. The narrowing gap between wholesale and retail prices suggests grocers are increasingly forced to import food from abroad to mitigate costs.

Since 2022, with annual carbon tax hikes of $15 per metric ton, the effects have become even more pronounced. Wholesale food prices temporarily outpaced retail prices, forcing grocers to absorb additional costs. This year, another $15 increase is scheduled for April 1, further amplifying cost pressures that will inevitably trickle down to consumers.

Yet, despite the economic fallout, Ottawa has failed to produce any meaningful evidence that the carbon tax has improved Canada’s environmental outcomes. Since its inception, no study has been conducted to evaluate its impact on food affordability. Not one.

**

Liberal leader and prime-minister designate Mark Carney, having been the world’s leading corporate lobbyist for global carbon taxes for years, now says he’s scrapping outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s “consumer carbon tax.”

But what he’s doing is folding it into Trudeau’s industrial carbon tax and adding a second carbon tax — a tariff that Canadians will pay on many imported goods — misleadingly described as a “border adjustment mechanism.”

But that’s just one example of how the Liberals have misled Canadians not only about carbon taxes but about what they have accomplished. ...

For years the Trudeau Liberals have insisted their carbon tax is “revenue neutral,” meaning all the money raised was returned to Canadians when in fact it was not revenue neutral, because the federal government did not rebate the GST Canadians pay on top of the carbon tax.

**

While Conservative Leader Poilievre was promising to scrap the industrial carbon tax, Prime Minister Carney was defending it as a necessity on his trip to Europe.

On Friday, Carney and his just sworn-in government passed an order-in-council to reduce the rate of the consumer carbon tax to zero come April 1. The industrial carbon tax remains in place, though, and will increase by nearly 20% on that same day. ...

Poilievre said that if elected Prime Minister, he would repeal the entire carbon tax while offering incentives for companies to reduce emissions.

“While the Liberals tax businesses who use energy, Conservatives will cut taxes and boost incentives for those who bring down emissions. Carrot, not stick,” Poilievre said.

Speaking in London after a meeting with British PM Keir Starmer, Carney who has spent the past few days boasting about dropping the consumer carbon tax, said it was vital that there be a carbon tax on industry. Hang on a minute, until five minutes ago, the policy of the Liberal Party and a policy advocated by Carney was that a consumer carbon tax was vital for the health of the planet.

Carney said increasing the carbon tax on industries, like steel plants, is an economic opportunity that will create jobs.

(Sidebar: do explain how heavy taxes create industry. I'll wait.)

“We have an enormous opportunity here in Canada. The United Kingdom has an enormous opportunity. France has an enormous opportunity. Europe has an enormous opportunity to leapfrog over American companies.

 

They’re trying to turn back the clock and look inwards. We’re going to take that opportunity,” he said.

Of course, if the polls change again and the Liberals are less popular, Carney’s answer and policy could change. That’s the way these Liberals work. ...

Carney did not get a deal to sell Canada natural gas when he was in Paris. In fact, he got photo ops and not much more. The British Prime Minister wouldn’t even hold a joint press conference with Carney and in the past, Starmer has refused when asked to stand up for Canada.

This is the same Europe, the weakened continent, that won't run interference for Carney against Trump.

Some leader we have.

As a true believer, he insists that his "green" policies" are something that Europe and all the world should embrace, even though people are moving away from them.

It's like the Bank of England fiasco all over again.

 

As for the old boss, still an insufferable, disgusting, money-grubbing prick:

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to receive between $1 million and $2 million from federal archives to acquire his personal papers as he exits office. 

 

**

Over the last 10 years, the Government of Canada has spent around $11.2 billion on overseas gender initiatives, focusing on projects directly targeting gender equality and women’s empowerment as outlined in Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP). 

** 

Canada may have stringent alcohol restrictions and licensing in place in every province, but, on this street running 10 blocks, people turn a blind eye to addicts shooting up. And they are left to overdose on the street outside the legal “safe” injection site which has destigmatised the taking of illegal substances. The death rate here is 30 times higher than the national average. I hear tales, too, of young, mainly indigenous women who are marched into clinics by their pimps to access opiates for free; they become addicted and compliant.

There is a place here, though, which is supposed to provide respite for these women. The Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre purports to offer support, a bit of warmth and a free meal for anyone needing shelter, along with “safe washrooms”. Perhaps they aren’t quite as safe as some vulnerable women might wish, though, since female-only services for abused women and girls are illegal. And as the welcome sign reads: The Centre is inclusive of all self-identified women which includes trans women and two spirit people.

It wasn’t ever thus. One of the most inspirational and successful feminist organisations I have ever encountered was founded here in 1973. Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter was led by the indomitable Lee Lakeman who sadly died last year. And she, along with her team, fought hard to protect that safe space for women.

But the self-declared “male feminist” Justin Trudeau fought back. And not for women’s rights. Although a big fan of posturing about indigenous people’s rights, he did little to protect these women and girls from the abuse they suffer. Meanwhile, he removed their right to safe spaces and decriminalised prostitution. In any case, in Canada anyone can be a woman.

**

Trudeau rushed down to Donald Trump’s Florida resort on Nov. 29, 2024 – just days after Trump had threatened Canada with 25% tariffs on all goods.

It was a bold move that initially made Trudeau look good. Unfortunately, Trudeau delivered the wrong message and started Trump down the path of pursuing Canada as the 51st state.

Time and again, Trump has told variations of the same story of what was said over the dinner table. Trudeau was asking Trump not to impose tariffs on Canada and when Trump asked him why, Trudeau gave an answer that will haunt him – and perhaps the country – for years to come.

“He said, Canada would dissolve, Canada wouldn’t be able to function,” Trump said while recalling the conversation in a recent media appearance.

At that point, Trump suggested Canada that become a state if we are so reliant on the United States. It’s not clear if Trump was serious then or joking, as it has been described, but the American president is serious now.

What is shocking is that Trudeau’s words, the words of our own prime minister, put us in this position. When I first heard Trump make the claim, I assumed it was an inaccurate portrayal or embellishment of some kind on his part to make himself look good.

But several people with knowledge of the meeting have confirmed Trump’s description of the conversation is accurate. After this story was initially published online, more people reached out to verify not only that it was accurate, but also that Trudeau volunteering how Canada couldn’t survive tariffs is what prompted Trump to push the 51st state idea.

It is unbelievable that Trudeau would make such statements, which made Canada appear weak and helpless while he was trying to negotiate a tariff exemption for Canada, but he did.

**

Prime Minister Mark Carney should review a series of future appointments made by his predecessor's government and shouldn't automatically accept them, Green Party Co-Leader Elizabeth May said Friday.

In an interview with CBC News, May said appointments have to be filled but it was "a huge mistake" to make so many of those appointments in the final days of Justin Trudeau's government. 

"Any last-minute appointments of people who, I'm pretty sure, are likely to be Liberals, raises the worst possible political optics and it reinforces the idea that Trudeau was aiding and abetting his cronies throughout."

May likened the Trudeau government's future appointments to those made by Pierre Trudeau in 1984, which hurt Liberal Leader John Turner in the election campaign that swept Progressive Conservative Leader Brian Mulroney to power.

"Carney's going to be hoist with that petard for sure. Because why do you accept a whole whack of appointments, for appointments that haven't terminated yet, and they are reappointed before their best-before date has arrived?" said May.

"That's going to stink to high heaven for most voters."

May's comments come after CBC News revealed that Trudeau's government stacked government agencies and Crown corporations with dozens of future appointments and early appointment renewals, many of which will only go into effect weeks and months after the upcoming election.

An analysis of order-in-council appointments made since Jan. 6, when Trudeau announced he would step down as prime minister, found 88 future appointments, some scheduled to go into effect as late as November.

Some of the future appointments are for part-time positions that pay modest per diems but others are for senior executives or advisers making more than $200,000 a year.