Juno News - January 08, 2026Asylum seeker given light sentence after fatal trucking accident
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Summary
An attempt by the Liberal Government to persuade an opposition MP to defect has been rejected, marking another instance of an MP turning down a floor crossing offer. A Punjabi asylum seeker who killed a 23-year-old woman in a fatal truck accident was handed a 55-day sentence. A Jewish advocacy group is urging Ottawa to take firm action against the Islamic regime in Iran.
Transcript
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An attempt by the Liberal government to persuade an NDP member of Parliament to defect has been rejected,
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marking another instance of an MP turning down a floor-crossing offer.
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A Punjabi asylum seeker received a 55-day jail sentence for running a red light in a commercial truck, killing a 23-year-old woman.
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A Jewish advocacy group is urging Ottawa to take firm action against the Islamic regime in Iran and its agents living in Canada
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as Iranian revolutionaries enter their 11th night of protesting.
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Hello Canada, it's Thursday, January 8th. This is the True North Daily Brief. I'm Cosmin Gerja.
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We've got you covered with all the news you need to know.
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Let's discuss the top stories of the day and the True North exclusives you won't hear anywhere else.
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The Liberal government's bid to poach an opposition member of Parliament has failed,
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with a new Democrat MP turning down an offer to cross the floor and join the party.
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NDP MP Laurie Idlout, who represents Nunavut, said she has been approached by the Carney government
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and was, quote, asked to consider joining the Liberals.
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I have decided at this point that I can't. It's definitely weighed heavily on me,
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and I've had so many conversations with people, and I just appreciate everyone who I've talked with.
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What they've all said is that whatever I decide, it will be what I think is best for Nunavut.
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Meanwhile, two former Conservative MPs, Chris Dontremont and Michael Ma,
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defected to the Liberals late last year, which surprised the NDP MP.
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Being asked to cross the floor definitely forced me to think a lot about how I can continue to do my best.
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The NDP MP won her seat in the last general election,
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defeating Liberal opponent Kilikvak Kabluna by only 77 votes.
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Jeff, it seems the Liberals are not giving up their attempts to form a majority government.
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That is a majority government that wasn't voted upon by Canadian voters.
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They're looking for a backdoor into a comfortable majority, but they don't have it yet.
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What are some other cases of MPs recently approached by the Liberals to cross the floor?
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Well, I mean, this has clearly caused an upset, especially, of course, among the Conservative voters who got these MPs into power in the first place.
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I imagine a lot of them are feeling a little bit squeamish now, but following suit.
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But another case of an MP reportedly approached by the Liberal Party to cross the floor would be Conservative MP Scott Anderson,
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who publicly rejected an offer stating that it would be a cold day in hell before he would betray his constituents
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I mean, personally, I much prefer that answer to Laurie's at-this-point-I-can't answer,
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which could indicate that she's open to it in the future.
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As for last year's Conservative defectors, Chris Dantremont from Nova Scotia and Michael Ma from Markham Unionville,
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there's no public evidence that they were courted by the Liberals prior to crossing.
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Their moves were presented as personal decisions, with Dantremont citing frustration with party leadership
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and Ma expressing alignment with Carney's approach, which was surprising to observers
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and prompted a lot of backlash over the timing and ethics of the decisions.
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These defections brought the Liberals closer to a majority without apparent pre-defection recruitment.
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Now, it is true that Liberal MPs have openly talked about courting the Conservative MPs, in some cases, for years.
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What I can say, though, is that the Carney government is clearly engaged in efforts to bolster its minority position,
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though with limited success beyond these two defections.
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A Punjabi asylum seeker who killed a 23-year-old woman in a fatal truck accident
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was handed a mere 55-day jail sentence and a light fine by a Khaledan court,
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sparking outrage from the victim's loved ones and advocates.
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Rajwinder Singh, 43 years old, pleaded guilty on October 15th of last year
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to killing Adriana Malina McCauley in a fatal four-vehicle collision in Bolton, Ontario.
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Singh drove into an intersection approximately 10 seconds after the traffic light had turned red.
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definitive answer as to what caused Singh to run the red light,
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noting that weather and visibility were not factors as the roads were dry and clear.
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A local news outlet, the Khaledan Enterprise, detailed the court decision,
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reporting that Justice of the Peace, Marsha Farnan, sentenced Singh to a 55-day custodial term,
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24 months of probation, a three-year driving suspension, and a $1,000 fine.
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The court adjusted Singh's fine due to his, quote,
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He was ordered to attend counseling and rehabilitation to address the, quote,
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psychological toll that the incident had on him.
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elevated duty of care as a commercial driver and the duration he had remained at the red light
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She deemed the jail sentence necessary for denunciation and deterrence.
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Singh's defense lawyer, Bali Hundal, cited Singh's status as an asylum seeker with a wife and two
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children and claimed the incident had an enormous psychological toll on him due to the, quote,
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The local report noted Singh addressed the court through a, quote,
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Punjabi translator to apologize and ask for the family's forgiveness.
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So, Kazmin, what are the critics of this decision saying?
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Well, the responses haven't been just from critics.
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It's also been from the family of this poor woman who was killed in this tragic incident.
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And from what I've seen, you know, it's been people furious about the decision,
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You have this guy killing a 23-year-old woman in a traffic collision that shouldn't have happened.
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And this court, this judge, gives him 55 days in jail.
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That's less than two months behind bars with an additional $1,000 fine that's reduced because
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he, quote, lost his job and is financially unstable.
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Some of the commentary, I think, rightfully points at the fact that this seems like a
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textbook example of judicial softness, like a slap on the wrist.
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And it feeds into a bigger story in Canada, and that's that courts seem more concerned with
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the, what they call, what this judge called the psychological toll on the offender than
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delivering justice for the victims, a victim here who tragically lost her life.
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This is an asylum seeker, and apparently that somehow factored heavily into his sentencing.
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If you come to Canada and cause a tragedy, the system will bend over backward to protect you,
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especially if you claim you suffer some sort of psychological trauma from killing somebody.
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And then, he was a commercial driver, first of all.
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He had what the judge actually recognized was a elevated duty of care, that is a responsibility
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of being on the road with a load attached to your truck to drive carefully, obey the law,
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The punishment would almost certainly have been much harsher.
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And that fuels resentment in people when they look at these scenarios.
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People are starting to ask, are some lives being valued more by the courts based on some
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And it's not just because people are angry about this one case.
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It's about a system that seems to keep doing this and keep delivering these judgments.
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And until that changes, you can expect more headlines like this and more Canadians asking
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A Jewish advocacy group is demanding the Canadian government finally crack down on the Iranian regime,
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calling for new penalties, enforcement of terrorism laws against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard
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Corps, and the expulsion of Tehran's agents living in Canada.
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This push comes as Iranians endure the 11th straight night of anti-regime protests.
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The statement also comes just days before the six-year anniversary of the IRGC shooting down
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The Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs released the statement Tuesday, calling for the liberal
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This action includes putting pressure on the Iranian regime and protecting Iranian Canadians
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In a statement, Noah Shaq, the CEO of Sijia, said, quote,
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We stand with the brave people of Iran as they confront the oppressive Iranian regime,
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one of the world's most dangerous threats to freedom, security, and people everywhere,
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For nearly 50 years, the Ayatollahs and the IRGC that keep them in power have brutally repressed
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Hundreds of thousands of Iranians have been persecuted, tortured, jailed, and murdered.
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Shaq noted that the fall of the Iranian regime could mean a safer global security landscape,
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as the Islamic regime remains the largest funder of terrorism in the world, primarily through
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its proxy groups, Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen.
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In Europe, Iranian missiles and drones, the same ones used to target Israelis, have wreaked
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In Australia, intelligence services have directly linked Iran to violence against citizens, including
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The statement noted that the regime has targeted Canadians, and Thursday marked six years since
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the IRGC shot down flight PS752, killing 176 people, including 55 Canadian citizens and
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Shaq also noted reports from two years ago, estimating that 700 Iranian regime agents live
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As protests continue in Iran, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened military action against
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the regime if it continued to kill peaceful protesters.
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Videos shared on X by Iranian citizens show the regime has opened fire on protesters and
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raided hospitals to arrest injured activists since Trump's threat.
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Jeff, has the liberal government responded to these protests in an official capacity?
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Because the Iranian uprising seems to be getting attention mostly on social media right now.
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Headlines aren't really focused on the concerns of Iranian citizens and what they're protesting
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The liberal government has issued a pretty limited response to the ongoing Iranian protests
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through a statement from Global Affairs Canada, which ultimately was condemning the regime's
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violence against its citizens and pointing to existing sanctions against the IRGC and Iranian
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Prime Minister Mark Carney has also described the Iranian regime as a fundamental risk, pledging
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to work with international partners to check it, but no new actions or detailed commitments
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have been announced in response to the current uprising.
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The protests have indeed gained significant traction, primarily on social media, with viral videos
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and diaspora rallies driving visibility, while official government commentary remains restrained
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and focused on pre-existing measures rather than direct engagement with the 11th straight
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This subdued approach has drawn criticism from Jewish advocacy groups like CJA, who argue for
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more urgent steps, suggesting the issue is not yet a top priority for the liberals amid other
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