Carney Liberals to pursue gas powered vehicle ban
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Summary
The Trudeau government will continue to pursue a ban on the sale of all gas-powered vehicles by 2035. Conservative leader Pierre Polyev rips the Liberal government for granting the Arriveca contract to GC Strategies. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Richard Wagner wades into political discourse, warning that U.S. President Donald Trump s comments threatened to push the country into dictatorship.
Transcript
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The Kearney government will continue to pursue a ban on the sale of all gas-powered vehicles
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by 2035. Conservative leader Pierre Polyev ripped the Liberal government for granting
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the Arrive Can contract to GC Strategies as a new report chronicles government failures.
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Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Richard Wagner waded into political discourse warning
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that U.S. President Donald Trump's comments threatened to push the United States into
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dictatorship. Hello, Canada. It's Thursday, June 12th, and this is the True North Daily Brief.
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I'm Isaac Lamoureux. And I'm Jeff Knight. 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 is forging ahead with its plan to ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles
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in the next decade despite warnings from auto industry leaders and public opposition.
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Environment Minister Julie Debroussin faced sharp criticism from Conservative MP Dan Mazier
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during a recent exchange in the House of Commons, refusing to provide any direct answers
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but insisting that the government intends to follow through on the ban.
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The proposed mandate will prohibit manufacturers and dealers from selling new light-duty cars
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or passenger vehicles that are not zero emissions by 2035.
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By 2030, at least 50% of all new light-duty vehicle sales within Canada
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must be zero-emission vehicles, with the target rising for subsequent years.
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We are making sure that EVs, which are actually a very strongly growing segment of the world economy for sales,
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will be making sure Canadians have access to them.
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Mazier reminded Canadians that this would mean they would no longer be able to purchase
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any new gas-powered trucks, SUVs, or cars by 2035.
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Mazier added that Environment Canada had warned about the consequences of the sweeping ban,
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When asked whether she had read her department's regulatory impact analysis
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Debroussin actually said she had worked on it herself.
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While Debroussin seemed unable or unwilling to say how much the regulations would cost Canadians,
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Mazier reminded her that her own department estimated that incremental zero-emission vehicle
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and home charger costs would amount to $54.1 billion for Canadians.
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Debroussin celebrated what she called rebates to help purchase 546,000 zero-emission vehicles.
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The Liberals' zero-emission vehicles program, which incentivized over 546,000 cars,
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was paused in January 2025 after running out of funding.
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It was initially scheduled to run until March 31, 2025.
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Between 2019 and when it was paused, the program costed Canadian taxpayers at least $3.5 billion in taxpayer funds.
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And then the Parliamentary Budget Officer published a report showing that resuming the program
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would cost Canadians over $11 billion between 2025 and 2030.
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And previous polling has showed that the majority of Canadians are against banning the sale of non-zero-emission vehicles.
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Leaders in the automotive industry have also warned the Liberals continuously that the mandate is a bad idea.
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So, Jeff, why is the Kearney government forging ahead with an unpopular ban on gas-powered vehicles?
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The Kearney government's decision to push forward with the ban on new gas-powered vehicle sales,
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despite public opposition and industry warnings,
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appears driven by a commitment to its climate agenda and international alignment,
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Environment Minister Julie de Broussen's emphasis on zero-emission vehicles
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as a strongly growing segment of the world economy
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reflects a broader Liberal goal to position Canada as a leader in the global shift towards electrification,
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aligning with international targets like the Paris Agreement
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and the COP28 pledge to phase out fossil fuel vehicles.
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Kearney's government likely sees this as a way to bolster Canada's environmental credibility,
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especially after his European tour earlier this year,
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where he touted climate leadership to allies like France and the UK,
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suggesting a strategy to enhance Canada's global standing amid tense U.S. trade relations.
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However, this move also serves to reinforce the Liberal brand,
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which has long tied its identity to green policies,
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despite the $54.1 billion cost estimate for ZEVs and chargers cited by Conservative MP Dan Mazier.
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The PAUSE ZEV incentive program, which supported 546,000 vehicles before funding dried up in January,
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indicates an attempt to soften the financial blow with rebates,
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though the lack of new funding suggests political pragmatism may be giving way to ideology.
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With previous polling showing majority opposition, around 58%,
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and industry leaders like the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association warning of job losses and supply chain disruptions,
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the government's persistence could be a gamble to lock in long-term climate goals
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before public or economic pressures force a retreat.
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This stubbornness might also reflect an internal need to unify the party around a signature issue,
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especially as a minority government facing scrutiny on affordability and trade.
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As a party signature issue, it may end up being a mistake in the long run,
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because Canadians actually don't want electric vehicles, and this data proves it.
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Zero-emission vehicle sales collapsed nationwide between December 2024 and January 2025,
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falling by over 41.6%, according to Statistics Canada.
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Units sold continued to plummet in February, reaching a mere 8,531 units,
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However, a small rebound to 12,347 was recorded in March.
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The change in the sales of other fuel-type vehicles in March 2025 was not small at all.
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Compared to December 2024, March saw a nearly 60% increase in other types of vehicles sold,
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while 116,871 vehicles, aside from zero emissions, were sold in February 2025.
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Conservative leader Pierre Polyev called the Auditor General's report on Arrive Can contracts
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"...chronicle of liberal incompetence and an orgy of liberal waste."
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Auditor General Karen Hogan published an audit of 106 additional contracts awarded to GC Strategies
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by the Trudeau government and determined that federal organizations failed to adhere to procurement
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"...actions of the federal government frequently did not demonstrate value for money.
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The federal government made payments without evidence that all the deliverables were received."
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Of the contracts examined, 46% were found to bear no evidence that the work was ever completed,
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The company behind the controversial Arrive Can app was awarded contracts by 31 federal
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"...the contracts were for IT, even though GC Strategies does not actually do IT work.
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They often didn't even check what the market rate was for the services they were buying."
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GC Strategies was granted the lion's share of those contracts,
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but Hogan said her findings cast doubt that such reckless misspending is unique.
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"...how many of the MPs who signed off on these contracts have since
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been promoted under Prime Minister Mark Carney, who is responsible?" asked Polyev.
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At the time, Public Safety Minister LeBlanc helped get these contracts out.
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Now he's been promoted in the Liberal government.
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You've got Patti Hajdu, who was the Health Minister who kicked off the Arrive Can app.
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When asked about whether he thought there should be punitive measures for public servants and politicians
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who awarded money for work that was never completed, Polyev said they should be fired.
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So Isaac, have the people involved in this debacle been held to account for their actions?
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Jeff and lots of Canadians are arguing that the people involved in the Arrive Can contracts debacle
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have not been held to account in any meaningful way so far.
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The original post announcing the GC Strategies ban by Larry Brock
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had a flurry of negative replies, not to Brock per se,
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but just of Canadians disappointed with the results so far.
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"...you steal money, you go to jail. Not allowing them to steal again for seven years is not a victory,
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Also, to give a caveat, especially based on that previous quote,
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this doesn't technically stop them from stealing money in any way.
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They just can't do it through GC Strategies, but they could easily buy a shelved company
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and do the exact same thing unless the individuals at the head of GC Strategies are punished.
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A shelved company is essentially just a numbered company that exists on paper for X amount of years.
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Anyways, we won't get too far into that, but as a little inside beat to our True North fans,
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I have been in contact with the RCMP and the Public Service and Procurement Canada
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to determine where they're at with potentially charging GC Strategies and its owners.
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"...Canada is pursuing amounts owing from GC Strategies.
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On February 7, 2025, the Department of Justice filed a Notice of Action
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in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice seeking $198,000."
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But I'm currently still awaiting further clarification from the RCMP and where they stand.
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But rest assured that when that's received, I'll be filing an article on it and I'm hoping
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that that happens today. So keep a lookout for that.
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In a controversial move, Canada's Chief Justice Richard Wagner appeared to wade head first into
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foreign political waters this week, warning that US President Donald Trump's criticisms
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of the judiciary reflect a global slide toward what he claimed to be a dictatorship.
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Speaking at his annual news conference on Parliament Hill on Tuesday, Wagner was asked
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about Trump's tense relationship with segments of the American judiciary. Wagner said, quote,
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"...the rule of law and judicial independence are under attack." He then went further,
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warning that when governments attack the media, judges, lawyers, and university,
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as he claimed the Trump administration had done, there's a good chance that it's a dictatorship,
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an autocratic government. Wagner's comments mark an unusually sharp and sweeping
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intervention from a sitting Chief Justice into the political discourse of a foreign democracy.
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While celebrating the strength of Canada's own institutions, Wagner implied that the US
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is exhibiting symptoms of autocracy. Trump, who came back to office in January, repeatedly clashed
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with US courts over rulings that have delayed or halted aspects of his political agenda, including
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tariffs on Canada. In recent weeks, he called one judge a radical left lunatic and slammed the
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system as incompetent after rulings stalled deportations and other executive actions. His
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critics called this dangerous rhetoric. His supporters say it's a justified response to
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judicial overreach. Wagner, without naming Trump, suggested that any government exhibiting such
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tendencies threaten democratic norms. He said, quote, "...we have to be careful. We should not take
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anything for granted." Though Wagner framed his comments as part of a broader concern about global
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trends, he drew a comparison between Trump-era rhetoric and dictatorship.
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So, Jeff, should the Chief Justice be involving himself in contentious political discourse?
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No, Isaac, the Chief Justice's involvement raises valid concerns about the appropriate
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role of Canadian's top judge. Wagner's role is to uphold the impartiality of the judicial system,
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ensuring decisions are based on law rather than political opinion, and his public warning about
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a dictatorship tied to Trump's rhetoric risks undermining that neutrality. The judiciary's
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credibility hinges on appearing above the fray, and Wagner's annual news conference on June 10th was
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meant to address Canada's legal system, not to weigh in on US politics. His comparison to autocracy could
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be seen as a partisan jab, especially given Trump's polarizing status. This could erode public trust,
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particularly among those who view Trump supporters as a significant segment of North American opinion,
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with 47% of Americans approving his presidency. On the other hand, Wagner's intervention can be
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defended as a necessary defense of judicial independence, a cornerstone of Canadian democracy that he's duty-bound to
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protect. His statement that the rule of law and judicial independence are under attack aligns with his
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mandate to safeguard institutions, especially when global trends like Trump's clashes with US courts
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could influence Canada. The 2025 Supreme Court annual report noted a 15% rise in public inquiries
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about judicial integrity, suggesting Canadians are attuned to these issues. However, the line between
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educating the public and engaging in political debate is thin, and Wagner's failure to name Trump directly,
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yet still imply autocracy, might suggest an intent to influence discourse. Ultimately,
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his role should steer clear of such commentary, leaving political critique to elected officials,
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unless it directly threatens Canada's legal framework, which this does not, making his involvement
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That's it for today, folks. Thanks for tuning in. You can stay on top of new episodes every weekday by subscribing to
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