Juno News - August 21, 2021


Liberals think Erin O'Toole is a fake pro-choicer


Episode Stats


Length

40 minutes

Words per minute

178.25826

Word count

7,291

Sentence count

316

Harmful content

Misogyny

12

sentences flagged

Hate speech

17

sentences flagged


Summary

Summaries generated with gmurro/bart-large-finetuned-filtered-spotify-podcast-summ .

Andrew Lawton talks about abortion day, vaccine mandates, liberal doublespeak on individual choice, and Canadian inaction on the Afghanistan crisis on today's episode of The Andrew Lawton Show. The Andrew Lawrence Show starts on August 20, 2021.

Transcript

Transcript generated with Whisper (turbo).
Misogyny classifications generated with MilaNLProc/bert-base-uncased-ear-misogyny .
Hate speech classifications generated with facebook/roberta-hate-speech-dynabench-r4-target .
00:00:00.000 Welcome to Canada's most irreverent talk show. This is the Andrew Lawton Show, brought to you by True North.
00:00:12.760 Coming up, vaccine mandates, liberal doublespeak on individual choice, and Canadian inaction on the Afghanistan crisis.
00:00:22.340 The Andrew Lawton Show starts right now.
00:00:26.020 Hello and welcome to Canada's most irreverent talk show, the Andrew Lawton Show, here on True North.
00:00:34.040 Friday, August 20th, 2021. We are on day 6 of election 44, and things are not looking too much better for Justin Trudeau than they were a couple of days ago.
00:00:47.240 And as I said, I think on Wednesday, he called the election. He could have chosen the perfect moment.
00:00:52.100 And I think he thought he was doing that, but it hasn't really been working out all that well.
00:00:57.760 He's been dogged by questions about Afghanistan, by the state of the pandemic, starting to get some tricky questions about some of his candidates,
00:01:05.520 like the one that True North wrote about in Calgary Knows Hill.
00:01:10.220 And it got so desperate for the liberals that they decided to reach right down into the bottom of their bag of tricks
00:01:15.860 and pull out the one that they always think is going to be the Trump card.
00:01:19.880 They decided to make, on day 5 of the campaign, abortion day happen. 0.96
00:01:25.400 The problem with making abortion day happen, which is the day where you decide we're just going to throw at the conservatives
00:01:30.880 the big, mean, evil, scary, social conservative allegations,
00:01:34.760 they don't really work against a pro-choice leader, which Aaron O'Toole has said time and time again he is.
00:01:43.260 But that didn't stop them from trying.
00:01:45.420 This tweet from Liberal Carolyn Bennett, who said that O'Toole buried a promise on conscience rights
00:01:51.220 of healthcare professionals in his platform to let doctors deny and prevent referral
00:01:56.160 for abortion, medical assistance in dying, and care for LGBTQ Canadians.
00:02:01.260 O'Toole and his team, like Leslyn Lewis, are pushing extreme right policies.
00:02:06.840 Now what she's talking about there, and by the way, it's kind of amusing that she's saying it's buried in the platform,
00:02:13.960 because it's 160 pages, anything conceivably is buried, but I don't think they're burying it,
00:02:19.640 because they're putting it in the platform.
00:02:21.460 They're actually telling Canadians they want to run on these very things.
00:02:26.080 But the section she's referring to is very much in the platform, whether or not it's buried, I don't know.
00:02:31.580 And it, yes, enshrines conscience rights for healthcare practitioners.
00:02:35.220 Conscience protection, the platform says,
00:02:37.680 We will protect the conscience rights of healthcare professionals.
00:02:40.720 The challenges of dealing with COVID-19 have reminded us of the vital importance of healthcare professionals.
00:02:46.680 The last thing Canada can afford to do is drive any of these professionals out of their profession.
00:02:51.840 That's a badly worded sentence, but I think a good policy.
00:02:54.740 We will also encourage faith-based and other community organizations to expand their provision of palliative and long-term care.
00:03:02.280 So what the Conservatives are saying is actually fairly consistent with the law in Canada
00:03:07.080 and the guidelines for healthcare practitioners in provinces across the country,
00:03:11.140 which is to say, we are not going to force a doctor to pull the plug on grandma. 0.85
00:03:16.540 We're not going to force a doctor to perform an abortion. 0.98
00:03:19.580 And when governments have talked about putting legislation to protect that in,
00:03:23.620 like was the case in Alberta,
00:03:25.500 the pushback has come by and large from regulators that say,
00:03:28.940 well, you kind of already have that right.
00:03:31.220 But I think it's important to put it on paper and say,
00:03:34.060 this is what we believe,
00:03:35.160 that you do not have to surrender your conscience rights or your moral beliefs
00:03:39.220 just because you decide to work in healthcare.
00:03:42.100 An industry that I'd say people with consciences and people with beliefs that are deeply held
00:03:47.340 are probably well suited for,
00:03:50.280 but not for the Liberals,
00:03:51.680 because they don't actually support conscience rights.
00:03:53.660 They don't support your right as an individual to decide what you believe
00:03:57.580 and be able to fulfill those beliefs in your day-to-day life.
00:04:01.640 So hence what I called abortion day, 0.84
00:04:03.280 trying to make the day of the election campaign all about social issues.
00:04:07.060 They threw out all the stops,
00:04:08.400 that tweet from Carolyn Bennett,
00:04:09.960 also this Twitter video from Liberal candidate Melanie Jolie.
00:04:13.940 Conservatives are saying that they're pro-choice,
00:04:16.580 but they're pro-choice for doctors
00:04:18.140 to limit your birth control options or a woman's right to choose. 0.96
00:04:21.900 We're in 2021.
00:04:23.860 I can't believe we're still having these conversations.
00:04:27.220 We need to protect our rights as women. 1.00
00:04:30.420 Let's mobilize ourselves.
00:04:32.220 Let's make sure that we say no to conservatives.
00:04:34.660 And just in case that didn't work,
00:04:36.400 Justin Trudeau also extrapolated on some of the accusations he made
00:04:39.820 in a previous press conference by delivering this statement.
00:04:43.320 I think it's clear that there's something fundamental
00:04:45.980 that Erin O'Toole doesn't understand.
00:04:47.620 Pro-choice doesn't mean the freedom of doctors to choose.
00:04:53.940 It means the freedom of women to choose. 0.98
00:04:59.500 Leaders have to be unequivocal on that.
00:05:02.520 And once again, Erin O'Toole is not.
00:05:04.820 And he's saying certain things to some people
00:05:06.840 and it's opposite to others.
00:05:08.940 That's not good enough.
00:05:10.080 Rachel Aiello, CTV News.
00:05:11.700 You're attacking the conservatives today
00:05:13.140 over their position on conscience rights.
00:05:14.980 However, in your legislation on assisted dying,
00:05:17.700 you protected doctors' freedom of choice of conscience.
00:05:20.860 If the concern now is doctor referrals,
00:05:23.460 why haven't you and would a liberal government
00:05:25.320 move legislation to further enshrine abortion rights?
00:05:28.900 I think it's very clear that the conservatives,
00:05:33.680 conservative party once again,
00:05:35.360 doesn't understand what pro-choice actually means.
00:05:39.320 Pro-choice isn't the power for doctors to choose.
00:05:42.860 It's the power for women to choose. 1.00
00:05:46.440 And that is what we are going to continue to defend unequivocally.
00:05:50.300 And quite frankly,
00:05:51.060 the conservatives have demonstrated time and time again
00:05:53.640 that they will not.
00:05:55.140 Now, I should say here,
00:05:56.380 I am pro-life and I am pro-conscience rights.
00:05:59.460 But even with those beliefs,
00:06:01.460 I can understand that the conservative party
00:06:03.600 in its current form is led by someone
00:06:05.640 who does not want to take up social issues.
00:06:08.120 His only commitment to social conservatives
00:06:10.300 has been that if you are a conservative MP
00:06:13.260 who believes in these things,
00:06:14.740 you can vote your conscience.
00:06:16.040 He's been clearly and unequivocally pro-choice.
00:06:19.160 And he was, in keeping with that tradition,
00:06:21.860 able to share his position without ambiguity
00:06:24.160 when the liberals started making their attacks.
00:06:27.060 Their access to service,
00:06:28.480 if that is true for doctors to have a right to choose
00:06:31.320 to consciously object from abortion services.
00:06:34.620 Tell me what you think.
00:06:35.420 Well, let me repeat again.
00:06:37.980 I'm pro-choice and we will make sure
00:06:40.440 that women have the ability to make decisions 0.93
00:06:43.160 with respect to their health care themselves
00:06:45.220 and make sure that abortion services are available
00:06:47.520 from one coast, from one ocean to the other.
00:06:50.700 And what's interesting about this election
00:06:52.500 is all federal leaders are pro-choice.
00:06:56.760 I've been crystal clear throughout my political career.
00:07:00.200 I will be crystal clear as prime minister.
00:07:02.940 I'm here to defend the rights of all Canadians.
00:07:06.460 I'm here to make sure they have a more prosperous future.
00:07:09.660 And I'm here to make sure we tackle
00:07:11.680 the challenges facing our country post-COVID
00:07:14.380 and specific issues with the inflation crisis
00:07:18.240 and the housing crisis.
00:07:19.820 Canada's recovery plan is the solution
00:07:22.040 led by a leader who's going to bring Canadians together.
00:07:25.940 This is not at all a contradiction.
00:07:28.920 I think it's very, very important
00:07:31.680 to defend the rights of all Canadians.
00:07:34.420 That's what I will do,
00:07:36.800 making sure that women have the right 0.80
00:07:38.760 to access abortion services across this country.
00:07:41.760 I am pro-choice.
00:07:42.920 I have a pro-choice record
00:07:45.260 and that's how I will be.
00:07:47.220 I think it's also possible
00:07:48.820 to show respect for our nurses,
00:07:51.800 our healthcare professionals
00:07:52.940 with respect particularly
00:07:54.720 to the expansion of medical assistance in dying
00:07:58.480 as we're, even as a federal government,
00:08:00.840 studying the expansion into mental health.
00:08:04.560 Let's find an appropriate and a fair balance
00:08:07.820 to make sure those rights are accessed
00:08:09.640 but we can respect conscience provisions as well.
00:08:13.040 Now, conservatives can debate
00:08:14.280 whether they agree or disagree with this position.
00:08:16.700 Canadians can debate it
00:08:17.840 but there's no denying that he is not, in fact,
00:08:21.900 this evil, scary, social conservative pro-lifer
00:08:24.700 that the liberals are trying to accuse him of being.
00:08:26.860 So because O'Toole has taken that off the table,
00:08:29.680 all the liberals are able to do is say,
00:08:32.280 well, no, you're actually not pro-choice.
00:08:34.340 Like he says, I'm pro-choice
00:08:35.540 and they'll be like, no, you're not.
00:08:36.780 And it's literally a kindergarten criticism
00:08:39.960 of O'Toole's policies on social issues.
00:08:43.320 Mariam Monsef as well has been beating the drum on this
00:08:46.240 and it just isn't working.
00:08:47.540 It isn't going anywhere.
00:08:48.920 And it absolutely reeks of desperation.
00:08:52.160 And if you want to see just how bad it is
00:08:53.660 for the liberals, take a look at this.
00:08:55.160 So Jagmeet Singh was doing an interview on CBC
00:08:57.620 in which he committed the unforgivable sin
00:09:00.900 in left-wing politics in Canada, evidently,
00:09:03.900 in which he said something not mean about Aaron O'Toole.
00:09:08.520 Take a look at this.
00:09:09.840 And I've been clear on my voting record.
00:09:12.560 My question for you is whether or not,
00:09:14.820 like, do you feel differently about Mr. O'Toole
00:09:17.380 than you do about Mr. Scheer?
00:09:18.660 Because you went pretty far with Mr. Scheer.
00:09:20.060 You said you'd never prop up a minority government
00:09:22.320 led by the Conservatives.
00:09:24.620 Well, on those issues, in terms of a woman's right to choose 1.00
00:09:27.840 and the support for the SOGI community,
00:09:31.320 the LGBT community, it seems like Mr. O'Toole 1.00
00:09:34.780 is in line with where Canadians are 0.98
00:09:37.440 in terms of supporting people, who they are,
00:09:39.900 supporting women's right to choice.
00:09:41.700 Those are a positive sign.
00:09:43.160 So those are starting points for New Democrats
00:09:45.020 who wouldn't even be able to enter into a discussion
00:09:47.700 with a group or a party that didn't believe
00:09:49.840 in those fundamental rights of women,
00:09:51.960 of people to be who they are, the LGBT community.
00:09:54.660 So Jagmeet Singh kind of gives just a statement of fact,
00:09:57.580 which is that, okay, well, Aaron O'Toole is pro-gay rights
00:10:00.340 and he's pro-choice and he's not the same
00:10:02.660 as some former Conservative leaders have been,
00:10:04.680 which means he's taken the position
00:10:06.100 that is shared by those on the left.
00:10:08.140 And that was O'Toole's position in that clip
00:10:10.280 I shared a couple of moments ago,
00:10:11.720 that all the party leaders agree with each other on this.
00:10:14.900 And then the Liberals decided to turn on Jagmeet Singh
00:10:18.440 for being nice to Aaron O'Toole.
00:10:21.180 I mean, it's actually quite hilarious.
00:10:23.320 The Liberal War Room had tweeted out
00:10:25.720 the LPC Press Box account,
00:10:27.760 which is run by the Liberal campaign.
00:10:29.940 Really, does Jagmeet Singh think Aaron O'Toole
00:10:32.160 is in line with Canadians on women's and LGBTQ rights?
00:10:36.940 O'Toole's platform commits to letting doctors
00:10:39.280 deny a woman's right to choose. 0.99
00:10:41.980 So now it's like they're going after the NDP
00:10:44.080 because the NDP says, yeah, O'Toole's pro-choice.
00:10:46.660 And that's the only thing the Liberals have right now
00:10:49.840 is that Aaron O'Toole is a closet pro-lifer.
00:10:52.520 This guy who's never said a pro-life thing
00:10:54.780 in his political career that I can find
00:10:56.580 is now this like secret closet pro-lifer.
00:10:59.540 So this is why I've long said,
00:11:01.980 you're never going to take this issue
00:11:03.800 off the table entirely.
00:11:05.300 They're going to keep trying.
00:11:06.720 And yes, there are no doubt pro-life MPs.
00:11:09.000 In fact, I'd say the majority of the Conservative caucus.
00:11:11.660 I don't know about the majority of Conservative candidates,
00:11:14.200 but certainly a large number of them.
00:11:16.780 But the Liberal position,
00:11:17.920 when their back is up against the wall,
00:11:19.440 is to just make it about social issues.
00:11:21.540 They tried the evil, scary Stephen Harper's lurking line.
00:11:24.860 That didn't work.
00:11:25.820 Now it's the social Conservatives are lurking line.
00:11:28.400 And now it's migrating beyond that into,
00:11:31.200 I don't believe Aaron O'Toole when he says he's pro-choice.
00:11:33.980 He's not actually.
00:11:34.880 We know what he believes better than he does.
00:11:37.340 And it's interesting here that the Trudeau position
00:11:40.200 is not even consistent with what Trudeau has in the past claimed
00:11:44.860 about conscientious beliefs.
00:11:47.020 This is something that came from his memoir.
00:11:49.260 And I didn't read the memoir,
00:11:51.140 but the Conservatives had tweeted out this excerpt,
00:11:53.700 which was taken up in a CBC piece some years ago.
00:11:56.900 And in it, Justin Trudeau says this,
00:11:58.540 my idea of freedom is that we should protect the rights of people
00:12:02.540 to believe what their conscience dictates,
00:12:05.720 but fight equally hard to protect people
00:12:07.780 from having the beliefs of others imposed upon them.
00:12:11.280 Now, how Trudeau defends that is that
00:12:13.020 being pro-choice means women have the right to choose, 1.00
00:12:16.680 but doctors do not have the right to choose.
00:12:18.940 So this guy who proclaims to be a Catholic 0.95
00:12:21.240 says that you should be forced,
00:12:23.640 if you're a medical practitioner,
00:12:25.280 to perform a surgery that you find to be a grave sin.
00:12:29.840 Now, again, I don't want to be in a society
00:12:32.480 in which theological beliefs form the backbone of public policy.
00:12:38.200 But we're not talking about a policy here that imposes beliefs.
00:12:41.560 We're talking about a policy that allows individuals to hold beliefs.
00:12:46.900 And incidentally, do you really want a healthcare practitioner
00:12:49.820 performing a service that they are not comfortable with
00:12:53.580 or not happy with on you?
00:12:54.880 Like, I wouldn't want to, you know,
00:12:56.180 send a child to be circumcised by a doctor 0.83
00:12:58.160 that doesn't believe in circumcision.
00:12:59.480 It just seems like maybe his priorities
00:13:01.420 might not be where you need them to be
00:13:03.340 on something like that,
00:13:04.760 where these procedures are,
00:13:05.940 and in some cases, matters of life and death.
00:13:08.440 So the reality is doctors should not be,
00:13:12.500 and by and large, are not forced
00:13:14.560 to perform services that they object to.
00:13:18.180 The challenge is that these rights are,
00:13:21.040 in the liberal's view, not relevant.
00:13:24.900 The liberals have actually not done anything
00:13:27.500 to move things to where they want them to be,
00:13:30.240 which is forcing any doctor anywhere
00:13:32.680 to do whatever the government says they have to do.
00:13:35.380 So if the Trudeau government actually cared about this issue
00:13:38.500 as much as it says it does,
00:13:39.940 they would have more of a record to show for it.
00:13:42.240 But again, I'm not encouraging them, trust me.
00:13:45.860 But here's the thing,
00:13:47.040 and this is what people don't realize.
00:13:49.040 You look at New Brunswick,
00:13:49.980 where there have been a slew of stories
00:13:51.820 in several years,
00:13:53.380 the last several years,
00:13:54.260 about abortion access being virtually nil
00:13:56.620 because so few doctors are performing it.
00:13:59.060 And there have been questions raised
00:14:00.240 about whether women have a right to an abortion
00:14:02.680 in New Brunswick,
00:14:03.440 and whether the province has an obligation to provide it.
00:14:06.060 If the liberal government thinks this issue is that important,
00:14:09.080 they have done nothing to fix that.
00:14:12.000 They have done nothing to fix that.
00:14:13.680 But every time there's an election,
00:14:15.260 all of a sudden it's the conservatives,
00:14:17.280 which have not run on a pro-life platform in years.
00:14:21.920 I cannot tell you the last time
00:14:23.420 the Conservative Party of Canada
00:14:24.980 ran on anything pro-life in its official platform.
00:14:27.780 But the liberals are the ones to bring the issue up.
00:14:29.940 The liberals are the ones to bring that
00:14:31.800 to the forefront of the discussion.
00:14:35.220 And here's the thing,
00:14:36.540 we're talking about an issue,
00:14:37.700 the whole premise of it is that
00:14:38.840 the right to choose,
00:14:39.960 the right to choose,
00:14:40.700 the right to choose.
00:14:42.880 Where is that independence and individuality
00:14:45.740 and right to choose?
00:14:46.820 Where is the my body,
00:14:47.900 my choice mentality from Justin Trudeau
00:14:50.100 when it comes to vaccines?
00:14:51.280 For the last week,
00:14:52.220 he's been pushing further and further
00:14:54.100 towards mandating vaccines
00:14:55.820 in more and more areas of Canadian society.
00:14:58.400 If you work for the federal government,
00:15:00.520 if you work in an industry
00:15:01.580 the federal government regulates,
00:15:03.500 if you want to take a plane,
00:15:05.380 a train,
00:15:05.820 not an automobile just yet,
00:15:07.180 but give it time.
00:15:09.340 And Trudeau said,
00:15:10.280 well, you have a choice to not get vaccinated,
00:15:12.040 but you don't have a choice to do what you want
00:15:14.080 if you're unvaccinated.
00:15:15.500 Take a look at this clip.
00:15:17.680 You deserve better.
00:15:19.900 You deserve a government
00:15:20.960 that's going to continue to say,
00:15:22.440 get vaccinated.
00:15:23.800 And you know what?
00:15:24.520 If you don't want to get vaccinated,
00:15:27.360 that's your choice.
00:15:28.720 But don't think you can get on a plane
00:15:30.620 or a train besides vaccinated people
00:15:33.200 and put them at risk.
00:15:35.860 We need to be strong
00:15:37.640 in the decisions we're taking going forward.
00:15:40.060 And we need to put people first,
00:15:42.820 which we have always done.
00:15:44.840 And I'll be honest,
00:15:46.540 you know, like I do,
00:15:48.140 there's lots of people out there
00:15:49.480 who don't agree with that.
00:15:50.840 And the reality is
00:15:53.580 that's okay.
00:15:55.300 We're in a democracy.
00:15:56.640 People can make themselves heard.
00:15:58.580 And that's part of why
00:15:59.680 we need to have this moment
00:16:01.540 for people to make that choice
00:16:03.680 for the future.
00:16:04.420 The counter to tyranny
00:16:09.440 is democracy,
00:16:10.960 is elections.
00:16:12.260 And that's exactly
00:16:13.160 what we're putting forward
00:16:14.340 because we have put Canadians 1.00
00:16:16.320 at the forefront
00:16:17.560 of everything we've done.
00:16:19.320 And we know
00:16:20.140 that's what we're going to continue to do.
00:16:22.120 So I need you,
00:16:23.880 all of you,
00:16:25.180 to keep stepping up.
00:16:26.520 We need to keep working
00:16:27.720 to protect
00:16:28.680 and build a better future together.
00:16:30.320 And that's why I need you
00:16:31.980 to continue to step up.
00:16:34.480 I need you to talk
00:16:35.460 to your neighbors
00:16:36.020 and talk to your friends.
00:16:37.500 Talk to those folks
00:16:38.340 who are still wondering
00:16:39.620 whether they should get vaccinated
00:16:40.960 and tell them,
00:16:42.080 yes,
00:16:42.520 they need to get vaccinated
00:16:44.180 so we protect ourselves,
00:16:46.080 protect our communities,
00:16:47.080 and protect our kids
00:16:48.280 who can't yet get vaccinated.
00:16:50.640 That's what we need to do.
00:16:51.940 That was from a Trudeau rally
00:16:53.880 in Calgary.
00:16:55.080 I use rally very loosely.
00:16:56.660 There were 80 people there
00:16:58.000 in their social distancing bubbles.
00:17:00.180 More on that
00:17:01.040 in just a moment's time.
00:17:02.700 But he's saying,
00:17:03.300 yeah, no,
00:17:03.660 you have a choice.
00:17:04.600 No one has to get vaccinated.
00:17:06.120 But if you don't,
00:17:07.440 you aren't going to be able
00:17:08.360 to do certain things.
00:17:10.540 This distinction is irrelevant.
00:17:12.340 The idea of taking mandatory vaccine
00:17:14.920 and saying that,
00:17:16.660 well,
00:17:17.220 we're not mandating it
00:17:18.960 unless you want to do
00:17:20.120 all of these things.
00:17:21.000 It's a mandatory vaccine.
00:17:22.920 Don't pretend
00:17:23.560 you're giving Canadians a choice
00:17:25.080 when you are closing off
00:17:26.740 and walling off
00:17:27.740 aspects of society to them
00:17:29.400 because they don't go
00:17:30.820 and get vaccinated.
00:17:32.680 Especially when you have said this.
00:17:35.340 But like I said,
00:17:36.240 what do you do
00:17:36.780 with someone with an allergy?
00:17:37.920 What do you do
00:17:38.360 with someone
00:17:38.860 who's immunocompromised
00:17:40.440 or someone who for
00:17:41.440 religious or,
00:17:43.240 you know,
00:17:43.980 deep convictions
00:17:44.780 decides that,
00:17:46.620 no,
00:17:46.780 they're not going to get a vaccine?
00:17:49.040 We're not a country.
00:17:50.000 What do you do?
00:17:51.140 Well,
00:17:51.500 we're not a country
00:17:52.260 that makes vaccination
00:17:53.300 mandatory,
00:17:54.280 for example,
00:17:55.540 but we want to encourage
00:17:57.780 everyone to get it.
00:17:59.320 How do we go from
00:18:00.260 we're not a country
00:18:01.160 that makes vaccination mandatory
00:18:03.040 to if you want to do anything,
00:18:05.560 you've got to get vaccinated?
00:18:07.520 The same thing has happened
00:18:08.940 in Ontario.
00:18:09.880 Doug Ford,
00:18:10.540 who proclaimed
00:18:11.420 on a number of occasions
00:18:12.720 that he doesn't want
00:18:13.560 a split society
00:18:14.640 with vaccine mandates.
00:18:16.420 And now,
00:18:16.940 all of a sudden,
00:18:17.540 Rick Nichols,
00:18:18.260 a longtime member
00:18:19.520 of Provincial Parliament
00:18:20.460 is out of the PC caucus
00:18:22.940 because he would not
00:18:24.260 get vaccinated.
00:18:25.980 This is what Doug Ford
00:18:27.120 said then.
00:18:27.940 Right now,
00:18:28.340 it's optional.
00:18:30.340 Constitutionally,
00:18:30.880 I don't think we can force
00:18:32.040 every single person
00:18:33.220 to take it.
00:18:34.340 And I just don't believe
00:18:35.860 in forcing people
00:18:37.120 to take this.
00:18:38.540 What I do believe,
00:18:39.980 encouraging everyone,
00:18:41.860 everyone possible out there
00:18:43.260 to get a vaccination shot.
00:18:45.780 It's going to protect
00:18:46.700 all of us,
00:18:48.920 but it's also going
00:18:50.060 to get the economy
00:18:50.940 moving forward.
00:18:52.300 It's going to protect
00:18:52.900 their health care system.
00:18:53.900 It's going to protect
00:18:54.360 their education system.
00:18:56.140 So I highly,
00:18:57.280 highly recommend
00:18:58.120 that people take the vaccine.
00:19:01.100 I'll pass it to the
00:19:02.000 Minister of Health.
00:19:02.700 And here's what he says now.
00:19:04.520 It is my expectation
00:19:05.780 that every PC caucus
00:19:07.120 member and candidate
00:19:07.980 not only support the role
00:19:09.480 vaccines play
00:19:10.520 in the fight against COVID-19,
00:19:12.140 but also be vaccinated
00:19:13.440 to protect themselves
00:19:14.720 and the people
00:19:15.760 in their community.
00:19:16.760 And I know the Liberty
00:19:18.440 purists out there,
00:19:19.500 of which I count myself
00:19:20.640 a member, by the way,
00:19:21.500 would say,
00:19:22.140 well, he's not saying
00:19:23.000 Rick has to be vaccinated.
00:19:24.700 He's saying Rick has to be
00:19:25.800 vaccinated to stay
00:19:27.140 in the PC caucus.
00:19:28.720 And my comment to that
00:19:29.880 is the same as it is
00:19:31.060 to Justin Trudeau.
00:19:32.100 Sure, technically,
00:19:33.480 no one is holding
00:19:34.520 Rick down,
00:19:35.760 handcuffing him,
00:19:36.700 tying him up to a chair
00:19:37.700 and forcing the needle 0.88
00:19:38.700 in his arm.
00:19:39.940 But again,
00:19:40.740 when you start walling
00:19:42.020 off aspects of society,
00:19:43.800 closing off opportunities,
00:19:45.480 hinging a political career
00:19:47.000 to vaccination status,
00:19:48.800 instead of allowing
00:19:49.560 the voters to decide
00:19:50.500 if that's something
00:19:51.020 that matters to them,
00:19:52.260 you are making
00:19:53.100 vaccines mandatory.
00:19:54.180 You are saying
00:19:54.960 that people who are
00:19:55.680 unvaccinated
00:19:56.440 do not have a place
00:19:57.880 in civil society.
00:19:59.880 And that is shameful.
00:20:01.760 It's shameful
00:20:02.460 and it's wrong
00:20:03.260 and it's hypocritical
00:20:04.420 from all of these leaders
00:20:05.400 who for months
00:20:06.060 and months and months
00:20:06.860 have been decrying
00:20:07.940 that very idea,
00:20:09.080 saying,
00:20:09.360 no, we're never going
00:20:10.680 to mandate vaccines.
00:20:11.640 We're just going
00:20:12.720 to tell people
00:20:13.480 to get vaccinated.
00:20:14.420 We're going
00:20:14.640 to encourage it.
00:20:16.800 Well,
00:20:17.540 it was all a sham.
00:20:19.380 The encouragement
00:20:20.060 only lasted up
00:20:21.360 until the point
00:20:22.040 that there were
00:20:22.920 a few holdouts
00:20:23.680 that were proving
00:20:24.280 inconvenient
00:20:24.800 and then all of a sudden
00:20:25.760 it is,
00:20:26.520 well, you're out of caucus,
00:20:27.740 you're out of this,
00:20:28.280 you can't go on a plane,
00:20:29.340 you can't go on a train,
00:20:30.460 you can't go to a concert.
00:20:32.620 And it's all theater.
00:20:35.040 It is all theater.
00:20:35.960 Just take a look
00:20:36.480 at this mandate
00:20:37.040 coming down the pipe
00:20:38.000 in October
00:20:38.700 if the Liberals
00:20:39.740 get re-elected
00:20:40.520 to mandate
00:20:41.200 vaccination
00:20:41.920 for air
00:20:42.760 and rail travel.
00:20:44.960 Justin Trudeau says,
00:20:45.940 yeah, you don't have
00:20:46.480 to get vaccinated,
00:20:47.220 but if you want
00:20:47.660 to travel
00:20:48.200 and sit beside
00:20:48.880 someone who is vaccinated,
00:20:50.400 you have to be.
00:20:51.340 Well, what's the point?
00:20:52.380 And by the way,
00:20:53.120 let me just follow
00:20:53.940 this through.
00:20:54.480 I'm not a fan
00:20:55.020 of the mandate,
00:20:55.840 clearly.
00:20:56.980 But let's say
00:20:57.860 that it is
00:20:58.720 as perfect
00:20:59.640 as the government
00:21:00.540 says it is.
00:21:01.220 It's necessary
00:21:02.000 and it is the key
00:21:03.220 to normalcy
00:21:03.880 to make sure
00:21:04.420 that 100%
00:21:05.600 of transit
00:21:06.980 passengers
00:21:07.520 are vaccinated.
00:21:09.620 Well, why not
00:21:10.460 lift the mask
00:21:11.140 mandate on planes?
00:21:12.760 Why not allow
00:21:13.560 those traveling
00:21:14.220 by air
00:21:14.720 to travel
00:21:15.300 as though
00:21:15.780 it is
00:21:16.380 January of 2020
00:21:18.020 to go back
00:21:19.440 in time
00:21:19.820 a couple of years,
00:21:20.660 sit down,
00:21:21.360 unmask,
00:21:22.000 do what they want,
00:21:22.880 have full cabin service?
00:21:24.240 Why is that
00:21:24.840 not coming back?
00:21:26.940 Because they're
00:21:27.640 not actually
00:21:28.500 doing something
00:21:29.420 that is science-based.
00:21:31.240 They are throwing
00:21:32.440 things at the wall,
00:21:33.360 seeing whatever's
00:21:34.080 going to stick
00:21:34.560 and finding,
00:21:35.660 and this is the
00:21:36.220 most terrifying part,
00:21:37.480 finding that this
00:21:38.340 is a winnable position.
00:21:40.660 It is no surprise
00:21:42.360 that the liberals
00:21:43.100 launched this
00:21:44.220 in the lead-in
00:21:45.260 to this election
00:21:46.140 because they think
00:21:47.960 that if you start
00:21:48.600 polling Canadians,
00:21:49.500 you're going to find
00:21:50.220 more people,
00:21:51.140 not just liberal partisans,
00:21:52.560 but independent voters,
00:21:54.340 undecided voters,
00:21:55.560 average citizens
00:21:56.260 who clearly,
00:21:57.320 they believe,
00:21:58.160 support mandatory vaccination.
00:22:00.820 And if you are
00:22:02.140 one of those people,
00:22:03.480 I want you to take
00:22:04.800 a look in the mirror
00:22:05.580 and ask yourself
00:22:06.620 how you rationalize this.
00:22:08.620 Don't talk about it
00:22:09.780 in a case-specific way.
00:22:12.060 Yes, COVID's real,
00:22:13.160 COVID's a threat,
00:22:13.920 I get it.
00:22:15.120 But in general terms,
00:22:17.720 what happens
00:22:18.460 when a flu shot
00:22:19.360 comes along
00:22:20.080 that you're not a fan of?
00:22:21.960 What happens
00:22:22.820 when some other
00:22:23.500 medical treatment
00:22:24.200 comes along?
00:22:25.460 What happens
00:22:26.160 if we start telling
00:22:26.960 people who are
00:22:27.740 HIV positive,
00:22:28.900 people who have
00:22:29.340 other diseases,
00:22:30.120 oh, wait, no,
00:22:30.720 you can't come here.
00:22:32.560 You can't go here.
00:22:34.020 You need to be
00:22:34.540 on this drug.
00:22:35.220 You need to be
00:22:35.640 on this treatment.
00:22:36.480 And all of a sudden,
00:22:37.340 not just mandating it,
00:22:39.400 but opening up
00:22:40.540 the discussion
00:22:41.320 of making
00:22:42.500 all of this information
00:22:43.800 everyone's business.
00:22:46.520 Remember,
00:22:47.040 the vaccine passport idea
00:22:48.360 isn't just wrong
00:22:49.200 because you're requiring
00:22:50.120 people to be vaccinated.
00:22:51.420 It's wrong
00:22:52.040 because now,
00:22:52.760 all of a sudden,
00:22:53.240 you have to tell
00:22:54.120 your neighborhood barista,
00:22:56.140 the gym check-in guy,
00:22:58.000 the guy who's taking
00:22:59.340 your ticket
00:22:59.820 at the concert,
00:23:00.840 the lady who's
00:23:01.780 serving you
00:23:02.540 or seating you
00:23:03.080 at a restaurant,
00:23:03.620 you have to tell
00:23:04.200 all of them
00:23:04.820 this decision
00:23:05.440 that you have made.
00:23:08.080 Why on earth
00:23:09.080 is that something
00:23:09.840 we would celebrate?
00:23:12.380 And it's dangerous
00:23:13.660 if the liberal
00:23:14.520 calculation is correct.
00:23:16.940 It's dangerous
00:23:17.860 if this is actually
00:23:18.920 a winning position
00:23:19.660 in Canada.
00:23:21.380 If you or people
00:23:22.440 you know
00:23:22.880 are on that team,
00:23:24.060 and let me say
00:23:25.880 for the millionth time,
00:23:27.440 I am pro-vaccine.
00:23:29.300 I am vaccinated
00:23:30.440 and I know
00:23:31.340 some of you
00:23:31.700 don't like that.
00:23:32.320 I don't care.
00:23:32.980 I made a decision
00:23:33.760 and I am defending
00:23:35.000 tooth and nail
00:23:35.640 your right
00:23:36.200 to make a decision
00:23:36.940 that is right for you.
00:23:39.460 But we now have
00:23:40.400 a political class
00:23:41.400 left and right
00:23:42.880 that does not
00:23:44.280 want to stand up
00:23:45.440 for that freedom.
00:23:46.800 That does not want
00:23:47.720 to stand up
00:23:48.180 for that right.
00:23:50.180 Even look at,
00:23:51.280 by the way,
00:23:51.740 Aaron O'Toole's
00:23:52.440 response to the
00:23:53.980 vaccine mandate
00:23:54.800 in the public service.
00:23:56.000 His response to this
00:23:57.100 isn't,
00:23:57.900 no, vaccine mandates
00:23:58.840 are wrong.
00:23:59.440 We're not going to do it.
00:24:00.200 It's, okay, hang on.
00:24:02.080 We're going to say
00:24:03.280 if you're vaccinated,
00:24:05.220 that's fine.
00:24:06.560 If you're not,
00:24:07.540 you have to do
00:24:08.140 daily rapid tests
00:24:09.280 and we need to guarantee
00:24:10.800 that you're safe that way.
00:24:11.880 So the Overton window
00:24:14.180 has moved so far
00:24:15.980 to this point
00:24:16.480 that we're actually
00:24:17.200 just debating
00:24:17.960 between which vaccine mandate
00:24:20.100 is better than the other.
00:24:21.640 which vaccine mandate
00:24:22.720 gives just a little bit
00:24:23.780 more latitude
00:24:24.420 than all the other ones do.
00:24:26.200 That's basically
00:24:26.960 what we're debating here.
00:24:28.080 It's not
00:24:28.400 our vaccine mandate
00:24:29.480 is right or wrong.
00:24:30.300 It's, okay,
00:24:30.740 how far do we want to go
00:24:32.360 with what is effectively
00:24:33.780 a mandatory
00:24:34.780 vaccination policy?
00:24:36.360 And mark my words,
00:24:37.320 when a society
00:24:38.280 hands over
00:24:39.740 surrenders
00:24:41.040 any right to independence,
00:24:42.540 any right to individual choice,
00:24:43.960 any right to personal freedom,
00:24:45.420 it is never coming back.
00:24:47.620 You're tuned in
00:24:50.160 to the Andrew Lawton Show.
00:24:53.360 Welcome back
00:24:54.160 to the Andrew Lawton Show.
00:24:55.480 I mentioned in the previous segment,
00:24:57.820 Justin Trudeau
00:24:58.400 had that rally
00:24:59.300 of 80 people
00:25:00.540 in Calgary,
00:25:02.120 which to be honest,
00:25:03.040 I've got to give credit
00:25:04.020 where it's due here.
00:25:05.200 Justin Trudeau
00:25:05.900 finding 80 people
00:25:07.100 in the province of Alberta
00:25:08.140 that wanted to hear him
00:25:09.140 and not heckle him,
00:25:10.100 I think is a big victory.
00:25:11.580 So, you know,
00:25:12.460 he could quadruple
00:25:13.260 his vote in no time
00:25:14.320 if that's the trend
00:25:15.700 that he keeps up on.
00:25:16.800 He was very excited about it.
00:25:18.340 He had tweeted out,
00:25:19.400 what a night, Calgary.
00:25:20.380 Your energy was incredible.
00:25:22.120 Let's carry it forward.
00:25:23.580 And on September 20th,
00:25:24.680 let's move hashtag
00:25:25.680 forward for everyone.
00:25:26.880 So he's going on.
00:25:27.960 He might even have 90 people
00:25:29.200 at his next rally.
00:25:30.680 Now, I will be
00:25:31.700 a little bit kind to him
00:25:33.040 on this
00:25:33.420 because they capped it at 80.
00:25:35.000 Now, maybe they capped it at 80
00:25:36.120 because they knew
00:25:36.720 there weren't going to be
00:25:37.800 more than 80 people,
00:25:39.460 but they had those
00:25:40.240 like ridiculous
00:25:40.920 social distancing bubbles
00:25:42.340 at this outdoor event.
00:25:44.220 They had a capacity limit.
00:25:46.340 But here's the thing.
00:25:47.260 It's very interesting
00:25:48.480 that as I reported
00:25:50.100 a couple of days ago,
00:25:51.120 Justin Trudeau's
00:25:51.760 very first campaign event
00:25:53.220 was a rally
00:25:54.520 in Cobourg, Ontario.
00:25:56.020 Now, Ontario has
00:25:57.680 still on the books
00:25:59.020 a number of public
00:26:00.220 health restrictions,
00:26:01.100 including the capacity
00:26:02.660 for outdoor events
00:26:04.020 being set at 100.
00:26:05.700 You cannot have a rally
00:26:06.840 in Ontario,
00:26:08.200 even outdoors,
00:26:09.180 with more than 100 people.
00:26:11.020 Justin Trudeau
00:26:13.020 was speaking
00:26:13.480 on a restaurant patio
00:26:15.400 surrounded by
00:26:16.600 what media have reported
00:26:17.800 as several hundred people.
00:26:19.800 Some of those
00:26:20.300 were there to heckle him,
00:26:21.120 but still,
00:26:21.580 hundreds and hundreds
00:26:22.260 of people
00:26:22.780 well over the 100 cap
00:26:24.400 in Ontario.
00:26:25.280 No social distancing,
00:26:26.640 no little bubbles
00:26:27.380 on the ground,
00:26:28.260 no respect
00:26:28.960 for the capacity limits.
00:26:30.500 He's in Alberta,
00:26:32.120 a province
00:26:32.680 that has no restrictions,
00:26:34.640 and he's doing
00:26:35.680 this contrived theatrical
00:26:37.380 social distancing bubble thing
00:26:39.500 where he's,
00:26:40.280 oh, we're only 80 people.
00:26:41.320 And I can only think
00:26:42.460 of two possible theories
00:26:44.500 for this,
00:26:45.020 two possible explanations.
00:26:46.380 One is that he's trying
00:26:47.200 to thumb his nose
00:26:47.920 at Jason Kenney,
00:26:49.340 trying to say,
00:26:49.860 oh yeah,
00:26:50.220 Jason Kenney may have reopened,
00:26:51.600 but the Liberals
00:26:52.160 go above and beyond.
00:26:53.580 The Liberals go above
00:26:54.420 and beyond
00:26:54.900 in taking all of these
00:26:55.960 extra precautions,
00:26:57.460 in which case,
00:26:58.300 why were you not doing it
00:26:59.240 in Cobourg?
00:27:00.120 Why were you not doing it
00:27:01.000 in Ontario,
00:27:02.040 which actually has
00:27:03.320 restrictions in place?
00:27:05.500 And the other part of this
00:27:07.080 is just that they couldn't
00:27:08.060 get more than 80 people.
00:27:09.040 So they figured,
00:27:10.180 all right,
00:27:10.400 what's a good way
00:27:11.240 of masking a really
00:27:12.480 small crowd in Calgary?
00:27:14.520 And Trudeau did this
00:27:15.420 in 2019 as well.
00:27:16.720 He landed in Calgary
00:27:18.040 for like an hour
00:27:19.240 just so that he could say,
00:27:20.740 oh, I've come to Alberta.
00:27:21.740 But then he like,
00:27:22.580 you know,
00:27:22.780 hightails it back
00:27:23.860 on the plane
00:27:24.340 and gets out of Dodge,
00:27:25.960 I think to Manitoba
00:27:27.080 this morning.
00:27:27.740 Although don't,
00:27:28.420 don't actually do quote me
00:27:29.440 on that because I'm
00:27:30.260 99% sure it is Manitoba.
00:27:32.900 So he was doing
00:27:34.060 this little rally
00:27:35.160 in Alberta
00:27:36.060 just to say
00:27:36.700 he was there
00:27:37.580 and then touting
00:27:38.260 the great momentum
00:27:39.160 and great energy
00:27:39.980 of the ADP.
00:27:41.380 Maybe they were 80
00:27:42.060 really energetic people.
00:27:43.560 So in any case,
00:27:44.720 but I will say
00:27:45.720 when you see
00:27:46.520 these types of events,
00:27:47.860 it's rallies do work.
00:27:50.660 And this is why
00:27:51.680 my cautionary tale
00:27:52.900 to the Conservatives,
00:27:53.880 don't spend
00:27:54.640 the entire campaign
00:27:55.560 locked up
00:27:56.160 in that studio
00:27:57.160 in Ottawa.
00:27:57.940 I know O'Toole's
00:27:58.720 been doing a bit of touring.
00:27:59.920 He was in,
00:28:00.500 he's in Saskatchewan today.
00:28:02.240 He's also in Manitoba.
00:28:03.700 So Manitoba's getting
00:28:04.660 a lot more action
00:28:05.380 than it's normally used to.
00:28:06.840 But you can't
00:28:08.060 get through to people
00:28:09.460 in the way you can
00:28:10.280 when they all want
00:28:10.820 to take pictures
00:28:11.440 and you get some
00:28:12.660 local energy
00:28:13.360 and local buzz going
00:28:14.460 and all of that.
00:28:15.180 And same as Maxine Bernier.
00:28:16.340 He's doing a road trip.
00:28:17.700 I know he's back
00:28:18.320 doing some campaigning
00:28:19.140 in his Bose riding.
00:28:21.000 Annamie Paul,
00:28:21.760 she's like so desperate
00:28:22.700 to win a seat in Toronto.
00:28:23.980 I don't even think
00:28:24.440 she's planning
00:28:24.980 any campaigning
00:28:26.300 except for maybe
00:28:27.080 heading to Ottawa
00:28:28.160 for the debates.
00:28:29.580 But campaigns do matter
00:28:30.900 and that's why
00:28:31.640 I've made a commitment
00:28:32.360 that I'm not going to like
00:28:33.260 put a pin in
00:28:34.240 a polling result
00:28:35.720 that comes out now
00:28:36.700 and say alright
00:28:37.940 this is what's going to happen
00:28:39.060 because how their campaigns
00:28:40.520 are going matters
00:28:41.260 and the Liberals
00:28:42.220 so far
00:28:43.380 I don't think
00:28:44.460 are performing
00:28:45.680 particularly well.
00:28:47.020 The Conservatives
00:28:47.640 seem to be gaining.
00:28:49.180 They haven't really
00:28:50.180 put their foot
00:28:51.100 in their mouth 0.76
00:28:51.760 which is something
00:28:52.900 that is good for them.
00:28:54.060 But at the same time
00:28:55.160 it's very early days.
00:28:57.300 We've got to
00:28:58.060 move on from this
00:28:58.920 because I do want to
00:28:59.520 spend some time
00:29:00.100 talking about
00:29:00.840 Afghanistan here
00:29:02.220 which has been
00:29:02.940 one of the bigger
00:29:04.140 election issues
00:29:04.980 just because the election
00:29:06.080 was called
00:29:06.540 in the midst
00:29:06.980 of this crisis
00:29:07.720 which is both
00:29:08.400 a military
00:29:09.400 and a humanitarian
00:29:10.860 crisis.
00:29:12.420 The Conservatives
00:29:13.520 a bunch of MPs
00:29:14.580 or not MPs
00:29:15.320 rather candidates
00:29:16.040 did a press conference
00:29:17.560 the other day
00:29:18.020 in which they talked
00:29:18.680 about their plan
00:29:19.540 and the Conservatives
00:29:20.420 have pushed for
00:29:21.100 the Liberals
00:29:22.200 to suspend their campaign
00:29:23.440 at least the Liberals
00:29:24.720 who have cabinet portfolios
00:29:26.580 tied to what's happening
00:29:27.880 in Afghanistan.
00:29:28.600 and I wanted to
00:29:30.640 expand on that a bit
00:29:31.580 because Alex Ruff
00:29:32.500 who is a Canadian
00:29:33.420 Armed Forces veteran
00:29:34.440 himself who served
00:29:35.920 in Afghanistan
00:29:36.620 had some very
00:29:38.300 interesting thoughts
00:29:39.740 about the mission itself
00:29:42.280 and about where we are
00:29:43.900 as a country
00:29:44.520 and I wanted to
00:29:45.060 extrapolate on some
00:29:46.100 of those with Alex Ruff
00:29:47.500 the Conservative candidate
00:29:48.940 seeking re-election
00:29:49.920 in Bruce Gray
00:29:51.360 Owen Sound.
00:29:51.980 I was going to say
00:29:52.400 the MP
00:29:52.780 you're not the MP anymore
00:29:53.880 with Parliament
00:29:54.560 having been dissolved.
00:29:55.760 Alex good to have you
00:29:56.500 on the show
00:29:56.800 thanks for joining me.
00:29:58.260 Thanks for having me Andrew.
00:29:59.820 Now before serving
00:30:01.340 as a member of Parliament
00:30:02.540 you served in Afghanistan
00:30:04.040 in the Canadian Armed Forces
00:30:05.760 just before we get into
00:30:07.480 what's happening now
00:30:08.780 and how the government
00:30:09.720 could or should be responding
00:30:11.340 how has it been for you
00:30:13.040 as someone who spent time
00:30:14.460 there as part of the coalition
00:30:16.040 seeing all of this work
00:30:18.060 over the last 20 years
00:30:19.240 just being unraveled
00:30:20.440 in the span of a few weeks?
00:30:23.020 Well that's a tough question Andrew
00:30:24.460 and I've been getting
00:30:25.880 lots of feedback
00:30:26.600 from colleagues of mine
00:30:27.940 and even people still
00:30:29.660 in uniform
00:30:30.160 and it's tough
00:30:31.660 it's disappointing
00:30:32.520 it makes you kind of
00:30:34.700 question sometimes
00:30:35.520 hey could I've done
00:30:36.320 something differently
00:30:37.080 could the whole coalition
00:30:39.380 have done something differently
00:30:40.480 to address the challenges
00:30:42.020 that Afghanistan 0.79
00:30:42.840 has faced
00:30:44.680 and now will face
00:30:45.600 going into the future
00:30:46.600 I'm still a bit of a
00:30:48.320 glass half full
00:30:49.320 not right now
00:30:50.360 with the you know
00:30:51.280 sort of the lack of action
00:30:53.160 on getting those Afghans 1.00
00:30:55.280 out that need to be
00:30:56.760 brought out
00:30:57.660 and that are fleeing
00:30:58.640 for their lives
00:30:59.520 but just from the fact
00:31:01.820 that we did
00:31:02.520 the coalition
00:31:03.480 Canada in particular
00:31:04.720 we spent
00:31:05.420 you know the better part
00:31:06.340 of a decade
00:31:06.880 15 years there
00:31:08.080 the coalition
00:31:09.360 writ large
00:31:09.940 almost 20 years
00:31:10.980 and
00:31:11.760 we've educated
00:31:14.260 and helped educate
00:31:15.140 a generation
00:31:15.840 and this is a generational
00:31:17.380 sort of change
00:31:18.560 that's the challenge
00:31:19.700 with any counterinsurgency
00:31:21.040 and the sort of
00:31:22.620 full spectrum operations
00:31:24.580 that occur today
00:31:25.480 in today's contemporary
00:31:26.400 operating environment
00:31:27.420 and if you don't
00:31:28.860 understand that
00:31:31.060 and understand that
00:31:31.780 really ultimately
00:31:32.520 the solution for Afghanistan 0.99
00:31:34.220 has to come from
00:31:35.500 the Afghans themselves
00:31:36.520 and that is through
00:31:37.900 a long process
00:31:39.060 I'm still optimistic
00:31:40.520 there's a whole generation
00:31:41.520 that now realize
00:31:42.860 that they can have more
00:31:43.980 and ultimately
00:31:44.740 you never know
00:31:45.660 one of those young
00:31:46.680 girls that was educated 0.59
00:31:48.620 and got educated
00:31:49.540 due to the impact
00:31:50.940 and influence
00:31:52.020 that we had historically
00:31:53.460 us as Canadians
00:31:55.840 and as the coalition
00:31:58.180 I think that there is
00:31:59.320 a potential there
00:32:00.060 that maybe one of them
00:32:00.760 will be you know
00:32:01.520 back down the road
00:32:02.780 to future prime minister
00:32:03.800 of Afghanistan
00:32:04.440 and that the country
00:32:05.380 eventually will
00:32:06.240 come out of this
00:32:07.420 but unfortunately
00:32:08.220 right now
00:32:08.920 they are going through
00:32:09.740 some very tough days
00:32:11.160 and I think
00:32:13.000 you know
00:32:13.600 we now have to do
00:32:14.380 our part in particular
00:32:15.400 to help those
00:32:16.640 that helped us
00:32:17.420 when we needed help
00:32:18.400 to you know
00:32:19.460 help them
00:32:19.960 and you are right
00:32:21.840 to point out
00:32:22.500 there are two aspects
00:32:23.620 of this
00:32:23.900 there's the
00:32:24.400 what do we do
00:32:24.940 long term
00:32:25.560 about the Taliban
00:32:26.400 we know that
00:32:27.140 we've been down
00:32:28.220 this road
00:32:28.780 in part before
00:32:29.660 with the Taliban
00:32:30.360 running the show
00:32:31.260 and then being ousted
00:32:33.060 and having a democratic
00:32:34.340 government replace it
00:32:35.440 and then there's also
00:32:36.260 the here and now
00:32:37.040 and those images
00:32:38.220 of people just
00:32:39.540 you know
00:32:39.820 clinging on
00:32:40.640 to the wheel
00:32:42.060 of an airplane
00:32:42.660 taking off
00:32:43.460 and falling
00:32:44.020 I think will be burned
00:32:44.940 into all of our memories
00:32:45.920 for generations to come
00:32:47.460 you mentioned
00:32:48.580 the Afghans
00:32:49.640 that helped Canada
00:32:50.540 and I'm having trouble
00:32:51.720 with this
00:32:52.100 because Justin Drew
00:32:52.940 has said that
00:32:53.660 the government's
00:32:54.480 on top of it
00:32:55.200 they're all getting
00:32:55.900 evacuated
00:32:58.300 from the region
00:32:59.260 I mean
00:32:59.520 what's the breakdown here
00:33:00.560 what isn't happening
00:33:01.600 that we're being told
00:33:02.520 is happening
00:33:03.080 well so
00:33:04.720 part of the challenge
00:33:05.740 is you know
00:33:06.540 the lack of transparency
00:33:07.600 and just how much
00:33:08.760 information is being
00:33:09.680 put out there
00:33:10.360 because what we're
00:33:11.000 hearing from people
00:33:11.940 and colleagues
00:33:12.680 and connections
00:33:13.540 right into Afghanistan 0.94
00:33:14.540 is that they have
00:33:15.300 no way to communicate
00:33:16.320 and get their names
00:33:18.480 and there's lists
00:33:19.240 and there's names
00:33:19.880 of people
00:33:20.480 and Afghans
00:33:21.820 on the ground
00:33:22.200 and Canadian citizens
00:33:23.340 I know of Canadian citizens
00:33:24.700 that are on the ground
00:33:25.540 there that are hunkered down
00:33:26.720 and having that same problem
00:33:28.260 of getting in contact
00:33:29.740 with the appropriate
00:33:30.680 Canadian authorities
00:33:31.660 with the embassy
00:33:32.540 etc.
00:33:33.760 so that they can
00:33:34.540 actually find their way
00:33:36.460 and get to that safe location
00:33:38.060 and link up
00:33:38.880 to get evacuated
00:33:40.180 I know
00:33:40.680 the government
00:33:41.500 does have stuff ongoing
00:33:42.900 but the problem
00:33:44.260 right now
00:33:44.640 is that lack
00:33:45.320 of communication
00:33:46.500 and that ability
00:33:47.180 to get that clarity
00:33:48.180 and information
00:33:50.080 to those on the ground
00:33:51.380 that need to get out
00:33:52.420 and you know
00:33:53.520 this is right
00:33:54.160 goes back to last week
00:33:55.280 when they made that announcement
00:33:56.360 I was happy to hear
00:33:57.280 that they're planning
00:33:57.960 on getting 20,000 Afghans out
00:33:59.820 and I think Trudeau
00:34:00.580 has even mentioned
00:34:01.260 up to 21,000 now
00:34:03.280 but I raised this concern
00:34:05.300 over a month ago
00:34:06.280 in the public
00:34:07.600 through a statement
00:34:08.860 through
00:34:09.260 you know
00:34:10.560 a letter
00:34:10.940 to a national paper
00:34:12.760 saying
00:34:13.220 look
00:34:13.520 you have a very short
00:34:14.840 window to do this
00:34:15.760 anybody that
00:34:16.780 saw this coming
00:34:18.180 knew that
00:34:18.560 you only have
00:34:19.140 a couple weeks
00:34:19.900 and now
00:34:21.680 the Taliban
00:34:22.780 have capitalized
00:34:23.720 on the U.S. withdrawal
00:34:24.940 they're now in Kabul
00:34:26.380 they've successfully seized
00:34:28.340 so many of the key
00:34:29.240 crossing and border points
00:34:30.620 so it's going to require
00:34:31.940 even more effort now
00:34:33.200 to get these people out
00:34:34.740 than if they
00:34:35.340 if we would have
00:34:35.940 taken action sooner
00:34:36.800 this may be
00:34:38.480 a difficult question
00:34:39.520 to answer
00:34:40.040 but I'm curious
00:34:41.300 at what point
00:34:42.160 you think that window
00:34:43.160 closes
00:34:43.720 and it becomes
00:34:44.420 too risky
00:34:45.100 to put Canadian
00:34:46.740 soldiers over there
00:34:47.900 I know they're
00:34:48.480 very well trained
00:34:49.260 I know that
00:34:49.980 the U.S. is still
00:34:51.080 controlling the airport
00:34:52.140 for the time being
00:34:53.040 but at what point
00:34:54.200 is it too risky
00:34:55.000 to do all of these
00:34:55.880 things we need to do
00:34:56.800 I can't honestly
00:34:58.660 answer that
00:34:59.240 without access
00:35:00.120 to you know
00:35:00.780 what I would have had
00:35:01.640 when I was still
00:35:02.260 in uniform
00:35:02.740 you know
00:35:03.120 the intelligence sources
00:35:04.140 the information
00:35:04.800 on the ground
00:35:05.400 but ultimately
00:35:06.080 I think that
00:35:07.820 the final deadline
00:35:08.780 is September 11th
00:35:10.060 that's what
00:35:10.580 from what I understand
00:35:11.340 the U.S. has indicated
00:35:12.380 that they intend
00:35:13.120 to have every one
00:35:14.100 of their forces
00:35:14.840 out of Afghanistan
00:35:16.180 so it's tied
00:35:17.580 to our coalition partners
00:35:18.700 it's tied to our allies
00:35:19.960 and what they can do
00:35:21.540 but ultimately
00:35:22.200 our Canadian Armed Forces
00:35:23.540 are well trained
00:35:24.320 as you mentioned
00:35:24.920 they are prepared
00:35:26.040 to do this
00:35:26.720 and ultimately
00:35:28.020 you don't make
00:35:28.760 any decision
00:35:29.420 from a foreign policy
00:35:30.940 or a national defense
00:35:32.580 perspective
00:35:33.140 without some level
00:35:34.900 of risk
00:35:35.360 but every soldier
00:35:36.440 sailor
00:35:37.000 air crew
00:35:37.620 in the Canadian Armed Forces
00:35:39.440 knows that
00:35:42.120 we signed up for that
00:35:43.240 it's a voluntary
00:35:44.100 military here in Canada
00:35:45.740 and we knew
00:35:46.740 right from the
00:35:47.340 you know
00:35:47.580 that's what makes
00:35:48.180 our service personnel
00:35:49.920 unique
00:35:50.320 is they're willing
00:35:51.620 to make that
00:35:52.260 supreme sacrifice
00:35:53.160 if they have to
00:35:54.060 to do the right thing
00:35:55.060 and what our government
00:35:56.460 decides to do for us
00:35:57.940 as military personnel
00:35:59.940 so ultimately
00:36:00.860 I can't speak
00:36:02.660 to the exact timeline
00:36:03.720 I just know
00:36:04.320 that window
00:36:04.860 is closing
00:36:05.580 very very quickly
00:36:06.960 and the Taliban
00:36:08.800 aren't
00:36:10.180 an organization
00:36:11.040 they're a terrorist group
00:36:11.980 that will
00:36:12.680 not respect
00:36:13.600 the rules of law
00:36:14.600 and the international
00:36:15.980 rules of law
00:36:16.740 they're not afraid
00:36:17.500 they're killing people
00:36:18.260 they'll hunt them down
00:36:19.220 and commit
00:36:20.500 terrible crimes
00:36:21.760 if we don't get
00:36:22.540 these people out
00:36:23.340 immediately
00:36:24.040 obviously it's the US
00:36:26.160 that's driving
00:36:27.140 the withdrawal
00:36:27.780 and the US withdrawal
00:36:28.740 that's triggered
00:36:29.500 a lot of this
00:36:30.120 but I'm curious
00:36:31.020 where you think
00:36:31.740 Canada could have
00:36:32.560 played a role
00:36:33.080 if it could have
00:36:33.920 in mitigating
00:36:35.260 some of the damage
00:36:36.040 up until now
00:36:36.860 you mean with respect
00:36:39.040 to getting these people out
00:36:40.240 yes
00:36:41.020 yeah well so
00:36:42.200 as soon as the US
00:36:43.320 had indicated
00:36:44.320 that withdrawal
00:36:45.180 was coming
00:36:45.900 months ago
00:36:46.620 I can't remember
00:36:47.580 whether it was
00:36:48.060 February March
00:36:48.820 or when they had
00:36:49.440 indicated under
00:36:50.400 President Biden
00:36:51.120 that they were
00:36:51.580 going to do this
00:36:52.300 that's when
00:36:53.400 the government
00:36:55.040 should have clued in
00:36:56.260 right off the get-go
00:36:57.660 because we have
00:36:58.340 phenomenal planners
00:36:59.280 I've worked in
00:36:59.920 our Canadian Joint
00:37:00.620 Operations Command
00:37:01.640 in the planning team
00:37:03.320 there
00:37:03.620 they could have
00:37:05.200 spun this up
00:37:05.860 in no time flat
00:37:06.860 and started
00:37:07.860 putting these programs
00:37:09.060 in place
00:37:09.780 to help getting
00:37:10.560 these people out
00:37:11.640 because
00:37:12.240 you know
00:37:13.820 it just
00:37:14.460 you should have
00:37:15.060 we were tied
00:37:15.960 to that September
00:37:16.640 11th deadline
00:37:17.400 so they should have
00:37:18.080 been able to
00:37:18.660 hey here's the
00:37:19.460 drop dead date
00:37:20.260 what's their background
00:37:21.180 what are those
00:37:21.720 triggers 1.00
00:37:22.260 in a planning process
00:37:24.520 that go
00:37:24.940 oh geez
00:37:25.500 Taliban have now 0.99
00:37:26.980 seized this
00:37:27.920 all right
00:37:28.360 well this speeds
00:37:28.960 up the timeline
00:37:29.640 so the planning
00:37:30.580 could have all
00:37:31.120 been easily done
00:37:31.940 if the will
00:37:32.560 was there
00:37:33.180 but ultimately
00:37:34.060 Canadian Armed Forces
00:37:35.320 follows the direction
00:37:36.240 that they get
00:37:36.740 from our elected
00:37:37.700 officials
00:37:38.200 we have
00:37:38.780 it's up to the
00:37:39.640 government
00:37:39.960 to provide that
00:37:40.820 direction
00:37:41.300 and then the
00:37:42.260 military will
00:37:42.760 provide options
00:37:43.480 I don't like
00:37:45.320 politicizing something
00:37:46.540 that should be
00:37:47.460 a very unified
00:37:48.640 issue
00:37:49.140 and I believe
00:37:50.020 that genuinely
00:37:51.100 speaking
00:37:51.600 liberal candidates
00:37:52.860 conservative candidates
00:37:53.840 NDP candidates
00:37:54.680 all want what's best
00:37:55.660 for Canadians
00:37:56.660 and Afghans
00:37:57.700 here
00:37:57.900 but I do have
00:37:58.900 to question
00:37:59.460 about the amount
00:38:00.620 of attention
00:38:01.200 that's being given
00:38:01.920 to this
00:38:02.320 because we have
00:38:03.060 Justin Trudeau
00:38:03.780 on the campaign
00:38:04.860 trail
00:38:05.180 I know the acting
00:38:06.120 chief of the
00:38:06.620 defense staff
00:38:07.180 is also in Hawaii
00:38:08.080 for a conference
00:38:09.300 with other chiefs
00:38:10.380 of the defense
00:38:10.820 staff this week
00:38:11.520 have you gotten
00:38:12.420 the sense
00:38:12.940 that this is
00:38:13.620 being made
00:38:14.560 a priority
00:38:15.200 by some part
00:38:16.920 of the government
00:38:17.460 or some part
00:38:18.120 of the armed
00:38:18.520 forces
00:38:18.920 I can't speak
00:38:21.380 for the armed
00:38:21.820 forces obviously
00:38:22.780 I'm not
00:38:23.320 and I try
00:38:24.100 especially right
00:38:24.880 now and everything
00:38:25.600 going on
00:38:26.160 I don't want
00:38:26.580 to put any
00:38:27.140 other you know
00:38:27.840 for my personal
00:38:28.460 connections at risk
00:38:29.620 for anything
00:38:30.520 that's politically
00:38:31.380 tied
00:38:32.600 but I mean
00:38:33.060 it's no different
00:38:33.540 than the statement
00:38:34.140 that myself
00:38:34.820 and Michael Chong
00:38:35.840 put out the other
00:38:36.600 day you know
00:38:37.340 saying look
00:38:37.920 the Minister
00:38:38.700 of National
00:38:40.260 Defense
00:38:40.780 Immigration
00:38:41.620 Foreign Affairs
00:38:42.760 they should all
00:38:44.140 be you know
00:38:44.820 stopping
00:38:45.700 ceasing their
00:38:46.480 campaigning right
00:38:47.360 now and focused
00:38:48.160 on getting
00:38:48.720 making sure
00:38:49.640 their efforts
00:38:50.140 done on this
00:38:50.920 you know
00:38:51.680 and getting
00:38:51.980 this out
00:38:52.420 and I mean
00:38:52.820 I think
00:38:53.160 that is the
00:38:53.780 only real
00:38:54.200 political
00:38:54.580 consideration
00:38:55.160 is when
00:38:56.260 this crisis
00:38:56.800 became so
00:38:57.800 evident
00:38:58.280 you know
00:38:58.900 in the last
00:39:00.100 couple weeks
00:39:00.760 it does
00:39:01.960 question why
00:39:02.780 the Prime
00:39:03.220 Minister
00:39:03.520 why Trudeau
00:39:04.200 decided to
00:39:05.280 call an
00:39:05.740 election
00:39:06.100 when I
00:39:07.180 think personally
00:39:07.860 he could have
00:39:08.320 held off
00:39:08.740 on that decision
00:39:09.400 if he was
00:39:09.820 still set
00:39:10.280 on calling
00:39:10.700 this election
00:39:12.360 that's fine
00:39:13.020 and dandy
00:39:13.480 but at least
00:39:14.160 get this piece
00:39:15.080 of it done
00:39:15.760 first and foremost
00:39:16.840 to make sure
00:39:17.460 that guidance
00:39:18.080 was going
00:39:18.560 out there
00:39:19.060 and that
00:39:19.820 the focus
00:39:20.540 by the ministers
00:39:21.540 was on
00:39:22.440 dealing with
00:39:23.200 this international
00:39:24.280 humanitarian crisis
00:39:25.220 that to me
00:39:26.700 is more important
00:39:27.840 than any election
00:39:28.600 Canadians aren't 0.94
00:39:30.700 going to remember
00:39:31.260 who won or lost
00:39:32.880 an election
00:39:33.400 necessarily
00:39:34.240 or that you know
00:39:35.380 that MP themselves
00:39:36.460 or that candidate
00:39:37.400 as much as
00:39:38.200 they're going to
00:39:38.560 remember whether
00:39:39.020 they did the right
00:39:40.060 thing or not
00:39:40.680 in helping prevent
00:39:41.640 this crisis
00:39:42.780 and right now
00:39:43.860 these ministers
00:39:47.200 have that ability
00:39:48.220 to influence
00:39:48.920 this and focus
00:39:49.660 on this
00:39:50.200 more than
00:39:50.940 just getting
00:39:51.360 re-elected
00:39:52.080 Alex Ruff
00:39:53.660 conservative candidate
00:39:54.620 for Bruce Gray
00:39:55.720 Owen Sound
00:39:56.220 thanks very much
00:39:56.800 for your time
00:39:57.260 thank you Andrew
00:39:58.540 that was
00:40:00.180 Canadian Armed Forces
00:40:01.140 Afghanistan veteran
00:40:02.180 and conservative
00:40:03.100 candidate
00:40:03.560 in Bruce Gray
00:40:04.840 Owen Sound
00:40:05.420 Alex Ruff
00:40:06.180 my thanks to Alex
00:40:07.120 for coming on the show
00:40:08.240 we will have
00:40:09.140 lots of different
00:40:09.740 candidates from
00:40:10.320 different parties
00:40:10.960 in the shows
00:40:11.940 to come over
00:40:12.800 the next few weeks
00:40:13.880 so fear not
00:40:15.360 we will hopefully
00:40:16.100 get to some of
00:40:16.960 those who have
00:40:17.380 unique stories
00:40:18.100 or unique angles
00:40:18.940 on issues
00:40:19.420 we obviously
00:40:19.940 aren't able to
00:40:20.580 cover every
00:40:21.440 candidate from
00:40:22.220 every party
00:40:22.780 in each of the
00:40:23.380 338 ridings
00:40:24.780 but we want
00:40:25.740 candidates of interest
00:40:26.780 ridings of interest
00:40:27.820 and issues of interest
00:40:29.140 where a candidate
00:40:30.040 has some expertise
00:40:31.180 to speak on it
00:40:32.040 like in the case
00:40:33.100 of Alex Ruff
00:40:33.760 in Afghanistan
00:40:34.480 we will have
00:40:35.800 plenty more
00:40:36.760 next week
00:40:37.460 when the Andrew
00:40:37.900 Lawton Show
00:40:38.320 returns
00:40:38.780 as the campaign
00:40:39.720 continues
00:40:40.220 my thanks to you
00:40:41.120 all for tuning in
00:40:41.880 this is Canada's
00:40:43.000 most irreverent
00:40:43.840 talk show
00:40:44.260 thank you
00:40:45.000 God bless
00:40:45.560 and good day
00:40:46.040 to you all
00:40:46.520 thanks for listening
00:40:47.480 to the Andrew
00:40:48.080 Lawton Show
00:40:48.660 support the program
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00:40:50.300 to True North
00:40:50.960 at www.tnc.noons