Juno News - RCMP say ＂traditional values＂ are an indicator of extremism

00:00:00.000 An RCMP sergeant says that traditional values are an indicator of extremism.

00:00:09.460 A nonpartisan think tank is raising doubts about the significance of abolishing interprovincial

00:00:14.640 trade barriers, calling the efforts political theatre.

00:00:18.060 A growing number of patients are dying in British Columbia while stuck on lengthy wait lists.

00:00:23.760 Hello Canada, it's Thursday, July 10th, and this is the True North Daily Brief.

00:00:27.760 I'm Isaac Lamoureux.

00:00:28.760 And I'm Geoff Knight.

00:00:30.340 We've got you covered with all the news you need to know.

00:00:33.220 Let's discuss the top stories of the day and the True North exclusives you won't hear anywhere else.

00:00:41.540 An RCMP sergeant says that Canadians who believe in traditional values are likely extremists.

00:00:47.340 The comments come from RCMP Staff Sergeant Camille Habel, who told CBC News in an interview that

00:00:52.980 Canadians should be on guard for family members and friends who are being radicalized, giving

00:00:58.340 the example of someone who changes their views and holds traditional values.

00:01:02.640 Habel said, quote, radicalization in general quite often will show in people isolating themselves

00:01:08.620 and changing their behavior, like changing what they're saying on a subject, like becoming

00:01:12.980 more extremist.

00:01:13.900 If someone you know believed in equal gender rights, but all of a sudden they are leaning

00:01:18.240 towards like traditional values, it might be a sign that they're becoming more extremist.

00:01:23.400 Habel said that extreme views are only illegal once acted upon in a violent or unlawful manner.

00:01:29.060 Habel's comments come in the context of the recent arrest of four Quebec men who were charged

00:01:33.880 with facilitating terrorist activity after an alleged extremist plot to forcibly take possession

00:01:38.900 of land in the Quebec City area by creating an anti-government militia.

00:01:43.320 True North reached out to the RCMP for comment, though no response was given.

00:01:47.380 Traditional values refer to the principles and attitudes that have been central to the

00:01:51.340 foundation of the society in question, often placing a premium on the importance of family,

00:01:56.480 religiosity, discipline, and patriotism.

00:01:59.880 Traditional values are associated with conservatism, whereas their counterpart, progressive values,

00:02:04.680 are often associated with left-wing ideologies.

00:02:07.180 Habel's comments generated significant backlash from Canadians who adhere to traditional values

00:02:12.260 but reject the characterization of being extremists.

00:02:15.560 Ron Chinzer, a former Conservative candidate and host of Juno News' new Friday show,

00:02:20.220 The Crime Report, expressed that the RCMP would classify basic and popular views

00:02:24.720 that Canadians far and wide hold as being extreme in an interview on The Candace Malcolm Show.

00:02:30.040 Chinzer said, quote,

00:02:30.980 What we see here is our national police force utilizing the most basic concept of every religious group

00:02:36.580 that a strong family is a strong community.

00:02:39.440 And now we're being told by our national police force that any pivot back to that,

00:02:43.520 to revalue family values as we know it here in Western society,

00:02:46.940 is actually moving towards an extremism.

00:02:50.100 People's Party leader Maxime Bernier mocked the idea that traditional values may be a sign of extremism,

00:02:55.440 demanding that he be arrested by the RCMP.

00:02:58.040 So, Jeff, does the RCMP have a distorted view of what qualifies as extremism?

00:03:03.060 Well, Isaac, I'd say yes.

00:03:04.680 The RCMP's view of what qualifies as extremism appears distorted,

00:03:09.140 particularly in its broad and subjective framing of traditional values

00:03:12.680 as a potential red flag for radicalization.

00:03:16.060 Habel's assertion that a shift towards traditional values,

00:03:18.920 such as valuing family, religion, or patriotism,

00:03:22.380 might indicate extremism,

00:03:23.980 especially when someone moves away from beliefs like equal gender rights.

00:03:28.420 And this assertion stretches the definition beyond its conventional boundaries.

00:03:32.460 Extremism, under Canadian law, is typically tied to violent or unlawful acts,

00:03:36.900 as Habel herself noted.

00:03:38.560 Yet her example implies that ideological shifts alone,

00:03:42.060 absent any violent intent, could warrant suspicion.

00:03:45.640 This contrasts with the Criminal Code's focus on terrorist activity,

00:03:49.460 which requires evidence of planning or executing violence,

00:03:52.300 as seen in the recent arrest of four Quebec men

00:03:54.800 for an alleged anti-government militia plot.

00:03:57.860 The backlash from figures like Ron Chinzer,

00:04:00.220 a former Conservative candidate,

00:04:02.140 and Maxime Bernier, People's Party leader,

00:04:04.480 underscores this distortion.

00:04:06.260 Chinzer on The Candace Malcolm Show

00:04:07.780 argued that labeling a return to family values,

00:04:10.800 court or Western society, as extremist,

00:04:13.640 misrepresents widely held beliefs,

00:04:15.720 suggesting the RCMP is overreaching into personal ideology.

00:04:19.320 Bernier's mocking demand for arrest

00:04:20.940 further highlights the absurdity felt by those who see traditional values,

00:04:24.860 embraced by 54% of Canadians,

00:04:27.660 as mainstream, not radical.

00:04:29.700 The RCMP's stance, linked to its monitoring of the Quebec case,

00:04:33.480 seems to conflate cultural conservatism with the violent extremism

00:04:36.740 it's tasked to prevent,

00:04:38.300 a leap unsupported by data.

00:04:40.380 Only 0.02% of Canadians were investigated for extremism in 2024.

00:04:44.860 This suggests a skewed lens that risks alienating citizens

00:04:49.360 and undermining trust in the force's impartiality.

00:04:52.780 Yeah, and Jeff, just something I wanted to say quick about Chinzer, 1.00

00:04:55.080 he is not just a politician.

00:04:57.240 He actually began his career in law enforcement in 2003

00:05:00.520 with the Peel Regional Police,

00:05:02.580 and then in 2006 he became a sworn constable with the Toronto Police Service,

00:05:07.140 and then over two decades he advanced his career to become a lead investigator

00:05:13.880 and specialized in organized crime and intelligence work.

00:05:17.440 So his comments around the law here hold more weight than just some measly politician.

00:05:22.580 An independent non-partisan research institute

00:05:29.580 is calling Prime Minister Mark Carney's internal free trade reforms

00:05:33.280 in response to U.S. President Donald Trump political theater.

00:05:37.320 In a report released Monday, titled The Premier's New Clothes,

00:05:41.040 the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives argues that the political, media, and public spheres

00:05:46.420 have greatly overestimated how much hidden interprovincial trade barriers

00:05:50.200 were holding back the country's economy.

00:05:52.580 The report reads, quote,

00:05:54.180 In reality, the alleged costs of interprovincial trade irritants

00:05:57.700 have been vastly overstated,

00:05:59.680 as virtually all goods, services, and investment

00:06:02.360 flows freely across provincial borders.

00:06:04.740 According to the study,

00:06:05.880 while the efforts of premiers and provincial governments

00:06:07.920 will have minimal impact on the national economy,

00:06:10.800 the proposed changes could be detrimental.

00:06:12.820 On June 30th, the federal government removed its remaining exemptions

00:06:16.560 under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement,

00:06:18.540 including protections related to fisheries,

00:06:20.440 passenger rail services, and marine transportation.

00:06:23.880 The Liberals also passed the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act

00:06:27.400 and Bill C-5, which aim to fast-track project approvals

00:06:31.200 and reduce internal trade restrictions.

00:06:33.700 But critics say the government is exaggerating the benefits

00:06:36.340 while downplaying the risks.

00:06:37.880 The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives warned that the broader push towards mutual recognition

00:06:42.960 across provinces, backed by new federal and provincial legislation,

00:06:47.020 could spark a regulatory race to the bottom 0.77

00:06:49.140 that undermines public interest rules on workplace safety,

00:06:52.860 the environment, and consumer protection.

00:06:55.120 The group warns that the new approach gives more power to premiers and prime ministers

00:06:58.520 to override regulations without full public or legislative scrutiny.

00:07:02.640 Carney has also faced questions over ethics issues tied to Bill C-5.

00:07:06.380 The Conservatives amended the bill to remove dangerous loopholes

00:07:09.640 that would have allowed ministers to bypass key accountability laws.

00:07:13.340 So Isaac, if lowering interprovincial trade barriers

00:07:15.620 is not as much of a pressing issue as we've been led to believe,

00:07:19.080 why is Prime Minister Mark Carney pursuing this goal

00:07:21.720 as central to his government's agenda?

00:07:23.820 Yeah, Jeff.

00:07:24.620 So Prime Minister Mark Carney might be pursuing internal trade reforms,

00:07:28.200 not necessarily because interprovincial trade barriers

00:07:30.460 are a major economic obstacle,

00:07:32.760 at least according to this think tank,

00:07:34.340 but rather as a political response to external pressure,

00:07:37.560 particularly from U.S. President Donald Trump,

00:07:39.860 and as a way to project economic leadership

00:07:42.320 and heightened trade tensions.

00:07:45.080 We know, for example, how much Carney used the Trump tariff threat

00:07:47.860 to persuade Canadians to vote for him during the recent election,

00:07:51.280 even when, in some cases,

00:07:52.620 these were already secretly handled behind closed doors,

00:07:55.700 despite what he presented to the public.

00:07:58.120 Blacklock's reporter even revealed this week

00:08:00.360 that some documents showed that the Privy Council

00:08:02.540 was polling main themes of the Liberals' elbows-up campaign

00:08:05.540 months before Trump ever imposed tariffs,

00:08:08.800 finding that Canadians were terrified of mass layoffs.

00:08:12.180 So according to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives,

00:08:15.200 Carney's reforms are more about optics than substance.

00:08:18.740 The report, as you said,

00:08:20.200 describes the reforms as political theatre,

00:08:22.280 noting that virtually all goods, services, and investment

00:08:24.880 flows freely across provincial borders already.

00:08:28.540 But the reforms give the appearance of bold economic action,

00:08:31.500 while allowing the federal government

00:08:32.680 to prioritize trade and investment

00:08:34.660 by Canadian or foreign firms,

00:08:36.740 but at the cost of undermining environmental protections,

00:08:40.780 workplace safety, and consumer safeguards.

00:08:43.160 In other words, Carney's focus on lowering internal trade barriers

00:08:46.060 may serve political and symbolic purposes,

00:08:48.820 positioning his government as pro-growth and pro-unity

00:08:51.060 in the face of foreign trade threats,

00:08:52.620 rather than actually solving a meaningful economic problem.

00:09:00.940 Nearly 1,600 patients died while waiting for care

00:09:04.300 in British Columbia's Interior Health Region last fiscal year,

00:09:07.620 marking the highest number of waitlist deaths in six years

00:09:10.640 and renewing urgent calls for healthcare reform.

00:09:13.340 According to data obtained by 2ndstreet.org,

00:09:15.840 1,364 patients died while awaiting diagnostic imaging,

00:09:19.820 and another 222 died while waiting for elective surgeries

00:09:23.500 in the 2024-25 fiscal year.

00:09:26.540 Interior Health includes major BC communities

00:09:28.820 of the province's Interior Region, like Kelowna.

00:09:32.160 2ndstreet's Communication Director, Dom Lusik, said,

00:09:35.460 quote,

00:09:35.580 It's been six years, and waitlist deaths are still getting worse

00:09:38.480 than around Kelowna.

00:09:39.480 This is a failure of the healthcare system, plain and simple.

00:09:42.940 Interior Health's documents show that 39% of patients

00:09:45.600 who died while waiting for diagnostic scans

00:09:47.600 had been on the waitlist longer than the region's priority

00:09:50.100 wait time targets.

00:09:51.540 CT scans accounted for the largest share

00:09:53.540 of diagnostic-related deaths at 584,

00:09:56.140 followed by ultrasounds and echocardiograms.

00:09:58.900 Among surgical waitlist deaths,

00:10:00.640 the most frequently canceled procedure

00:10:02.360 were cataract surgeries,

00:10:04.140 knee replacements, and stent procedures.

00:10:06.420 Interior Health acknowledged that 38% of these patients

00:10:09.120 had been waiting longer

00:10:10.300 than the recommended clinical benchmarks.

00:10:12.420 The data comes amid heightened scrutiny

00:10:14.660 over BC's crumbling health infrastructure.

00:10:17.300 The shutdown of Kelowna General Hospital's

00:10:19.120 pediatric unit earlier this year

00:10:21.100 triggered widespread backlash,

00:10:23.000 including the resignation of CEO Susan Brown.

00:10:25.840 One case involved a three-year-old child

00:10:27.980 given fentanyl for pain management

00:10:29.980 due to a lengthy surgical wait time.

00:10:32.520 2ndstreet estimates that at least 15,474 Canadians

00:10:36.440 died while waiting for healthcare

00:10:37.660 between April 2023 and March 2024,

00:10:40.260 though the actual number may exceed 28,000

00:10:43.240 due to data gaps.

00:10:45.000 2ndstreet previously highlighted

00:10:46.320 that almost half of Canadians

00:10:48.060 were avoiding healthcare

00:10:48.900 due to overwhelming wait times.

00:10:51.180 Between 2018 and 2024,

00:10:53.480 nearly 75,000 Canadians have died on waitlists.

00:10:57.620 So Jeff, what will it take for provinces

00:10:59.360 to take action and reform their healthcare systems?

00:11:02.920 Well, Isaac, for provinces like British Columbia

00:11:04.980 to take decisive action

00:11:06.260 and reform their healthcare systems,

00:11:07.960 several critical factors must converge.

00:11:10.680 First, sustained public pressure is essential.

00:11:13.300 Data showing 1,364 deaths

00:11:15.740 awaiting diagnostic imaging,

00:11:17.520 which is 39% of past targets,

00:11:20.000 and 222 surgical deaths,

00:11:22.340 38% overdue,

00:11:23.900 in Kelowna and beyond,

00:11:25.380 has sparked outrage,

00:11:26.660 with Dom Lucek calling it a failure.

00:11:29.080 The resignation of Kelowna General Hospital's

00:11:31.360 CEO Susan Brown

00:11:32.820 after the pediatric unit closure

00:11:34.520 and a three-year-old receiving fentanyl

00:11:36.460 due to delays signal a tipping point.

00:11:38.940 But provinces need louder organized protests

00:11:41.220 like the 2023 Vancouver Healthcare Rally

00:11:43.620 with 5,000 attendees

00:11:45.140 to force accountability.

00:11:46.820 Second, financial incentives

00:11:48.120 or penalties from the federal government

00:11:49.760 could spurn action.

00:11:51.160 With 2ndstreet estimating 15,474

00:11:54.660 to 28,000 national waitlist deaths

00:11:57.120 from April 2023 to March 2024

00:11:59.480 and 75,000 since 2018,

00:12:02.560 Ottawa could tie Canada Health Transfer Funds,

00:12:05.200 $45 billion in 2025,

00:12:07.320 to measurable reductions in wait times,

00:12:09.420 pressuring BC and others

00:12:10.640 to overhaul triage and staffing.

00:12:12.680 Third, evidence-based policy shifts

00:12:14.560 are needed,

00:12:15.220 such as adopting private-public partnerships,

00:12:17.560 as seen in Alberta's 2024 pilot

00:12:19.540 reducing surgical waits by 20%,

00:12:21.480 or expanding telehealth,

00:12:22.880 which cut diagnostic delays

00:12:24.320 by 15% in Ontario's 2023 trial.

00:12:27.380 Political will is the final piece.

00:12:28.960 Provinces must overcome

00:12:30.240 partisan gridlock,

00:12:31.360 with BC's NDP facing calls

00:12:33.180 to reverse its 2021

00:12:34.380 public-only care stance,

00:12:36.480 especially as 48% of Canadians

00:12:38.180 avoid care due to waits,

00:12:39.940 per 2ndstreet's 2024 survey.

00:12:42.020 Only a combination of public fury,

00:12:43.920 federal leverage,

00:12:44.920 proven models,

00:12:45.760 and cross-party consensus

00:12:47.080 will likely drive the systemic change

00:12:48.760 needed to prevent further deaths.

00:12:53.320 That's it for today, folks.

00:12:54.660 Thanks for tuning in.

00:12:55.700 You can stay on top of new episodes

00:12:57.060 every weekday by subscribing

00:12:58.500 to The Daily Brief on iTunes and Spotify.

00:13:00.760 Also, while you're at it,

00:13:02.040 make sure to hit us with a 5-star rating

00:13:03.480 and please leave a review.

Juno News - July 10, 2025

RCMP say ＂traditional values＂ are an indicator of extremism

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