Today on the Andrew Lawton Show, we discuss the China scandal, David Johnson's report on Justin Trudeau and his relationship with Xi Jinping, and the PM's victory lap on the matter. We also have a special guest on the show to talk about the upcoming Conservative primary election, and a call-in from Brandon Leech, who is running for the People's Party of Canada.
00:02:21.380Sticking on foreign interference,
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00:02:23.160given that the opposition leaders seem to have rejected David Johnston's report
00:02:27.220and are now questioning his integrity,
00:02:30.400would you look to have someone else oversee the public hearings aspect of this?
00:02:37.700First of all, they're not questioning his report.
00:02:42.220They're only questioning his integrity.
00:02:44.920I'd suggest that opposition leaders and indeed Canadians take a look at his report and understand the work that he's done in this.
00:02:54.080This is an eminent Canadian who has served in many capacities over decades, was appointed governor general by Stephen Harper, and has done extraordinary work on an extremely serious issue.
00:03:11.000oh he said eminent canadian so if you're doing the uh david johnston drinking game eminent
00:03:17.460canadians you take a shot i shot a caffeine in my case not like the dandelion water i was
00:03:23.900uh mocked for not drinking yesterday i didn't want to go full all in on the dandelion bit but
00:03:29.040uh eminent canadian he's an eminent canadian how dare you criticize his eminence and it's funny
00:03:35.540when justin trudeau comes up there and says oh they're not criticizing his report they're
00:03:40.520criticizing his integrity. Every Canadian is like, yes, like, yes, that's exactly what we're doing.
00:03:46.440We're criticizing the guy's integrity. The guy who says he feels at home in China, the guy who
00:03:52.020parades around with Xi Jinping, the guy who, I don't know if we still have this picture from
00:03:57.140yesterday, who like just buddies around with Justin Trudeau wearing this nice little hat,
00:04:03.000celebrating whatever it is they're celebrating. You got Justin Trudeau holding hands with
00:04:07.620Melanie Jolie it all looks like they're about to do a giant dance and that is of course the
00:04:13.120close personal friendship that David Johnson says does not exist between him and Justin Trudeau
00:04:20.580in action there and all of that is to say that absolutely people are criticizing his integrity
00:04:26.140his integrity in accepting this post his integrity in how he did the report his integrity in
00:04:31.880interviewing a conservative leader a former conservative leader well the report was already
00:04:36.560off with the translators and we're supposed to accept that oh we bow before his eminence we bow
00:04:42.880before his eminence and how who are we to criticize him so if you missed my comments on this yesterday
00:04:49.940I'm not going to rehash all of it but I am going to repeat the fundamental summary in my view of
00:04:56.260David Johnson's report which is that you all don't know what I know and I'm not going to let you see
00:05:03.400it. That's essentially his position. His position is the same as Justin Trudeau's position. Again,
00:05:09.500odd how that works out, where we are all the plebs that don't get to see the secret documents. And if
00:05:14.620we could see the secret documents, we would definitely just trust Justin Trudeau and trust
00:05:18.620the government on this. But we can't. And I'd say, okay, well, perhaps show us some of the documents,
00:05:23.400maybe not all of them, show us some of the documents. And he says, oh, no, no, no, we can't
00:05:27.160have any of that. So David Johnston is insisting upon a second phase of his study. And in that
00:05:33.700second phase, he's going to be the grand poobah once again. And it's exactly what Justin Trudeau
00:05:39.400was asked about there. Maybe there's another guy that could do the second phase who isn't going to
00:05:44.240be mired in these criticisms. And Justin Trudeau says, no, you're not criticizing his work. Read
00:05:50.300the work for yourself. Well, I did read the work for myself. I did read the report and it was in
00:05:56.080reading that report, irrespective of all of the integrity related issues I've just mentioned,
00:06:01.460that I found it to be an absolute sham of a report. The report at several points starts doing
00:06:07.340the government spin for the government. He starts actually giving the defensive lines that you would
00:06:13.640expect a communication staffer to give to Justin Trudeau, but he's actually baked it right in the
00:06:18.660report. And more importantly, the report shows that David Johnson didn't approach certain contentious
00:06:24.820things with nearly the level of curiosity you'd think a special rapporteur I mean I understand
00:06:30.620just a regular old rapporteur not wanting to go down into the weeds but he's a special rapporteur
00:06:35.560you think the special rapporteur is going to want to go down and get uh get answers on some things
00:06:40.780I guess he's not the really ultra special rapporteur that's the one we uh really needed here
00:06:45.340but uh like for example when he says oh yeah Handong definitely talked about China with the
00:06:50.040PRC officials but he didn't advise them to keep them detained and then you're looking at that
00:06:54.380saying, well, hang on, why do we just now skip to another issue?
00:06:57.060Why not delve into why was this guy talking to Chinese officials
00:07:01.880about a very hot-button geopolitical issue?
00:07:05.160So now Handong is incidentally claiming vindication on this.
00:07:08.700The Liberal candidate who was definitely given a bit of a nudge
00:07:12.740into the seat by the Chinese Politburo
00:07:16.020has now said that he's been vindicated
00:07:18.140and he wants to come back into the Liberal caucus.
00:09:21.180And Cochran, to his credit, tries to be like, well, just give us a tool.
00:09:24.720And Singh just won't do it because he knows that there are no tools.
00:09:27.900Well, there are many tools, but that's a different story.
00:09:30.360But Singh won't use any of the tools in the toolbox because he has the one Trump card that he could play.
00:09:37.740The one Trump card that he could play and he isn't going to do it,
00:09:41.700which is the card that would pull the NDP support of the Liberals.
00:09:45.520So we'll talk about this a little bit later on when we have Mehmet Toti with us from the Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project.
00:09:52.280But I want to do a bit of a follow-up to a discussion we started off last week about the Portage-Lisker by-election,
00:09:58.700one of the safest Conservative seats historically, and it is now up for grabs because Candace Bergen,
00:10:05.760the former interim leader of the Conservatives, has stepped back from politics.
00:10:09.640The Conservative candidate Brandon Leslie joins us now.
00:10:13.220Brandon, good to talk to you. Thanks for coming on today.
00:10:16.120Awesome. Well, thanks for having me here, Andrew. Pleasure to be here.
00:10:18.780So let's just, because it is a timely issue and we were talking about the China file here,
00:10:23.580is this one that actually people talk about at the doors or is this this bubble issue where
00:10:29.220politicos and media types care about it, but it doesn't necessarily come top of mind for
00:10:34.260the average person in Portage Lisker? You'd be surprised perhaps. It actually,
00:10:38.980election integrity, I think starting for the last couple of years, you know, these rumours
00:10:43.100that have kind of emerged and now we're seeing real hard evidence emerge it election interference
00:10:47.820and the ability to have free and fair elections in a democratic nation like canada actually has
00:10:53.200been a big issue at the doors people are very upset and i i was door knocking yesterday and i
00:10:58.040hadn't heard uh the outcome of david johnson's uh decision until i was informed at the door by
00:11:03.940somebody telling me how ridiculous they thought it was that uh you know the hand-picked uh
00:11:09.360The individual by the prime minister had come to this conclusion that there was no need for a public inquiry and that they were going to do some sort of further investigation.
00:11:17.960And that individual that informed me found it rather appalling.
00:11:20.540So, yeah, short answer to your long answer, your short question.
00:11:24.140The integrity of our elections matters to folks in Portis-Lizcar and I think right across the nation.
00:11:29.340Why is it you decided to step up now and run?
00:11:33.400I would say largely because I'm fed up.
00:11:35.480And that has been something that has been echoed at the doorsteps for the last number of months, obviously starting with the nomination campaign, working with Conservative Party members to become the candidate.
00:11:46.040And through the past nine days of this actual election campaign, I think people feel that obviously life has become extremely unaffordable to them.
00:11:54.720I think that there is this constant attack on our rural way of life, whether it be the Liberals' gun grab, whether it be the carbon tax or now the secondary carbon tax, whether it be the attacks on our farmers and the cap of emissions on fertilizer.
00:12:09.560It seems as though our rural way of life is constantly under attack.
00:12:14.540I want to be part of a government that is going to fight for the little people, that is going to fight to give people back control of their lives and fight to return the prosperity that Canada can offer, the promise of Canada.
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00:12:25.700One thing that I do have to bring up, because obviously you're running in one of the most conservative ridings in the country, which meant it was also subject of a bit of a subplot last time because it was the strongest People's Party of Canada support at about, I think, just over 20% or 20.1% in the last election.
00:12:44.540So let me ask you about that context, because I don't believe politicians, even ones in quote-unquote safe seats, should ever go into elections thinking they have it in the bag here.
00:12:53.220And in your case, you may find that you're deflecting against a different type of opposition than you might have in a different riding.
00:13:00.700So is there an active strategy on your part to go after PPC voters?
00:13:06.340My active strategy is to go after voters.
00:13:08.840We have knocked on a lot of thousands of doors already.
00:13:12.000My plan is to talk to as many voters as I can.
00:13:14.340I have a team of volunteers that I left in my hometown here in Portage knocking on doors today.
00:13:19.900So the plan is to engage with as many voters and hear their issues.
00:13:23.220In terms of the last election, people were mad.
00:13:25.840People were upset with the mandates and the lockdowns that were imposed,
00:13:29.120particularly the egregious lockdowns that Manitobans faced.
00:13:33.160There's been a turning point, and it certainly started with the leadership of Pierre Polyev.
00:13:37.320Prior to his time as leader and throughout his time as leader,
00:13:39.780he has been very clear on his views about mandates and lockdowns and throughout our my nomination
00:13:46.000process i've made my views very clear so you know there might have been a high water point in the
00:13:50.800last election but in talking with people they are ready for a a real party that can be ready to
00:13:55.980govern and i'm looking forward to join pierre's polio's team in ottawa and take this fight to the
00:14:00.540liberals because that's really where we need to have it you know i know obviously that you know
00:14:04.240when people ask how many votes do you need to win the answer is one more than the other guy like
00:14:08.160There's not a magic number, and you can't have 100%, and generally speaking, we don't want a system in which people get every voter.
00:14:14.580But even so, when you have 20% of voters in a riding that were probably, at least for the most part, historically conservative voters say,
00:14:25.400I don't believe that the Conservative Party of Canada is an effective champion of the things that matter to me,
00:14:31.660does that not necessitate some introspection on your part as a Conservative member,
00:14:35.760despite the leadership change that hey there's a part of our party that has been failing people
00:14:40.160sure but i think you hit the nail on the head here and we are not taking anything for granted like
00:14:45.100let's be frank here andrew i'm the new guy candace was the mp was a very good mp in this riding for
00:14:50.140for many years and so stepping into this with a new face a name on a sign isn't enough to just
00:14:56.060sway voters so that's why we're working so hard me personally and the dozens of volunteers we have
00:15:00.300going across towns across this riding for the last eight days and continuing over the next
00:15:04.36028 and beyond that to make sure that they know that we are taking this riding serious and again
00:15:10.340I think it does start with the leadership to push back a little bit Pierre has has shifted our
00:15:14.580our conservative party to a point which I think people are very excited once again to be part of
00:15:19.140our movement he has unified our party he has brought people back into the fold by his strong
00:15:23.360positions whether it be on mandates and lockdowns but a whole host of other issues that are at the
00:15:27.340core priorities of people across this riding so overwhelming support thus far I'm very proud of
00:15:33.680campaign we're running so far and and as i say we aren't taking anything for granted we are going
00:15:37.520to go out there and work hard to earn every vote on june 19th so let's talk about 2021 for a moment
00:15:44.160and i i take you know i take what you say you weren't the candidate then so i don't think you
00:15:48.080have to be held accountable for for what the party did but there were a lot of voters that saw okay
00:15:52.720we elected a leader that says no to a carbon tax and then all of a sudden we're running on something
00:15:57.840that very much resembles a carbon tax you know other things in the platform uh like you know
00:16:02.720repealing liberal gun bans were were walked back or softened so for you as a conservative candidate
00:16:09.120can you make a commitment now that you won't stand for that that if the platform put forward in the
00:16:12.960election is not the one that peer poly has been talking about now and was talking about in his
00:16:17.120leadership that you're going to speak out against it absolutely and you know what people have
00:16:21.760challenged me with that on the doorsteps and i proudly say you know when elected to join this
00:16:26.560caucus i've looked thousands of people in the eye already and told them for example that we are going
00:16:31.040to axe the carbon tax and i will happily say that loudly and proudly inside our own caucus to make
00:16:35.600sure that it's known that when i tell somebody i mean it and our party needs to mean it too we can't
00:16:41.040just be liberal light we need to be true conservatives to ourselves and to everybody
00:16:45.060across this country and i think again it does go back to the leadership leadership change that
00:16:48.860happened uh last year with pierre taking the helm i think we are we are earnest to ourselves and the
00:16:54.720fact that we are real conservatives we are consistent in our views and i'm very proud to
00:16:58.400be joining his team. And I think Canadians across the country, at least here at Portage
00:17:02.040Lisgar, are seeing that shift happening in real time.
00:17:05.080I did have Maxime Bernier, your opponent in this race, on the show last week, and he had
00:17:09.480unveiled his policy on abortion at the time. And he had said, you know, he wants to end
00:17:14.860third trimester abortions. And, you know, there was a bit of a back and forth as to
00:17:19.340how he identifies as pro-life or pro-choice. But in the interest of fairness, I know it
00:17:23.000actually, probably in your riding more than many others in Canada, it doesn't matter to
00:17:26.780voters there are a lot of conscience voters there where do you stand on this are you pro-life or
00:17:30.960are you pro-choice yeah it's easy for me i'm 100 pro-life uh it's a lot easier answer that way and
00:17:36.880and you're right there is uh this is an important issue to a lot of voters and it's on both sides
00:17:41.320of life it's it's uh the abortion issue but it's also the medical assistance and dying issue which
00:17:46.580has been raised to me a number of times of late obviously the liberals proposed expansion to
00:17:51.960children and those suffering with mental illness uh is is deeply concerning and conservative mps
00:17:57.640uh when the liberals first brought this in rightfully stood up and maintained the argument
00:18:02.200that we needed tight guard rails on medical insistence and dying opportunities and to avoid
00:18:07.000this slippery slope that we've seen in other countries so you know with that issue being front
00:18:10.920and center in the minds of many people right now i'm happy to tell them exactly how i feel that we
00:18:15.480need to make sure that we limit this proposed expansion uh by the liberals uh to those to
00:18:20.600youths and those facing uh mental health issues so to me it's fairly easy and i was i'm not sure why
00:18:25.480my opponent couldn't be a little bit more clear after making such an announcement but
00:18:28.920i think the reality is you know he's an opportunist from another country he's at the point where he's
00:18:33.480desperate he's willing to say and do anything at this point to try to get votes based on what he
00:18:38.280thinks people want him to say quebec you're referring to as another country here sorry another
00:18:43.480province my apologies well that that that claim might actually get you votes in rural manitoba
00:18:48.920i'm not sure but but but i mean here's the criticism though is that you have a party leader
00:18:53.960who does not identify as pro-life and despite his commitment to conscience votes has said
00:18:58.120unequivocally including on my show that he does not anticipate any uh legislation on abortion
00:19:02.920passing so if you're a pro-life voter is the ppc not offering you more because they actually have
00:19:08.360a concrete plan on abortion whereas you're leaning on your values here and you know in a party that
00:19:13.720doesn't want to legislate on this issue yeah as i said i get asked this all the time and i think
00:19:18.600what i say what i say to folks in the riding is just like candace bergen did i will always vote
00:19:23.000with the will of my constituents which is very clearly uh on the pro-life side of things i think
00:19:28.600you know i wouldn't trust an opportunist from quebec from our country but from a different
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00:19:32.520province that's coming in here and just trying to get votes by by stating that he's going to do
00:19:36.680something he is right in saying that single-handedly he's not going to be able to do this now he's
00:19:40.440starting the conversation that is one thing but that's not what he's trying to do here he is
00:19:43.880trying to get votes from folks that know that he can't actually represent any of their issues
00:19:49.320people here what i've been talking to on the doorstep are worried about their businesses
00:19:54.120in their communities having water access having natural gas access so we can have economic
00:19:58.520prosperity for our manufacturing industries for our wet agricultural value-added processing
00:20:03.320industries they're mad about the carbon tax about the gun grab and he's trying to come in and try to
00:20:07.960to harvest votes based on on what he thinks uh he thinks folks care about he's he's transitioned
00:20:13.460overnight into a social conservative and i think people are going to see through that
00:20:16.720if you are successful in getting elected you're going to have a bit of runway maybe a year maybe
00:20:22.760two years of being in opposition before there is another election what is your target for that what
00:20:29.800is your goal for that that you'd want to have achieved before you're going back to voters
00:20:33.300in 2025 if the NDP doesn't manage to find a spine, and you're saying, okay, re-elect me?
00:20:41.240Yeah, no, that's a good question, Andrew. I think the first thing that is part of the team,
00:20:45.260right, you know, holding this Liberal government to account is a team effort, and what I really
00:20:50.140want to focus on here, and we're in agricultural-based riding, and we have a lot of opportunities
00:20:54.640to increase our agricultural output from a farm perspective, but from a value-added perspective,
00:20:58.940and that's going to be one of my core priorities to make sure that we are able to bring in
00:21:02.280the economic drivers, which are often federal investments to make sure that we have the
00:21:06.620infrastructure to bring in businesses, to expand our businesses, ensure we have economic growth
00:21:11.040here in our riding. You know, we've seen tremendous growth across a number of communities,
00:21:15.380but I'm a firm believer in the need to keep our rural communities thriving. I'm so proud of our
00:21:20.800rural communities and our rural values, and economic growth is the key to all of that. Of
00:21:25.900course, we need investments in community, you know, infrastructure to make sure that there's
00:21:31.660an attractive place to live but i really want to see our rural communities across this riding
00:21:35.580thrive and i think it starts with working with the government of the day of course it'll be much
00:21:39.240easier when we form the next conservative majority government but to make sure that the priorities of
00:21:44.100the residents of portage lisgar are understood by this government and the next government once we
00:21:48.240take power brandon leslie conservative candidate in portage lisgar thanks so much for coming on
00:21:54.000today good to talk to you my pleasure and we'll talk to you again all right thank you for that
00:21:58.500Although I know I'm going to get like, we don't, I don't know how many listeners we have in Quebec, but I'm sure that like there are one or two of them that are going to email and I don't know if they're going to be like, you know, yes, he's recognizing Quebec sovereignty or if they're going to be the Federalist types, but he did walk that back and say he meant province.
00:22:12.900So don't send me your angry emails about that.
00:22:15.300I get enough of them on the whole dandelion thing.
00:22:17.280But let's turn our attention to, you may have heard, if you hear this show frequently, occasionally I delve into this one little pet project of mine, not really a project because that implies I'm doing something about it, but a pet interest of mine, which is that I have this visceral and irrational contempt for bylaws and for my law enforcement officers.
00:22:40.960And I don't know if it's like a traumatization that I hold because one time, as I was talking
00:22:46.280about with Stella Ambler a little while back, I was like, I had been rearranging cars in
00:22:50.940a driveway and the car was parked the wrong way on the road for just a moment.
00:22:54.420And I got a ticket for, I don't know, like $150 or something like that.