Rebel News Podcast - Chrystia Freeland rescues young Saudi woman from luxury Bangkok airport hotel — but silent about a Canadian on China's death row

00:00:00.000 Tonight, Chrystia Freeland rescues a young Saudi woman from the discomfort of a luxury 1.00

00:00:04.480 airport hotel in Thailand, but is silent about a Canadian on death row in China.

00:00:09.880 It's January 14th, and this is the Ezra Levant Show.

00:00:14.740 Why should others go to jail when you're a biggest carbon consumer I know?

00:00:18.520 There's 8,500 customers here, and you won't give them an answer.

00:00:22.600 The only thing I have to say to the government about why I publish it

00:00:26.100 is because it's my bloody right to do so.

00:00:30.000 About 10 days ago, someone wrote this tweet in Arabic

00:00:37.900 from a luxury airport hotel in Bangkok, Thailand.

00:00:41.700 Now, you can see the English translation underneath.

00:00:45.280 That's Twitter's built-in translation.

00:00:46.920 It says, I am the girl who escaped from Kuwait to Thailand.

00:00:50.160 My life is at stake, and I am now in real danger

00:00:52.200 if I am forcibly returned to Saudi Arabia.

00:00:57.360 That is a pretty dramatic tweet, you must say.

00:01:00.700 And as things go, if you ask me to choose between a young woman 1.00

00:01:03.140 and a fascist theocracy of Saudi Arabia,

00:01:06.220 I'm going to choose a young woman's freedom every time.

00:01:09.300 She wrote some more.

00:01:10.020 She said, my name is Raf Mohammed,

00:01:13.040 and I will publish my full name on the case.

00:01:15.600 If my family in Saudi Arabia and the Kuwait embassy,

00:01:18.300 man, do not stop chasing me.

00:01:20.160 So the translation's not perfect, but you get the point.

00:01:22.460 She started tweeting more and more and bolder and bolder.

00:01:25.460 Eventually, she did use her full real name.

00:01:28.740 Eventually, she showed her face and started showing forms of identification, too,

00:01:32.980 to prove she was who she said she was.

00:01:34.880 And then she started tweeting in English,

00:01:36.600 which makes sense politically, of course.

00:01:39.120 If you are a young woman who wants help to flee from Saudi Arabian imams, 1.00

00:01:43.840 you speak in English, not Arabic.

00:01:45.260 She said, I'm the girl who run away from Kuwait to Thailand.

00:01:50.860 I'm in real danger because the Saudi embassy trying to forcing me

00:01:53.740 to go back to Saudi Arabia while I'm at the airport waiting for my second flight.

00:01:58.260 So that's her own English, not Bing's translation, but it's pretty good English.

00:02:03.680 Now, one of the world's fastest newspapers, and what I mean by that

00:02:07.040 is they really cover breaking news well,

00:02:10.020 is the Daily Mail online from the United Kingdom.

00:02:13.060 And they saw the power of this story. It's quite a story, isn't it?

00:02:15.680 Let me read their headline, and I love how the Mail online has their bullet points.

00:02:19.760 It's a great paper. Here, let me read.

00:02:21.460 They say, I'm so scared. I have to fight. I don't want to lose my life.

00:02:25.540 Saudi woman, 18, battles to avoid being returned to her family,

00:02:28.440 who she fears will kill, K-I-L-L, her, 1.00

00:02:31.580 after being stopped at Bangkok airport when she fled, having renounced Islam.

00:02:35.320 And then you see those bullet points? I love that in a newspaper.

00:02:38.440 And here's the facts.

00:02:39.220 Rahaf Mohamed Al-Qun, 18, is being held in Bangkok, awaiting deportation.

00:02:46.000 She fled her Saudi family, having renounced Islam, and says they will kill her. 0.81

00:02:50.420 She told Mail Online, they will kill me. 0.96

00:02:52.420 I am so scared. I don't know what I will do.

00:02:54.200 I have to fight because I don't want to lose my life.

00:02:56.560 She was trying to reach Australia via Bangkok,

00:02:58.560 but a Saudi official confiscated her passport

00:03:00.640 after her mail guardian said she was traveling without his permission.

00:03:03.680 She was due to be deported at 4.15 a.m.,

00:03:06.940 but the Kuwait flight she was set to be on has left without her today, officials said.

00:03:11.360 Activists and campaigners are publicizing her case with the hashtag Save Rahaf.

00:03:17.420 Again, I like the fact that she wants to be free, don't you?

00:03:19.780 And that she's a woman, and that she rejects Islam, 1.00

00:03:22.660 and wants to feel the sun on her face, not wearing a cab. 0.88

00:03:25.800 What a pleasant change from the Muslim extremists who want to flood into the West, 1.00

00:03:30.420 seeking to colonize and convert and bring Sharia law. 0.89

00:03:32.620 This woman looks like the opposite, doesn't she? 0.98

00:03:35.360 The fact that she's a pretty teenager who speaks English helps a little bit, too.

00:03:40.100 At least that's what Chrystia Freeland, our foreign minister, must have thought.

00:03:43.880 Oh, Chrystia Freeland has had a terrible month.

00:03:46.800 Well, imagine what it's like for the hostages in China.

00:03:50.540 Look at this headline. I've shown it to you before from the Globe and Mail.

00:03:53.740 13 Canadians have been detained in China since Huawei executives' arrest, says Ottawa.

00:03:57.260 China has seized 13 of our fellow citizens as payback.

00:04:02.120 For our lawful arrest of a Chinese tycoon named Meng Wanzhou.

00:04:06.900 China's still holding several of these hostages, including a former diplomat.

00:04:10.360 That is so outside the law.

00:04:16.220 But what a disaster it's been.

00:04:18.020 So Freeland saw an opportunity for a quick media win, don't you think?

00:04:22.520 Now, the young woman in Bangkok, Rahaf Al-Khanoun, she wanted to go to Australia.

00:04:27.760 She was going to Australia.

00:04:29.740 She was on her way there.

00:04:30.880 She applied for asylum in Australia.

00:04:32.580 Australia, their government, was considering her application.

00:04:36.340 But Freeland moved faster.

00:04:38.320 She didn't need a hearing.

00:04:39.440 She didn't need any paperwork.

00:04:40.880 She saw the Twitter tweets.

00:04:43.060 And we know that's how decisions in Canada are made.

00:04:46.440 That's how Justin Trudeau opened up our border between Quebec and New York State.

00:04:50.180 This tweet.

00:04:51.800 A tweet saying, hey, everybody's welcome.

00:04:53.740 Come on in.

00:04:55.620 About 50,000 people have crossed illegally since.

00:04:57.800 So, yeah, Twitter is our new rule of law under the liberals.

00:05:00.080 And so while Australia was actually, you know, considering the application on the merits of the case, getting details like a biography and maybe some proof of things, you know, Freeland read the tweets and that was enough for her.

00:05:12.360 So she's so desperate for a PR win. 0.99

00:05:14.780 So she brought Al-Khanoun to Canada on the weekend. 0.54

00:05:18.520 And she was, she made sure that she was there to mug for the cameras when Al-Khanoun walked in.

00:05:25.280 And look at this, look at this weird, domineering, handsy, smothering, mothering, showboating, just so weird.

00:05:37.600 Watch this.

00:05:38.240 This is Rahaf Al-Khanoun, a very brave new Canadian.

00:05:43.760 And Rahaf wanted Canadians to see that she's arrived at her new home.

00:05:48.680 But she's had a very long and tiring journey.

00:05:53.200 And so she would prefer not to take questions today.

00:05:57.520 So please respect her.

00:05:59.720 She's a very brave young woman who's been through a lot.

00:06:02.600 And she is now going to go to her new home.

00:06:06.960 And then I'll come out and say a few words that people would like.

00:06:10.360 Okay?

00:06:11.560 Say one comment.

00:06:12.860 Hey, everybody, look at me.

00:06:16.080 Hey, everybody, I'm a politician.

00:06:17.560 I'm part of the story, too.

00:06:19.760 Only talk to me, okay?

00:06:21.580 Don't talk to her.

00:06:22.520 Hey, everybody.

00:06:23.540 She's with me, you know.

00:06:24.620 Look, I'm hugging her.

00:06:25.740 I'm here.

00:06:26.480 Hey, everybody, it's me, Chrystia Freeland.

00:06:29.560 Oh, by the way, did she call Al-Khanoun a Canadian?

00:06:33.180 Because she's actually not, is she?

00:06:35.880 I mean, you don't just become a Canadian because a media hound cabinet minister says you are

00:06:40.920 and maybe touches you with her fairy wand. 1.00

00:06:43.420 You have to apply to be a Canadian for real.

00:06:46.020 Well, you have to be a permanent resident first.

00:06:48.720 You have to have your refugee claim heard by a real court, not just by a politician.

00:06:53.340 Politicians just can't hand out citizenship like loot bags.

00:06:56.620 Can't hand out refugee status like loot bags. 0.91

00:06:58.680 That's actually covered by laws.

00:06:59.740 Even if Trudeau breaks those laws or encourages others to break the laws like our border.

00:07:03.840 It's pretty weird and pretty gross.

00:07:05.560 But I think the key word is pretty.

00:07:07.120 Rahaf Al-Khanoun is a pretty girl from Arabia. 1.00

00:07:11.820 Much more telegenic than most of Trudeau's Muslim migrants who come to Canada wearing hijabs 1.00

00:07:16.740 or the full face obscuring the cab and who bring medieval ideas with them. 0.89

00:07:21.820 Don't throw off their medieval ideas.

00:07:23.320 I like this girl.

00:07:24.880 Even though some of her story, well, some parts of it seem to change.

00:07:29.080 I mean, maybe it's not important that she sometimes says she's 18 and sometimes says she's 20.

00:07:33.140 She's obviously an elite member of Saudi society.

00:07:37.020 Her dad is apparently a governor or something.

00:07:40.060 No problem.

00:07:41.600 She was in Thailand.

00:07:42.700 That's a pretty good country.

00:07:44.400 On her way to Australia.

00:07:45.740 That's a pretty good country.

00:07:47.860 They were already helping her out.

00:07:50.100 It's pretty good.

00:07:51.360 So it didn't really feel like a crisis.

00:07:53.100 She was in a pretty comfy hotel.

00:07:56.220 But this was a great opportunity for Chrystia Freeland.

00:07:58.300 And certainly better than dealing with this news today.

00:08:02.600 And this is the news of the day.

00:08:04.820 In the New York Times, China sentences a Canadian, Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, to death.

00:08:08.700 He wasn't originally sentenced to death there, but they kicked it up a notch after Canada arrested Meng in December.

00:08:14.080 Let me read the first sentence from the New York Times.

00:08:15.780 Ready?

00:08:17.040 China's diplomatic clash with Canada escalated sharply on Monday.

00:08:20.240 That's today.

00:08:20.840 When a Chinese court sentenced a Canadian to death for a drug smuggling at a one-day retrial ordered weeks after a Chinese executive's arrest in Canada.

00:08:31.140 That's how they roll in China.

00:08:32.780 A one-day retrial.

00:08:35.120 A do-over.

00:08:36.380 In one day. 1.00

00:08:38.240 To kill a guy. 1.00

00:08:39.600 I have no idea if he really is a drug dealer. 0.98

00:08:41.840 But I do have an idea about Chinese courts.

00:08:44.200 They are not independent.

00:08:45.020 They're really just window dressing for whatever the Communist Party says.

00:08:48.240 There are some lawyers in China, but they're really symbolic.

00:08:52.020 The fix was in.

00:08:52.740 Maybe he really was a drug dealer, but it's certain that this was an escalation. 0.99

00:08:57.200 China is saying, you arrest one of ours, we kill one of yours. 0.89

00:09:01.320 So that was the news that Chrystia Freeland was facing today.

00:09:04.100 So why not scoop up a bounty, a prize, and make sure that she hugs you and make sure she doesn't say anything.

00:09:13.480 Only you get to talking.

00:09:14.720 Isn't that weird?

00:09:15.500 Now, as I do my research for this video, Chrystia Freeland has yet to put out a public statement on the death sentence in China.

00:09:26.340 Now, the last thing I see, and maybe this will change between when I speak this and when it goes to air,

00:09:32.340 but the last thing I see on her Twitter feed is indeed about Thailand.

00:09:34.860 You see that thing, that Thai pongal thing there?

00:09:37.220 That's just typical political pandering to some Thai ethnic festival of some sort.

00:09:44.360 So I scrolled back a few days, and I saw nothing about this death sentence.

00:09:48.580 I saw this tweet by her a few days ago.

00:09:50.840 Now, Canada is seriously alarmed by today's court decision in Myanmar, that's Burma, 1.00

00:09:57.180 to uphold the imprisonment of Reuters journalists, Wa Lone and Kia So-U.

00:10:02.000 Now, I'm sure that Wa Lone and Kia So-U are good people. 0.91

00:10:07.720 I'm sure they've been mistreated.

00:10:09.780 I mean, I'm not sure, but let's assume that.

00:10:12.640 The problem is they're just not Canadian.

00:10:15.100 They have no connection to Canada.

00:10:16.540 They work for Reuters, and so used to...

00:10:19.940 Christy Freeland worked for Reuters before she ran for office.

00:10:21.960 So maybe this is a favor to her old company that, I don't know, that would be how the

00:10:26.900 liberals work, but maybe she just really likes to virtue signal to show how much she 1.00

00:10:30.640 cares about people, just not people she has any responsibility for or can do anything

00:10:35.780 about.

00:10:36.480 I showed you the other day how Trudeau and Freeland literally made 10 public statements

00:10:41.720 on Twitter about a Saudi national named Jamal Khashoggi who got into a fight between

00:10:46.420 Qatar and Saudi Arabia and Turkey, and the Saudis killed them, which is too bad. 0.78

00:10:49.860 Here's a picture of Khashoggi holding a rocket-propelled grenade launcher with the Taliban, so I'm 0.95

00:10:55.900 not really surprised that his life ended in violence rather than in old age.

00:11:00.960 There's no Canadian connection to Jamal Khashoggi.

00:11:03.120 It's really none of our business, frankly, but Freeland deeply cared, so did Trudeau.

00:11:07.140 It's weird that way.

00:11:08.920 A few weeks ago, this guy, scroll down, show his face, a few weeks ago, this guy became

00:11:14.800 a Twitter airport celebrity too.

00:11:17.500 Hassan Al-Khantar is his name.

00:11:21.560 He was stuck in an airport in Malaysia.

00:11:24.480 Again, like Thailand, Malaysia's not a terrible place.

00:11:28.860 He's not a refugee. 0.99

00:11:30.120 He left Syria in 2006 to go work in the United Arab Emirates in marketing.

00:11:36.540 And his work visa expired, but he stayed there anyways until they finally kicked him out and

00:11:41.280 sent him to Malaysia this year.

00:11:42.680 He wanted to go somewhere cool, like Ecuador, but he couldn't for whatever reason, so he

00:11:47.240 just stayed at the airport in Malaysia and blogged about it, and he was really cool, and

00:11:52.340 he didn't want to go back to Syria, even though the civil war there is over.

00:11:55.420 And he's just some cool guy.

00:11:57.820 And so Christopher Freeland saw him on Twitter, and presto, saw him on Twitter, presto, he's

00:12:03.560 not a refugee here, but he was brought here.

00:12:09.740 They turned him into a refugee, but he's a refugee from what?

00:12:12.480 He hasn't even been in Syria in more than a decade.

00:12:15.020 Why are we taking all these Twitter heroes from airports around the world?

00:12:19.900 So you've got a couple of media-savvy refugees jumping to the front of the queue.

00:12:26.240 But no help for this woman, Asia Bibi. 1.00

00:12:28.240 We talked about her before.

00:12:29.380 She's a Christian who has literally been sentenced to death in Pakistan for blasphemy because

00:12:34.200 she would not submit to Islam. 0.99

00:12:36.960 She was literally sentenced to death, and mobs hunted door-to-door to kill her. 0.99

00:12:41.480 No help for her, though, because she's a gross Christian, and some Pakistanis would be mad. 1.00

00:12:46.160 And Trudeau has ended Stephen Harper's policy of letting Christian refugees into Canada. 0.93

00:12:51.060 It's funny because Harper would talk about letting Christian refugees into Canada, and

00:12:55.520 in the 2015 campaign, Trudeau called that disgusting.

00:13:00.400 He said it was disgusting that Harper would meet with these Christian refugees.

00:13:05.500 Do you remember this from the 2015 campaign?

00:13:08.500 Somewhere in the Prime Minister's office, staffers were pouring through their personal

00:13:15.580 files to try and see whether these families or find out which families would be suitable

00:13:22.820 for a photo-op for the Prime Minister's re-election campaign? 0.76

00:13:29.600 That's disgusting.

00:13:36.100 That's not the Canada we want. 0.91

00:13:40.460 That's not the Canada we need to build.

00:13:43.080 Yeah, that was 2015 when he was campaigning in the last election.

00:13:49.840 This cringe-fest is from The Weeknd.

00:13:53.080 This is Rahaf Al-Qinan, a very brave new Canadian.

00:13:58.380 And Rahaf wanted Canadians to see that she's arrived at her new home, but she's had a very

00:14:05.060 long and tiring journey, and so she would prefer not to take questions today.

00:14:12.220 So please respect her.

00:14:14.340 She's a very brave young woman who's been through a lot, and she is now going to go to her new

00:14:20.780 home, and then I'll come out and say a few words that people would like.

00:14:24.840 Oh, by the way, obviously these things are scripted.

00:14:32.100 As we showed you a couple of years ago, just before Syrians get on the plane to Canada, 0.90

00:14:37.180 Trudeau pressures them to sign a photo release, a waiver letting him use their pictures for

00:14:46.220 his campaigning.

00:14:47.140 These are Syrians.

00:14:49.300 They don't know their rights.

00:14:50.140 They don't know what they have to do when the boss of the new country tells them that.

00:14:53.960 They don't know what happens if they were to say no.

00:14:55.800 Will Trudeau even let them on the plane anymore?

00:14:57.340 So, of course, they all sign the release to let Trudeau use them in photo ops. 0.98

00:15:01.440 So much for being disgusting.

00:15:04.360 I wonder if Chrystia Freeland got a release from Rahaf Al-Qinan. 0.90

00:15:07.360 I wonder what she said in return for things.

00:15:12.400 I wonder what the deal was. 0.62

00:15:13.820 It was pretty weird and gross.

00:15:15.580 Even Scott Gilmore, do you know who he is? 0.71

00:15:18.380 He's that far left, open borders, wacko at McLean's, better known as the house husband 0.95

00:15:23.160 of Catherine McKenna, the far left, wacko environmental minister.

00:15:27.040 Anyways, Scott Gilmore was furious about this whole thing.

00:15:30.420 What?

00:15:31.360 Yeah, it's weird coming from one photo op liberal to another, isn't it?

00:15:34.820 Look at this.

00:15:35.500 Look at what Scott Gilmore said.

00:15:36.880 He said, I confess to mixed feelings about this.

00:15:40.260 I'm delighted she is now safe, but this is suspiciously fast.

00:15:44.020 Was there political pressure on officials to quickly approve her claim?

00:15:47.420 Does this mean politicians could also apply pressure to stop an application?

00:15:51.660 You can't have it both ways.

00:15:54.000 Whoa! 0.71

00:15:54.680 I have never seen a liberal oppose a refugee ever, not once before.

00:16:00.320 And this, he was saying that in reply to the New York Times story about Al-Qinanun landing.

00:16:06.080 Look what he said in response to that.

00:16:08.100 He said, but not until I paraded around with her in front of the cameras a bit.

00:16:14.620 Oh, that's a low blow.

00:16:16.480 When the house husband of Catherine McKenna is saying that you swan for the cameras too much,

00:16:23.180 you know they're fighting rough.

00:16:24.320 And I have never in my life seen a liberal say this before.

00:16:29.520 There's something very grubby about using an asylum seeker recently traumatized by her own murderer's family as a photoprop. 0.99

00:16:38.140 Whoa! 0.71

00:16:39.140 Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

00:16:41.160 What is going on here?

00:16:43.420 Why is Mr. Catherine McKenna telling Chrystia Freeland to not do photo ops?

00:16:49.040 Well, I'm not quite sure.

00:16:51.320 We have someone, Rahaf Al-Qinanun, who says she's 18 or maybe she's 20,

00:16:58.240 who says they're in danger if she goes back to Saudi Arabia, which could be true. 1.00

00:17:01.920 But she's in Bangkok, and Australia is open to taking her.

00:17:07.140 But then Chrystia Freeland swoops in, grabs her, physically grabs her, 1.00

00:17:10.520 and makes sure they're in a really cringy airport.

00:17:14.200 Welcome.

00:17:15.340 But no media, people.

00:17:16.400 No media.

00:17:17.020 Just media on me, Chrystia Freeland.

00:17:18.620 I'm the only one who gets to talk to the camera.

00:17:20.000 No one else, okay?

00:17:21.720 Why?

00:17:22.960 Why can't we hear even one word from the girl herself?

00:17:26.420 She has been quite loquacious on Twitter.

00:17:28.780 She has said everything about her situation on Twitter.

00:17:32.600 She surely has already disclosed everything,

00:17:35.620 except perhaps what her deal with the Liberal Party was.

00:17:39.680 We know her name.

00:17:40.880 We know her father's name.

00:17:42.240 We know all her details, everything.

00:17:43.820 We've seen all her ID.

00:17:45.940 We just don't know what Chrystia Freeland said and did 1.00

00:17:48.400 and what promises were exchanged and what releases were signed.

00:17:54.360 Were any photo releases signed in the airport there?

00:17:58.780 to agree to be in a political campaign?

00:18:02.260 I think that's what Catherine McKenna's house husband knows,

00:18:06.360 that the rest of us don't.

00:18:09.300 What do you think?

00:18:11.440 Stay with us for more.

00:18:12.400 Why did you come on down here today?

00:18:27.480 Just standing up for religious freedoms, our constitution.

00:18:30.980 Yeah, and just not only for Christian faith, but all faiths.

00:18:34.780 I think it's important that we stand up for what's right.

00:18:38.820 What brought you down here today?

00:18:40.080 I just believe it's an important issue.

00:18:43.180 You always got to pick your battles.

00:18:44.140 I think this is a major battle.

00:18:45.740 As Mark Stein said, this is a hill to die on.

00:18:48.060 What is the central issue in your mind?

00:18:51.240 Freedom of speech, freedom of religion,

00:18:53.040 and I would be here if there's any other group as well.

00:18:54.900 Why are you here today?

00:18:56.100 I'm here because I don't believe that city council

00:18:58.220 should be our moral compass,

00:19:00.020 and I believe that they shouldn't be making any motions

00:19:03.020 on things that they're not informed about,

00:19:04.900 and I'm a huge believer in freedom of speech

00:19:07.860 and freedom of expression.

00:19:09.960 Well, you might remember some of that.

00:19:12.180 That was about five years ago

00:19:13.920 when the Nanaimo City Council

00:19:16.960 went on a strange anti-Christian bender.

00:19:21.280 You see, there was a Christian conference in the States

00:19:25.120 that was being telecast live by satellite

00:19:28.240 to convention centers around North America

00:19:30.260 so you could attend by video phone, really,

00:19:34.760 a giant Skype screen,

00:19:36.500 and enjoy the conference from Nanaimo,

00:19:39.620 from Calgary, whatever,

00:19:40.660 with your friends at a facility that had a big screen.

00:19:43.480 And so a local church in Nanaimo, British Columbia,

00:19:46.880 rented out the Vancouver Island Community Center

00:19:51.520 in, or convention center in Nanaimo

00:19:55.260 to watch this video.

00:19:56.820 It was very bland, by the way.

00:19:58.260 You had Condoleezza Rice.

00:19:59.660 You had Laura Bush.

00:20:00.640 Like, it was very mainstream Christian,

00:20:03.400 a little bit conservative, but not much.

00:20:06.120 Well, when the Nanaimo City Council heard this,

00:20:09.820 they went nuts.

00:20:11.580 I don't know why.

00:20:12.460 They equated this conference with Boko Haram,

00:20:18.560 a Muslim terrorist group from Africa.

00:20:21.420 They ripped up the contract that they had 0.98

00:20:24.280 with this local church,

00:20:26.400 and they actually passed a bylaw

00:20:28.700 banning any Christian groups 1.00

00:20:31.720 that they called divisive,

00:20:33.700 who was divisive there.

00:20:35.340 You might recall that

00:20:36.540 because that was the first campaign battle

00:20:39.000 that I ever fought on TV.

00:20:41.640 We made a petition,

00:20:42.740 and one of the things we did

00:20:45.020 that I think righted the wrongs

00:20:47.640 was we hired John Carpe,

00:20:51.460 this civil liberties lawyer,

00:20:53.460 to take on the bullies and the bigots,

00:20:56.320 and we won.

00:20:57.400 And I should tell you that later that year,

00:20:59.680 Nanaimo City Council was almost completely thrown out

00:21:02.200 in the election.

00:21:03.280 Now, I tell you all that because I read a story,

00:21:07.240 and I thought, oh, my God,

00:21:08.340 I have seen every single part of this before.

00:21:11.620 This exact same story,

00:21:13.080 a local Christian group

00:21:14.480 renting out a local government-owned facility

00:21:17.500 just for some normal, normal stuff,

00:21:20.060 and then some anti-Christian bigots

00:21:22.400 ripping up the contract

00:21:23.520 and joining us now to talk about it.

00:21:25.260 is the only man in Canada

00:21:27.440 who cares enough to fight?

00:21:30.120 Our friend, John Carpe,

00:21:32.020 who joins us now via Skype from Calgary.

00:21:33.980 John is the boss of the Justice Center

00:21:35.700 for Constitutional Freedom.

00:21:36.480 John, I'm not sure if I told that story very well,

00:21:39.040 but that was a big win for us in Nanaimo.

00:21:41.880 We got the City Council to back down.

00:21:44.120 It's like I've seen that movie before.

00:21:46.400 This is the sequel,

00:21:47.340 but it's just across the Georgia Strait

00:21:51.920 in New Westminster, B.C., am I right?

00:21:55.600 Yeah, it was five years ago,

00:21:58.060 and the parallels are striking.

00:22:00.360 This time, New Westminster, not Nanaimo,

00:22:03.340 but you've got city facilities.

00:22:07.040 You have a contract in place.

00:22:09.340 There's a small, local, multicultural church,

00:22:13.500 lots of people from Africa,

00:22:15.840 and they don't have their own church buildings,

00:22:19.300 so they wanted to rent

00:22:20.140 the New Westminster Municipal Facility,

00:22:23.980 which is called the Anvil Centre.

00:22:25.780 They wanted to rent it out for a conference.

00:22:27.820 The conference was called Let God Be True,

00:22:30.860 which is LGBT, kind of a play on words there,

00:22:35.220 Let God Be True,

00:22:36.020 and it was to address, among other things,

00:22:38.360 address Christian perspective

00:22:40.020 on sexuality and marriage and related issues,

00:22:43.980 and the city just up and cancelled

00:22:47.280 the contract that they had signed and agreed to,

00:22:51.360 and so now we've got a court action on the goal.

00:22:54.340 Well, I remember in Nanaimo,

00:22:56.080 and that was when you and I really fought,

00:22:57.940 that was the first time we fought

00:22:58.940 with a petition on TV,

00:23:00.780 and we flew out there,

00:23:01.760 and we had a bit of a protest

00:23:02.560 outside the city hall,

00:23:04.380 and we really revved things up.

00:23:06.200 We went full tilt.

00:23:06.980 We even had a pollster.

00:23:08.080 We polled the city.

00:23:09.020 Like, I just thought this is,

00:23:10.700 and it was crazy there,

00:23:12.140 but they dug in,

00:23:14.260 they dug in their heels,

00:23:15.060 they dug in their heels,

00:23:15.920 but within a day of you sending them

00:23:18.860 a demand letter,

00:23:20.220 they obviously got legal advice

00:23:21.860 that showed they were going to lose,

00:23:23.240 and they caved in completely.

00:23:25.700 They actually apologized,

00:23:27.320 and I think they wound up paying

00:23:29.400 a sum of money to the Christian church.

00:23:33.060 I don't know how much for damages.

00:23:34.880 So that was a huge success,

00:23:36.800 and of course later that year,

00:23:38.580 the Nanaimo City Hall was thrown out,

00:23:40.760 and the mayor came in third.

00:23:42.560 He was just trashed.

00:23:44.500 What's New Westminster doing?

00:23:47.220 They're digging in their heels so far.

00:23:50.100 They're going to fight us hard on this,

00:23:52.040 and it's the same issue.

00:23:53.760 It's intolerance towards a religious approach

00:23:58.780 to sexuality and marriage.

00:24:01.160 As you and I both know,

00:24:02.480 not every Canadian agrees

00:24:04.620 when it comes to sex and marriage

00:24:08.300 and sexual morality.

00:24:10.020 On the one side,

00:24:11.640 you've got Muslims and Orthodox Jews

00:24:14.160 and practicing Christians

00:24:15.260 who have one perspective on sex,

00:24:18.980 and on the other,

00:24:19.940 you've got progressive or atheistic secularists.

00:24:25.160 And the thing is,

00:24:25.920 in a free country,

00:24:26.680 you allow both views

00:24:28.620 and you allow members of both sides

00:24:32.680 to use city facilities.

00:24:35.600 I mean, this is just a basic fundamental freedom.

00:24:39.020 If the city is going to have city-owned facilities

00:24:43.400 that are available for rental,

00:24:45.780 then you can't say,

00:24:47.280 well, you're only allowed to use the city facilities

00:24:49.440 if you have the correct viewpoint

00:24:52.680 on marriage and sexuality.

00:24:55.820 And that was the reason for the cancellation,

00:24:57.540 in both in the Nanaimo case,

00:25:00.260 there is one of the sponsors

00:25:01.600 of the Telecast International Skype conference

00:25:07.620 was Dan Cathy with Chick-fil-A,

00:25:11.500 who was on record

00:25:12.480 as opposing same-sex marriage.

00:25:15.180 And now here in BC,

00:25:17.260 it's the same old thing.

00:25:18.540 It's the same old, same old.

00:25:19.460 You've got the city saying,

00:25:20.680 you know,

00:25:21.280 you can't have the incorrect view

00:25:23.800 on sexuality.

00:25:27.480 And if you don't think the way that we do,

00:25:29.860 then you're not allowed to use city-owned facilities.

00:25:33.180 And that's just completely unacceptable.

00:25:35.380 Yeah.

00:25:35.860 What was so incredible about the case in Nanaimo

00:25:38.400 is, I mean,

00:25:39.460 Nanaimo's a fairly small city.

00:25:40.540 I like Nanaimo.

00:25:41.240 I go there every year in the summertime.

00:25:44.260 I love Vancouver Island.

00:25:45.460 How can you not?

00:25:46.600 It's a small city, though.

00:25:47.680 Like, it's under 100,000 people.

00:25:50.240 But they're so self-important,

00:25:51.620 those politicians.

00:25:52.780 They video their city council meetings,

00:25:55.880 and they have this gorgeous facility.

00:25:57.780 And so you could watch

00:25:58.720 every single word on TV.

00:26:00.260 It was shocking.

00:26:01.500 And you saw counselors call them bigots, 0.90

00:26:03.680 call them terrorists, 0.97

00:26:04.920 compare them to the mafia.

00:26:06.580 I mentioned that one counselor 0.99

00:26:08.340 compared them to Boko Haram.

00:26:09.900 So you saw the full anti-Christian bigotry

00:26:12.960 on display.

00:26:14.000 Like, it was so shocking.

00:26:16.560 Has New Westminster done any of that?

00:26:19.060 Have they been as bigoted and rude

00:26:21.720 and derogatory in their language?

00:26:24.100 Or have they tried to couch it

00:26:25.740 in some dry technicality?

00:26:27.920 We don't yet know of whether

00:26:32.200 the city council was deliberating the matter

00:26:35.280 as they did in Nanaimo.

00:26:37.980 So far, the only information we have

00:26:39.800 was about the city clerk,

00:26:42.320 a bureaucrat who said,

00:26:43.960 this is cancelled,

00:26:45.720 we're refunding your deposit,

00:26:48.160 and this is not going ahead.

00:26:50.220 That's all that we're at for right now.

00:26:52.520 But as the court action progresses,

00:26:54.540 who knows what might turn up?

00:26:55.860 Yeah, because of course in a court

00:26:58.040 there's documentary disclosure

00:26:59.880 where the parties have to give

00:27:01.680 their related records.

00:27:03.880 There are records that touch on the matter.

00:27:05.440 Now, you make an interesting point

00:27:06.980 because of course,

00:27:07.820 I've just mentioned several times

00:27:09.140 that it was the city council

00:27:10.940 in Nanaimo that voted,

00:27:13.220 I think it was six to one,

00:27:14.340 if memory serves,

00:27:15.280 to shut down this Christian conference.

00:27:17.980 Are you saying that in New Westminster,

00:27:19.840 as far as you know,

00:27:20.520 it was just a single bureaucrat

00:27:22.280 who made a fiat?

00:27:24.480 So it sounds,

00:27:25.740 did I hear you right on that?

00:27:28.080 Yeah, to our knowledge,

00:27:30.460 we're not saying it has not been discussed

00:27:32.840 by city councillors,

00:27:33.820 but we're not aware of discussions

00:27:35.360 by city council.

00:27:37.460 So it was,

00:27:38.380 as far as we know right now,

00:27:39.840 it was a local bureaucrat.

00:27:42.180 But probably,

00:27:43.420 yeah, she went up the chain 1.00

00:27:45.400 and got approval for this

00:27:46.940 at some higher level,

00:27:48.520 we assume.

00:27:49.180 But this is going to,

00:27:50.840 you know,

00:27:51.100 play itself out

00:27:51.800 with the court action

00:27:53.320 as it goes forward.

00:27:54.360 But they are fighting this.

00:27:55.440 They're not backing down

00:27:56.200 and saying,

00:27:56.700 oh, we made a mistake.

00:27:57.980 No, they're going to dig in their heels

00:27:59.240 and try to justify their actions

00:28:01.520 here in court.

00:28:03.320 Whereas in Nanaimo,

00:28:04.540 it ended up not even going to court

00:28:06.640 because the city council

00:28:07.840 just did the right thing

00:28:08.860 and, you know,

00:28:10.780 apologized and backed down.

00:28:12.360 Yeah, I remember that.

00:28:13.420 I had never seen

00:28:14.660 a politician fold quicker.

00:28:17.900 We had a little spontaneous protest

00:28:19.980 outside the mayor's office.

00:28:21.780 A hundred people showed up

00:28:22.780 in Nanaimo.

00:28:23.720 Like I say,

00:28:24.280 a fairly small city.

00:28:25.600 A hundred people showed up.

00:28:26.520 I think the mayor knew.

00:28:27.640 He was peering through the window

00:28:29.180 at us.

00:28:30.240 I remember that.

00:28:31.340 And when we announced

00:28:32.400 that you were on the legal team,

00:28:33.560 they folded immediately.

00:28:34.520 In fact,

00:28:34.720 the mayor made a sort of apology.

00:28:37.800 And it was,

00:28:38.920 and we had a big celebration barbecue,

00:28:41.240 I remember.

00:28:41.560 Barbecue.

00:28:42.800 Eight hundred people there.

00:28:43.880 And the mayor came to flip burgers.

00:28:46.600 Like that's how contrite

00:28:47.920 and conciliatory he was.

00:28:51.120 So let me check again.

00:28:52.380 You said to me twice

00:28:53.340 that they're fighting this.

00:28:54.460 Have you actually filed the lawsuit

00:28:56.260 or the originated document?

00:28:57.800 So you haven't just sent them

00:28:59.260 a warning letter.

00:28:59.900 You've actually started

00:29:00.700 a court action.

00:29:01.400 We sent them a warning letter

00:29:03.800 in June

00:29:04.420 and they chose to ignore that.

00:29:08.920 And, you know,

00:29:09.780 we explained the law to them

00:29:10.920 that government has an obligation

00:29:13.640 of neutrality.

00:29:15.040 If it's a private facility,

00:29:16.400 it's different.

00:29:17.280 I mean,

00:29:17.540 if a synagogue does not want

00:29:20.680 to rent out its premises

00:29:21.900 for use with some,

00:29:23.240 you know,

00:29:24.160 anti-Israel group,

00:29:25.460 well, you know,

00:29:26.020 that's fine.

00:29:26.480 It's a private facility.

00:29:27.900 But if it's a city-owned facility,

00:29:29.400 then the government's

00:29:31.920 not entitled to discriminate

00:29:33.940 on the basis

00:29:34.940 of people's political opinions.

00:29:37.920 What they've done here is

00:29:38.960 because one of the speakers

00:29:40.060 is Carrie Simpson. 1.00

00:29:41.280 She's well-known

00:29:42.640 in British Columbia.

00:29:44.000 She's somewhat controversial 1.00

00:29:45.460 in some circles,

00:29:47.820 outspoken social conservative.

00:29:50.140 And the city actually

00:29:51.160 accused the church

00:29:52.380 of promoting hatred,

00:29:54.800 racism and violence

00:29:56.540 because they had

00:29:58.140 they had scheduled

00:29:59.720 Carrie Simpson

00:30:00.740 to be there as a speaker.

00:30:03.440 Well,

00:30:04.020 they're going to have

00:30:04.460 to prove in court

00:30:05.260 that Carrie Simpson

00:30:06.980 is promoting

00:30:07.820 hatred,

00:30:09.480 racism,

00:30:10.640 violence,

00:30:11.740 one or more

00:30:12.700 of those three.

00:30:13.420 And they're going to have

00:30:14.000 a hard time

00:30:14.620 trying to prove that

00:30:16.940 because somebody

00:30:17.700 who's social conservative

00:30:18.680 who's got traditional views

00:30:21.180 on sexuality

00:30:22.040 in a free country

00:30:24.780 that cannot be seen

00:30:26.640 as violent

00:30:27.860 or hateful

00:30:28.960 or criminal

00:30:29.540 and so on.

00:30:32.060 Well,

00:30:32.360 and to simply say

00:30:33.540 you can't have that person

00:30:34.940 come on these premises

00:30:36.360 at all,

00:30:37.520 they've got cooties. 1.00

00:30:39.260 Or like,

00:30:39.560 like that,

00:30:39.920 it's really,

00:30:41.260 as Juvenile is saying,

00:30:42.260 you can't have them

00:30:42.860 because they have

00:30:43.840 bad idea germs

00:30:45.040 or something.

00:30:45.680 That's not a thing.

00:30:47.420 You know,

00:30:47.620 you can't ban someone

00:30:48.480 because you,

00:30:48.780 I mean,

00:30:48.980 if someone was a,

00:30:50.480 we have in our criminal code

00:30:52.360 a dangerous offender provision.

00:30:54.160 You can literally

00:30:55.480 take someone off the streets

00:30:56.520 if they are a public danger.

00:30:58.140 You've got to prove that

00:30:58.700 in criminal court.

00:30:59.340 You can't just say,

00:30:59.920 oh,

00:31:00.200 she's dangerous. 1.00

00:31:01.620 She can't,

00:31:02.120 it's crazy.

00:31:03.240 And obviously,

00:31:04.400 the test for these things

00:31:05.860 is would it ever happen

00:31:06.920 to a gay group, 0.91

00:31:08.780 to a Muslim group,

00:31:10.220 to a group

00:31:11.540 that was higher up

00:31:12.320 on the politically correct

00:31:13.400 pyramid

00:31:14.100 than,

00:31:15.440 you know,

00:31:17.200 Christian conservatives.

00:31:17.940 Although you point out

00:31:18.860 that this church in question

00:31:20.180 you mentioned,

00:31:21.100 they have a lot of

00:31:21.980 black members.

00:31:24.060 You'd think that they would be 0.89

00:31:25.260 higher up

00:31:25.960 on the politically correct hierarchy.

00:31:28.800 We'll have to see

00:31:30.220 how that plays itself out.

00:31:31.500 So far,

00:31:32.140 that's not really,

00:31:33.680 it doesn't seem to be

00:31:34.660 helping them

00:31:35.120 when it comes to

00:31:35.720 the cancellation

00:31:36.220 of their event.

00:31:37.560 Again,

00:31:38.080 on the basis of having

00:31:39.240 an outspoken

00:31:40.100 social conservative

00:31:41.060 to be one of the speakers

00:31:42.980 at their conference,

00:31:43.920 that was the reason.

00:31:45.280 And the city,

00:31:46.080 you know,

00:31:46.360 comes out

00:31:46.940 saying that

00:31:48.600 that this is

00:31:49.840 hatred

00:31:51.200 and racism

00:31:52.280 and violence.

00:31:53.560 That's actually

00:31:54.220 the city's position.

00:31:55.520 So,

00:31:56.180 yeah,

00:31:57.560 they'll have a hard time

00:31:58.420 proving that in court,

00:31:59.340 I think.

00:32:00.480 Well,

00:32:00.620 they'll certainly burn up

00:32:01.320 a lot of their taxpayers'

00:32:02.220 dollars on it.

00:32:03.140 I have one last question,

00:32:05.020 and I know I've referred

00:32:05.760 to Nanaimo

00:32:06.320 about four times,

00:32:07.180 but that was

00:32:07.820 the archetype.

00:32:08.800 That was when I learned

00:32:09.640 how to do a petition,

00:32:11.560 use the petition

00:32:12.240 to raise some funds,

00:32:13.220 hire a lawyer,

00:32:13.800 do a poll,

00:32:14.700 have an event.

00:32:15.100 Like,

00:32:15.240 we really,

00:32:15.800 I remember doing that

00:32:16.540 at the Sun News Network.

00:32:17.340 It was one of my favorite

00:32:18.300 things back at the Sun.

00:32:20.240 And so let me ask you,

00:32:21.440 do you think this church

00:32:22.960 or its supporters,

00:32:26.220 I mean,

00:32:26.480 I don't know if I'm offering,

00:32:27.600 I'm just wondering,

00:32:28.540 I mean,

00:32:29.200 it's a big effort

00:32:29.940 to do this,

00:32:30.500 but do you think

00:32:31.080 that they would be

00:32:32.160 interested in a petition,

00:32:34.940 in a protest?

00:32:35.540 Like I said,

00:32:36.180 we had 100 people

00:32:37.060 protest outside

00:32:38.260 the mayor's office,

00:32:39.060 and he was peeking

00:32:40.300 through his window.

00:32:40.900 I think he was scared.

00:32:42.180 Is this something

00:32:42.960 that they've either tried

00:32:43.980 to have a political pushback,

00:32:45.360 or do you think

00:32:46.180 they're organized enough

00:32:47.100 to be interested

00:32:47.760 in having a political pushback?

00:32:50.060 I'd be happy

00:32:50.800 to put you in touch

00:32:51.840 with them

00:32:52.240 and you can discuss it.

00:32:53.800 I don't know,

00:32:54.720 you know,

00:32:54.940 like many people,

00:32:56.120 a lot of people

00:32:57.180 are just terrified

00:32:58.660 of politics

00:32:59.400 or very shy.

00:33:00.880 So I have no idea

00:33:02.500 whether they have

00:33:03.560 thought about this

00:33:04.700 or whether they would

00:33:05.740 be willing to do it,

00:33:07.560 but I'd be happy

00:33:08.460 to put you in touch

00:33:09.240 with them

00:33:09.660 to discuss it.

00:33:11.240 Only good can come

00:33:15.200 from considering an option.

00:33:17.280 There's no downside.

00:33:18.860 You know,

00:33:19.040 you made me think

00:33:19.560 of one more thing.

00:33:20.280 I remember when we organized,

00:33:21.480 we had a real local champion,

00:33:23.520 a mom in Nanaimo,

00:33:25.900 had a lot of kids

00:33:26.540 and a big family

00:33:27.140 that really worked hard.

00:33:28.940 And it was so important

00:33:30.020 that we had a key booster

00:33:31.980 on the ground.

00:33:32.860 But you made me think

00:33:33.820 of something, John.

00:33:34.540 No local clergy

00:33:39.260 stood with the Nanaimo group

00:33:43.620 that was kicked out.

00:33:45.380 None of them wanted

00:33:46.340 to be part of the fight.

00:33:48.160 They said it was

00:33:48.620 unchristian to fight.

00:33:50.260 And I remember

00:33:50.800 when we had that protest

00:33:51.840 outside the mayor's office

00:33:52.900 and I remember

00:33:53.780 when we had the victory dinner,

00:33:54.920 not a single church leader

00:33:57.300 would stand with the group

00:34:00.460 that was thrown out.

00:34:02.180 Some came from far away

00:34:04.100 to help,

00:34:04.900 from other cities,

00:34:05.880 even from the mainland.

00:34:07.840 But it was,

00:34:08.440 and I'm not,

00:34:09.600 I'm just remarking

00:34:11.060 that some Christian leaders

00:34:12.980 would rather get along

00:34:14.180 to go along

00:34:14.800 or we don't want to fight

00:34:15.740 or we don't,

00:34:16.560 and that stood out

00:34:18.240 in my mind.

00:34:19.620 And I mean,

00:34:20.260 I'm not Christian 0.99

00:34:20.880 and I don't want

00:34:21.400 to criticize Christians,

00:34:22.920 but I detected cowardice there

00:34:25.100 that was heartbreaking,

00:34:26.600 actually.

00:34:28.240 I don't know why

00:34:28.980 I'm ending on that note,

00:34:29.940 but you made me think

00:34:31.140 of that,

00:34:31.420 that the actual church leaders

00:34:33.380 in Nanaimo

00:34:33.960 were nowhere to be found then.

00:34:35.600 Last word to you, John.

00:34:37.960 Well, you know,

00:34:38.820 you raise a good point

00:34:40.360 and the whole problem

00:34:42.940 of cowardice

00:34:43.800 is as old

00:34:45.240 as human nature itself.

00:34:46.400 I mean,

00:34:46.560 it goes back 2,000 years,

00:34:48.420 4,000 years,

00:34:49.180 6,000 years.

00:34:50.600 I don't know

00:34:51.460 the extent to which

00:34:52.620 this local church

00:34:54.620 has been networking

00:34:56.860 with other pastors

00:34:57.740 in New West

00:34:58.740 or in Greater Vancouver.

00:35:01.080 I would certainly hope

00:35:02.260 that if this church,

00:35:05.400 because we're,

00:35:06.040 the Justice Centre,

00:35:07.000 we're focused

00:35:07.820 on the legal stuff,

00:35:08.800 so we're not really involved

00:35:10.240 with the political side.

00:35:12.600 I would certainly hope

00:35:13.640 that if this church

00:35:15.900 in New West

00:35:16.520 reaches out

00:35:17.380 to other pastors,

00:35:19.760 priests,

00:35:20.380 or all religious leaders,

00:35:22.460 you know,

00:35:22.660 imams and rabbis as well,

00:35:24.480 they have,

00:35:26.840 they have a dog

00:35:27.720 in this fight.

00:35:28.340 They have a stake

00:35:29.200 in the game

00:35:29.680 for their religious

00:35:31.480 freedom rights as well.

00:35:32.520 So I would hope

00:35:33.380 that if the church

00:35:34.060 reaches out

00:35:34.720 that they would get

00:35:36.300 a very positive response

00:35:38.980 and a willingness

00:35:39.520 to help

00:35:40.060 from other religious leaders

00:35:42.080 that would want 0.81

00:35:43.780 to defend

00:35:45.300 the free society.

00:35:46.080 That would be my hope.

00:35:48.060 Well,

00:35:48.600 that's very interesting.

00:35:49.620 If you would be so kind

00:35:50.680 as to flip me

00:35:51.720 a note privately

00:35:53.040 with the name

00:35:53.740 and contact info

00:35:54.980 of your contact

00:35:56.640 at the church,

00:35:57.160 I'd like to find out

00:35:58.060 if they were doing something.

00:35:59.580 Maybe they were already

00:36:00.120 doing something

00:36:00.580 I don't know about.

00:36:01.540 Maybe they would just

00:36:02.160 even want to do

00:36:02.760 an interview

00:36:03.220 on the rebel

00:36:05.240 and we could spread

00:36:06.800 that video around

00:36:07.700 because I know

00:36:09.960 we tipped the balance

00:36:10.940 in Nanaimo.

00:36:11.500 I know we made a difference 0.87

00:36:12.580 and they were so arrogant 0.91

00:36:13.560 and so abusive 0.98

00:36:14.260 and then suddenly

00:36:14.960 they just turned and ran

00:36:16.260 as all bullies do

00:36:17.220 when you finally

00:36:17.940 confront them.

00:36:19.700 And it would really be bad

00:36:21.120 if this precedent

00:36:21.740 were set.

00:36:22.260 So zip me a note

00:36:23.940 and I'll look into

00:36:25.680 the political side

00:36:26.440 of things.

00:36:26.760 You keep up

00:36:27.140 on the legal side

00:36:27.800 of things,

00:36:28.120 of course,

00:36:28.840 and folks can get

00:36:29.980 the info on this

00:36:31.080 at your website

00:36:32.860 and that's

00:36:33.320 jccf.ca,

00:36:35.300 right?

00:36:36.320 Correct.

00:36:36.920 www.jccf.ca.

00:36:39.200 All right.

00:36:39.600 And I know folks

00:36:40.200 can make a contribution

00:36:41.100 there directly

00:36:41.640 if they want to.

00:36:42.420 John,

00:36:42.620 it's great to see you again.

00:36:43.480 I'm so glad

00:36:44.060 you're fighting this fight

00:36:44.680 and I'm completely

00:36:45.460 unsurprised

00:36:46.100 because you fought

00:36:46.780 the identical fight

00:36:47.480 five years ago.

00:36:48.180 Plus que ça change,

00:36:51.820 plus que c'est la même chose.

00:36:54.000 Keep on fighting.

00:36:55.700 Yeah,

00:36:55.840 that's right.

00:36:56.460 That's right.

00:36:57.240 All right,

00:36:57.540 my friend.

00:36:57.920 Well,

00:36:58.040 you keep up the fight.

00:36:58.880 Thanks for doing it.

00:37:00.200 All right.

00:37:00.560 Thanks, Ezra.

00:37:01.220 All right.

00:37:01.580 There you have it.

00:37:01.980 John Carpe,

00:37:02.680 the boss of the Justice Center

00:37:04.740 for Constitutional Freedoms.

00:37:05.740 There are so many similarities

00:37:07.420 to the fight in Nanaimo

00:37:09.080 and that was a really,

00:37:10.640 there was such a great moment

00:37:12.220 where we stood up

00:37:13.080 to the bullies,

00:37:14.180 won the immediate fight

00:37:16.800 and then threw out

00:37:17.960 all the rascals from office.

00:37:19.280 Now,

00:37:19.400 Nanaimo,

00:37:20.100 of course,

00:37:20.480 has larger political problems

00:37:21.580 that endure.

00:37:22.520 But on that,

00:37:23.300 it was a win.

00:37:23.960 I wonder,

00:37:25.320 I wonder if that could be done

00:37:26.820 in New West again.

00:37:29.120 Oh,

00:37:29.300 well.

00:37:29.780 Stay with us.

00:37:30.460 More ahead on The Rebel.

00:37:42.340 Hey,

00:37:42.780 welcome back

00:37:43.180 on my monologue Friday

00:37:44.200 about the CRTC

00:37:45.220 trying to regulate the Internet,

00:37:46.300 Trinoculus.

00:37:48.520 Is that a first name

00:37:49.160 or a last name?

00:37:50.220 Right?

00:37:51.160 As totalitarians lose their grip

00:37:52.760 on the narrative,

00:37:53.440 their true colors show,

00:37:55.260 please be careful to vote

00:37:56.200 for politicians

00:37:56.820 that have a track record

00:37:57.880 of love,

00:37:58.960 of freedom for Canada,

00:38:01.120 respect from the U.S.

00:38:03.380 Okay.

00:38:06.160 Yeah,

00:38:06.680 I think the CRTC

00:38:07.700 is big news.

00:38:10.320 Normally,

00:38:11.140 journalists are the biggest

00:38:12.500 naval gazers around.

00:38:14.600 normally journalists

00:38:15.840 love to write about themselves

00:38:17.180 and their industry.

00:38:18.480 Everyone else is bored,

00:38:19.540 but really a lot of journalists

00:38:20.560 just write to please themselves

00:38:21.860 and their friends.

00:38:22.660 You would think

00:38:23.360 that they would be all over

00:38:24.380 a story about the CRTC

00:38:25.500 wanting to regulate

00:38:26.340 the Internet

00:38:26.800 and journalism

00:38:28.120 and make it

00:38:29.700 government-insured independence.

00:38:32.220 That's like jumbo shrimp

00:38:34.320 but don't exist.

00:38:35.540 But I haven't seen

00:38:36.400 any coverage

00:38:36.980 of this CRTC story,

00:38:38.180 have you?

00:38:39.860 Carol writes,

00:38:41.460 Trudeau is upset

00:38:42.120 that he has so much

00:38:42.920 negative press

00:38:43.480 on all social media,

00:38:44.600 especially on Facebook.

00:38:47.520 Yeah,

00:38:47.880 you know what?

00:38:48.340 he really

00:38:50.140 is a totalist.

00:38:53.200 I'm not going to say

00:38:53.680 totalitarianism,

00:38:55.460 totalitarian,

00:38:56.480 but Trudeau's media

00:38:57.860 is so overwhelmingly positive.

00:39:01.340 Contrasted with Stephen Harbour,

00:39:02.640 contrasted with Donald Trump

00:39:03.620 if you doubt me.

00:39:05.460 He just can't stand

00:39:06.780 some people on Facebook

00:39:08.140 or us here.

00:39:09.260 He just can't stand

00:39:10.340 having anybody

00:39:11.760 dissent.

00:39:13.640 That's an authoritarian mind.

00:39:17.160 On my interview

00:39:17.580 with Mark Marano

00:39:18.500 and a possible meat tax,

00:39:20.540 Richard writes,

00:39:21.820 the new green movement

00:39:23.360 is a cult designed

00:39:24.580 to de-industrialize

00:39:25.960 Western countries.

00:39:28.560 Yeah,

00:39:29.220 I think so.

00:39:29.700 It's also a big money grab

00:39:30.720 and I think it's just

00:39:31.500 social control.

00:39:34.160 Vancouver Ride writes,

00:39:37.160 people in the third world

00:39:38.160 are largely vegan,

00:39:39.460 just not by choice.

00:39:43.100 Okay,

00:39:43.640 I know the point

00:39:44.260 you're making.

00:39:44.620 I don't think that's true,

00:39:45.500 of course.

00:39:46.880 And it's hard work

00:39:48.100 to be a vegan,

00:39:48.740 by the way,

00:39:49.200 because you know

00:39:49.860 what vegan means, right?

00:39:50.680 It means not even eggs

00:39:52.960 or milk or cheese

00:39:55.060 or anything.

00:39:56.380 And I think it also

00:39:57.400 means no fish.

00:39:59.920 It's true

00:40:00.560 that a lot of people

00:40:01.540 in the poor parts

00:40:02.720 of the world

00:40:02.980 just eat a lot of rice

00:40:03.920 and corn

00:40:05.000 and things like that,

00:40:06.140 but they eat milk

00:40:07.480 and cheese

00:40:08.580 and cheap meat

00:40:11.320 when they can.

00:40:12.320 I know your point

00:40:13.580 is that when you're

00:40:14.680 super poor

00:40:15.160 you can't afford meat

00:40:16.140 and like so many

00:40:17.580 environmental things

00:40:18.400 they glorify

00:40:19.800 the profane.

00:40:21.860 I mentioned this

00:40:23.580 when I said

00:40:24.260 the whole ritual

00:40:25.000 of sorting our garbage

00:40:26.440 and don't flush here

00:40:27.840 but flush there,

00:40:28.880 that's so uncivilized.

00:40:31.720 It's retreating

00:40:32.540 backwards in time

00:40:33.540 to when we had

00:40:34.260 to touch our garbage

00:40:35.080 and spend a lot of time 0.94

00:40:35.940 with our garbage

00:40:36.540 and sort our garbage

00:40:37.900 and you know,

00:40:39.460 civilization moved us

00:40:40.320 away from that,

00:40:40.900 the greens are moving

00:40:41.480 us back to that

00:40:42.180 and I suppose

00:40:42.880 in the same way

00:40:43.500 the greens are moving

00:40:44.860 us away from,

00:40:46.580 you know,

00:40:47.820 500 years ago

00:40:48.960 your ordinary Canadian

00:40:50.180 would live as finely

00:40:51.600 as the king of England

00:40:53.700 and have better food.

00:40:55.200 King of England

00:40:55.740 didn't have all the

00:40:57.140 fruit and vegetable

00:40:58.420 varieties you can get

00:40:59.460 at your local Safeway.

00:41:01.040 I mean,

00:41:01.260 when you think about it,

00:41:02.540 you and I live

00:41:03.820 by many measures

00:41:05.460 a finer life

00:41:07.140 than kings themselves

00:41:08.480 lived 500 years ago.

00:41:11.400 One word for you,

00:41:12.420 dentistry,

00:41:14.120 Tylenol,

00:41:15.740 you know,

00:41:16.440 x-rays,

00:41:17.520 stitches,

00:41:18.780 you know,

00:41:19.960 just forget about

00:41:21.060 pineapples and oranges.

00:41:23.020 So my point is,

00:41:23.860 yeah,

00:41:24.600 the left would take us

00:41:25.760 down the ladder

00:41:26.640 of evolution.

00:41:27.940 They would call it

00:41:28.720 de-industrializing.

00:41:30.480 They actually use that word.

00:41:31.960 All right,

00:41:32.340 don't get me started

00:41:33.040 on another 20-minute

00:41:34.080 ramble about that.

00:41:35.220 Good Lord,

00:41:35.640 I talked enough

00:41:36.600 about that last week.

00:41:37.320 What do you think

00:41:38.600 about this Rahaf al-Qanun?

00:41:42.020 I think it's good

00:41:42.820 that she's not

00:41:43.300 in Saudi Arabia.

00:41:44.720 I think she would have

00:41:45.700 been accepted

00:41:46.060 by Australia.

00:41:47.320 I think Christia Freeland 0.98

00:41:48.500 is super gross. 0.86

00:41:49.920 And I think that there's

00:41:51.100 some other weird angle

00:41:52.120 here that we don't know about

00:41:53.120 but that Scott Gilmore

00:41:54.940 does know about.

00:41:56.680 And if Scott Gilmore

00:41:58.440 is against a refugee,

00:42:00.600 I've never seen that before.

00:42:01.880 He knows something's fishy.

00:42:02.980 Well,

00:42:03.220 we'll find out more

00:42:03.940 if we find out more.

00:42:04.980 Until tomorrow.

00:42:06.620 Actually,

00:42:07.100 I should tell you.

00:42:08.300 I have a funeral.

00:42:09.280 I have to attend tomorrow

00:42:10.220 so I will not be here.

00:42:11.940 Please accept my absence.

00:42:13.100 I know I told you

00:42:13.700 I would not go away

00:42:14.420 if I could avoid it.

00:42:15.640 But of course,

00:42:16.940 a funeral is a must-attend event.

00:42:19.040 I will be back

00:42:19.900 on Wednesday.

00:42:20.780 Until then,

00:42:21.240 on behalf of all of us

00:42:21.960 here at Rebel World

00:42:23.180 headquarters,

00:42:23.720 to you at home,

00:42:24.200 good night.

00:42:24.460 And keep running for freedom.

00:42:26.020 and keep running for 3

00:42:41.780 p.m.

Rebel News Podcast - January 15, 2019

Chrystia Freeland rescues young Saudi woman from luxury Bangkok airport hotel — but silent about a Canadian on China's death row

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