Rebel News Podcast - EZRA LEVANT ｜ The Globe and Mail assaults common sense by portraying arrest of David Menzies as defensible

00:00:00.000 Hello, my friends. I've had an interesting back and forth with the Globe and Mail,

00:00:03.580 which is sort of the snobbiest newspaper in Canada. They're having a tough time dealing

00:00:07.780 with David Menzies because they know what he did was real journalism, and they know what

00:00:11.860 Christopher Freeland and the Mounties did was atrocious, but they just can't say that without

00:00:17.240 it embarrassing them because we're so low-class, you see, and they're so fancy, you see. So

00:00:22.440 they're denying that David's a journalist, and I've gone back and forth with him a bit over that,

00:00:26.880 and it's, well, I'll show you actually our back and forth. That's today's show, but first let me

00:00:31.740 invite you to become a subscriber to Rebel News Plus. I'm going to show you a couple of videos

00:00:35.320 today, and I'd love you to see them with your eyes, not just hear them in a podcast. Go to

00:00:39.860 rebelnewsplus.com, click subscribe. It's eight bucks a month, and we do need the money because

00:00:44.140 unlike the Globe and Mail, we're not owned by Canada's richest oligarch. All right, here's today's show.

00:00:56.880 Tonight, the Globe and Mail opposes the arrest of David Menzies, but they just can't help

00:01:10.200 themselves about being snobs about it. It's January 12th, and this is the Ezra LeVant Show.

00:01:18.920 Shame on you, you censorious bug.

00:01:30.760 As you know, on Monday, David Menzies tried to put some genuine public policy questions to the

00:01:36.440 deputy prime minister, Chrystia Freeland. She wouldn't answer them, but her bodyguards arrested 0.93

00:01:41.500 David and assaulted him. The video that our videographer, Lincoln Jay, recorded has been

00:01:47.580 viewed more than 15 million times on Twitter alone. The Globe, to their credit, well, like everyone

00:01:55.520 else, saw that video and realized it was atrocious. I think literally 99% of observers said what was done

00:02:03.080 that David was wrong. The Globe and Mail fancies itself as newspaper of record for Canada. They think

00:02:08.440 of themselves as high-minded, and in some ways they are. They wrote an editorial about the subject today,

00:02:14.440 four days later, and I'll just skim a little bit of it to you. Their headline is,

00:02:18.600 An RCMP Arrest That Assaults Common Sense. It's a boring but accurate headline. I'll read just a little bit

00:02:25.560 of it to you. The man approaches finance minister Chrystia Freeland quickly, thrusts a microphone

00:02:33.000 toward her, and blurts out two questions about the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as they walk a few

00:02:40.840 paces. Then he and another man run into each other, and that is the moment when a publicity stunt

00:02:49.800 masquerading as journalism turns into a debacle for the RCMP. The first man is David Menzies of

00:02:58.040 Rebel News, the right-wing website. The second is a still-unidentified plainclothes RCMP officer.

00:03:05.720 How is it a media stunt to ask those questions? What was the stunt part? I mean, I suppose David did

00:03:12.520 blurt it out, and he did thrust the microphone. It's just, boy, they're working hard to make it seem

00:03:18.120 the barriers, aren't they? I'll just read a little bit further. One needn't be a fan of Rebel News. We

00:03:24.200 aren't. Or think that Mr. Menzies's activities constitute journalism. We don't? To be concerned

00:03:31.800 about the incident. He was asking Ms. Freeland a legitimate question about the IRGC. She didn't

00:03:38.040 exhibit any great enthusiasm for his questions and declined to answer. There's nothing in the

00:03:42.920 video of the encounter to indicate that he posed any threat to her. His tone was rude,

00:03:48.600 but rudeness is not an offense under the criminal code. I don't know if his tone was rude, but...

00:03:54.440 So they just said twice there that he's not a journalist, that they don't think we're journalists,

00:04:01.080 that he's not a journalist, that it's a stunt. They said that twice there, but they literally described

00:04:07.160 what he did. Put a microphone to a public person in a public place, asking about a public controversy,

00:04:13.880 and record the answer. That is literally the definition of journalism. And they don't make

00:04:20.520 any argument or explanation why they don't think so, other than they just ought to be able to say who

00:04:25.640 is and isn't a journalist. They don't even try to be convincing. That's sort of pitiful. I mean, yeah,

00:04:32.040 thank you very much for saying you disagree with our guy being roughed up for asking a question.

00:04:37.560 Appreciate that. But holy moly, are they being defensive snobs about him. And then last night,

00:04:45.320 I got an email from one of their columnists, Shannon Proudfoot. And I'm not going to read her

00:04:49.960 entire email to you, but I wrote a lengthy reply to her, and I shared it with the team

00:04:54.280 here at Rebel. And they said, oh, that's a good read. And I thought, well, you know, maybe I'll do a

00:04:57.960 monologue on it. I'm going to show you my back and forth with another Globe and Mail writer. And

00:05:04.120 you'll be able to check her column in the Globe tomorrow. I haven't seen it, obviously. But

00:05:09.000 here's what she said. She said, hi, Ezra. I'm writing a column for the Globe about David Menzies'

00:05:14.120 arrest and Rebel News' related fundraising campaign. I want to seek a few more details and also give you

00:05:19.720 an opportunity to add comment if you wish. My questions are as follows. It's a lengthy email,

00:05:25.160 but I'll just show you some of it. She says, how much money in donations have you raised for this

00:05:29.800 appeal? That's one of her questions. She goes on later to say, are there any updates there as far

00:05:35.800 as the grounds on which you expect to pursue legal remedies? More broadly, the position I take in my

00:05:42.200 column, she says, is that the arrest of Mr. Menzies was ridiculous and should not have happened because

00:05:48.120 it's pretty clear in the video he bumped into the RCMP officer by accident. But my contention is that this

00:05:54.440 is a problem of an over-enthusiastic police officer, not about freedom in the press or police doing the

00:06:00.600 bidding of a straw-armed government. I think it's cynical to suggest it's either of those things,

00:06:05.560 and I will say so in my column, but I'm wondering about your response to that. Okay.

00:06:10.520 Finally, it's also my contention that Mr. Menzies is not a journalist, and Rebel News is not a

00:06:16.040 journalism outlet, but rather a sort of performance art that generates fundraising,

00:06:22.440 that's not intended as a slur, but a simple statement of my opinion. What Mr. Menzies was

00:06:27.000 doing on Monday did not warrant police intervention, but neither is Rebel's work journalism, in the sense

00:06:32.120 of seeking real answers to real questions, or even advancing an ideological argument. Well, I mean,

00:06:39.640 if you don't think we have an ideology, I think you're missing it, because we pretty clearly do.

00:06:43.080 I realize that's a provocative position that you certainly won't like, and I'd like to give you

00:06:48.440 a chance to respond. My deadline is around noon tomorrow to file for Saturday Papers. Thank you.

00:06:53.720 Shannon. They literally describe what David did. They even talk about his question,

00:07:00.680 why is the Islamic Republican Guard Corps, this terrorist group, and all. Aren't you curious,

00:07:07.400 the answer to that question? They describe point by point how it's journalism, but then they just say,

00:07:13.960 I don't think that's journalism. Anyway, here's my reply. I'm going to go through it. And in my reply,

00:07:20.440 I linked to a few video clips, so I'll stop and show you those videos here. And I show you this because

00:07:26.440 I think it's fascinating that the group of journalists who regard themselves as the elite journalists in this

00:07:32.520 country, the most high-minded, the most Canadian, they just can't bring themselves to share their job

00:07:39.400 description with a working-class schlep, with a fedora who's got a sense of humor, like David Menzies.

00:07:46.600 They're so fancy. They just can't stand unfancy people being part of the guild. It's actually sort of sad.

00:07:55.240 So here's what I wrote. I said, hi Shannon. Oligarch, I said. I think it's unseemly

00:07:59.960 that your first question is about money. You work for Canada's richest oligarch, David Thompson,

00:08:05.640 who nonetheless takes millions of dollars in journalism subsidies from the taxpayer every

00:08:10.360 year. Rebel News has no such benefactor, and we don't take money from the taxpayer. And then I made a

00:08:15.160 little joke. I said, I note that Chrystia Freeland used to work for Mr. Thompson, but even he couldn't

00:08:20.120 afford her losses for long. That's the story of what Chrystia Freeland did before becoming an MP. She 0.98

00:08:26.440 burnt up tens of millions of dollars in a Reuters-Thompson project that just... she destroyed 0.98

00:08:34.040 a huge part of that company. Here, I continue. Crowdfunding. As a rule, we don't disclose the

00:08:41.000 amount we raise for legal battles, as it is privileged information that we do not want the opposing party to

00:08:46.120 know. As well, we don't know in advance how much any litigation will cost. Because the Liberal

00:08:51.800 Government has shown a willingness to spend anything necessary to fight us. I believe there is little

00:08:56.680 chance we'll raise enough to cover our legal fees. Police misconduct. But we absolutely plan

00:09:02.680 to litigate. Besides being falsely arrested and detained, David was physically roughed up.

00:09:08.360 Handcuffed. Frog marched to a police car, handcuffed again, and driven away and dropped off at some

00:09:13.880 strange location. Why did they smash his face against the wall? Why did they handcuff him?

00:09:19.880 Is a 61-year-old man with two artificial hips, repeatedly saying he means no harm,

00:09:25.640 really such a threat to half a dozen armed police? Here, take a second, watch the video again. Just

00:09:30.360 take three minutes and watch the video again. Mr. Freeland, how come the IRDC is not a terrorist group?

00:09:35.800 Why is your government supporting Islamo-Nationalism? 0.92

00:09:39.800 What? You've been a mis-sid. What are you doing? 1.00

00:09:43.240 You're under arrest for assault. Why are you pushing me?

00:09:47.080 You're under arrest for assault. You're under arrest for assault.

00:09:50.440 I don't need to stop. What are you talking about?

00:09:52.120 Police. Police. You're under arrest for assault.

00:09:53.800 How am I under arrest? You bumped into me.

00:09:55.800 You pushed into me. You bumped into me.

00:09:57.800 I was just scrubbing. I've got my credentials here and you just bumped into me.

00:10:01.320 So, excuse me. Police. You're under arrest for pushing me.

00:10:06.760 What is your name in your badge? You've been told you're under arrest.

00:10:09.560 Why am I under arrest?

00:10:12.040 He blocked my way.

00:10:16.200 I was just scrubbing Christian Freeland.

00:10:18.920 I'm a police officer. You're under arrest.

00:10:21.080 What is your name in your badge? You've been told you're under arrest.

00:10:23.720 How is that possible?

00:10:24.600 Okay. Because you assaulted me three years ago when blackface was attacked. 1.00

00:10:31.320 You mean I was asking questions aggressively?

00:10:34.200 No, no. Your actions were. You were almost pushing everybody over.

00:10:39.240 Lincoln, you got this on video, right?

00:10:40.840 He's saying I'm pushing people over?

00:10:42.280 Yeah. That's an absolute falsehood.

00:10:44.280 There were feet were shuffling off.

00:10:45.800 So now it appeared that way. That's what you're saying, officer?

00:10:48.040 It appeared that was pushing people.

00:10:49.400 I didn't touch a single person.

00:10:51.000 That was a little bit aggressive for what was happening.

00:10:52.680 Get that. You're under arrest.

00:10:54.520 Please take the microphone out of my face.

00:10:56.120 Well, I'd like an ongoing record of this.

00:10:58.520 Can I have the microphone? Can I have the microphone?

00:11:00.760 Can I have the microphone?

00:11:02.040 No, no, no, no, no, no.

00:11:03.080 Can you give me...

00:11:03.640 No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

00:11:05.240 Take your hand out.

00:11:06.680 Why am I on the arrest?

00:11:09.400 Stop resisting. You don't need to resist, sir.

00:11:12.680 I don't have to say anything.

00:11:14.040 You know the truth.

00:11:16.200 I have nothing to hide, officer.

00:11:18.660 Welcome to Black Faces Canada.

00:11:21.740 This is what they do to journalists.

00:11:23.840 I was merely scrumming Minister Freeland,

00:11:26.880 and a RCMP officer blocked me,

00:11:29.800 and evidently this is now a trumped-up charge of assault, folks.

00:11:33.360 I didn't come here to cause any trouble.

00:11:35.140 I came here to do my job, and now I'm handcuffed.

00:11:40.560 This is your Canada now, folks.

00:11:43.600 You know, this is the Gestapo taking Black Faces' orders. 0.94

00:11:48.560 Outrageous.

00:11:49.580 And meanwhile, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

00:11:53.600 is not a terrorist organization.

00:11:56.680 It's not a terrorist organization.

00:11:59.120 And these liberals have the audacity to show up at a vigil

00:12:03.200 for a plane in which almost 200 people were killed.

00:12:07.760 57 Canadians, one unborn child, by the way.

00:12:11.240 And look at this.

00:12:12.080 They don't want it is against the law in Black Faces Canada

00:12:16.400 to ask insensitive questions, impolite questions.

00:12:20.800 So a Canadian government that props up an Islamo-fascist regime, 0.87

00:12:27.700 that's okay.

00:12:29.000 But if you ask questions about that, that's not okay.

00:12:33.580 This is an absolute outrage.

00:12:36.360 I didn't come here to cause trouble, folks.

00:12:38.500 I just came here to ask questions.

00:12:39.780 You know, the police later admitted

00:12:48.520 there was no reasonable basis for the arrest.

00:12:52.080 But they gave no apology

00:12:53.080 or even an acknowledgement of wrongdoing.

00:12:55.160 And did you see Chrystia Freeland?

00:12:57.480 It's unthinkable that she's let such physical

00:12:59.860 and legal abuse slide

00:13:01.560 had it been a favorite journalist.

00:13:02.920 Here's her when she was asked about it.

00:13:04.520 What do you make of your security detail

00:13:06.300 arresting David Menzies?

00:13:08.840 So, I want to start with what was important about Monday.

00:13:17.620 And what was important about Monday, January 8th,

00:13:23.600 was that was the fourth anniversary of a date

00:13:28.100 that I think forever needs to be marked and circled in black

00:13:32.700 on the calendar of all Canadians.

00:13:35.500 It was a tragedy for Canada.

00:13:37.200 Canadians were criminally murdered.

00:13:42.940 And I want to say to the families and loved ones

00:13:47.920 of the people who were murdered

00:13:50.540 that Canada remembers, Canada will not forget.

00:13:55.300 And that's why I was in Richmond Hill.

00:13:57.820 Marcy was there too,

00:13:59.640 to show that this is a Canadian tragedy,

00:14:03.140 that Canada remembers,

00:14:06.420 and Canada will not forget.

00:14:10.100 On the incident,

00:14:15.600 as you guys know very well,

00:14:18.260 Canada is a rule of law country.

00:14:20.640 Canada is a democracy.

00:14:23.360 Operational decisions about law enforcement

00:14:26.380 are taken by the police of jurisdiction.

00:14:29.760 Quite appropriately,

00:14:32.060 political elected officials

00:14:34.120 have no role in the taking of those decisions.

00:14:37.940 And that's why I don't have any further comment.

00:14:40.020 And for the Dow,

00:14:40.820 you pose a theory,

00:14:42.080 I wrote to Shannon Proudfoot,

00:14:43.780 that this was a lone, over-enthusiastic cop.

00:14:46.640 But it wasn't just one cop, was it?

00:14:49.060 And it wasn't quite as accidental as you state.

00:14:52.460 Watch the video again closely.

00:14:53.840 The bald cop maneuvered himself into place,

00:14:56.700 deliberately moving into David's way.

00:14:58.900 And then he and another bearded cop

00:15:00.780 immediately lied about it.

00:15:03.000 And not one of them said,

00:15:04.020 Guys, it's no big deal.

00:15:05.520 He just brushed up against you inadvertently.

00:15:08.200 Freeland didn't say that either.

00:15:11.120 Pattern of Violence Against Rebel News

00:15:12.980 Our C&P bodyguards have assaulted David before.

00:15:16.900 Watch this unedited footage

00:15:18.700 of their brutal assault on David

00:15:20.480 a couple of years ago

00:15:21.600 when David went to cover

00:15:22.900 at Trudeau fundraising dinner during the lockdown.

00:15:25.160 He went to ask Trudeau why that was permitted

00:15:27.140 when Trudeau had asked Canadians

00:15:28.820 not to gather for Christmas.

00:15:30.660 The assault starts at 5 minutes and 30 into the clip,

00:15:33.300 but you can watch from the beginning

00:15:34.380 to see that the Toronto police

00:15:36.380 were standing around with David

00:15:37.500 for almost an hour,

00:15:38.840 bantering with him

00:15:39.580 as they all waited for Trudeau's entourage to arrive.

00:15:42.120 They knew who David was

00:15:43.120 and what he was there to do

00:15:44.200 and that he was no risk.

00:15:45.340 But as soon as the PM's bodyguards arrived,

00:15:47.820 they must have identified David

00:15:49.120 because they jumped out of their SUVs

00:15:51.080 and beat the daylights out of David

00:15:52.560 with no reason or warning or discussion

00:15:55.220 and then dumped him on the ground,

00:15:56.820 not even bothering to arrest him

00:15:58.260 or call him medical help.

00:16:00.140 Here, just watch two minutes

00:16:01.940 of this terrible clip.

00:16:03.220 Get off me! 1.00

00:16:05.000 Hey, I can...

00:16:06.580 Hey, this is assault.

00:16:08.900 Move.

00:16:09.580 I'm on a side...

00:16:10.620 What is this?

00:16:11.860 I'm on a sidewalk.

00:16:16.620 I am on a side...

00:16:18.080 What is this?

00:16:19.000 You cannot push me.

00:16:20.800 Not rushing and working.

00:16:23.020 Hey! 0.99

00:16:24.680 Are you kidding?

00:16:28.320 Are you kidding?

00:16:29.220 Let's go of me.

00:16:31.300 What is this?

00:16:33.680 You can't...

00:16:34.640 Am I under arrest?

00:16:36.260 Am I under arrest?

00:16:37.700 Yeah.

00:16:38.560 That's not an accident.

00:16:39.800 That's a pattern.

00:16:40.900 Other Red Bull Juniors, too.

00:16:43.500 Then there's the RCMP

00:16:44.540 who shot our reporter,

00:16:45.920 Alexa Lavoie,

00:16:46.520 with a riot gun

00:16:47.320 after hitting her with batons.

00:16:49.080 Remember this terrible clip?

00:16:50.160 They shot her while she was doing journalism.

00:17:13.260 She wasn't even talking to them.

00:17:14.820 She was just holding her camera.

00:17:16.060 They didn't offer her first date either.

00:17:18.760 She had to get to the hospital on her own.

00:17:20.540 How many times do you think this could happen

00:17:22.820 and still be a coincidence?

00:17:25.020 Trudeau and those close to him

00:17:26.440 truly hate Rebel News.

00:17:27.600 He makes it quite clear.

00:17:29.860 Here, take a look at this.

00:17:30.900 Bonjour, M. Trudeau.

00:17:31.980 Alexa, pour Rebel News.

00:17:33.800 Donc, M. Trudeau,

00:17:35.100 je vais revenir rapidement

00:17:36.280 sur ce qui s'est passé hier.

00:17:37.900 Vous avez déabolisé

00:17:39.360 l'un des rares médias

00:17:40.920 qui ne reçoit pas d'argent

00:17:42.100 du gouvernement.

00:17:43.660 Vous avez exprimé votre opinion

00:17:45.100 en disant que nous propageons

00:17:46.620 la désinformation.

00:17:49.380 Si c'était vrai

00:17:50.140 et si c'était le cas,

00:17:51.620 la Cour fédérale

00:17:53.360 ne nous aurait pas permis

00:17:54.240 d'être ici aujourd'hui.

00:17:55.760 Je suis moi-même scientifique

00:17:56.940 et je me base sur les faits.

00:17:59.680 Ma question est la suivante.

00:18:01.900 L'Israël est l'un des pays

00:18:03.700 les plus vaccinés au monde.

00:18:06.320 Ils sont rendus maintenant 1.00

00:18:07.120 à leur quatrième rappel de vaccin.

00:18:09.880 Ils ne considèrent plus

00:18:10.680 que ceux qui ont reçu

00:18:11.500 deux doses de vaccin

00:18:12.480 sont pleinement vaccinés.

00:18:16.040 Ma question est

00:18:16.880 plusieurs Canadiens

00:18:21.020 ne désirent pas

00:18:22.100 avoir un rappel de vaccin.

00:18:25.200 Allez-vous leur enlever

00:18:27.420 leurs privilèges

00:18:29.780 reliés au passeport vaccinal?

00:18:33.080 Et

00:18:33.340 aurez-vous l'obligence

00:18:35.740 de répondre

00:18:36.380 à ma question

00:18:36.920 en tant que premier ministre

00:18:38.020 ou allez-vous encore

00:18:39.460 diaboliser mon média?

00:18:40.920 J'ai partagé ma perspective

00:18:43.620 sur ton organisation

00:18:44.720 hier soir.

00:18:46.240 Je n'ai plus rien à dire.

00:18:48.100 Ça demande bien

00:18:48.720 qui vous êtes.

00:18:49.500 Merci.

00:18:49.780 And here's another one.

00:18:51.020 The only reason

00:18:52.040 that I'm allowed

00:18:52.780 to ask you this question

00:18:54.060 is because today

00:18:55.120 the federal court ruled

00:18:56.380 that the government

00:18:57.160 doesn't have the right

00:18:58.240 to determine who is

00:18:59.300 or is not a journalist.

00:19:01.180 This is the second election

00:19:02.520 in a row

00:19:03.260 that the court

00:19:04.040 had to overturn

00:19:04.780 your government.

00:19:06.240 Do you still insist

00:19:07.380 on being able

00:19:08.180 to make that decision

00:19:09.220 and won?

00:19:11.820 First of all,

00:19:12.980 questions around

00:19:13.720 accreditation

00:19:14.440 were handled

00:19:14.940 by the press gallery

00:19:16.580 and the consortium

00:19:18.280 of networks

00:19:19.620 who have strong perspectives

00:19:21.500 on quality journalism

00:19:23.240 and the important information

00:19:25.400 that is shared

00:19:26.420 with Canadians.

00:19:27.160 The reality is

00:19:29.940 organisations

00:19:31.180 like yours

00:19:34.640 that continue

00:19:36.580 to spread misinformation

00:19:38.000 and disinformation

00:19:39.400 on the science

00:19:41.300 around vaccines,

00:19:43.060 around how we're going

00:19:43.880 to actually get through

00:19:45.280 this pandemic

00:19:46.900 and be there

00:19:48.020 for each other

00:19:48.500 and keep our kids safe

00:19:49.760 is part of why

00:19:51.280 we're seeing

00:19:51.920 such unfortunate anger

00:19:55.620 and lack of understanding

00:19:58.640 of basic science

00:19:59.660 and quite frankly,

00:20:01.460 your,

00:20:02.000 I won't call it

00:20:03.400 a media organisation,

00:20:04.380 your group

00:20:05.100 of individuals

00:20:06.940 need to take

00:20:08.580 accountability

00:20:09.200 for some of the

00:20:11.500 polarisation

00:20:13.220 that we're seeing

00:20:13.960 in this country

00:20:14.620 and I think Canadians

00:20:15.640 are cluing

00:20:17.240 into the fact

00:20:18.080 that there is

00:20:19.600 a really important

00:20:20.840 decision we take

00:20:21.700 about the kind

00:20:22.220 of country

00:20:22.720 we want to see

00:20:23.980 and I salute

00:20:24.720 all extraordinary

00:20:26.460 hard-working journalists

00:20:27.600 that put science

00:20:29.160 and facts

00:20:30.060 at the heart

00:20:30.800 of what they do

00:20:31.640 and ask me

00:20:32.440 tough questions

00:20:33.180 every day

00:20:33.740 but make sure

00:20:36.100 that they are

00:20:36.800 educating

00:20:37.720 and informing Canadians

00:20:39.400 from a broad range

00:20:40.600 of perspectives

00:20:41.200 which is the last thing

00:20:42.900 that you guys do.

00:20:44.240 Do you doubt

00:20:44.660 that Trudeau's inner circle

00:20:45.820 has internalised

00:20:47.200 his vendetta?

00:20:49.240 By the way,

00:20:49.820 those are two

00:20:50.480 young intelligent women,

00:20:51.880 one of them indigenous,

00:20:52.600 putting substantive,

00:20:54.560 polite questions

00:20:55.260 to the male feminist 0.99

00:20:56.140 and he didn't have

00:20:57.440 the courtesy

00:20:57.860 to answer them

00:20:58.640 other than with insults,

00:21:00.080 I put it to you

00:21:00.700 that Alexa's question

00:21:01.620 was the smartest question

00:21:02.680 asked that night.

00:21:04.340 The government despises us,

00:21:05.900 they may have cause

00:21:07.000 to despise us,

00:21:08.140 but they are breaking

00:21:08.800 the law towards us,

00:21:09.820 they act in a pattern

00:21:10.880 set from the very top.

00:21:12.320 Just a few weeks ago,

00:21:13.720 Freeland's Quebec staffer,

00:21:15.200 who is not a cop,

00:21:16.600 took it upon himself

00:21:17.400 to physically shove

00:21:18.420 our videographer

00:21:19.360 away from Jacinda Ardern.

00:21:21.480 Here, take a look at that.

00:21:22.960 Hey, how are you?

00:21:24.940 How much fossil fuels

00:21:26.200 did you burn

00:21:27.140 coming here

00:21:27.920 to talk about

00:21:28.920 climate change?

00:21:29.560 Leave her alone. 1.00

00:21:30.660 Leave her alone. 1.00

00:21:31.300 I'm on a sidewalk.

00:21:32.080 No, leave her alone. 1.00

00:21:32.860 You can't touch me.

00:21:33.540 Leave her alone. 1.00

00:21:35.120 You leave her alone.

00:21:35.680 Does that make sense?

00:21:36.640 You leave her alone.

00:21:37.800 Does that make sense?

00:21:38.600 Man, leave her alone. 1.00

00:21:39.400 You cannot touch me.

00:21:40.540 Leave her alone. 1.00

00:21:41.240 You can't put your hands on me.

00:21:47.300 Dude, you can't touch me like that.

00:21:48.620 I'm on a sidewalk, eh?

00:21:49.720 Please leave.

00:21:50.440 I'm not on the property.

00:21:51.960 Leave the former prime minister alone.

00:21:53.680 Sorry?

00:21:54.700 Just leave the former prime minister alone. 0.96

00:21:57.220 Yeah?

00:22:01.920 You can't put your hands on me like that, eh?

00:22:04.840 Just so you know.

00:22:05.680 Here's an RCMP bodyguard manhandling our BC reporter

00:22:09.880 who happens to be black and indigenous.

00:22:14.000 You talked about Canada's last wrongs,

00:22:16.560 the past things they haven't done right.

00:22:18.120 When will you speak out

00:22:19.040 about the 20 vandalized churches?

00:22:20.680 They're burning churches and vandalizing them,

00:22:24.240 and you're not calling it a hate crime.

00:22:25.960 I continued in my letter to her.

00:22:29.020 I said,

00:22:29.280 I mentioned the gender and race of our staff only

00:22:32.380 because I've heard about the abuse

00:22:34.100 that female and minority journalists receive,

00:22:36.800 yet not a peep

00:22:37.700 from the Canadian Association of Journalists,

00:22:40.020 Canadian Journalists for Free Expression,

00:22:41.960 Canadian Civil Liberties Association,

00:22:43.680 Penn Canada,

00:22:44.300 or any other purported civil liberties group

00:22:46.300 about any of the assaults against us.

00:22:48.440 And you write to tell me

00:22:49.460 that your focus is money

00:22:50.740 and how David isn't a real journalist?

00:22:53.720 And then I address that part,

00:22:55.380 not real journalist.

00:22:56.420 You say David's work is not journalism

00:22:58.080 in the sense of seeking real answers

00:23:00.000 to real questions

00:23:00.820 or even advancing an ideological argument.

00:23:03.460 Really?

00:23:04.860 First of all,

00:23:05.580 no citizen should be falsely arrested,

00:23:07.780 manhandled, or shot,

00:23:09.260 whether they're a journalist or not.

00:23:10.840 And no matter what they want to ask a politician,

00:23:13.040 second, David has been a professional journalist

00:23:15.740 for four decades,

00:23:17.340 has a journalism degree,

00:23:18.860 and has written for a dozen mainstream outlets.

00:23:21.280 His questions to Freeland

00:23:22.240 were legitimate questions

00:23:23.440 in the public interest

00:23:24.720 about Iran's terrorism,

00:23:26.660 posed to Freeland outside a vigil

00:23:28.360 for the victims of Iran's terrorism,

00:23:30.720 where she had the audacity to show up 0.99

00:23:32.280 despite having broken her pledge

00:23:33.800 to ban the IRGC terrorist group

00:23:36.200 that shot down the plane

00:23:37.480 for which the vigil was gathered.

00:23:39.300 How is that not journalism?

00:23:40.740 Is it more journalistic

00:23:42.680 to sit in an office,

00:23:44.240 wait for an email

00:23:45.120 from Freeland's press secretary

00:23:46.540 with the text of her speech

00:23:48.060 and write about it that way?

00:23:49.420 Because that's journalism

00:23:50.380 in most Canadian newsrooms in 2024.

00:23:54.180 David had a rhetorical flourish

00:23:56.100 about Trudeau's blackface,

00:23:57.860 but I'll give him some lenience,

00:23:59.460 given that he was just slammed

00:24:00.460 against the wall,

00:24:01.240 handcuffed,

00:24:01.760 and falsely accused of assault.

00:24:04.060 Would you have been that calm

00:24:05.220 and collected?

00:24:06.860 And then I wrap up with this,

00:24:08.500 I call it the Globe vs. Rebel News.

00:24:10.300 David Thompson,

00:24:12.760 that's the owner of the Globe,

00:24:14.140 is reportedly worth $60 billion U.S.

00:24:18.460 The Globe is selling

00:24:19.680 a European wine cruise,

00:24:21.620 where tickets start north

00:24:23.000 of $10,000.

00:24:24.960 And we have a cruise too,

00:24:26.000 but not like bears.

00:24:28.680 I wrote,

00:24:29.200 it's not surprising

00:24:30.040 that you look down your nose

00:24:31.100 at Rebel News

00:24:31.740 and our citizen journalism,

00:24:33.580 especially by journalists

00:24:34.540 with a working-class background

00:24:36.140 or a tabloid sensibility.

00:24:38.100 I've seen the elite club

00:24:39.340 you call your masthead.

00:24:40.980 You know what a masthead is?

00:24:41.940 It's basically the bosses

00:24:43.500 of a newspaper.

00:24:44.940 If you look at the Globe's masthead,

00:24:46.360 it's all fancy people

00:24:47.420 from Toronto.

00:24:49.540 But journalism isn't

00:24:51.180 a clique or a guild.

00:24:52.780 It's an activity.

00:24:54.500 And anyone with a cell phone

00:24:55.820 and a Twitter account

00:24:56.660 can be one.

00:24:58.360 Frankly,

00:24:58.860 one of the reasons

00:24:59.340 we have to scrum politicians

00:25:00.540 on the street

00:25:01.120 is because our competitors

00:25:02.340 of the Parliamentary Press Gallery

00:25:03.640 have banned us

00:25:04.820 from joining

00:25:05.380 or attending press conferences

00:25:06.560 on Parliament Hill.

00:25:07.940 And our CMP officers

00:25:09.280 forcibly escort

00:25:10.440 our reporters

00:25:11.280 off of government grounds

00:25:12.500 just for showing up.

00:25:13.700 Imagine if Coke

00:25:14.580 had the power

00:25:15.420 to ban Pepsi

00:25:16.340 from store shelves.

00:25:17.620 50% of the Parliamentary

00:25:18.940 Press Gallery executive

00:25:19.940 are government journalists

00:25:21.280 working for the CBC,

00:25:22.720 a highly partisan outlet

00:25:24.120 that has a particular

00:25:25.220 anti-rebel news animus.

00:25:28.120 Even if you refuse

00:25:29.180 to acknowledge it,

00:25:30.480 we are your competitor,

00:25:32.740 journalistically,

00:25:33.520 commercially,

00:25:33.960 and culturally.

00:25:34.600 So I don't think

00:25:35.280 I'm going to convince you

00:25:36.260 that we're legitimate,

00:25:37.680 but I don't think

00:25:38.520 I need to convince you

00:25:39.860 our work has been viewed

00:25:41.120 or read more than

00:25:42.660 two billion times,

00:25:44.280 so it seems

00:25:44.700 we're convincing

00:25:45.200 other people.

00:25:45.800 I'm going to go out

00:25:47.980 on a limb,

00:25:48.540 I wrote to her,

00:25:49.460 and suggest

00:25:50.380 that you don't actually

00:25:51.620 know David's body of work.

00:25:53.040 You haven't watched it.

00:25:54.320 If you had,

00:25:55.080 you'd see he does

00:25:56.300 more shoe-leather journalism

00:25:57.500 than anyone else

00:25:58.680 in our company.

00:25:59.420 No disrespect,

00:26:00.240 but I put it to you

00:26:01.300 that David's

00:26:01.980 in-the-field news gathering

00:26:03.520 is superior journalism

00:26:05.140 than second-hand pundits

00:26:06.420 who merely chew over

00:26:07.900 the primary reporting

00:26:08.980 done by others.

00:26:10.980 Let me close

00:26:11.820 by quoting Julie Van Dusen,

00:26:13.640 for those of you

00:26:14.200 who don't know.

00:26:14.720 She was a very,

00:26:15.260 famous long-standing

00:26:17.200 journalism

00:26:17.680 from a famous

00:26:18.340 journalism family.

00:26:19.380 I think there was

00:26:19.760 five siblings

00:26:20.440 all doing journalism

00:26:21.380 in Ottawa together,

00:26:22.280 and here's what she said.

00:26:24.800 I've loved covering

00:26:26.200 Canadian politics

00:26:26.920 for so many reasons,

00:26:28.380 but especially

00:26:29.160 for our method

00:26:30.400 of buttonholing politicians.

00:26:32.340 Thanks to the wizardry

00:26:33.440 and agility

00:26:34.060 of our amazing cameraman,

00:26:36.000 I've been in

00:26:37.160 walking backwards scrums,

00:26:39.640 running scrums,

00:26:41.040 elevator scrums,

00:26:42.140 escalator scrums,

00:26:42.940 and one flinging

00:26:44.280 myself onto the hood

00:26:45.320 of a moving car scrum.

00:26:47.640 But that's different,

00:26:48.560 right?

00:26:49.460 Well, she read that,

00:26:50.400 which is more than

00:26:50.940 I thought she'd do,

00:26:51.580 and she wrote back,

00:26:52.200 she said,

00:26:52.480 Hi, Ezra.

00:26:53.400 Thanks for this context,

00:26:54.480 for what it's worth.

00:26:55.440 I disagree that journalism

00:26:56.620 is defined as an activity.

00:26:58.480 Someone with a Twitter account

00:26:59.520 or cell phone

00:27:00.000 is not a journalist,

00:27:01.440 any more than a guy

00:27:02.300 with a recliner

00:27:02.980 in his garage

00:27:03.660 and a set of pliers

00:27:04.400 is a dentist.

00:27:05.300 I define journalism

00:27:07.300 as a set of skills,

00:27:08.420 standards,

00:27:08.780 and principles,

00:27:09.460 and that's the rubric

00:27:10.720 by which I don't believe

00:27:11.900 Rebel or Mr. Menzies 0.66

00:27:12.840 are journalists,

00:27:13.660 but of course,

00:27:14.100 you're entitled to disagree,

00:27:15.240 and I'm glad

00:27:15.720 to have your perspective.

00:27:18.360 Well, I wrote back

00:27:19.140 one last time.

00:27:20.540 I said,

00:27:21.140 You're pretending

00:27:21.700 journalism is a profession,

00:27:23.300 like dentistry

00:27:24.080 or medicine or law.

00:27:25.720 That's vanity

00:27:26.740 and snobbery,

00:27:28.520 and let me just,

00:27:29.400 I mean,

00:27:29.640 I've been a member

00:27:30.240 of a profession.

00:27:31.100 When you're a member

00:27:31.600 of a profession,

00:27:32.920 you have to pay dues,

00:27:33.640 you have to submit

00:27:34.300 to a board of governors,

00:27:36.140 and for lawyers

00:27:36.820 it's called the benchers.

00:27:38.900 You have,

00:27:39.460 when complaints

00:27:40.260 are filed against you,

00:27:41.180 you can literally

00:27:41.920 be prosecuted,

00:27:43.320 you can literally

00:27:44.020 be banned

00:27:44.740 from practicing

00:27:45.500 or pay a fine.

00:27:46.620 When you are a member

00:27:47.420 of a profession,

00:27:48.740 not only do you have

00:27:49.300 to take exams

00:27:50.160 to be able

00:27:50.920 to practice

00:27:51.420 that profession,

00:27:52.540 I mean,

00:27:53.200 accounting is a profession,

00:27:56.360 engineering is a profession,

00:27:57.740 even skilled trades

00:27:58.820 don't just let you in.

00:28:00.140 What vanity 0.52

00:28:00.920 that someone who thinks

00:28:01.900 they sit back

00:28:02.560 and write columns

00:28:03.440 is a profession?

00:28:04.900 No,

00:28:05.120 it's not,

00:28:05.720 sister.

00:28:06.400 Anyway,

00:28:06.580 back to my letter,

00:28:07.320 I said,

00:28:08.060 I won't waste your time

00:28:09.640 because I sense

00:28:10.220 you're impervious

00:28:10.980 on this,

00:28:11.980 but I know

00:28:12.360 you couldn't draft

00:28:13.240 a set of skills,

00:28:14.220 standards,

00:28:14.640 and principles

00:28:15.100 that includes

00:28:16.200 the Toronto Star

00:28:16.960 and CBC

00:28:17.480 but also excludes us.

00:28:19.960 Here's what the

00:28:20.520 Federal Court of Canada

00:28:21.500 said in 2019

00:28:22.560 when Trudeau made

00:28:23.840 that argument

00:28:24.360 trying to keep us

00:28:25.340 out of the election debates,

00:28:27.080 and then I cite

00:28:28.120 part of the lawsuit

00:28:29.080 of the verdict.

00:28:30.500 So I want to read

00:28:30.960 a little bit of it.

00:28:31.560 Although brief,

00:28:33.440 I find that the decisions

00:28:34.560 under review

00:28:35.120 provide a basis

00:28:35.860 for the decision

00:28:37.300 to deny accreditation,

00:28:39.560 namely that in the view

00:28:40.520 of the commission,

00:28:41.780 the applicants,

00:28:42.460 Rebel News,

00:28:43.180 are involved in advocacy.

00:28:44.740 That's why they tried

00:28:45.320 to ban us

00:28:45.920 from the leaders' debates.

00:28:47.740 However,

00:28:48.160 I find that the decisions

00:28:49.120 are lacking

00:28:49.820 in discernible rationality

00:28:51.220 and logic

00:28:51.760 and thus are neither

00:28:52.820 justified nor intelligible.

00:28:54.300 This is what the judge

00:28:55.040 said when he ordered

00:28:56.300 Trudeau to accredit us.

00:28:58.140 It is not apparent

00:28:59.560 from the decisions

00:29:00.280 or the mandate

00:29:01.060 of the commission

00:29:01.620 why advocacy

00:29:02.800 would disqualify

00:29:03.880 one from accreditation.

00:29:06.280 In this memorandum,

00:29:07.160 the commission offers

00:29:08.000 the following rationale

00:29:08.880 for excluding those

00:29:10.340 who are involved

00:29:10.900 in advocacy.

00:29:11.820 That was the knock

00:29:12.960 against Rebel.

00:29:14.600 So he's quoting,

00:29:15.640 he's quoting

00:29:18.000 the Trudeau's commission.

00:29:19.340 The commission's decisions

00:29:20.380 requiring that only

00:29:21.500 those media organizations

00:29:22.720 that do not actively

00:29:23.940 engage in advocacy

00:29:25.040 receive accreditation

00:29:26.380 is consistent

00:29:27.600 with the commission's mandate

00:29:28.960 under the order

00:29:30.080 to uphold

00:29:30.660 the highest

00:29:31.180 journalistic standards.

00:29:32.580 One of the reasons

00:29:33.220 for the commission's creation

00:29:34.220 was to ameliorate

00:29:35.440 the public's perception

00:29:36.640 of the media

00:29:37.420 and its relationship

00:29:38.480 with the political leaders

00:29:39.460 and to provide

00:29:40.200 an undistorted view

00:29:41.220 of the leaders

00:29:41.720 during the election process

00:29:43.400 to have organizations

00:29:44.640 that represent

00:29:45.580 particular interests

00:29:47.440 or advocacy points

00:29:48.480 at the debates

00:29:49.120 would run contrary

00:29:50.240 to the commission's mandate.

00:29:52.100 So this is

00:29:52.840 the commission

00:29:54.660 arguing against us

00:29:55.780 and then the judge says

00:29:56.740 in my view

00:29:58.620 the record

00:29:58.980 does not support

00:29:59.820 that submission.

00:30:02.060 The applicants

00:30:02.840 for Rebel News

00:30:03.320 have provided evidence

00:30:04.540 that some of the

00:30:05.780 independent media organizations

00:30:07.340 accredited by the commission

00:30:08.520 also appear to engage

00:30:10.160 in advocacy

00:30:10.780 but they were not

00:30:11.980 denied accreditation.

00:30:13.020 As one example

00:30:13.720 the applicants note

00:30:14.840 that the mandate

00:30:15.500 of the Toronto Star

00:30:16.600 which was accredited

00:30:18.380 includes the following

00:30:19.560 and this is the Toronto Star

00:30:21.240 describing themselves.

00:30:23.660 The Toronto Star

00:30:24.260 is a multi-platform

00:30:25.300 news organization

00:30:26.120 that makes things happen.

00:30:27.800 We inform,

00:30:28.760 connect,

00:30:29.420 investigate,

00:30:30.280 report,

00:30:31.120 and effect change.

00:30:33.180 We focus public attention

00:30:35.040 on injustices

00:30:36.020 of all kinds

00:30:37.240 and on reforms

00:30:38.180 designed to correct them.

00:30:39.720 We are the news organization

00:30:40.860 people turn to

00:30:42.400 when they need help

00:30:43.480 when they want to see

00:30:44.800 the scales balanced

00:30:45.840 wrongs righted

00:30:47.220 when they want powerful

00:30:48.440 people held to account.

00:30:49.720 The Star has long been guided

00:30:50.900 by the values of Joseph Atkinson,

00:30:53.160 publisher from 1899 to 1948.

00:30:55.900 Throughout his leadership

00:30:56.720 Atkinson developed

00:30:57.520 strong views

00:30:58.200 on both the role

00:30:59.080 of a large city newspaper

00:31:00.380 and the editorial principles

00:31:02.020 that it should espouse.

00:31:03.260 These values and beliefs

00:31:04.260 now form

00:31:04.980 what are called

00:31:05.620 the Atkinson Principles,

00:31:07.060 the foundation of the Star's

00:31:08.160 ongoing commitment

00:31:08.780 to investigating

00:31:09.560 and advocating

00:31:10.520 for social and economic justice.

00:31:12.300 The principles

00:31:12.660 Atkinson espoused

00:31:13.920 were founded on his belief

00:31:15.220 that a progressive news organization

00:31:16.840 should contribute

00:31:18.040 to the advancement of society

00:31:19.300 through pursuit of social,

00:31:20.660 economic,

00:31:21.060 and political reforms.

00:31:22.420 He was particularly concerned

00:31:23.660 about injustice

00:31:24.520 being social, economic,

00:31:25.860 political, legal, or racial.

00:31:27.480 Emphasis added.

00:31:28.220 So that's the judge

00:31:29.300 quoting

00:31:29.900 from the Toronto Star's

00:31:31.440 self-description.

00:31:33.340 The judge,

00:31:34.100 I won't read too much longer,

00:31:35.400 but this is what I sent

00:31:36.440 to the Globe.

00:31:37.600 There is also evidence

00:31:38.440 in the record

00:31:38.900 that some of the accredited

00:31:40.080 news organizations

00:31:40.960 have previously endorsed

00:31:42.220 specific candidates

00:31:43.220 and parties

00:31:43.900 in general elections.

00:31:45.220 The commission responds

00:31:46.080 that in those cases

00:31:47.240 the advocacy was

00:31:48.020 in editorials

00:31:48.720 or produced by columnists

00:31:50.300 as begs the question

00:31:51.120 as to where one draws the line

00:31:52.460 as to what is

00:31:53.580 and is not advocacy

00:31:54.980 that disqualifies

00:31:56.180 an applicant

00:31:56.620 from accreditation.

00:31:58.100 This goes to the lack

00:31:59.220 of rationality

00:32:00.340 and logic

00:32:01.380 in the no advocacy requirement.

00:32:04.840 This also goes

00:32:05.500 to the lack of transparency.

00:32:07.600 Absent any explanation

00:32:08.660 as to the meaning

00:32:09.380 to be given

00:32:09.740 to the term advocacy

00:32:10.500 and given that the commission

00:32:12.020 accredited some organizations

00:32:13.520 that have engaged

00:32:14.480 in advocacy,

00:32:15.560 I am at a loss

00:32:16.100 to understand

00:32:16.560 why the commission

00:32:17.120 reached the decisions

00:32:18.040 it did with respect

00:32:19.360 to the news.

00:32:22.060 Accordingly,

00:32:22.600 I find that the applicants

00:32:23.440 are likely to succeed

00:32:24.500 on the merits

00:32:24.980 in setting aside

00:32:25.780 the decisions

00:32:26.720 as unreasonable.

00:32:28.080 Sorry to quote so long,

00:32:30.060 but I thought

00:32:30.720 that was pretty dispositive

00:32:32.880 of are we not journalists?

00:32:37.200 That's why I wrote

00:32:38.080 to Shannon Proudfoot.

00:32:39.140 I said,

00:32:39.960 I defy you to come up

00:32:41.220 with a rule

00:32:43.180 or a list of credentials

00:32:44.900 that the Toronto Star

00:32:45.880 and the CBC have

00:32:46.780 that we don't.

00:32:47.700 Judge couldn't find one.

00:32:49.660 And then I closed

00:32:50.620 on my last note

00:32:51.280 to the Globe

00:32:52.740 by saying,

00:32:53.440 the judge in our 2021

00:32:54.840 court victory

00:32:55.780 over the debates commission

00:32:56.760 literally laughed out loud

00:32:58.160 when Trudeau's lawyers

00:32:59.640 claimed the CBC

00:33:01.060 was unbiased.

00:33:02.680 You can't say

00:33:03.980 that Sheree Paradkar

00:33:05.440 or Vicky Mochama

00:33:06.640 are journalists,

00:33:07.680 but we're not,

00:33:08.780 unless you're sorting

00:33:09.760 for wokeness.

00:33:12.140 Signed,

00:33:13.200 Ezra.

00:33:14.720 So that's my back and forth.

00:33:16.200 Look,

00:33:16.340 do you really think

00:33:17.000 I'm going to convince

00:33:17.740 these people?

00:33:18.400 Of course not.

00:33:19.620 But I felt like

00:33:20.960 telling them

00:33:21.380 my point of view.

00:33:22.720 When Shannon Proudfoot

00:33:23.800 says that David Menzies

00:33:24.860 is not a real journalist,

00:33:25.760 do you really think

00:33:27.080 she follows his work?

00:33:29.280 I mean,

00:33:29.880 he's probably done

00:33:31.340 2,000 videos

00:33:33.000 since joining Rebel News,

00:33:34.480 or let's say

00:33:34.900 at least 1,000,

00:33:35.820 probably more.

00:33:37.560 Do you think

00:33:37.900 she's even watched

00:33:38.620 five of them?

00:33:40.000 When she says

00:33:40.580 he's not a journalist,

00:33:41.860 do you think

00:33:42.260 she even knows

00:33:42.980 what he covers?

00:33:43.940 In fact,

00:33:44.280 in some measurements,

00:33:45.380 he's the most

00:33:45.900 journalistic-y

00:33:46.840 journalist we have,

00:33:47.940 and the reason I say that

00:33:48.800 is because he's out

00:33:50.440 on the streets.

00:33:51.120 He's where the news is.

00:33:53.320 And, I mean,

00:33:53.780 what I do,

00:33:54.400 I mean,

00:33:54.800 I chew things over

00:33:55.740 as a pun,

00:33:56.160 and sometimes I'm on

00:33:56.940 in the streets, too.

00:33:58.020 In fact,

00:33:58.240 I'm off to the

00:33:58.740 World Economic Forum

00:33:59.700 tonight in Switzerland.

00:34:02.240 I'm going to join up

00:34:03.220 with Avi Amini

00:34:03.820 and others on our team

00:34:04.860 there.

00:34:05.580 But my point is

00:34:06.760 David does more

00:34:08.580 real news

00:34:09.120 than actually anyone

00:34:09.920 else in our company.

00:34:11.880 And for the Globe

00:34:12.960 and Mail to look

00:34:13.680 down their nose

00:34:14.180 and say,

00:34:14.520 he's not a journalist,

00:34:15.400 and their editorial

00:34:16.120 that I started off with,

00:34:18.460 twice they just say

00:34:19.400 he's not a journalist,

00:34:20.600 but they actually

00:34:21.440 describe pretty accurately

00:34:22.600 what he did.

00:34:23.640 They use some adjectives

00:34:25.220 around it.

00:34:25.680 He thrust a microphone

00:34:27.580 to her.

00:34:28.100 Yeah, I guess so.

00:34:29.340 But he didn't touch her

00:34:30.300 and he didn't threaten her

00:34:31.060 and she certainly

00:34:31.540 didn't look threatened.

00:34:32.620 And he blurted out

00:34:33.760 a question.

00:34:34.280 Yeah, I guess you could

00:34:35.140 call it blurting.

00:34:37.620 Sure.

00:34:38.300 I mean,

00:34:38.620 fair enough.

00:34:39.740 And, you know,

00:34:42.560 he had a rude tone.

00:34:43.860 Okay, let's grant that.

00:34:45.860 I mean,

00:34:46.660 but how is any of that

00:34:49.540 disqualifying that David

00:34:51.180 was a qualified journalist?

00:34:53.440 Anyways, I mean,

00:34:54.100 I don't have to worry

00:34:55.000 too much about it

00:34:55.780 because we have millions

00:34:58.420 and over the course of time

00:35:00.320 we've had actually

00:35:01.140 two billion viewers

00:35:02.480 of our work.

00:35:03.900 It just sort of makes me chuckle

00:35:05.820 that the elite,

00:35:06.940 the inner guard,

00:35:07.660 the palace guard,

00:35:09.240 the, you know,

00:35:11.000 the elite high and mighty club,

00:35:12.940 the guild,

00:35:13.960 they know that we did things right

00:35:16.840 and the government

00:35:17.380 did things wrong,

00:35:18.160 but they just can't bring

00:35:19.380 themselves to admit it.

00:35:20.980 It tells me something.

00:35:22.220 It tells me that, um,

00:35:24.100 that they're snobs

00:35:24.800 and that they don't want

00:35:27.500 our competition,

00:35:29.680 but all I can think about is

00:35:32.140 why were those

00:35:34.100 media party journalists

00:35:35.160 not asking this same question

00:35:37.000 of Christy Freeland?

00:35:40.700 If they're such good journalists,

00:35:42.600 why weren't they there

00:35:43.860 asking the questions we were?

00:35:46.540 Stay with us for more.

00:35:47.580 Is Canada broken?

00:36:00.840 It's a great question

00:36:01.820 and it depends who you are

00:36:03.260 and how you measure.

00:36:04.780 I mean, Canada is much more

00:36:06.060 than a political system.

00:36:07.200 Canada are the people

00:36:08.500 or the places

00:36:09.360 and your life might be

00:36:11.680 insulated from a lot

00:36:13.600 of political decisions

00:36:14.460 if, for example,

00:36:15.380 you own your home outright

00:36:16.820 and you're not subject

00:36:17.780 to interest rates

00:36:19.040 on your mortgage or rent,

00:36:20.540 if your grocery bill

00:36:22.480 is modest

00:36:23.180 and you're not worried

00:36:24.180 by the inflation,

00:36:25.020 if you live in an area

00:36:26.400 without crime,

00:36:28.340 if your access to schools

00:36:30.060 and hospitals

00:36:30.680 is not overcrowded,

00:36:32.000 but if you're unlucky

00:36:33.220 in those regards

00:36:34.220 or others,

00:36:35.380 if you live in a misery spiral

00:36:38.300 as so many Canadians,

00:36:39.960 especially in our big cities,

00:36:41.040 do,

00:36:41.780 if you think that maybe

00:36:42.860 it's impossible

00:36:43.640 to buy a home

00:36:44.940 and the math suggests

00:36:46.300 it's very hard

00:36:47.100 unless you have help

00:36:48.220 from your parents,

00:36:49.660 then maybe Canada

00:36:50.700 is broken.

00:36:52.080 It certainly feels

00:36:53.080 like it's a different place

00:36:54.140 than I grew up in

00:36:55.180 and so Danielle Smith,

00:36:57.900 the Premier of Alberta,

00:36:59.180 has published

00:36:59.820 a four-minute video,

00:37:01.900 almost in the style

00:37:02.760 that Pierre Paulyev

00:37:03.660 is doing these days,

00:37:05.040 asking that terrible question,

00:37:07.880 is Canada broken?

00:37:10.820 I want to show you

00:37:12.220 a couple of minutes of it

00:37:13.100 and then we'll come back

00:37:13.760 and we'll talk about it

00:37:14.680 with our favourite Albertan,

00:37:16.260 Lorne Gunter.

00:37:16.920 Here, take a look

00:37:17.580 at Premier Smith from Alberta.

00:37:19.560 Is Canada broken?

00:37:21.020 There seems to be

00:37:21.880 a little bit of that talk online

00:37:23.600 and when you look

00:37:24.300 at the out-of-control policies

00:37:25.700 coming out of Ottawa right now,

00:37:27.680 it's not hard to see

00:37:28.540 why some might feel that way.

00:37:30.260 As you know,

00:37:31.080 Alberta is a province

00:37:32.180 of innovators

00:37:32.980 and entrepreneurs.

00:37:33.960 It's something we're known for

00:37:35.040 and we see that innovation

00:37:36.860 and entrepreneurship

00:37:37.800 all throughout our province

00:37:39.180 and economy from agriculture

00:37:40.480 to energy

00:37:41.320 to manufacturing

00:37:42.240 and technology.

00:37:43.540 We are problem solvers

00:37:44.820 but it's one thing

00:37:45.960 to solve problems

00:37:46.760 as they come up organically,

00:37:48.640 it's another thing

00:37:49.440 when our federal government

00:37:50.380 is creating problems

00:37:51.660 and refusing to focus

00:37:52.780 on solutions.

00:37:54.020 Let's talk about

00:37:54.560 some of these.

00:37:55.660 Electricity regulations

00:37:56.740 that will erode

00:37:57.620 Canada's power grids

00:37:58.760 and put many Canadians

00:37:59.760 in the dark

00:38:00.360 with utility bills

00:38:01.440 they simply cannot afford.

00:38:03.400 Carbon tax exemptions

00:38:04.660 for one part of the country

00:38:05.960 while the rest of the country

00:38:07.000 keeps on paying.

00:38:07.980 Unachievable emissions

00:38:09.440 reductions targets

00:38:10.420 that will simply put

00:38:11.480 chase tens of thousands

00:38:12.700 of good jobs

00:38:13.500 and billions in investment

00:38:14.780 out of the country

00:38:15.540 and out of Alberta.

00:38:16.740 What's even more bizarre,

00:38:18.320 Ottawa wants to ban

00:38:19.280 gasoline vehicles in Canada

00:38:21.160 in favour of electric vehicles

00:38:22.800 even though the current infrastructure

00:38:24.460 cannot support this change.

00:38:26.140 And I'm not done yet.

00:38:27.300 Just days ago

00:38:28.200 the federal Liberals

00:38:29.040 launched their latest

00:38:29.980 so-called great idea

00:38:31.200 a national plastics registry program

00:38:34.300 so we can register

00:38:35.780 plastic products.

00:38:37.080 A plan that seems to continue

00:38:38.740 their attack

00:38:39.420 against this industry.

00:38:41.060 Quite simply

00:38:41.620 this is nonsensical.

00:38:43.400 We rely on plastics

00:38:44.460 and the products we use

00:38:45.520 every day

00:38:46.080 from clothing

00:38:46.800 to sporting equipment

00:38:48.080 to vehicle parts

00:38:49.020 cell phones

00:38:49.600 and medical equipment.

00:38:51.240 Why does Ottawa

00:38:51.820 think these products are bad?

00:38:54.000 All of these policies

00:38:55.040 and more

00:38:55.660 are designed to hurt

00:38:56.620 everyday Canadians

00:38:57.580 and make life

00:38:58.420 more expensive

00:38:59.140 and more difficult.

00:39:00.700 We have always been

00:39:01.800 a country

00:39:02.280 and a province

00:39:03.040 that offers opportunity

00:39:04.400 and a good quality

00:39:05.660 of life

00:39:06.040 for those willing

00:39:06.620 to put in the effort.

00:39:07.740 That dream

00:39:08.360 is now gravely in jeopardy

00:39:10.280 because of Prime Minister

00:39:11.300 Justin Trudeau

00:39:12.200 and his Environment Minister

00:39:13.620 Stephen Gibault.

00:39:15.180 At a time when

00:39:15.880 Albertans and Canadians

00:39:16.860 are still struggling

00:39:17.800 with an affordability crisis

00:39:19.180 they are pursuing policies

00:39:20.800 that will increase costs

00:39:22.180 and put paychecks at risk.

00:39:24.180 At the beginning of 2024

00:39:25.380 when we should be

00:39:26.540 looking forward

00:39:27.260 with optimism

00:39:28.180 we're talking about

00:39:29.460 imploding our economy

00:39:30.480 banning cars

00:39:31.340 registering plastics

00:39:32.400 and paying into

00:39:33.540 the carbon tax instead.

00:39:35.300 Well, not all of us.

00:39:37.020 Alberta is fighting back

00:39:37.980 and we need to fight back

00:39:39.980 all because of

00:39:40.940 the dangerous ideas

00:39:42.020 of Minister Stephen Gibault.

00:39:44.080 It doesn't matter

00:39:44.740 that he's been told

00:39:45.640 twice by the Supreme Court

00:39:47.260 and the Federal Court

00:39:48.020 that his ideas

00:39:48.820 are unconstitutional.

00:39:50.520 The rule of law

00:39:51.200 doesn't seem to

00:39:51.900 slow things down.

00:39:53.120 But all of this

00:39:53.960 could stop right now.

00:39:55.320 We could move away

00:39:56.020 from dangerous

00:39:56.800 ideological policies

00:39:58.080 and instead focus

00:39:59.160 on rational solutions

00:40:00.400 for the future.

00:40:01.340 This includes solutions

00:40:02.440 that will help us

00:40:03.100 achieve a realistic goal

00:40:04.320 of reaching carbon neutrality

00:40:05.660 by 2050

00:40:06.480 and Alberta's committed

00:40:07.700 to that goal.

00:40:08.660 We have billions of dollars

00:40:09.780 of private investment

00:40:11.000 in new technologies

00:40:11.920 that are geared

00:40:12.540 toward eliminating emissions

00:40:13.820 and creating a better future

00:40:15.300 that includes large investment

00:40:17.100 in Alberta over a decade.

00:40:18.960 Dow's Path to Zero project

00:40:20.380 the world's first net zero

00:40:21.480 plastics manufacturing facility

00:40:23.120 and another Alberta first

00:40:24.780 a new net zero hydrogen plant

00:40:26.560 by Air Products.

00:40:27.940 We have and will continue

00:40:28.980 to invest billions

00:40:30.000 into carbon capture

00:40:31.000 projects and programs.

00:40:32.920 The truth is Ottawa

00:40:34.000 likes to tell all of us

00:40:35.540 what to do

00:40:36.020 when it comes to

00:40:36.620 emissions reduction

00:40:37.380 and Minister Gibbo

00:40:38.760 has even gone to China

00:40:40.300 to do the same

00:40:41.120 but it's hypocritical.

00:40:42.840 The truth is Alberta

00:40:43.840 has met emissions reduction targets

00:40:45.560 while the federal government

00:40:46.440 has yet to meet

00:40:47.100 a single one of theirs.

00:40:48.640 The truth is

00:40:49.380 we don't need to destroy

00:40:50.720 our economy

00:40:51.360 to achieve a better future.

00:40:52.920 Alberta continues

00:40:53.640 to prove that

00:40:54.420 and we don't need

00:40:55.680 to work against each other.

00:40:56.920 but as long as

00:40:58.220 Ottawa brings in 0.85

00:40:59.240 policies and legislation

00:41:00.380 that hurts Alberta 0.98

00:41:01.340 and hurts Canadians 0.54

00:41:02.440 our government

00:41:03.500 will continue to stand up

00:41:04.760 and will continue

00:41:05.660 to fight back.

00:41:07.080 Alberta and Ottawa

00:41:07.960 can have a positive

00:41:08.920 and collaborative relationship

00:41:10.440 but not with this

00:41:12.140 environment minister

00:41:12.960 and not with these

00:41:14.200 dangerous policies.

00:41:16.080 Albertans can rest assured

00:41:17.020 we will keep on

00:41:17.760 defending the rule of law

00:41:18.840 the constitution

00:41:19.660 the needs of our province

00:41:21.120 and what's best for you

00:41:22.520 whenever necessary

00:41:23.660 and we will keep on

00:41:25.000 pressing forward

00:41:25.720 in 2024.

00:41:27.060 Well there you have it.

00:41:28.500 You know I was only going to

00:41:29.460 show a couple of minutes

00:41:30.600 of that but I wanted

00:41:31.740 to keep watching.

00:41:32.540 I thought it flowed

00:41:33.320 fairly well.

00:41:34.660 Joining us now

00:41:35.380 from Edmonton

00:41:36.320 our friend Lauren Hunter

00:41:37.700 Senior Columnist

00:41:38.480 at the Edmonton Sun.

00:41:39.600 Lauren what do you think

00:41:40.200 of that video?

00:41:41.120 It's I like this style

00:41:42.500 of politicians doing

00:41:43.520 slightly longer

00:41:44.740 explications.

00:41:46.680 Polly has done

00:41:47.240 some great ones.

00:41:47.960 What do you think

00:41:48.460 of this one

00:41:48.960 by Premier Danielle Smith?

00:41:51.140 Well I think

00:41:51.860 this is where

00:41:52.800 news is going

00:41:54.480 basically

00:41:55.180 is to

00:41:57.500 podcast

00:41:59.600 like

00:42:00.220 presentations.

00:42:02.080 I think this one's good.

00:42:04.540 Purely from

00:42:05.180 a production standpoint

00:42:06.260 I'm not quite sure

00:42:07.200 why she needed to keep

00:42:08.020 walking around

00:42:08.780 the entire time.

00:42:09.640 I look a little

00:42:10.020 fingety to me

00:42:10.880 but the tone is good.

00:42:14.400 The messaging is solid.

00:42:16.260 She goes into

00:42:16.880 some details

00:42:17.680 which you can do

00:42:18.860 in four minutes

00:42:19.600 and you can't do

00:42:20.440 in a 15 or 30 second

00:42:22.340 soundbite.

00:42:23.460 I think it

00:42:24.360 plays on people's

00:42:26.660 intelligence.

00:42:27.380 It doesn't

00:42:27.680 talk down

00:42:29.420 to ordinary individuals.

00:42:30.780 It says

00:42:31.100 look you're smart

00:42:31.820 enough to understand

00:42:32.560 this.

00:42:32.860 Here's what we're

00:42:33.700 going to do

00:42:34.100 and here's why

00:42:34.680 we think it's

00:42:35.280 important.

00:42:36.800 So I do think

00:42:37.600 that this one

00:42:38.260 and the Polly 0.82

00:42:38.880 have ones

00:42:39.340 are very good

00:42:40.500 because people

00:42:42.260 have an attention

00:42:43.280 span

00:42:43.740 online video

00:42:45.800 for about four minutes

00:42:46.800 and I think

00:42:47.220 that's right.

00:42:47.680 I think she's

00:42:48.800 done a good job

00:42:49.440 there.

00:42:50.220 Yeah you're right.

00:42:50.760 I mean video

00:42:51.660 is our main

00:42:52.640 business here

00:42:53.340 at Rebel News

00:42:54.020 and three and a half

00:42:55.860 four minutes

00:42:56.460 that seems to be

00:42:57.300 the sweet spot.

00:42:58.000 I mean listen

00:42:58.340 I believe you

00:43:00.260 can tell a story

00:43:01.060 for as long

00:43:02.060 as you remain

00:43:02.920 interesting.

00:43:04.060 So you could go

00:43:05.140 to ten minutes

00:43:05.860 but I think

00:43:06.320 she had the right

00:43:07.520 length.

00:43:08.040 It's interesting

00:43:08.520 she called it

00:43:09.580 Is Canada Broken

00:43:10.560 and of course

00:43:11.940 from Alberta's

00:43:12.960 point of view

00:43:13.500 focusing on

00:43:15.900 Stephen Gilboa's

00:43:16.780 ideological plans

00:43:17.880 for the province

00:43:18.360 was the right thing.

00:43:19.180 She didn't talk

00:43:19.840 about other things

00:43:20.760 that make Canada

00:43:21.920 feel broken

00:43:22.740 for ordinary folks

00:43:24.320 which might include

00:43:25.140 the cost of housing

00:43:26.260 or inflation

00:43:27.140 on groceries.

00:43:28.220 I guess she alluded

00:43:28.960 to some of that

00:43:29.960 with the carbon tax

00:43:30.840 but it really was

00:43:31.900 a focus on

00:43:32.980 what I would call

00:43:34.180 Ottawa's war

00:43:35.580 on Alberta

00:43:36.680 and I found

00:43:37.920 go ahead.

00:43:39.160 No and you

00:43:40.140 need to

00:43:41.180 if you're going

00:43:41.560 to include

00:43:42.640 carbon tax

00:43:43.460 in the cost

00:43:44.340 of living

00:43:44.700 you need

00:43:45.100 to say

00:43:45.680 that.

00:43:46.220 You need

00:43:46.580 to say

00:43:46.920 specifically

00:43:47.600 that the

00:43:48.440 carbon tax

00:43:49.180 adds to

00:43:49.920 the cost

00:43:50.460 of every

00:43:51.200 item

00:43:51.840 in the grocery

00:43:52.720 store

00:43:53.040 because they

00:43:53.500 all have

00:43:54.020 to be

00:43:54.280 trucked there

00:43:54.900 in one

00:43:55.700 form or another

00:43:56.560 and as a

00:43:57.300 result of that

00:43:58.040 the carbon tax

00:43:58.920 makes your

00:43:59.740 family dinner

00:44:00.760 more expensive.

00:44:02.100 You can't

00:44:03.220 just count on

00:44:03.800 people to draw

00:44:04.560 that connection

00:44:05.320 themselves

00:44:06.240 but I think

00:44:07.260 by and large

00:44:08.480 given that it's

00:44:09.280 a four minute

00:44:09.820 format

00:44:10.440 aside from

00:44:12.440 the

00:44:13.200 frenetic

00:44:15.060 nature of

00:44:15.900 this walking

00:44:16.520 around by

00:44:17.200 the legislature

00:44:17.860 I liked it

00:44:20.660 I thought

00:44:20.960 it was very

00:44:21.700 effective.

00:44:23.080 You know

00:44:23.260 I think

00:44:23.960 the thing

00:44:24.620 that stood

00:44:25.020 out for me

00:44:25.580 the most

00:44:26.160 was the focus

00:44:27.240 on one

00:44:27.940 person

00:44:28.400 not Trudeau

00:44:29.360 not a

00:44:31.680 cabinet minister

00:44:32.620 in Alberta

00:44:33.480 but Stephen

00:44:34.940 Gilbeau

00:44:35.360 and I've had

00:44:35.980 a contretemps

00:44:37.080 with Stephen

00:44:37.840 Gilbeau as well

00:44:38.480 he hates

00:44:38.940 Rebel News

00:44:39.660 he's blocked

00:44:40.820 us on Twitter

00:44:41.460 we have to

00:44:41.840 go to court

00:44:42.460 against him

00:44:43.060 I mean

00:44:43.560 I find him

00:44:44.140 so irritating

00:44:45.480 because he

00:44:45.940 is I think

00:44:47.160 as Danielle

00:44:48.500 Smith describes

00:44:49.400 him he's an 0.78

00:44:49.960 ideologue

00:44:50.660 and his idea

00:44:53.380 like a

00:44:54.080 plastics registry

00:44:55.440 that is so

00:44:56.340 well and you

00:44:57.960 know for a man

00:44:58.720 who's been told

00:44:59.360 twice in the

00:45:00.000 last six

00:45:00.580 months by

00:45:01.400 senior federal

00:45:02.380 courts that

00:45:03.240 his environmental

00:45:04.300 actions are

00:45:05.060 unconstitutional

00:45:05.940 a plastics

00:45:06.940 registry would

00:45:08.160 be unconstitutional

00:45:09.460 that's in

00:45:10.180 provincial realm

00:45:11.400 completely

00:45:12.080 so the idea

00:45:13.520 is he's

00:45:14.900 he's smug

00:45:15.680 he's arrogant

00:45:17.220 he is a

00:45:18.720 zealot 0.99

00:45:19.180 and he has

00:45:20.600 no belief

00:45:21.980 in federalism

00:45:24.140 he has no

00:45:24.780 belief in the

00:45:25.420 constitution

00:45:25.900 he doesn't like

00:45:27.260 the way this

00:45:27.760 country is

00:45:28.240 found and he

00:45:28.740 thinks that if

00:45:29.360 you are a

00:45:29.880 morally superior

00:45:30.720 individual such

00:45:31.620 as himself

00:45:32.160 and you are in

00:45:33.200 the federal

00:45:33.540 government you

00:45:33.940 should be able

00:45:34.320 to tell

00:45:34.680 everyone everywhere

00:45:35.560 in the country

00:45:36.120 how to run

00:45:36.740 their line

00:45:37.180 and so he

00:45:39.260 is a good

00:45:39.800 person to pick

00:45:40.680 out

00:45:40.860 he's also

00:45:41.620 very well

00:45:42.160 he's probably

00:45:42.640 better known

00:45:43.760 in Alberta

00:45:44.380 than he is

00:45:45.600 everywhere else

00:45:46.340 but Quebec

00:45:46.900 because he has

00:45:48.440 done so many

00:45:49.420 things to

00:45:50.440 Alberta

00:45:50.860 not for Alberta

00:45:51.920 not with Alberta

00:45:52.960 the Sistols

00:45:53.540 but to Alberta

00:45:54.580 that we know

00:45:55.680 who Stephen Guibault

00:45:56.540 is out here

00:45:57.480 he's the new

00:45:58.600 Marc Lalonde

00:45:59.780 Justin's daddy

00:46:02.140 had Marc Lalonde

00:46:03.440 who was in charge

00:46:05.140 of the national

00:46:05.780 energy program

00:46:06.740 and Stephen Guibault

00:46:08.320 is Justin Trudeau's

00:46:10.320 Marc Lalonde

00:46:11.140 yeah

00:46:11.400 a dumber

00:46:12.120 Marc Lalonde

00:46:12.720 I remember

00:46:13.200 Marc Lalonde

00:46:13.780 when I was a kid

00:46:14.420 he was the

00:46:15.260 energy minister

00:46:16.000 who basically

00:46:17.260 gave the game

00:46:18.240 away

00:46:18.420 he said

00:46:18.780 the point

00:46:19.100 of the national

00:46:19.520 energy program

00:46:20.060 is to stop

00:46:20.800 the economic

00:46:21.920 center of gravity

00:46:22.700 in Canada

00:46:23.800 from moving

00:46:24.580 from the east

00:46:25.120 to the west

00:46:25.580 and Stephen Guibault

00:46:27.780 lacks Marc Lalonde's

00:46:29.480 brains

00:46:29.980 but he shares

00:46:30.920 Marc Lalonde's

00:46:31.640 despised for the west

00:46:32.720 we know him

00:46:34.220 because we like

00:46:34.760 to remind people

00:46:36.000 that he's a convicted

00:46:36.640 criminal

00:46:37.040 that when he was

00:46:38.260 a Greenpeace

00:46:38.780 extremist

00:46:39.340 he broke into

00:46:40.340 the CN Tower

00:46:41.380 in Toronto

00:46:41.940 and rappelled down

00:46:43.200 and it cost

00:46:44.040 tens of thousands

00:46:44.820 of dollars

00:46:45.180 he had to shut

00:46:45.740 everything down

00:46:46.500 and he laughed

00:46:48.380 at the judge

00:46:49.120 he laughed

00:46:50.060 oh I'm very

00:46:51.000 contrite your honor

00:46:51.740 so he was given

00:46:52.360 no prison

00:46:52.820 and then outside

00:46:53.620 the court

00:46:54.000 he laughed

00:46:54.560 about it

00:46:55.060 so he rules

00:46:56.360 mean nothing

00:46:56.780 to him

00:46:57.060 the law

00:46:57.340 means something

00:46:57.760 he also climbed

00:46:58.840 on the roof

00:46:59.540 of Ralph

00:47:00.520 Fiennes

00:47:01.180 while his

00:47:02.580 Mrs. Klein

00:47:04.180 was inside

00:47:04.700 terrified

00:47:05.280 it was a home invasion

00:47:06.440 that's right

00:47:07.400 he put

00:47:07.780 he put

00:47:08.440 fake

00:47:09.000 solar panels

00:47:10.020 on the roof

00:47:10.800 of Klein's

00:47:11.660 private home

00:47:12.700 not

00:47:13.960 the premier's office

00:47:15.440 not some public building

00:47:16.940 he went to Klein's

00:47:17.940 private home

00:47:18.540 climbed on the roof

00:47:19.380 frightened

00:47:20.540 the bejeebers 1.00

00:47:21.900 out of Mrs. Klein

00:47:22.940 and

00:47:23.740 was

00:47:25.520 similarly

00:47:26.160 not contrite

00:47:27.620 for what he had

00:47:28.780 imagine putting

00:47:29.540 a man of such

00:47:30.620 extremism

00:47:31.620 in your cabinet

00:47:32.520 I only imagine

00:47:33.420 what the RCMP

00:47:34.280 background checks

00:47:35.760 and securities

00:47:36.420 found about him

00:47:37.020 that we don't even

00:47:37.520 know about

00:47:38.300 imagine going

00:47:39.380 on to someone

00:47:40.000 and the premier

00:47:41.240 was not home

00:47:41.880 the premier was

00:47:42.440 in Edmonton

00:47:42.860 or whatever

00:47:43.220 Ralph Klein

00:47:43.720 I'm talking about

00:47:44.460 and Gilbo goes

00:47:45.900 and imagine

00:47:47.540 how scared

00:47:48.340 the Mrs. would have 0.99

00:47:49.280 been

00:47:49.540 that this maniac

00:47:51.680 is on the roof

00:47:53.840 of the house

00:47:54.880 I'm glad you

00:47:55.680 reminded me of that

00:47:56.700 I think he's

00:47:59.360 detestable

00:48:00.120 it reminds me of

00:48:01.500 Bill

00:48:02.060 sorry

00:48:02.440 of Saul Alinsky's

00:48:03.500 book

00:48:03.740 Rules for Radicals 1.00

00:48:05.680 if all our viewers

00:48:06.640 have heard of that

00:48:07.060 I should do a book

00:48:07.620 review on that

00:48:08.280 Saul Alinsky

00:48:09.600 was a communist

00:48:10.640 street organizer

00:48:12.640 in the US

00:48:13.880 and he started

00:48:15.760 community organizing

00:48:17.080 that was his thing

00:48:17.820 he was sort of a mentor

00:48:18.820 to Hillary Clinton

00:48:20.080 that's where Barack Obama

00:48:21.500 came up

00:48:22.400 and he had these

00:48:23.360 he called them

00:48:24.200 Rules for Radicals 1.00

00:48:25.240 and he said

00:48:25.920 it's one thing

00:48:26.700 to be chanting outside

00:48:28.580 but do you actually

00:48:29.340 want to change the world

00:48:30.440 here's how

00:48:31.440 and it's actually

00:48:32.480 been an extremely

00:48:33.280 successful battle plan

00:48:35.340 for Antifa

00:48:36.140 and the likes of them

00:48:36.960 one of the rules

00:48:38.360 for Radicals

00:48:39.080 that I know

00:48:39.540 and I'm paraphrasing

00:48:40.540 because I don't know

00:48:41.000 the exact wording

00:48:41.560 in front of me

00:48:42.100 is personalize

00:48:43.980 the story

00:48:45.420 around a particular person

00:48:46.820 what I mean by that

00:48:47.900 is instead of saying

00:48:48.720 the liberals

00:48:49.520 or even Trudeau

00:48:50.920 which is a generic word

00:48:52.160 Stephen Gilbo

00:48:53.440 Stephen Gilbo

00:48:54.160 because he's so detestable

00:48:55.640 he's so irritating

00:48:57.200 he even looks

00:48:58.480 like he needs a bath

00:48:59.680 and a haircut

00:49:00.180 and I shouldn't talk

00:49:01.900 because I look rough

00:49:02.840 sometimes too

00:49:03.940 but he just looks

00:49:05.380 so odious

00:49:06.860 and I think

00:49:07.980 that was the smart

00:49:08.920 because I think

00:49:09.600 Albertans

00:49:10.180 to personalize it

00:49:11.780 on that ideological maniac

00:49:13.960 I think that's

00:49:14.840 what makes it effective

00:49:15.720 I don't know

00:49:16.160 how's this video

00:49:17.160 being received

00:49:17.800 has it had a lot of views

00:49:19.160 it hasn't had much

00:49:20.500 view

00:49:21.540 it hasn't had many views yet

00:49:23.040 I think it will

00:49:23.900 it will get more views

00:49:25.140 I think

00:49:25.480 it's one of those ones

00:49:26.840 like the

00:49:27.420 the four minute one

00:49:28.680 that

00:49:28.980 that

00:49:29.620 that Polyev did

00:49:32.520 on housing affordability

00:49:34.040 it'll take a while

00:49:35.140 but it will then

00:49:35.940 start to take off

00:49:37.140 as people start

00:49:39.500 to send a link

00:49:40.240 around to their friends

00:49:41.220 and they start to post

00:49:42.060 on social media

00:49:42.860 and things

00:49:43.160 but the thing

00:49:43.960 I like about it

00:49:44.760 the most

00:49:45.320 is I have thought

00:49:47.220 for the last few months

00:49:48.460 that the Smith government

00:49:50.360 was fighting the feds

00:49:52.220 on too many fronts

00:49:53.180 they were starting

00:49:53.800 too many fires

00:49:54.900 in different places

00:49:55.980 over related

00:49:57.840 but not identical topics

00:50:00.080 and this brings

00:50:01.160 all of their fights

00:50:02.560 together into one place

00:50:03.900 to explain why it is

00:50:05.420 that in a general sense

00:50:07.540 Alberta feels

00:50:08.980 set upon

00:50:09.940 right

00:50:10.260 attacked

00:50:11.260 singled out

00:50:12.620 by the federal government

00:50:14.140 and I think in that respect

00:50:15.420 it's not only going to be

00:50:16.860 effective with Albertans

00:50:18.040 it might actually get

00:50:19.640 some play

00:50:20.440 outside the province

00:50:21.800 and help people

00:50:22.580 in other provinces

00:50:23.580 understand what it is

00:50:24.940 that the federal government

00:50:25.820 is doing

00:50:26.660 to Alberta

00:50:27.620 every minute

00:50:28.580 of every day

00:50:29.560 with every policy

00:50:30.820 they can think of

00:50:31.600 you know

00:50:32.900 I think

00:50:33.680 that the next verse

00:50:35.180 I assume

00:50:35.780 there will be more like these

00:50:37.100 like Pierre Polyev

00:50:38.140 has done more

00:50:38.660 I assume the next one

00:50:40.020 the production

00:50:40.940 will be a little different

00:50:41.900 yeah

00:50:42.260 now that you

00:50:43.160 mentioned it

00:50:44.320 like the jump cuts

00:50:45.200 like suddenly

00:50:45.740 you have a closer shot

00:50:47.040 of her

00:50:47.360 and like there were

00:50:48.140 some distractions

00:50:48.840 I imagine that if she does

00:50:50.780 one of these

00:50:51.260 let's say a month

00:50:51.980 the production value

00:50:53.980 will be smoothed out

00:50:55.060 and

00:50:56.040 and she'll

00:50:57.180 you know

00:50:57.780 we know from the video

00:50:58.740 business

00:50:59.020 they're not all going to be

00:50:59.920 viral hits

00:51:00.580 but if

00:51:01.500 if your timing is right

00:51:02.780 and if you strike

00:51:03.440 the right chord

00:51:04.040 people

00:51:05.000 things go

00:51:05.700 organically viral

00:51:07.060 what I like about it

00:51:08.620 is that she comes across

00:51:10.460 as likable

00:51:11.160 and I remember the turning point

00:51:12.520 in the Alberta election

00:51:13.160 you correct me

00:51:13.700 if you think I'm wrong

00:51:14.340 on this Lauren

00:51:14.780 one of the turning points

00:51:16.100 in the Alberta election

00:51:16.900 where she beat Rachel Notley 0.90

00:51:18.060 is the debates

00:51:19.380 where Danielle Smith

00:51:20.620 came across as nicer

00:51:22.180 and normal-er

00:51:24.100 than she had been

00:51:25.520 portrayed in the media

00:51:26.400 and

00:51:26.840 Rachel Notley

00:51:28.340 who normally comes across

00:51:29.380 quite sweetly

00:51:30.360 came across as harsh

00:51:31.900 and extreme

00:51:32.660 and I think Danielle Smith

00:51:34.340 going direct to the people

00:51:35.820 in a four minute bite

00:51:36.880 firm but friendly

00:51:39.760 I think that will

00:51:41.200 solidify how she feels

00:51:43.980 especially since there's

00:51:45.660 so many media

00:51:46.100 that are harsh

00:51:46.580 what do you think

00:51:47.220 of those things

00:51:47.800 well I mean

00:51:49.120 I think the debate

00:51:49.800 was a big turning point

00:51:50.860 in the election

00:51:51.440 I think the other

00:51:52.140 big turning point

00:51:52.940 I think there were two

00:51:53.500 the debate

00:51:54.280 and the NDP's promise

00:51:56.800 to jack up corporate taxes

00:51:58.880 about 40%

00:52:00.060 in their first year

00:52:01.300 I think that was

00:52:02.080 those were the two big ones

00:52:03.900 and I think

00:52:05.000 this going directly

00:52:06.260 to the people

00:52:06.760 over the hand

00:52:07.440 of the filter

00:52:08.040 of legacy media

00:52:10.740 is a good idea

00:52:12.260 well listen my friend

00:52:14.280 keep up the good

00:52:15.900 reporting and columnizing

00:52:17.700 we're talking with

00:52:18.380 Lauren Gunter

00:52:18.780 senior columnist

00:52:19.500 at the Edmonton Sun

00:52:20.320 and I don't know

00:52:22.700 I've been in Toronto

00:52:24.000 long enough

00:52:24.520 that I can no longer

00:52:25.420 call myself an Albertan

00:52:26.640 other than an Albertan

00:52:27.540 at heart

00:52:28.100 and even my joke

00:52:29.140 about being in exile

00:52:30.180 in Toronto

00:52:30.700 you know you can only

00:52:31.780 make that joke

00:52:32.400 for 10 years or so

00:52:33.500 before people say

00:52:34.300 you're staying out there

00:52:35.060 buddy you're at

00:52:35.520 Torontoni now

00:52:36.180 but my heart is with

00:52:37.240 Alberta because I love

00:52:38.360 so many things about it

00:52:39.740 I love its motto

00:52:41.100 strong and free

00:52:42.100 I love that it really

00:52:43.820 people there really

00:52:44.620 do live freedom

00:52:45.640 and when you say

00:52:47.680 is Canada broken

00:52:48.580 we have a very strong

00:52:49.660 answer in Toronto

00:52:50.380 Toronto is absolutely

00:52:51.380 broken

00:52:51.840 it's broken in many ways

00:52:53.420 Albertans don't even know

00:52:54.520 and I hope Albertans

00:52:55.320 never find out

00:52:56.220 how badly a place

00:52:57.640 can be broken

00:52:58.280 so do your best

00:52:59.480 to save Alberta

00:53:00.380 and I think Danielle Smith

00:53:01.840 is right

00:53:02.240 you've got to save it

00:53:03.120 from this active

00:53:05.220 malefactor

00:53:06.640 Stephen Gilbo

00:53:08.020 last word to you

00:53:08.700 Lauren

00:53:08.880 and when she says

00:53:11.000 that she looks

00:53:12.100 like a reasonable

00:53:13.040 person that a

00:53:14.340 middle class voter

00:53:15.320 could get behind

00:53:16.640 rather than some

00:53:17.580 fire breathing dragon

00:53:18.760 that she was

00:53:19.680 portrayed as

00:53:20.640 during the

00:53:21.680 leadership campaign

00:53:22.700 in the early part

00:53:23.540 of her premiership

00:53:24.220 she's also

00:53:24.940 moderated herself

00:53:25.980 she's been

00:53:26.500 she's taken

00:53:27.600 some of the

00:53:28.300 criticism to heart

00:53:29.660 and she has made

00:53:30.840 changes that I think

00:53:31.840 make her a much 0.86

00:53:32.500 more effective

00:53:33.140 premier

00:53:33.560 yeah

00:53:34.100 to moderate

00:53:35.100 for my taste

00:53:35.780 I don't buy

00:53:36.880 into any of this

00:53:37.480 net zero business

00:53:38.500 but you know

00:53:39.320 if you can kick

00:53:39.820 no neither do I

00:53:40.660 if you can kick the can

00:53:41.740 down the road

00:53:42.180 to 2050

00:53:43.120 maybe you can just

00:53:44.740 say it

00:53:45.200 and to get yourself

00:53:46.380 out of that swamp

00:53:47.260 but anyway

00:53:48.440 it's very interesting

00:53:49.280 thanks for joining us

00:53:50.100 my friend

00:53:50.460 hey you bet

00:53:51.520 anytime

00:53:52.120 well that's our show

00:54:04.360 for today

00:54:04.720 like I mentioned

00:54:05.340 earlier

00:54:05.600 I'm off

00:54:06.180 to Zurich

00:54:07.240 overnight

00:54:07.760 and then we take

00:54:08.820 the train up to a town

00:54:09.780 called Closters

00:54:10.620 and then we take

00:54:11.940 another train

00:54:12.600 up to Davos

00:54:14.240 Switzerland

00:54:14.700 where the World Economic Forum

00:54:16.000 will convene

00:54:16.900 their annual winter meeting

00:54:18.260 we tried to

00:54:19.600 be accredited

00:54:20.500 we applied for accreditation

00:54:21.600 obviously we were declined

00:54:23.020 which means we will not be allowed

00:54:24.600 in any official

00:54:25.360 WEF buildings

00:54:26.700 or conferences

00:54:27.320 but the whole town

00:54:28.840 turns into sort of

00:54:30.140 a VIP festival

00:54:31.740 and we'll be able to

00:54:33.100 hopefully find

00:54:33.960 VVIPs

00:54:35.260 very very important people

00:54:36.400 on the streets

00:54:37.360 as you know

00:54:37.700 last year we bumped into

00:54:38.660 the president of Pfizer

00:54:39.880 and Greta Thunberg

00:54:41.400 and John Kerry

00:54:43.060 and so many other

00:54:44.500 interesting people

00:54:45.360 and some of them

00:54:46.300 actually talked to us

00:54:47.100 others didn't

00:54:47.820 but we'll do our best

00:54:48.980 so I'm off

00:54:49.580 for a week there

00:54:50.780 during my absence

00:54:52.400 of course we'll be doing

00:54:53.400 shows from there

00:54:54.480 we'll be doing videos

00:54:55.480 from there

00:54:55.960 we'll probably have

00:54:57.080 David and Sheila

00:54:58.100 help cover off

00:54:59.500 the Ezra LeVant show

00:55:00.940 in the meantime

00:55:01.420 but our purpose

00:55:02.780 is to do journalism

00:55:03.740 so you certainly

00:55:04.580 won't lack

00:55:05.640 access to what we're doing

00:55:07.260 we're going to be

00:55:08.460 setting up a special website

00:55:09.440 called

00:55:09.800 WEFReports.com

00:55:12.960 which stands for

00:55:13.600 World Economic Forum

00:55:14.460 Reports.com

00:55:15.320 so make sure

00:55:16.040 you check that out

00:55:16.780 well that's our show

00:55:18.080 for today

00:55:18.500 until next time

00:55:19.760 on behalf of all of us

00:55:20.920 here at Rebel World

00:55:21.620 Headquarters

00:55:22.020 to you at home

00:55:22.600 good night

00:55:23.020 and keep fighting

00:55:24.500 for freedom

Rebel News Podcast - January 13, 2024

EZRA LEVANT ｜ The Globe and Mail assaults common sense by portraying arrest of David Menzies as defensible

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