Rebel News Podcast - September 17, 2026


EZRA LEVANT | Three prosecutors fought Tamara Lich’s U.S. travel request. The judge left her house-arrest conditions unchanged

SHEILA GUNN REID | I react to your comments on cheating allegations, hateful protesters and schools failing girls

Episode Stats


Length

59 minutes

Words per minute

168.4

Word count

10,029

Sentence count

459

People

Hosts:
Also mentioned:

Harmful content

Misogyny

19

sentences flagged

Toxicity

4

sentences flagged

Hate speech

1

sentences flagged


Transcript

Transcript generated with Whisper (turbo).
Misogyny classifications generated with MilaNLProc/bert-base-uncased-ear-misogyny .
Toxicity classifications generated with s-nlp/roberta_toxicity_classifier .
Hate speech classifications generated with facebook/roberta-hate-speech-dynabench-r4-target .
00:00:00.000 Tamara Leach gets her verdict in an Ottawa court. Will she have her wings clipped or will she
00:00:06.340 continue to fly high? As a rebel journalist, it's September 17th and this is the Ezra LeVant Show.
00:00:15.540 Shame on you, you censorious bug.
00:00:18.820 oh hi everybody it was another court appearance for tamara leach today what's that the 0.76
00:00:32.520 60th or something she really has had more thrown at her than al capone if you think that's an
00:00:39.600 exaggeration i challenge you to look at the steady stream of violent criminals in canada
00:00:44.900 who are quickly put on the street with no penalties like Tamara has for her political work.
00:00:51.880 Well, today was another hearing, or the results of a hearing, 1.00
00:00:55.580 and here's our friend Alexa Lavoie with an update.
00:00:58.340 I'm back in Ottawa to follow up on Tamara's application to vary her sentence,
00:01:04.560 and today the judge dismissed it.
00:01:07.520 It's not finished yet for your legal battle.
00:01:11.300 No, it isn't actually.
00:01:13.280 So we'll continue on, obviously, with my sentence.
00:01:16.800 I've got a few weeks left.
00:01:18.860 I've got 20 days left of my house arrest, which will be lifted on October the 6th.
00:01:24.160 And following that, I'll have the curfew until January 21st.
00:01:28.640 But as you very well know, these matters are all under appeal, both from I'm appealing my conviction and the Crown is appealing the acquittals and the sentence.
00:01:37.320 Do you believe that the court tried to make Tamara an example to the people who would try in the future to do a little bit the same?
00:01:48.500 Well, anytime you, I mean, this was an extreme situation.
00:01:53.540 We had a protest that went on for three weeks and was not violent and was trying to move the government to action, which I believe is part of our fundamental freedoms of freedom of speech and freedom of peaceful assembly.
00:02:12.080 Alexa Lavoie for Rebel News back in Ottawa in front of the courthouse for the latest ruling in Tamara Litch case.
00:02:23.180 And today, Justice Heather Perkins McVeigh dismissed Litch's request to travel internationally while she serves her conditional sentence that includes house arrest and curfew.
00:02:35.780 This punishment comes after a role as one of the organizers of the 2022 Freedom Convoy, where Canadians rose up in peaceful protests against the Liberal government's vaccine mandates at the time.
00:02:50.920 You can support Tamara's fight at thetamaraproject.com because this legal battle is not over yet.
00:02:59.840 More proceedings are still to come, and she continues to be represented by her lawyer, Lawrence Greenspun.
00:03:07.920 You can also help share this update and see all of our reporting at the same website.
00:03:15.360 But first, here is a quick recap of what the judge ruled today.
00:03:20.340 Justice Perkins McVeigh found that the proposed trips, including documentary interviews, book promotion, speaking engagements, and a seminar cruise, were not sufficiently urgent, exceptional, or necessary to justify relaxing the territorial restrictions attached to Leach's sentence.
00:03:40.800 The judge said many of those activities could instead take place in Canada, be postponed until the sentence is completed or be conducted virtually.
00:03:53.020 The judge said many of those activities could instead take place in Canada, be postponed until the sentence is completed or be conducted virtually.
00:04:03.900 She also concluded that allowing recurring international travel could undermine the punitive nature of the sentence, which includes house arrest, a curfew, and restriction on lich movement, which all need approval by a probation officer.
00:04:23.080 But one particularly notable part of the ruling dealt directly with us here at Ribbon News.
00:04:31.580 Justice Perkins McVeigh stated the refusal of permission is not based on viewpoint, journalistic content, or disapproval of Ribbon News.
00:04:43.140 That statement is particularly interesting considering what happened during the previous hearing.
00:04:49.820 At the hearing, the judge repeatedly raised the issue of Ribbon News and suggested that our coverage was making a mockery of the judicial process.
00:05:03.440 A significant amount of time was also spent discussing political criticism made by Ribbon News publisher Ezra Levin on X and through Ribbon News reporting.
00:05:14.960 So it raises an obvious question. If Tamara Leach worked for a completely different employer, would this application have been viewed the same way?
00:05:26.260 Today, the judge explicitly said her decision was not based on Ribbon News political viewpoint or journalistic content.
00:05:34.640 But I will let you draw your own conclusions.
00:05:38.020 The judge nevertheless found that some of the proposed travel, including appearance, documentaries, book promotion and fundraising, was connected to Lich's public profile steaming from the Freedom Convoy, her criminal proceedings and her sentence.
00:05:57.220 According to the judge, allowing recurring international travel for those activities could reduce the practical effect of Lich punishment.
00:06:08.700 But there is another very important point.
00:06:12.240 The judge did not find that Lich had breached any of her previous travel permissions.
00:06:18.880 In fact, Justice Perkins McVeigh specifically stated that today's ruling should not be interpreted as a finding that previous permissions were improper or that LICH had failed to comply with them.
00:06:35.320 And this ruling does not completely prevent LICH from travelling for work within Canada.
00:06:40.940 A conditional sentence supervisor still has the authority to approve interprovincial travel on a case-by-case basis.
00:06:49.440 The judge also left the door open to another application for international travel,
00:06:55.300 but only in what she described as genuinely exceptional, specific, and time-limited circumstances.
00:07:03.580 For now, though, the application has been dismissed and Litch's existing conditional sentence remains fully in effect.
00:07:13.520 Following the decision, I spoke with Tamara Litch's lawyer, Lawrence Greenspan, about what today's ruling means going forward.
00:07:23.140 Her Honour, in very considered and lengthy reasons, basically said, look, there is going to continue to be a need for inter-provincial travel.
00:07:36.640 There's been no issues with it so far, except the supervisor was looking for some guidance from the court.
00:07:44.380 And that inter-provincial travel should be able to continue, according to this judge.
00:07:50.500 And when it comes to international travel, that's really a different story.
00:07:57.280 I think the court made it clear that international travel is to be very specific, very employment-oriented,
00:08:07.540 and certain conditions would have to be satisfied in order to have international travel approved.
00:08:14.580 And that's because there's a real difficulty in enforceability.
00:08:18.400 If there's any breach of international travel permission, it's going to be very difficult for the authorities to try and enforce the conditions of the order.
00:08:31.160 I asked Mr. Greenspan whether he has concerns about Lich's ability to travel between provinces in the future.
00:08:40.360 During previous hearings, we heard that a conditional sentence supervisor may have become more hesitant to approve these kinds of trips following the media backlash surrounding Lich attendance at the U.S. Ambassadors' July 4th celebration in Ottawa.
00:09:00.300 So could that controversy now make it more difficult for her to receive permissions to travel for legitimate work within Canada?
00:09:08.660 If there was international travel plan proposed that travel couldn't, that the work couldn't take place but for international travel, then the judge is basically saying, look, we'll consider it on a case by case basis.
00:09:28.860 So her honour didn't close the door to that.
00:09:33.820 And I mean, I don't think that you're going to see the seminar crews being approved
00:09:42.360 either by the supervisor or by this court.
00:09:46.600 But where international travel is set out in detail and is required for purposes of employment,
00:09:54.880 I think the judge is open to approval of that.
00:09:58.480 I also asked Greenspan about Reben News, considering that the judge raised on multiple occasions during the previous hearing concerns that Reben News was making a mockery of the judicial process.
00:10:13.140 I asked whether he believes that scrutiny could have played any role in the final decision.
00:10:20.500 Well, the judge addressed that specifically and said, look, people have the right, as we do, as Rebel News does, as anybody does.
00:10:30.420 They have the right to be critical of the court.
00:10:33.100 And the nature of the comments that were made by Mr. Levant, I'm confident that did not play into the judge's decision.
00:10:46.980 because ultimately she said those comments don't really matter.
00:10:51.480 What matters is that the sentence is punitive, is that it's regulated,
00:10:58.180 that its specific exceptions have to be made, that they be made, they be authorized in advance.
00:11:05.800 Although it was, I think, a very difficult thing for the judge to do,
00:11:11.280 to hear that criticism and then be asked to permit travel, to authorize travel for work purposes,
00:11:19.860 although it's a difficult thing for the judge to have done,
00:11:23.900 I think she very explicitly said, look, that's not why I'm saying what I'm saying.
00:11:28.920 And then I asked him a broader question as a lawyer with decades of experience.
00:11:35.180 Has he ever seen this kind of lengthy legal process for a non-violent mischief conviction?
00:11:43.900 And does he believe the justice system is trying to make an example out of Tamara Leach?
00:11:49.680 No question about it. 0.97
00:11:51.260 I mean, we have to remember this was a mischief charge in which there was no violence.
00:11:58.380 People complain about the horns in the downtown area.
00:12:02.740 Those were dealt with by way of an injunction after seven days. 1.00
00:12:07.480 And Tamara Leach did nothing to encourage any violence. 1.00
00:12:12.200 On the contrary, her messages were constantly, we want a peaceful, lawful protest.
00:12:17.060 And if you see anything that's otherwise, let us know or contact the police.
00:12:23.100 So her messaging was always peaceful, always nonviolent.
00:12:26.920 and that issue will be the centerpiece of our argument in the Court of Appeal.
00:12:35.160 I don't think there's that kind of a conspiracy underlying all of this.
00:12:44.580 I think the fact that Tamara's very public persona
00:12:48.800 makes a challenge to the usual person who's under a conditional sentence or a house arrest.
00:12:59.520 Who she is and what she's become and the movement that she's been very much a leader of
00:13:06.240 are factors that really can't be measured.
00:13:11.200 would would uh somebody else not of similar persona have uh been authorized to travel
00:13:20.680 internationally for work purposes probably but uh you know this this is this is who she is and
00:13:28.740 this is what the freedom convoy was all about right anytime you i mean this is this was an
00:13:34.720 extreme situation you had a protest that went on for three weeks and was not
00:13:41.920 violent and was trying to move the government to action which I believe is
00:13:49.780 part of our fundamental freedoms of freedom of speech and freedom of
00:13:53.620 peaceful assembly and did it have an impact on people in the downtown core
00:13:58.940 Absolutely. But the right to enjoyment of property is not on an equal footing with fundamental freedoms of association and speech.
00:14:09.940 Finally, I asked him the question everyone following this case wants answered.
00:14:16.120 What happens next in Tamar Lich's legal battle?
00:14:20.300 We're putting together the documents to argue in the Court of Appeal, which appeal I expect will be heard sometime in early 2027.
00:14:30.180 Well, that was a clip from our friend Alexa Lavoie.
00:14:33.640 She was in Ottawa today when the judge who has presided over the longest mischief trial in Canadian history also presided over what I think has got to be one of the longest sentence variation hearings in Canadian history.
00:14:51.400 In other words, Tamera Leach went before the court and said, hey, can I get a slight modification on my house arrest so that I can do business with Rebel News in the States?
00:15:00.960 As you may know, Tamera Leach has been invited on a number of U.S. shows, including Glenn Beck,
00:15:07.680 and actually there's some other popular talk shows.
00:15:10.260 Plus, every year, as you know, Rebel News has a fundraising seminar cruise.
00:15:14.900 Well, the judge, in what would normally be a 15-minute hearing on the matter, stretched it out for months.
00:15:20.620 But, of course, she did.
00:15:22.540 In the end, it was sort of a holding pattern.
00:15:26.520 Nothing changes. 0.99
00:15:27.400 The government wanted more restrictions on Tamara. 1.00
00:15:31.540 Tamara wanted the one liberty to go to the states. 1.00
00:15:33.860 The judge said that she'll be able to apply for those international trips on an ad hoc basis.
00:15:39.540 But other than that, everything stays the same.
00:15:42.860 Joining us now via Zoom is our friend, and I think someone who can accurately be called a political prisoner, Tamara Leach.
00:15:51.400 Tamara, great to see you again.
00:15:53.380 Likewise. Thanks for having me on, Ezra.
00:15:54.900 You know, it's a pleasure. And part of me feels good that there was no further restrictions put on you by this judge.
00:16:03.140 But it's also frustrating that the judge was not willing to extend the ability for you to work in the United States.
00:16:11.000 I noticed that your co-defendant, Chris Barber, is a trucker who runs into the U.S. every week.
00:16:20.080 And I certainly don't want his liberties to be taken away. He's got to earn a living.
00:16:23.820 He's a long distance trucker. That means driving into the States. It's just odd to me that as your co-defendant, he has more liberties than you do.
00:16:31.460 I want you both to have the liberties. Yeah. And I find that a bit surprising, too.
00:16:36.820 And if you remember at the hearing, she wouldn't she wouldn't even have any anything to do with that.
00:16:41.740 She said there was no evidence before her that Chris was traveling back and forth successfully to the United States.
00:16:47.600 However, she was the one that wrote it into his order.
00:16:50.720 So she wouldn't hear any of that.
00:16:53.620 And yeah, I mean, he has been doing it for sure with absolutely no incident.
00:16:58.340 And, you know, I'm not surprised.
00:17:00.080 This is actually the outcome that I expected.
00:17:02.440 And I think it was a draw.
00:17:04.020 I don't think we had a win or a loss today, actually.
00:17:07.240 Well, we've certainly enjoyed you traveling around Canada on behalf of Rebel News.
00:17:11.640 You've been to conferences.
00:17:13.040 You've interviewed political leaders.
00:17:15.540 You've done what we call streeter interviews.
00:17:17.600 man on the street um you've done just about everything including stuff that sort of more
00:17:23.340 fly the rebel flag like you could i think of the canada stronger free conference um so and you
00:17:28.660 participated in a lot of staff it's been great and our book your your sequel to your bestseller
00:17:33.920 hold the line is almost ready so that's going to be busy i love what you've done with us and
00:17:39.760 it makes me think that when the government tried to get your bail restrictions tightened like they
00:17:46.360 sent three prosecutors to the court to try to mess you up three and i think when was the last
00:17:54.880 time there were three prosecutors on a case like maybe a very complex murder case or i don't know
00:18:01.400 like a gang a complex you know criminal organization the idea of having three prosecutors
00:18:08.960 come to your court to try and stop you from doing rebel business in the states shows how
00:18:16.180 political this prosecution is like that's an embarrassment i agree um and you know they brought
00:18:22.400 the special one in just for you ezra when you when you were being cross-examined i mean this
00:18:26.620 was somebody that we certainly hadn't seen before but it really goes to show you where the attorney
00:18:31.480 general of ontario and doug ford's priorities are and let's let's face it that's where this uh this
00:18:36.660 lies you we're seeing obviously horrible crimes being committed drug traffickers uh violent
00:18:44.320 criminal sexual offenders that are getting less sentences at less time and sentenced less harshly
00:18:52.200 than myself and Chris Barber. We're facing 18 months of house arrest. Now, I believe there was
00:18:57.200 just an article that came out yesterday about a gentleman that was wielding a machete that is now
00:19:02.480 going into intermediate housing. It's incredible. You know, I really do think it's political because
00:19:10.900 the invitations you've received to speak in the United States, which would be absolutely on all
00:19:15.620 fours with your rebel jobs, like Rob Schneider. He's a conservative-leaning comedian, huge
00:19:20.660 following online. He's been trying to get you on his show forever, but you are not allowed to
00:19:25.240 travel there. I know that Glenn Beck is very interested in your case. It wouldn't surprise
00:19:29.860 me if Joe Rogan had you on. All of these things are being blocked because I think the judge
00:19:34.680 is trying to silence you a bit. And that's why I think Rebel News standing with you is important.
00:19:39.440 You mentioned my own appearance in court, and I just went there because I had a little affidavit outlining what you were doing for Rebel.
00:19:46.320 I was the first. So I took the stand and all the questions were not about what you were doing.
00:19:52.460 They were about my own criticisms of the legal system, which was so bizarre.
00:19:57.340 And I kept saying, well, those are my journalistic opinions. It's got nothing to do with Tamara Leach. 0.99
00:20:02.400 The judge let it go on and on and on. It was really weird.
00:20:06.160 Now, tell me, did the judge, the judge mentioned that in passing, but in the end, she says she didn't let that color her judgment.
00:20:13.500 Is that right?
00:20:14.980 That's exactly what she said.
00:20:16.120 She did allude to some of the comments that you've made and said basically that, you know, that was your right to do so as a journalist and just as a private citizen, even to criticize the system.
00:20:27.320 But, you know, she did make a point to list all of the things that you criticized in your tweets and reporting today.
00:20:34.100 She thought a lot about it. I think she's pretending she wasn't bothered by it because I wrote 100 tweets about her.
00:20:40.240 She listed all the mean things I said. It sounds like it bothered her more than she'd like to let on.
00:20:46.680 I think I think maybe it got under her skin a little bit. Yes.
00:20:49.880 Well, I hope I didn't redound to your discredit. I don't think so.
00:20:55.420 Like, I mean, the result that she gave is sort of predictable.
00:20:58.600 And she has given you that possibility to apply to to go to special events.
00:21:04.100 I think that that judge has never heard a criticism in her life
00:21:07.720 because she's surrounded by yes men. 0.54
00:21:10.460 And I've seen how she's run that trial.
00:21:12.660 And I'll repeat what I said before. 1.00
00:21:14.200 She ran that trial in a sloppy way. 1.00
00:21:17.500 And I think that the process became the punishment.
00:21:21.560 And absolutely, I believe you're a political prisoner.
00:21:25.180 I stand by all those things.
00:21:26.680 Frankly, I was proud to say it with the judge two feet away from me
00:21:29.800 when I was in the witness stand.
00:21:30.920 yes yeah she and she uh she got a little prickly uh after that i remember yes well listen you're
00:21:39.180 almost done in in fact just a number of weeks to go and the house arrest part is over you do
00:21:44.380 you'll still have a curfew but you won't have to get permission just to do every little thing uh
00:21:50.240 you know when you go shopping or go to get groceries and listen we're we're interested in
00:21:56.440 And maintaining our friendship, our relationship with you, in fact, as a symbol, as you know, Rebel News, I own Rebel News, I created it, but we have a board of directors that is a symbol of who I think best represents Rebel News.
00:22:15.260 So, for example, Sheila Gunn-Reed, our chief reporter, is on the board of directors, Efron Monsanto, our outstanding video boss.
00:22:24.000 And so I want to play for our viewers an interview that you and I recorded a couple of weeks ago at your place in Medicine Hat, and we held it.
00:22:32.760 We did not publish this video because we didn't want to upset the judge and her sensitive feelings.
00:22:38.200 so i'd like to throw to a video that you and i recorded a couple weeks ago
00:22:42.160 where i invited you just in a symbolic manner to be a director of rebel news because when i think
00:22:51.260 of what you stand for freedom activism being peaceful but prickling at the system i think
00:23:01.240 you are an outstanding role model and I think you're what Rebel News wants to be. I mean just
00:23:08.160 like I admire Sheila Gunn-Reed and Efron Monsanto, I really believe that you are a symbol of who we
00:23:16.140 think we are and who we want to be and I was delighted that you accepted that invitation.
00:23:20.760 So without further ado, let me congratulate you on holding the line in court today and let's play
00:23:27.200 the video of you and me chatting a couple weeks ago and we held this because we didn't want to
00:23:31.080 bother the judge here take a look it's great to be here at your home i've never i've visited you
00:23:37.740 in your home before well i welcome to my cell welcome to my cell this is where i've just spent
00:23:43.140 the last 11 months uh under house arrest is in in this home you know that changes how it looks like
00:23:50.360 it looks lovely you've got great are those vegetables or are those just plants or sunflowers
00:23:56.880 Yeah, sunflowers, tomatoes, peppers.
00:23:59.200 That was a project we did with my grandsons this year.
00:24:01.540 Oh, fun.
00:24:02.440 And I see other evidence of grandchildren.
00:24:05.180 There's slides and toys here.
00:24:07.040 So you're living with a couple of visitors these days.
00:24:09.980 Yes, my daughter and my grandsons both live here.
00:24:12.480 Oh, that's fun.
00:24:13.280 So it's been a busy house arrest also.
00:24:15.340 Well, and that's the thing.
00:24:16.620 This is lovely.
00:24:17.740 And what a gorgeous day in Madison had.
00:24:19.680 Really a livable place.
00:24:21.580 And you can hear a lawnmower in the backyard and just life.
00:24:25.920 but it changes immediately when the state says if you are not there when we make spot checks
00:24:33.840 you're going back to prison any moves outside your house must be reported to authorities
00:24:39.500 and get permission and suddenly a lovely backyard becomes a cell it is yeah that's exactly what it
00:24:48.660 is it is a cell what is a prison other than a psychology of what you can and can't do that's
00:24:54.040 right it's like a gilded cage like it's lovely here and it's wonderful that you have your
00:24:57.960 grandkids with you but you can't leave no no i can't leave and and so it has been obviously
00:25:04.160 very bittersweet because i do have to get permission anytime i want to leave my home
00:25:08.240 even if it's to go volunteer at the food bank i can't leave without it um in many ways i feel
00:25:13.800 very blessed i mean there's definitely worse places that i could have been but i mean let's
00:25:17.740 face it, um, you know, after how, how hard that they've come after me, um, locking me up in my
00:25:24.340 home, uh, when we have all these other massive crimes that are happening all across the country,
00:25:30.240 you know, hardened criminals are getting let out on bail. Remember I was denied bail twice
00:25:35.260 throughout this whole thing. You did, what was it? 49 days in jail before you even had a trial.
00:25:40.720 Right. Exactly. Yeah. I live in Toronto and there was a series of gunfire attacks on the U.S. consulate and they caught a couple of people and charged them.
00:25:54.640 They haven't been convicted yet. But one of the alleged shooters, Zahra Jabi, if I'm saying his name right, teenager, 19, and he was out on bail.
00:26:05.000 there was another related terrorist style shooting when police raided the apartment
00:26:12.900 a cop was murdered so these are hardened criminals using firearms in my layman's view if you shoot a
00:26:20.840 political target like the consulate that is a kind of political terrorism they're out on bail
00:26:27.560 you had 49 days in the clink and and now you can't leave this backyard without permission
00:26:33.400 Make it make sense.
00:26:34.320 I can't.
00:26:35.140 I've tried.
00:26:35.660 I've tried many times in my mind to make this make sense, but I really can't.
00:26:41.000 I remember I was there in court.
00:26:43.480 I've attended several occasions during your trial.
00:26:45.700 We like to have rebels covering.
00:26:48.380 We've covered pretty much every day of your trial, the longest mischief trial in Canadian history.
00:26:54.280 And I resolved when you were convicted, which shocked me because I thought they had no case whatsoever.
00:27:01.200 Was I ever wrong?
00:27:02.660 I mean, it's like the Empire Strikes Back.
00:27:06.460 You were the rebel, and they came to get you.
00:27:12.420 What's your estimate on the resources spent to prosecute you and convict you for mischief,
00:27:17.740 which is the lowest crime in the criminal code?
00:27:20.520 It really is.
00:27:21.360 Well, we checked with our legal team.
00:27:23.900 This is two years ago now.
00:27:25.720 And at that point, it was over $10 million that they'd already checked.
00:27:29.040 Between policing and prosecuting.
00:27:30.720 Between policing and prosecuting.
00:27:31.660 So my best guesstimate would be that the prosecution, Ontario taxpayers, have footed over about $50 million for this trial.
00:27:40.840 And you're correct to point out it's Ontario taxpayers because the prosecutors are provincial prosecutors working for Doug Ford and his attorney general.
00:27:48.980 You can't blame this one on Trudeau or Carney.
00:27:51.920 This is Doug Ford.
00:27:53.240 Remember, Ford declared a state of emergency himself.
00:27:56.900 It wasn't just the feds.
00:27:58.420 But remember, it was such a serious emergency that he went skidooing after that.
00:28:02.360 It's infuriating.
00:28:03.900 So I was in court that day, and I was a little bit crestfallen because I still, I'm such a naive man.
00:28:12.000 I'm 54. You'd think I'd learn something by now.
00:28:14.260 I thought that, as MLK said, the arc of justice, you know, that things will come around.
00:28:23.180 I forget the exact quoting, but I trusted the system.
00:28:27.980 I believed in the system and I was shocked when the system failed.
00:28:32.620 And so we came up with the idea of following the law to the letter,
00:28:37.780 but making you a formal job offer, as you had worked with Rebel News before.
00:28:43.480 You had worked with us. Well, you published your first book with us.
00:28:46.320 You did book tours. You did events.
00:28:48.120 So this was just formalizing a relationship we had before to work for us.
00:28:53.120 And the benefit of that is that that is an exemption for house arrest,
00:28:57.120 that working for Rebel News, doing legitimate journalism and being a brand ambassador and doing
00:29:02.220 events, that is a legitimate job. And that would allow you to leave your property still with lots
00:29:09.000 of conditions. You have to check in all the time with your probation officer, but it would at least
00:29:12.940 allow you to live life. Yes, exactly. And, and it really has. And I'm so grateful. I mean,
00:29:19.000 like you said, we, we already had a preexisting relationship and, um, so to become a formal
00:29:24.420 rebel, which I think also fits my profile. Um, I think it's worked out really beautifully and
00:29:30.220 I've appreciated, you know, the opportunity to get, to go out, uh, across the country up until
00:29:34.840 the 4th of July, of course. Um, and, and do my job. I love it. You know, let's talk for a minute
00:29:41.260 about the 4th of July. That was the independence day event at the house of the U S ambassador.
00:29:46.260 It's quite a prestigious event. Uh, I went once about 30 years ago when I was a junior staffer
00:29:52.120 parliament hill and we followed the rules not only of your probation officer whose approval
00:29:59.560 you received in advance but when i the the embassy said okay you're coming as a journalist
00:30:06.760 who is coming with you as a journalist a cameraman etc and i said to mary leach is coming as a
00:30:11.720 journalist and i said to them privately i said look i don't want to put you in a pickle i want
00:30:16.600 you to know you know you know who she is um just consult first and let me know if it's okay
00:30:24.360 because i didn't want to embarrass you or them and and the embassy came back to me and said
00:30:29.320 she's a working journalist she just covered strong and free she's coming as a journalist
00:30:34.840 you bet so both sides the canadian side and the american side were fine with it
00:30:39.880 You came there to do journalism, and it was the regime media who had a freakout.
00:30:47.500 Yes, they sure did.
00:30:49.340 Because they hated to see you affiliated with the hated Americans, as if being a journalist there showed some affiliation.
00:30:57.600 You were there as a journalist.
00:30:58.920 They hated that.
00:31:00.120 They hated that you maybe smiled. 0.99
00:31:02.640 They want you to be miserable.
00:31:04.240 and they hated that you were at a elite event that no only our kind of people are allowed to go
00:31:11.560 that's my assessment of it but it's as if that counted with the courts more than the law did
00:31:18.940 didn't it and as you said i mean we followed uh every single rule i mean i had as you you've seen
00:31:26.400 my my letters i mean i have to even ask permission to stop on it on route to use the washroom so all
00:31:33.800 of everything had been, um, organized, sent to, uh, my PO. And it also had to be approved by her
00:31:40.880 superior, uh, her supervisor, because it was out of jurisdiction, meaning that I was traveling out
00:31:46.020 of Alberta. So, so I did everything right. Uh, Medicine Act Corrections also did everything
00:31:50.920 right, but I know they took a lot of heat over that too. Well, if by a lot of heat, you mean
00:31:55.140 some angry leftist pundits in Ontario stomping their feet and saying, we didn't get an invitation
00:32:01.340 to the fourth of july party we didn't have a chance to talk to the ambassador we didn't have
00:32:06.440 a smile on our face stop her from living a life of meaning and purpose and importance what you're
00:32:14.020 doing is in my view important and important enough that we have hired you to do it and that
00:32:19.220 millions of views of your videos tells me that the public wants it but that foot stomping by the
00:32:25.580 regime suddenly you're not allowed to travel outside the province anymore there was no judge
00:32:31.980 that altered anything just the the foot stomping of the regime media now they won't let you leave
00:32:38.360 the province it's outrageous that that somehow counts for things um and you know i just want to
00:32:47.000 add to that you know i think a lot of the reason that there was such a backlash a was because you
00:32:51.140 know, that is viewed as a very prestigious event, annual event. However, you know, I got to show up
00:32:56.720 wearing a nice dress. I got to do my hair. I got to enjoy, I got to enjoy myself. And I think one
00:33:02.200 of the, one of the things that I think some of the lefties have such a hard time with is that I'm not
00:33:06.860 miserable. I'm not broken. You're not vengeful. You're not vengeful. You're not recriminating.
00:33:12.940 Well, let me, you know, you said this earlier and I let it pass. You said, I'd like to volunteer
00:33:16.880 at the food bank you know i want to there's something about you saying that i have to comment
00:33:21.680 on part of your punishment was that you were assigned to do a certain number of community
00:33:27.280 service hours was it 100 hours at the food base so part of your punishment was to help your community
00:33:34.720 and do and you quickly burned through the 100 hours and you didn't say okay i'm done with that
00:33:40.160 You said, I like this.
00:33:41.740 And you've continued as a volunteer with a smile.
00:33:45.620 And I happen to know that you managed to get a $25,000 donation from a great medicine hat born lad who's, I don't know if he wants to remain private, but you not only didn't look at that as through a negative light, you loved it enough that you continued to help there.
00:34:02.320 And holy smokes, a 25 grand donation to the food bank, it's probably the biggest donation they've seen in a long time.
00:34:08.220 Most likely.
00:34:09.240 Yeah.
00:34:09.680 Yeah, most likely.
00:34:10.460 But the fact that you looked at it and you said, that's not lemons, that's lemonade.
00:34:15.340 Yeah, exactly.
00:34:16.540 Well, and I looked at it, I mean, I have had a great experience there.
00:34:19.880 I get to help a lot of people.
00:34:21.720 I enjoy working with the customers that come in.
00:34:24.180 And, you know, it's really shocking.
00:34:26.080 And actually, one of the first reports that I did for Rebel News was about the increase in food banks across Canada and in Alberta.
00:34:32.220 And I mean, the amount of people that are coming through those doors now is really indicative of, you know, the shambles that is our economy right now.
00:34:42.360 Yeah.
00:34:42.900 So anything to bring a spotlight to that, I'm happy.
00:34:45.100 Well, and I mean, again, that too, that's you brought in the 25 grand donation.
00:34:49.000 You told the story.
00:34:50.040 So instead of looking at the food bank as a burden, you had to discharge.
00:34:54.120 You looked at it as, oh, this is this is the next step on my journey.
00:34:59.020 And these are good people.
00:35:00.220 And this is a good cause.
00:35:01.160 And I find that remarkable.
00:35:03.500 Something tells me that the man who shot, allegedly, the U.S. consulate is not going to the food bank to help.
00:35:11.960 I just don't think he is.
00:35:13.680 Yes.
00:35:14.460 And they've had backlash, too, by the way.
00:35:16.180 The food bank here has had backlash from people that are emailing them, you know, like, because I'm associated with them now.
00:35:23.240 Could you imagine?
00:35:24.540 I can't.
00:35:24.880 And I'll bet you a dollar not one of them has ever spent a minute of charitable time helping them or a dollar donating.
00:35:32.260 They're just, you're so right.
00:35:33.900 They hate the fact that you are smiling despite everything.
00:35:37.640 I've said this before.
00:35:38.920 You put me in jail for 49 days, most of it in isolation for COVID reasons.
00:35:44.860 I don't think I'm coming out as sweet as you are.
00:35:48.260 I think I'm coming out bitter and sour.
00:35:50.500 I'm just, I don't know, and I hope I never am tested.
00:35:52.660 I hope not either.
00:35:54.880 It's been 11 months of house arrest.
00:35:58.260 I think you joined us approximately nine months ago.
00:36:01.760 You've done some interesting work with us around the country.
00:36:04.900 I have.
00:36:06.520 We've already talked about the Ottawa visit.
00:36:09.420 You've covered conferences.
00:36:11.240 You've done streeters in the heart of Toronto on free speech
00:36:14.920 with the big billboard truck.
00:36:16.040 That was fun.
00:36:16.960 That was exciting.
00:36:19.900 You've toured throughout Alberta,
00:36:22.480 and I think you've been in the BC.
00:36:23.600 like you do you know i don't know if you've kept track it's it's a couple of dozen events
00:36:28.960 and all of which had to be papered in advance and approved in advance and we helped you
00:36:35.960 with compliance we hired a what we call a producer tasha to to help with the logistics
00:36:42.420 and uh and i hope and it looks like she's been successful amazing absolutely amazing yes i don't
00:36:48.060 know if i could have gotten through all of this without her help well i was so glad and you know
00:36:51.540 Nine months or 10 months ago, we looked into the camera
00:36:54.800 and said to people, help us make this possible.
00:36:58.760 Help us put together a salary.
00:37:00.920 Help us put together a producer.
00:37:02.700 Help us with travel costs, because there are expenses.
00:37:05.500 I mean, it's my math that for every person we have on TV,
00:37:09.660 there's the equivalent of two people behind the scenes,
00:37:13.060 editors and stuff like that.
00:37:14.460 But I think it's worked out, from our point of view,
00:37:16.120 it's worked out great.
00:37:17.820 And one of the reasons I came here,
00:37:20.080 And this is why I wanted to come and talk to you in your own turf is, as you know, I own Rebel News and I founded it 11 years ago, but we have a board of directors and I don't talk about it much in part because as the owner of the company, I make the decisions.
00:37:36.720 but our board they that's a legal position it's it's rather symbolic because i am the owner
00:37:42.920 but it's it's where we put people who in my view embody the best of rebel news the people i most
00:37:52.280 want to be associated with and who i believe are the best public face for the company so
00:37:59.580 our chief reporter Sheila Gunn-Reed obviously our head of video Efron Monsanto what a good guy 0.99
00:38:07.620 and I thought to myself Tamara Leach is a rebel in every way every measurable way and she has
00:38:19.540 suffered for us and as a symbol and as a statement of our commitment to you
00:38:28.820 i invited you to join our board and and i was delighted that you agreed to
00:38:34.700 you are part of our family you are part of our inner circle and i hope that even once
00:38:45.220 your house arrest ends and your curfew ends. I hope that you'll continue to do things with us.
00:38:52.420 I mean, you may have other big plans as well, but I hope that being a rebel will always be
00:38:57.340 part of it because we want to help you be you. Absolutely. Well, I am happy to extend this
00:39:04.800 relationship as long as we can. It's been a real honor for me, Ezra. And I know I've told you many
00:39:09.080 times that, you know, I was a fan long before I was a friend. And one of the things that I've
00:39:14.220 always appreciated about Rebel News was that you don't take any government handouts. So you are
00:39:18.120 free to go out and tell the other side of the story, which is your mantra, right? To tell the
00:39:24.040 other side of the story. You're not being held back by government subsidies like so many of these
00:39:29.100 other organizations are. And especially since they announced the media subsidies, we've seen the
00:39:34.880 media go right downhill. But you guys are, well, we are, I guess. We're rising. We're like the
00:39:42.000 cream that's rising to the top right now. I think independent media is the future, and I'm just so
00:39:48.060 honored to be a part of this organization and the people that are in it. Well, we love working with
00:39:53.780 you, and you have one more month of house arrest, and correct me if I'm wrong on this, then you still
00:40:02.200 have a curfew. You have to be here from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., but during the day you have a little
00:40:06.980 more liberty. You don't have to check every single trip, as long as you're back by 10 and until
00:40:11.980 five, but that is still a limit on your travel outside the city, isn't it? It is. So, uh, what,
00:40:18.140 the only thing that it's really going to change once we go to curfew is that, um, I'll be allowed
00:40:22.560 to leave my home from 5 a.m. until 10 p.m. And, but to leave the jurisdiction, which would be the
00:40:28.560 province, um, I still have to get permission. Um, or if I'm not going to be back in my residence by
00:40:33.940 10 p.m., I need to have permission to be wherever I'm going to be. So really that means Mendocin
00:40:38.280 southern Alberta maybe a day trip to Calgary as long as you leave Calgary by
00:40:43.200 suppertime because you got to be back at 10 and I the more I learn you've told me
00:40:48.800 some things today they are watching you like a hawk they are obsessed with you
00:40:55.460 I mean we know that because they trumped up an arrest of you when you had a
00:40:59.040 picture like just a selfie with your lawyer very important point and other
00:41:04.500 defendants they sent police to your house to arrest you fly you back to jail outrageous in
00:41:10.340 every instance they're watching you more than i'll tell you one thing more than they're watching that
00:41:15.380 young man who was charged with the terror attack on the consulate there they regard you as public
00:41:21.360 enemy number one because they find your presence and your success embarrassing they actually don't
00:41:25.980 even care about these terrorist attacks every week in toronto there's another shooting of a
00:41:29.740 synagogue the police don't give a damn but boy they're focused on you well it was really interesting
00:41:34.320 going back to the 4th of July visit that we had. So about three weeks ago now, or four weeks ago,
00:41:39.380 I had a knock at the door and it was the Medicine Hat Police Service. Now, if you recall, also in
00:41:45.760 the meantime, a death threat had been sent into Rebel News, targeting myself and a court appearance
00:41:51.020 in July. So anyways, the police officer, a really nice young man, shows up at the door to tell me
00:41:57.940 that they've received a complaint that I was seen outside of my residence between the 1st of July
00:42:02.360 and the 4th of July um I cannot tell you the trouble that the lawyers went through and myself
00:42:10.500 just to try to get them to file a report about the death threat received against me right so you're
00:42:17.000 going to an event approved in advance by every official required that they'll send a cop to
00:42:24.200 check on right but a real death that we get lots of mean comments that's not a threat a threat isn't
00:42:31.040 like i hate you that's not a threat a threat is a credible imminent actionable call to harm
00:42:39.520 and we ran that by your lawyer lawrence who who knows his stuff he called the police chief in 0.65
00:42:45.620 ottawa and we were we were really dealing that but it's madness in the world that you finish
00:42:53.220 the thought because i think we're on the same way i mean i think it's just like it's um shocking
00:42:59.420 that they wouldn't, you know, they fought taking a complaint of a death threat against me. But yet,
00:43:04.740 you know, somebody phones them and says, oh, Tamara wasn't in her house on this day. And they
00:43:08.180 show up to, you know. So, of course, I had to produce my letter. And again, I just want to say
00:43:13.100 that he was very great. The officer that came here was really very great and very supportive.
00:43:17.680 But still, you know, he even acknowledged that this is ridiculous himself. 0.92
00:43:22.580 Well, let me continue with the ridiculousness theme. So it is the 9th of September. It's a 0.56
00:43:29.400 wednesday and we are not going to air this for another week or so and the reason for that
00:43:36.340 is because the judge who is right now considering your request for a bail it's a sentencing
00:43:43.600 variation that would allow you to continue to travel within canada and possibly abroad the
00:43:49.240 judge who is the same judge from the trial the worst run trial in canadian history sloppy slow
00:43:57.220 allowing in improper testimony from people who had never met you heard heard of you listened to
00:44:04.560 you encountered you have a day on the stand to read to give your heartfelt thought like just
00:44:10.280 the talk about your hurt feelings the trial was a circus it was sloppy and i'm sorry when you're
00:44:18.200 the judge part of your duties is to run the court and those assets given to you for management by
00:44:24.700 the public to run it in a business like fanner manner uh that if there's someone on the stand
00:44:31.020 yappa yappa yappa my feelings were hurt for eight hours of testimony it's your job as a judge to say
00:44:37.060 there's nothing relevant here come to the point and when and if that doesn't happen to dismiss
00:44:42.060 the witness rather than to allow the whole thing to be hijacked by political ranters and this went
00:44:49.240 on for weeks and all the resources and this there are trials there are criminal cases being thrown
00:44:56.840 out because they're not prosecuted in a quick enough manner because of all the not just the
00:45:03.020 prosecutorial resources but this judge this courtroom this judge instead of having five trials
00:45:09.020 had one trial and when and when when this was raised my my comments to this effect
00:45:16.400 were raised by the by the prosecutors by doug ford's prosecutors the judge was shocked
00:45:24.780 that anyone would criticize her highness and and she really leaned into i hate rebel news she didn't 0.76
00:45:33.860 use those words but she was appalled by rebel news and doug ford's three prosecutors three
00:45:39.260 they brought a special one in for you yeah that's right and they were saying and and they're selling
00:45:43.380 t-shirts with tamara's likeness on them and is it true mr levant that you disagree with her
00:45:49.280 conviction yes of course is it true mr levant that you think she's a political prisoner yeah
00:45:55.360 that's my political view that's my journalistic view what does that got to do with tamara's
00:46:00.300 sentence like like like who am i i'm her employer that's you want to check if she's really employed
00:46:05.780 you can ask me that instead they put my comments on the on the trial itself in the evidence and
00:46:11.980 And the judge took the bait because because no one in her courtroom is allowed to say, you're running a sloppy show here, your honor.
00:46:19.260 So we we're not going to publish this video till after because because if the judge saw this conversation, it would be like those cartoon characters smoke coming out of her ears.
00:46:29.200 And she'd probably throw you in prison for life. 0.99
00:46:31.720 She probably would.
00:46:34.380 What was my comment on that?
00:46:35.980 she was obviously very offended by some of the comments that you made while you were practicing
00:46:42.540 your job as a journalist and critiquing. And you were absolutely right. We're in the middle of a
00:46:48.480 variation order, just trying to have a bail condition change. And it's taken, it'll be three
00:46:53.440 hearings spread out over three months, July, August, September, in what would normally take
00:46:59.160 15 minutes yeah this judge who chafed at me calling out her courtroom management 0.62
00:47:05.160 she delayed it because that's her style but that also kept you trapped for three months 1.00
00:47:13.680 while she figured out i've been to bail hearings before they're lickety split quick
00:47:18.280 she already knew all the facts the only news was that rebel news needs you to travel because you
00:47:22.140 have opportunities in america she turned it into a whole odyssey and and and that was on my mind
00:47:28.760 Because I think this judge is very politically minded.
00:47:32.700 I think she wants to be appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada.
00:47:35.140 So I think she is tailoring things to impress the powers that be, to show the establishment that she's a good girl and is going to follow along with the media mob.
00:47:44.740 The same people who stomped their feet because you were at the ambassador's house would be outraged if she didn't take into account the politics here.
00:47:55.060 I'm worried about what she's going to do in the sentence variation.
00:47:57.900 but like you say we're almost through it yes next week i think is the the september the 17th
00:48:04.360 will be the court date where she will be rendering her decision so we're going to hold this video
00:48:08.300 till after that and i'm ranting a bit here you know why because i'm a private citizen i'm not
00:48:12.680 i'm just me and i have my freedom of speech and she wants to hang you because she doesn't like
00:48:18.380 my journalism and i'm worried she's going to try and reverse engineer that find some way to do that
00:48:23.000 i don't like this judge i don't like her trial i'm allowed to say that and that is irrelevant
00:48:27.420 to whether or not you have your freedom it is and i guess you know one of the most concerning
00:48:32.040 things for me about this whole process is that the rule of law seems to have been thrown out
00:48:36.800 um as i was saying to you before we started the interview um i mean my lawyer is still
00:48:41.720 shocked that gobsmacked that i was even convicted um because there's no evidence there is absolutely
00:48:49.580 no evidence that was presented at trial that that showed me committing an act of mischief no one
00:48:54.140 No one even had a first-hand report of dealing with you.
00:48:57.120 Even the witnesses, as you were saying, that they brought in, all the civilian witnesses that they brought in to talk to us that are to testify against us at trial had never even had a conversation with Chris and I.
00:49:08.560 And I believe five of the seven of them are actually named on the $290 million lawsuit against us.
00:49:14.220 So how, in a normal court, would their testimony have ever even been approved?
00:49:19.080 Oh, it was a joke.
00:49:20.220 and that i was in court and i saw this and i'm going to use a swear so bleep this i saw that 1.00
00:49:26.140 show and i thought i don't think tamara leach is going to get a good hearing 1.00
00:49:31.760 and i thought how can i double down on my commitment tamara number one put you on the
00:49:38.580 board it's symbolic but it shows that we cast our lot with you number two to reiterate our commitment
00:49:44.300 to crowdfund your legal defense through the good offices of the civil liberties charity called the
00:49:50.800 Democracy Fund. We've covered your trial. We're going to cover your appeal. And I'm worried
00:49:57.160 because Doug Ford has appealed saying the sentence was too lenient. So the Doug Ford
00:50:03.480 prosecutors want you in jail more. We're going to court in a cross appeal. There's two appeals going
00:50:10.980 on to get your conviction overturned. This is a long battle. And I'm also here to promise you
00:50:19.100 that we will crowdfund that until the end. I really admire your lawyer. I didn't know him
00:50:23.660 before your case. He's very wise. He's quite senior. I think he has a lot of respect from
00:50:31.140 across the spectrum. I watched how even the regime media listened carefully to every word he said.
00:50:37.440 he almost has a professorial style you feel like you're learning when you're listening to him and
00:50:43.460 he's he's taken so many precedents and in cases so i'm delighted with your lawyer even though he lost
00:50:48.220 that doesn't reduce my faith in him because i think it was i think the rules were a bit rigged
00:50:53.460 well i think it's all been stacked against him from the start again like there's been this this
00:50:57.380 whole case has been more about hurt feelings um and embarrassing the government than than any
00:51:02.780 actual rule of law or broken laws in my opinion. Um, and because we do have, I mean, we do have
00:51:09.020 matters before the courts. This is probably going to end up back in front of, uh, just judge Perkins
00:51:14.480 McVeigh. However, I will just comment on, and you weren't at the last hearing, but you know,
00:51:19.840 when this whole thing first started, we thought we were really lucky to draw her.
00:51:23.720 Like we thought we were so lucky because the former crown prosecutor on this case,
00:51:27.300 crazy Moise Karimji, tried to immediately have her removed because she sat on the Mark Norman case,
00:51:35.480 the Vice Admiral Mark Norman case, and she ended up throwing that out, if you remember.
00:51:40.400 But throughout the trial, I don't know what happened to her. Chris and I have had this
00:51:47.880 conversation many times, but it's like somewhere she flipped. And I mean, I've never walked into
00:51:53.320 the courtroom, looking unprofessional, behaving unprofessionally outside of the courtroom.
00:51:58.320 You had it together. I'm rambunctious, but I'm not involved in the process.
00:52:03.620 And so I was just going to say, like the last hearing that we had was, in my opinion,
00:52:09.000 embarrassing. And, you know, I'm not afraid to say it. She kept cutting Lawrence off. Anytime
00:52:13.800 he tried to make an argument, she was cutting him off, but finishing the Crown Prosecutor's
00:52:17.960 sentences. She demanded in court, actually, at first, she threatened to impose more restrictions
00:52:24.340 on me than to let me travel out of the country. And then she demanded that my lawyer acknowledge
00:52:28.560 her power to do that twice. And she was so upset about it. And the reason he had to answer that
00:52:34.200 question twice is because she cut him off again. And then at the end, when he was doing his reply,
00:52:38.540 just before we wrapped, she had to bring that up again, that she had to ask him twice to
00:52:42.360 acknowledge her authority that she could impose restrictions instead of easing them this is
00:52:48.180 someone who has some chip on their shoulder this is someone who still feels the need to prove
00:52:53.720 something and i think part of that is i'm the smartest in the court and i'm always right and
00:52:59.700 lawrence will you agree that i'm right you're the judge whatever you say goes you don't need his
00:53:05.360 permission he's gonna he's representing his client he's not here to to make you feel better what a
00:53:11.120 weird inferiority complex it's really weird and i'm allowed to say that because i live in a free
00:53:15.980 country and i'm here to say we will fight for you till the end now thank god we have the rebel army
00:53:22.120 at home thank god we have countless people who know that you didn't do anything wrong who look
00:53:29.640 up to you as someone who brought a message of hope and positivity during dark days who have
00:53:35.580 and this includes me, being impressed with your ability to keep your mind while all those around
00:53:42.840 you are losing theirs. It's like the Kipling poem, If. You know that poem? And you memorized a poem
00:53:49.840 in prison as well, Invictus, right? I am the captain of my fate, right? Is that the last line?
00:53:57.460 Yeah, I'm the captain of my soul, you betcha. I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my
00:54:02.720 soul. And I've always said from the beginning, you know, a judge can lock me in this beautiful
00:54:06.200 backyard and can lock me in my home, but she can never take my freedom away. My freedom comes from
00:54:10.860 God. Like stopping my mobility rights or denying me my mobility rights does not take my freedom
00:54:19.020 away. No matter how straight the gate, how charged with punishment the scroll, I am the captain of
00:54:28.220 my fate i am the master of my soul is that how it goes that's such a i get the chills with that
00:54:33.540 poem and it's about standing firm my head is bloody but unbound they have tried to bloody
00:54:42.300 you but you do not bend the knee that's why we love you you are such a rebel i am a rebel and i
00:54:48.880 and i need help to keep my commitment will you help me keep my commitment to tamara leach and
00:54:56.300 those commitments have three things. Number one, that we continue to pay your legal bills 0.76
00:55:02.880 throughout the appeal process and however long it takes. This may go to the Supreme Court of
00:55:08.500 Canada for all I know. I don't know if they would. The second commitment is that we continue to make
00:55:14.640 Rebel News a forum for you to share your views journalistically, your other ideas, your next
00:55:22.500 book is coming out which is exciting so for rebel news so there's some hornets here so rebel news
00:55:27.980 to continue to support you to allow you to let what's inside out to share the world because many
00:55:33.480 people want to hear it and see it and then the third commitment is to do no harm and i was a
00:55:40.780 little bit embarrassed in court because my journalistic and political views were dredged up
00:55:45.880 by the prosecutors and thrown at you and you yourself have conducted yourself in a very
00:55:52.720 professional and dignified way i'm a little bit more rambunctious towards this judge because that's
00:55:57.260 because i can't and so i want to do no harm and that's one of the reasons we're delaying
00:56:03.040 the publication of this video because if the judge were to see this she'd blow her stack
00:56:07.700 and we want things to work out for you as best as possible we've been very careful
00:56:12.880 um we've we've i remember once i accidentally said hey why don't you come for a bite uh because we
00:56:19.260 were in auto together and you reminded me i can't do that because i didn't clear in advance and by
00:56:24.020 the way that that's it's weird to have to always think oh i can't leave my home like like just
00:56:29.320 today i said let's just do a little interview in in a park yeah and you say as we can't do that
00:56:34.440 because it's not in uh approved and i forget like it changes you are not there's a lovely backyard
00:56:40.660 The weather's night, nice. Thank God you've got a backyard
00:56:43.660 and you're not in like a tiny apartment with me.
00:56:46.660 But still, prison is a psychological thing.
00:56:49.660 You know you can't leave. We're here with you.
00:56:53.660 I'm delighted that you've agreed to be on our board.
00:56:55.660 I'm very proud to call you a director of Rebel News,
00:56:58.660 and I hope you tell people that you're a director of Rebel News.
00:57:01.660 I will be telling everyone. I will be telling everyone.
00:57:03.660 And I'm here to bind our fate together with yours.
00:57:06.660 I regard you as a symbol.
00:57:08.660 you have lived what I've only talked about you are the one who has paid the price and for that
00:57:15.880 I will thank you and I will pledge our support to you as you have supported so many of us well
00:57:22.160 thank you and of course I mean thank you to yourself and to rebel and of course to all the
00:57:27.260 supporters who have made this possible um I I can't thank you enough for your generosity I know
00:57:33.440 that you know these are tough times and so every every donation really helps and makes a big
00:57:38.020 difference and it is not, um, taken for granted.
00:57:41.320 So thank you.
00:57:42.340 Well, it's great to see you and thank you for inviting us into your home.
00:57:46.460 And, uh, I am, I am really glad that you got a couple of grandchildren
00:57:50.260 hanging out with you because, you know, my friend, Mike Walker used to say,
00:57:53.500 grandchildren are the dessert of life.
00:57:55.960 And I always loved that phrase.
00:57:57.400 It's true.
00:57:57.900 It's true.
00:57:58.460 Yeah.
00:57:59.240 Like I said, there's a lot of things that I can be very thankful for.
00:58:03.040 And you know, that's the stuff that I focus on, not the things that I'm
00:58:06.360 being denied, but the things that I have.
00:58:08.020 right on thank you my friend thank you all right well tamara um we'll keep at it and we'll keep
00:58:15.500 supporting you and you'll keep doing great journalism and we're not going to let this get
00:58:20.740 us down absolutely and thank you so much ezra to you and everybody at rebel news this has just been
00:58:26.700 a huge honor for me as as i've said many times i started off as a fan and then i was a friend and
00:58:32.060 now i'm a part of a team and it's a huge honor for me so thank you so much well you're nice to
00:58:36.280 say that and uh we'll keep at it and i know that you you've really made friends with a lot of our
00:58:42.460 staff our reporters our behind the scenes people so it's i it's been a wonderful experience for us
00:58:47.400 and i want to say a special thank you to all the donors at home because we had to put together not
00:58:51.780 just a salary for you but also we had to hire a producer to support your work and there's travel
00:58:57.920 and there's even security when you and i did an event the other day we had two mountains uh security
00:59:03.260 guards and that's what it's going to be because i hate to say it some bad guys would would actually
00:59:07.460 wish you harm so we can't let that happen great to see you my friend thanks for taking the time
00:59:11.560 with us today and look forward to seeing you at the next rebel event take care all right there
00:59:16.540 she is tamara leach outstanding member of the rebel news team and now a member of our board
00:59:22.060 of directors that's our show for the day until next time on behalf of us at rebel news here
00:59:28.820 at our headquarters and around the world.
00:59:31.000 Good night, and keep fighting for freedom.