00:00:18.560in their own government. I'm Sheila Gunn-Reed and you're watching The Gunn Show.
00:00:30.000I say that processes and structures are put in place for a reason. If you are willing and ready to come and provide a healthy conversation that is positive and not so toxic, then yeah, everybody is welcome.
00:00:54.340Co-chair of the M&S Ethics Committee, Brennan Marasty, says online debates have shifted from discussion to toxic attacks on employees.
00:01:17.980Marasty says he believes it was the right decision.
00:01:20.520And as a government, I stand by our decision and the support of our staff to protect and be safe and feel safe because they continue to work around the clock.
00:01:30.760Online, many posts question why M&S is spending money on legal notices against its own citizens instead of investing in them.
00:01:38.960Marasty says this does not take away from the services and support the nation provides.
00:01:43.660We have budgets set aside for delivery of programs and services and nothing has been halted or affected by this process.
00:01:52.220We continue to deliver the real results for our citizens across the board and we will continue to do that while we deal with the legal matters at hand.
00:02:08.080She says the letters create barriers for citizens who want to be meaningfully involved in their government and ask tough questions of leaders.
00:02:16.500And to create more barriers through the legal process is hard.
00:02:20.900You know, a lot of Indigenous people do not have the extra funds or money or even desire to want to fight more systems and to hire legal when we're raising kids and we're trying to be entrepreneurs and we're trying to just survive.
00:02:41.160He says this is unfair to youth who want to become involved with the nation.
00:02:45.580To tell us to sit at home and to not be able to experience the ideals of our government but to watch live stream and to tell my children that they can't participate and they can't come with me.
00:06:20.220I'm from a First Nation community in southern Saskatchewan.
00:06:22.820I've lived here my entire life, University of Saskatchewan alumni.
00:06:26.900My background is in political science with a proficiency in Indigenous governance.
00:06:32.020So a lot of my career was first and foremost in government.
00:06:35.280I worked for a conservative MP from Saskatchewan for over six years
00:06:39.000and then wanted to take that experience of knowing the inside and outside of government into political advocacy.
00:06:45.120So I've been kind of a fierce voice in the Indigenous realm for breaking down the barriers for Indigenous people to exist in whatever political camp they see fit.
00:06:56.580And then also strengthening governance.
00:06:58.760So a lot of my work now is revitalizing nations and getting us into a place of long-term sustainability, prosperity, and, you know, self-reliance.
00:07:07.860That's a big thing is to get out of that cycle of relying on government.
00:07:12.080And, yeah, so that's where a lot of my advocacy has been.
00:07:15.560And it hasn't been a smooth ride, but it's been a ride nonetheless.
00:07:18.320Yeah, it sounds to me like you have some expertise in Indigenous governance and, I think, in accountability and sort of what needs to happen to get certain First Nations to a certain level of self-sustainability.
00:07:53.260But for me personally, a lot of my takes are rooted in ensuring that we're taking the capacity that the federal government is giving us and actually legitimately creating long-term sustainable solutions.
00:08:05.820So when I'm observing government structures that are almost creating more, you know, self-reliance or whatever it might be, that's kind of where my focus goes.
00:08:13.760And then when I start noticing, you know, that high-level corruption, that's what, like, really, the light bulb goes on.
00:08:21.960Because in our systems, there's so much that people don't understand.
00:08:25.740And it's very easy for people to say, oh, there's corruption, there's mismanagement.
00:08:29.600But a lot of the time, it's just dealing with crappy systems.
00:08:45.560And that's where the alarm bell started going off for me because I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa.
00:08:48.920A CEO in an Indigenous governance is already unique in itself because that's not typical in government structures, in federal politics, provincial politics, and Indigenous government.
00:08:59.480So I'm like, whoa, whoa, whoa, a CEO? Like, this isn't a corporation.
00:09:03.220And, you know, I had seen their press conference.
00:09:05.580I had seen their statements where they were, you know, being told that they had allegedly harassed the CEO.
00:09:11.480Their complaints against him were unfounded, but his were upheld.
00:09:23.840Because they used to be under third-party management because when a government can't manage themselves, the federal government essentially comes in, allegedly, in my opinion, to help you manage yourself.
00:09:35.220And this guy was working on the government side of things.
00:09:38.400And then before you know it, he's the CEO.
00:11:16.380It's very interesting because First Nations is a lot different.
00:11:21.300I hear a lot of conversations where people say, you know, Justin Trudeau did get rid of the Transparency Act.
00:11:26.000I would caution on that by saying that there are still, you know, almost like safety measures in place so that nation members aren't taken advantage of.
00:11:35.280A lot of nations still submit their audits, but also the funding is so heavily regulated that if your reports aren't done, the funding is cut off.
00:11:42.780ISC does still have that magnifying glass on nations.
00:11:46.280Granted, it's more bureaucratic now than it's ever been.
00:11:52.160So we're kind of going off of what we can see.
00:11:55.620And it's a little bit more tricky because it almost seems like they're not even under, in my opinion, as much scrutiny as First Nations are.
00:12:03.900So it's almost like this body that a lot of people aren't paying much attention to.
00:12:15.960But the federal government is funding them to the tune of over $100 million a year.
00:12:20.600And it doesn't seem like many people are paying attention to that.
00:12:23.280So that's where my questions came in is, like, how are they managed?
00:12:26.240How is the federal government ensuring safe barriers in there so that it's not mismanaged, it's not misused, so there's no corruption or fraud or any of those things?
00:12:35.480But I didn't see as much heavy scrutiny on them as I do with nations.
00:12:41.340So how does the governance structure work?
00:12:45.700You know, is it, you know, like voting, like municipal elections?
00:12:49.400How do you find out who, how do you determine who's in charge?
00:12:54.300Well, that's a really, that's a really good question, because that brings us back to the conversation around the CEO.
00:13:09.320There was just an election that took place this spring where they are trying to advance themselves as a government.
00:13:14.180But then you're seeing elected officials suspended from the table indefinitely until they apologize to a CEO.
00:13:20.000So the CEO holds a lot of centralized power, in my opinion, and he's able to make those decisions.
00:13:25.520And that's where a lot of the questions come in, because CEOs are not typical in government structures.
00:13:30.220So it's also new for us, and we're like, how do we actually ensure there's transparency when you can put that power into the hands of somebody like a CEO or a COO at the top and then hide behind the cloak of don't attack employees, don't attack private citizens, but they're playing central roles.
00:13:48.240Right. From what I can understand, outside looking in, they're sort of trying to make this a workplace harassment issue, when it's simply people wanting to know where all the money's going.
00:14:01.800What sort of sent off red flags, you know, about the finances for you?
00:14:08.540One of the biggest red flags was when my regional representative told me that she has not been privy to his contract.
00:14:15.640So that was a major red flag for me when I'm like, you mean to tell me that you're sitting at the governance table as a member of the PMC, which is the Prevental Metis Council, as a former minister in that self-government, as a regional representative, and she is not privy to that contract.
00:14:30.960She cannot look me in the face and tell me how much money that CEO makes a year.
00:14:35.540I understand that there are certain contracts and public employees, you know, that are, you know, I was, I'm a civil public servant that my salary was not public, but it wasn't a lot of money.
00:14:44.880But we know when you're a CEO, you're at the top level.
00:14:48.040And not only that, when I read the motion that was passed a couple months ago, stating that he is being given a payout because of those harassment allegations, that is published on their website as a motion to pay him out a settlement regarding those harassment allegations.
00:16:09.580I think that this, their hope was that this would scare people enough to silence them.
00:16:14.180You know, I am privileged in the fact that I come with a lot of knowledge and expertise in governance.
00:16:18.920So it's really easy for me to debunk a lot of the arguments that are coming in, like saying, oh, don't harass a public citizen or a private citizen.
00:16:25.820But, I mean, you have a CEO in your government.
00:16:31.480It's easy to kind of dismantle some of that.
00:16:33.980But for me, it is concerning because there are a lot of conversations around Indigenous governance where there's the non-Indigenous people that are scared to ask questions because we've created this culture of it's going against reconciliation.
00:16:50.060When you point fingers, you ask questions.
00:16:52.500But the corruption can almost breed in those type of environments that we're creating.
00:16:57.780So I also feel a sense of responsibility where it's like, well, you know, as an Indigenous person and someone that's, you know, paved my own way through life, I put myself through school.
00:17:07.160You know, there's never been handouts.
00:17:10.640I almost feel this sense of responsibility to be one of the ones that comes in and says, whoa, whoa, whoa, this is actually not right.
00:17:17.160Here is not only the questions I'm asking, but I want to give everyone the tools to ask those questions so that not only we have governance structures that function, but we also can be proud of what we're putting out there publicly that the rest of Canada and taxpayers are watching.
00:17:32.420Because right now it's it's embarrassing.
00:20:09.360But now at this level, I'm treated like a criminal.
00:20:11.980And I also would ask, is everyone that's involved in your governance structure also able to pass a security clearance?
00:20:17.640Have they, if they were to move to the federal government structure?
00:20:19.820That's a question I'd be willing to ask.
00:20:21.640Well, and, you know, just getting back to the cease and desist letters, they aren't cheap.
00:20:27.280You know, in the course of work, I work, you know, with lawyers quite a fair bit.
00:20:31.980And, you know, lawyers, every little bit of their time costs money.
00:20:38.440And to send out, like, dozens and dozens of cease and desist letters, that's a lot of money.
00:20:49.260And, you know, when you're asking questions about where's all the money going, and then they waste a bunch of money paying lawyers to shut people up, it only poses more questions.
00:20:58.760Especially because it goes down to the conversation, you know, I know the Minister of Ethics or Justice or Self-Determination, whatever the name is today that's being used.
00:21:10.340He was recorded on AP10 saying, you know, no programs have been affected by this.
00:21:15.660And it's like, well, like, if you take money from one place and spend it, it's less money that you have.
00:21:20.420Like, that's just simple math at this point.
00:21:22.560But also, it's the infamous, well, we're still helping people.
00:22:42.100And it's also ensuring that when these types of things happen, we don't back down easily because people are watching and they want to know that there's safety and there's a path forward for using your voice in these instances.
00:22:53.320And taking on that piece of self-responsibility where it's like, as Indigenous people, we have a responsibility to be holding these people accountable.
00:22:59.940And then the second piece is for the non-Indigenous people to not alienate us during this time.
00:23:07.260You know, there's a lot of stereotypes out there.
00:23:09.680There's a lot of things that people have legitimate questions on.
00:23:16.980We are your, you know, we're a part of your same society and we want the exact same things you do.
00:23:21.860So, I'm asking, you know, don't come with the racist hammer and thinking we're all bad people because we're not.
00:23:27.300There's some of us that are fighting for that accountability and transparency and we need that allyship right now.
00:23:33.460And, yeah, it's just watch carefully the ones that are being silenced and what that looks like and, you know, make the connections back to the government too because the government does play a role.
00:23:54.280So, just paying attention to kind of all the moving pieces and don't think it's just immune to our little fight internally, it always connects back to other government structures, almost always.
00:24:46.220I know I just had a thread on Twitter about this that that's really the only thing that's going to fix this is when we start getting back to good values and raising our kids to be respectful and follow the law.
00:25:34.760Like, I often wonder whether or not they think what I've said publicly is all that I know about this situation because I'm a very thorough person and my DMs are a wild ride.
00:25:46.100And I know, you know, there's been talk that I've even been discussed at that table, allegedly.
00:25:50.340And, you know, there's been accusations that I'm even working for the women that have been suspended from the table and I'm hired by them.
00:25:58.320And I would love to challenge that legally.
00:25:59.800But it's okay, apparently, on other people's fronts to say whatever they want to, except for us on the bottom.
00:26:05.460So now, Jennifer, I know you do this basically of the love of transparency and accountability.
00:26:12.140Is there a way that people can support what you're doing or learn more about what you're doing?
00:26:18.280Yeah, I guess just, you know, take the time, take the time to listen to our videos and our posts.
00:26:24.560I know, you know, some of these people are new to the media realm and they're new to the communications realm that some of their posts, you know, it might not seem as structured and as to the point because they're new, right?
00:26:37.740Like some of these people are new to talking about government and what it looks like to exist in government spaces.
00:26:41.980So give us grace, give us patience, and don't just listen to the loudest voices.
00:26:46.620You know, there's some smaller guys out there that are really trying to paint some accountability across government structures.
00:26:55.780And also make sure that people are listening to the media outlets exactly like yourself and APTN and some of the ones that are willing to hear us out because people automatically go to mainstream media waiting for the legitimacy and thinking that mainstream media are the ones that are going to provide that.
00:27:11.340But we're being threatened legally and we're being silenced and mainstream media has been nowhere to be found.
00:27:18.400Yeah, I think at the end of the day, as Canadians, we all want the same thing by and large.
00:27:24.120I think we all want, well, most of us want smaller government and smaller government, my dog, smaller government that is more accountable to the people that they are supposed to serve, that they should serve the people and not themselves.
00:27:37.380And I think that that goes across all backgrounds.
00:27:43.260Well, Jennifer, thank you so much for speaking with me.
00:27:45.720And thank you for being brave enough to keep talking even when people want to shut you up.
00:27:57.240As regular viewers know, the last portion of the show belongs to you.
00:28:01.180That's why I give you my email address right now.
00:28:03.100I want to know what you thought about my interview with Jennifer Lewitz and what you think about transparency in all government, not just Indigenous government and the people's right to know what their government is doing behind closed doors.
00:28:19.760Or if the government should have a right to close the doors to the people that they work on behalf of.
00:28:31.980Put gun show letters in the subject line so I know why you're emailing me.
00:28:35.780And you might just see your email read on air.
00:28:38.500Now, speaking of the government trying to silence people, I don't know if you saw this week, but our Rebel News alumnus, who is now over at Tijuno slash countersignal, Kian Bexty, he got a threat.
00:28:55.440And he is being investigated by Elections Canada for his reporting during the writ period, particularly on Thomas Keeper, a Liberal candidate in Calgary.
00:29:12.940Take a listen to the video that Kian published about what's happening to him.
00:29:22.900I just received the letter from the government, from the Office of Canada's Election Commissioner, informing me that I'm being investigated for my reporting during Canada's 45th general election.
00:29:35.480The stories in question detail the alleged history of Thomas Keeper, someone you probably know of by now.
00:29:40.980He's the now fired Liberal candidate for Calgary Confederation.
00:29:45.560Juno News worked diligently to ensure the accuracy of what we published, and nothing then or now undermines its truth.
00:29:51.240We went above and beyond to ensure that we were reporting facts that were in the public interest.
00:29:56.880We not only gave the Liberal candidate, Thomas Keeper, chance after chance to answer very troubling allegations, he refused.
00:30:04.240I even hand-delivered an envelope with our questions to his office, and instead of responding, he called the police on me and lied, accusing me of assault.
00:30:14.120Now, the entire encounter was recorded, caught on camera, and the video makes it abundantly clear that his allegation was false, and within hours of our publication, what do you know, the Liberal Party fired him.
00:30:26.380Some Conservatives wished that we had waited, that our newsroom had held the story until after the nomination, so that Keeper would be stuck on the ballot after the nomination deadline, and it would secure the seat for Conservatives.
00:30:38.080But journalism is not about party strategy, it's about informing the public, during an election, no less, and that's what we did.
00:30:45.620Now, Mark Carney, he's furious, and he's using an authoritarian law implemented by Justin Trudeau to investigate me for the crime of reporting news that humiliated the Liberal Party of Canada.
00:30:55.840In Iran, I'd be executed for embarrassing the regime.
00:30:58.900In North Korea, I'd be sent to a labor camp.
00:31:00.960In China, I'd be carted off to some off-the-book black site and never heard from again.
00:31:05.280And in Canada, in Canada, I'm threatened with up to five years in federal prison and a devastating $50,000 fine.
00:31:13.840I don't know how long this fight will last, or if I'll be in prison by this time next year, but I do know this.
00:31:19.300If it goes to trial, I will take it to the Supreme Court of Canada.
00:31:21.840And those justices, six of nine who were appointed by Justin Trudeau, will be forced to declare once and for all whether freedom of the press still exists in this country.
00:31:30.840A more complete picture of this investigation, including the commissioner's letter that I just read, will be published at defendjuno.com.
00:31:37.720You can read it for yourself. It's all there.
00:31:39.560So, some of you may know that I am also the president of the Independent Press Gallery of Canada.
00:31:44.020I am tasked with doing what I can to advocate on behalf of independent journalists and in the name of freedom of the press.
00:31:54.300Wherever a journalist is hassled or censored, I try to do what I can to advance their rights.
00:32:03.060And so, I just want to read to you what we wrote at the Independent Press Gallery in defense of Kian Bextie.
00:32:11.760And I should tell you that I have been investigated by Elections Alberta for the crime of writing a book and then publishing it during the writ period.
00:32:25.940And I was investigated because to promote the book, I had lawn signs that said Stop Notley.
00:32:31.360The book was called Stop Notley, but they tried to say that that was an election finance violation instead of a marketing campaign for a book.
00:32:41.360So, I know what Kian's going through here.
00:32:45.200We said at the Independent Press Gallery that the Independent Press Gallery of Canada condemns the criminal investigation launched against journalists Kian Bextie and Juneau News under Section 91.1 of the Canada Elections Act.
00:32:57.440Bextie is facing potential charges for his reporting on Liberal candidate Thomas Keeper, reporting that was sourced, corroborated, and followed by the Liberal Party itself, dropping Keeper from the ballot.
00:33:11.800They don't seem to be suing Kian for the substance of his claims.
00:33:19.860They are suing him or threatening to investigate him, I'm sorry, for the timing of his reporting.
00:33:28.060When are you supposed to report on the Liberal candidate in the election except in the election?
00:33:34.620Section 91.1 has already been ruled unconstitutional by Ontario courts and condemned as vague, unnecessary, and dangerous to free expression.
00:33:47.480Using it against independent media is censorship by prosecution and a chilling threat to democracy itself.
00:33:54.040This case is part of a disturbing pattern.
00:33:56.700In the 2025 election campaign, it was rife with targeting of independent journalists by the Liberal Party and its leader, Mark Carney.
00:34:05.180Journalists from independent outlets, including Juneau News, were repeatedly barred from Carney's press conferences, where police were even used to keep reporters from asking questions.
00:34:13.040Now, post-election victory, the Liberal government is escalating from exclusion to criminalization through the abuse of an overreaching and purposefully murky law.
00:34:22.580The IPG stands with Juneau News, censorship by prosecution cannot be allowed to replace accountability.
00:35:00.800Now, I wanted to see what you guys were saying about what's happening to Kian.
00:35:04.880So, I went over to the comment section on the interview that Ezra did on his show, as I'm recording this Wednesday, so I think it was on Tuesday's show.
00:35:45.800Yeah, Kian tried to put what he had to Mr. Keeper, as is your responsibility as a journalist.
00:35:58.740If you are making allegations against someone, you need to give them the right to respond.
00:36:03.880And Kian did that, but instead of responding, Mr. Keeper engaged in what I would suggest is a waste of police resources and a false claim of assault.
00:36:28.940Well, I'd like to see what evidence you have.
00:36:31.440Alpha Skeptic says the voting public needs to know the facts about those who run for election.
00:36:36.920Unlike the mainstream media, Rebel, Juno, Kian, and other independents work hard to provide the information that informed electors need to cast their votes.
00:36:44.460And again, if Keeper didn't do the things, whatever it is that Kian says that he was doing, whatever it is that anybody says that he was doing, when someone gives you the right to respond, now's your chance.
00:36:57.820You can't say they said things about me and didn't give me the right to respond.
00:37:04.880Kian gave him a right to respond, which would protect him from any defamation lawsuit, which is why they're not suing him for defamation.
00:38:00.320Another Calgary businessman who has had intimate dinner conversations with Keeper told Juno News the subject of the Liberal candidate's marriage came up so often that he finally challenged him.
00:38:09.280She complains about him forcing himself on her.
00:38:15.920Additional accounts from former associates described a public incident where Keeper's behavior turned violent.
00:38:23.940These allegations, among others, detailing verbal abuse and disregard for consent paint a picture of a candidate whose private conduct stands in stark contrast to the image he projected on the campaign trail.
00:38:33.680In the wake of Juno's report, Thomas Keeper withdrew his candidacy.
00:38:40.600Juno reached out to the Liberal Party for clarification regarding their vetting process.
00:38:46.600And the report is based on direct recorded interviews and corroborated firsthand testimony.
00:38:53.400Any allegations remain unproven in a court of law.
00:38:58.720Kian did reach out to Thomas Keeper directly, and he chose to instead file a false police report.
00:39:05.760So, and now, since that didn't work, the Liberal Party is using Elections Canada to go after Kian.
00:39:14.520And this is just a pattern of abuse and behavior of those in charge to use the systems before them against the people asking the questions.
00:39:25.480And if you want to support Kian Bexty and Juno News, you can go to defendjuno.com, because I believe he's going to need a little bit of help.
00:39:37.100Well, everybody, that's the show for tonight.