U.S. senator sounds alarm over Bill C-9: Canada is becoming less free
Oklahoma Senator Shane Jett is warning that Canada’s Bill C-9 could end religious freedom and basic free expression, particularly for Christians, across the country.
Jett argues the legislation could criminalize good-faith expression of religious beliefs on issues including marriage, sexuality and gender, pointing to the treatment of former B.C. school trustee Barry Neufeld — who was fined nearly $1 million for opposing SOGI curriculum — as a warning sign. Keep reading.
Carney government considers EU-style youth corps
The Carney government is exploring the creation of a Canadian “civic corps” modelled on the European Union’s Solidarity Corps to train young Canadians for “nation-building projects”.
The proposal comes after Ottawa spent $204.4 million on the Canada Service Corps, a program that a government evaluation found few young Canadians or charities were even familiar with. Focus-group participants raised concerns about the cost, effectiveness and bureaucracy of another federally funded youth program, while some questioned whether participation could eventually become mandatory. Keep reading.
Parental rights group endorses 12 school trustee candidates
Durham parental rights organization Back2Basics has endorsed 12 candidates for trustee in the upcoming municipal election, six each for the public and Catholic school boards. The group says its candidates must support six core values, including parental rights, educational achievement and a greater emphasis on academics over what it describes as ideological teaching. Co-founder Rob Cornish says the organization wants to elect trustees capable of bringing “common sense” and greater parental input back into the school system. Keep reading.
Stelco owner fires back at Carney
Cleveland-Cliffs CEO Lourenco Goncalves is pushing back against PM Carney’s threat to use “all powers” available to Ottawa after Stelco announced plans to idle part of its Hamilton operation and lay off 350 workers.
Goncalves says the company’s 2024 purchase of Stelco was based on being able to freely export Canadian steel to the United States. Keep reading.
Carney’s high-speed rail could cost $113 billion
Carney’s proposed Alto high-speed rail network could cost as much as $113 billion, according to a new Parliamentary Budget Officer analysis, which exceeds Ottawa’s previous $90-billion upper estimate.
The roughly 1,000-kilometre Toronto-to-Quebec City line has yet to begin construction, and the PBO warns that the final bill could rise further depending on the route, tunnelling requirements and other engineering challenges. The Conservatives and Canadian Taxpayers Federation are now calling for the project to be scrapped over its escalating price tag. Keep reading.
