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Court challenge to Trudeau’s suspension of Parliament could result in early election

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From LifeSiteNews

By Clare Marie Merkowsky

Canadians file legal challenge against Trudeau’s suspension of Parliament

Canadians have filed a legal challenge after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suspended Parliament to give the Liberal Party time to select a new leader. 

On January 7, the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) announced it would provide lawyers to David MacKinnon and Aris Lavranos, two Canadian men challenging the legality of Trudeau’s prorogation of Parliament until March 24.  

“The decision was not made in furtherance of Parliamentary business or the business of government, but in service of the interests of the LPC [Liberal Party of Canada],” the court application stated. 

On Monday, Trudeau made the historic announcement that he was stepping down as Prime Minister and Liberal leader. He also revealed his plan to prorogue until March 24, blocking a non-confidence vote that would bring about an election.   

During his speech, Trudeau lists the reasons for the suspension as first to “reset” Parliament and second to allow the Liberal Party time to select a new leader. 

The legal challenge questioned why a prorogation is necessary and not a short recess, especially when all major political parties have promised to vote for a non-confidence motion that would trigger an election and the “reset” that Trudeau promised.  

“No explanation was provided as to why a prorogation of almost three months is needed,” the press release pointed out. “No explanation was provided as to why the Liberal Party of Canada ought to be entitled to such a lengthy prorogation simply so it can hold an internal leadership race.” 

The court application further pointed to a 2019 ruling by the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, which found that then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson had prorogued Parliament unlawfully “as a means of avoiding Parliamentary scrutiny over the government’s ‘Brexit’ negotiations concerning the departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union.” 

“In all of the circumstances surrounding it, the [prorogation] has the effect of frustrating or preventing, without reasonable justification, the ability of Parliament to carry out its constitutional functions as a legislature and as the body responsible for the supervision of the executive, particularly insofar as it relates to Parliament’s ability to deal quickly and decisively with especially pressing issues, such as the situation caused by President-Elect Trump’s stated intention to impose a 25% tariff on all goods entering the United States from Canada,” the court document argues. 

If the legal challenge succeeds, Parliament could resume as early as January 27, at which time there would likely be a non-confidence vote to trigger an early election.  

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National

BC politician’s car set on fire just days after speaking out against church arsons

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From LifeSiteNews

By Clare Marie Merkowsky

British Columbia Conservative candidate Gwen O’Mahony says her car was deliberately set on fire just days after she gave an interview condemning church burnings across Canada.

Just days after condemning the slew of church burnings that have occurred across Canada in recent years, a British Columbia politican’s car was set ablaze in a seeming act of arson.

On February 11, former B.C. member of the legislative assembly (MLA) Gwen O’Mahony said she received a call from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) that her car had been deliberately set on fire, just days after she condemned the growing number of church burnings in the nation since 2021. O’Mahony served as an MLA for the left-wing New Democratic Party before switching her party affiliation and running as a candidate for the B.C. Conservatives. 

“My car was deliberately set on fire just after my interview on church arsons aired,” O’Mahony posted on X. “The RCMP are investigating as an act of arson.” 

 

The arsonist had reportedly stacked wood under the back of her car and then set it on fire. One of O’Mahony’s neighbours noticed the fire and called 911. Firefighters arrived and were able to extinguish the flames before they reached the gas tank. 

“This was deliberate. There’s no way it was an accident,” O’Mahony told the Northern Beat. “As soon as I walked down there, the RCMP officer looked at me, and she says, ‘So do you have any enemies?’ 

“I said, ‘Well, I’m a BC Conservative, so I imagine I have quite a few.’” 

The alleged arson attack came just a couple days after O’Mahony was interviewed by Rebel News regarding her views on the recent church burnings in Canada.  

During the interview, O’Mahony condemned the 33 church burnings across Canada as an “anti-Christian hate crime.” Later, she pointed out that anti-Christian hate is rampant on social media, with users saying “things they would never post if, let’s say, for example, they were talking about… Islam or Sikhism.” 

Despite the attack on O’Mahony’s car, she says she is committed to continuing to speak out.

“A minority of extremists are pushing a weird agenda, and a lot of us are just getting sick of it,” she declared. “This woman is sick of it. This woman is not shutting up.” 

Conservative Party Leader John Rustad responded to the alleged arson, offering his sympathies to O’Mahony and thanking her for her pro-Christian work.  

“Gwen, I am so deeply angered to hear about this arson attack,” he wrote on X. “Thank you for the work you’ve done to highlight hate crimes that occurred against Christians when Churches were burnt down all across BC & Canada.” 

“I’m proud of BC Conservatives like Gwen who refuse to be intimidated!” he declared.  

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U.S. Seizes Fentanyl Shipment From Canada In Seattle, As Washington Pressures Ottawa on Crime Networks

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Sam Cooper

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers have intercepted a shipment containing more than one pound of fentanyl from Canada, marking the latest sign of an accelerating crisis along the BC-Washington border. The fentanyl, concealed within a package believed to have originated in British Columbia, was discovered during a targeted enforcement operation at a Seattle shipping facility on February 6.

The package contained a brown, rock-like substance wrapped in plastic bags. Subsequent testing confirmed it was fentanyl, the synthetic opioid driving tens of thousands of overdose deaths in North America each year.

Area Port Director Rene Ortega, speaking about the seizure, underscored its broader implications. “Fentanyl is an extremely dangerous synthetic drug that continues to devastate communities across the United States,” Ortega said. “CBP remains committed to using every available tool to stop these lethal substances before they reach our streets.”

The latest seizure is part of an escalating pattern that has prompted increasingly aggressive responses from Washington. President Donald Trump has warned of sweeping tariffs in the coming weeks unless Ottawa delivers a credible, actionable plan to crack down on transnational crime networks driving fentanyl production. These networks—operating primarily out of British Columbia—are deeply entrenched with organized crime groups from China and Mexico.

The Bureau has reported extensively on Washington’s mounting frustration with Canada’s handling of the fentanyl crisis. BC Mayor Brad West, who has been in direct communication with senior U.S. officials, has described an urgent shift in tone from American law enforcement and intelligence agencies. In a high-level 2023 meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, West was briefed on just how seriously Washington views Canada’s role in the illicit drug trade.

“This is no longer just a Canadian domestic issue,” West told The Bureau. “Secretary Blinken made it clear that the Biden administration sees fentanyl as an existential threat. They’re building a global coalition and need Canada fully on board. If we don’t show real progress, the U.S. will protect itself by any means—tariffs or otherwise.”

Concerns extend beyond law enforcement. According to multiple sources with direct knowledge of U.S. intelligence assessments, American agencies have begun withholding key evidence from their Canadian counterparts, citing a lack of confidence that Ottawa will act on it. West confirmed that in his ongoing discussions with senior U.S. officials, they have voiced alarm over the level of access major figures in Asian organized crime appear to have within Canada’s political class.

“They’re basically asking, ‘What’s going on in Canada?’” West said.

The frustration is not new. For years, U.S. and international law enforcement agencies have sought to curb the transnational reach of organizations like Sam Gor, the powerful Asian organized crime syndicate that dominates much of the fentanyl precursor supply chain. But Canada’s response has been widely seen as inadequate. Critics argue that political sensitivities and reluctance to confront entrenched criminal networks have left Canadian law enforcement hamstrung.

The question now is whether Ottawa will take decisive action. Bringing forward measures as sweeping as a RICO-style anti-mafia statute or invoking the notwithstanding clause to bypass legal obstacles to tougher enforcement would represent a sharp departure from the status quo. Both approaches would require confronting entrenched political, legal and economic interests, as well as explaining why existing laws have failed to secure convictions against the most powerful actors in organized crime.

West believes the shifting geopolitical landscape may force Ottawa’s hand. Washington’s patience, he warns, ran thin years ago—and the U.S. is now signaling it will no longer wait.

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