National
Ontario city councillor could face thousands in legal fees after opposing ‘pride’ flag, drag shows
Pickering City Councillor Lisa Robinson
From LifeSiteNews
Pickering City Councillor Lisa Robinson could be ‘on the hook for over $20,000 in legal fees, and possibly $50,000 more if she loses’ her legal battle.
An Ontario city councillor who opposed the LGBT agenda was in court last Wednesday, when she was told she faces the possibility of being on the hook for more than $20,000 in legal fees and another $50,000 if she is not successful in her case against the against the Pickering City Council.
As noted in a legal update sent to LifeSiteNews by one of her advocates, former Conservative Party of Canada MP Derek Sloan, a judge required Pickering City Councillor Lisa Robinson and the “other side to settle on costs during the day” in court.
As noted by Sloan, “While Lisa made a reasonable offer, the other side — even though enough trial had passed to know their case is certainly not a slam dunk, they stuck to their claim for $50,000 in costs — if they win.”
“It could be they have instructions to stick it to Lisa, even if it means losing more on their side if they lose. It’s only taxpayer money after all,” he added.
Robinson is under two judicial reviews because of two integrity commissioner reports against her along with sanctions made to her from her city council.
She had applied for the judicial reviews earlier in the year. One was against the City of Pickering and the other against Principles Integrity, which investigated her after complaints were made and then said she needed disciplinary measures. Robinson is looking to have the court toss out the report and penalties that were brought against her.
Both reviews are now combined and are being overseen by three superior court judges in an Oshawa divisional court. The judges have yet to present their full findings.
LifeSiteNews reported last year that Robinson, who is a single mother, was given a 60-day pay suspension after an investigation into allegations that she advocated for “homophobic” and “transphobic” motions.
On October 23, 2023, the Pickering City Council unanimously voted to suspend Robinson’s pay over her motions opposing LGBT ideology.
Robinson came under fire after a May 15, 2023, meeting at the Durham District School Board during which she announced that she intended to propose motions banning drag queen shows and pride parades if children were present and forbidding flying the “Pride” flag on city premises.
Robinson had advocated for separate washrooms and change rooms for both men and women while having a universal space for both genders to use, citing safety concerns from the community over the situation.
Sloan noted that Robinson could be “on the hook for over $20,000 in legal fees, and possibly $50,000 more if she loses.”
Councillor’s lawyer says city trying to censor her
Robinson’s lawyer, Michael Alexander, noted as per Sloan that “all of this is clearly an attempt just to censor Lisa, and handcuff her ability to do her job.”
Sloan noted that Alexander in court made the main arguments regarding freedom of expression.
“He argued that we have a fundamental right in this country to express a minority or dissenting opinion on any issue, especially on matters of public importance that relate to government,” Sloan said.
Sloan pointed out that Alexander said, “Look what they’re doing here is saying we get a right to penalize you because we find your motions disagreeable, or offensive or they don’t jive with our own opinions and views.”
“That is clearly forbidden in Canada and I’m trying to get legal recognition for that fact.”
Sloan noted that Alexander has observed that “all of this is clearly an attempt just to censor Lisa and handcuff her ability to do her job. Many people have told me this is just a way to punish her for standing up for her beliefs.”
From the Fraser Institute
By Ben Eisen and Milagros Palacios
Hiring by the federal government in excess of population growth cost taxpayers $7.5 billion in 2022/23.
The federal workforce has grown more rapidly than the Canadian population starting in 2015/16, imposing significant costs on taxpayers, finds a new study published by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think tank.
Federal government employment has grown significantly faster than the Canadian population starting in 2015/16, and we’re already seeing the consequences,” said Ben Eisen, senior fellow at the Fraser Institute and author of Growing Government Workforce Puts Pressure on Federal Finances, the first in a series of studies on federal reform.
The study finds that between 2015/16 and 2022/23, the latest year of data available, the number of full-time federal workers has increased by 26.1 per cent compared to growth in the overall Canadian population of 9.1 per cent.
“Growth in federal employment has almost tripled the rate of population growth since 2015/16, which is simply unsustainable” commented Eisen.
How much will this growth in government cost Canadian taxpayers?
According to the study, if federal hiring had simply kept pace with the rate of Canada’s population growth taxpayers would have saved $7.5 billion.
The reduced spending on federal employees would lower the federal deficit, which is expected to exceed $35.3 billion in 2022/23.
“The growth in the number of federal employees has been a major contributor to the growth in federal government spending and the size of deficits in recent years,” Eisen said.
- The Canadian federal government workforce has grown more rapidly than the Canadian population starting in 2015/16, imposing significant costs on taxpayers.
- In fact, between 2015/16 and 2022/23, the latest year of data available, the number of full-time federal government workers has increased by 26.1 per cent, compared to growth in the overall Canadian population of 9.1 per cent.
- If federal hiring had simply kept pace with the rate of Canada’s population growth taxpayers would have saved $7.5 billion.
- The reduced spending on federal employees would lower the federal deficit, which is expected to exceed $35.3 billion in 2022/23.
Ben Eisen
Milagros Palacios
After years of mocking Trump and betting on a woke Washington, Trudeau now finds himself groveling to save Canada’s economy from MAGA’s hardball tactics.
Justin Trudeau has spent years mocking and deriding the MAGA movement, banking on a continuation of woke, progressive leadership in Washington. He bet everything on a Kamala Harris presidency, believing the days of Donald Trump’s America-first agenda were a distant memory. Now, with Trump back in office, Trudeau finds himself groveling at Mar-a-Lago, trying to salvage what’s left of Canada’s crumbling economic future.
This is the same Justin Trudeau who painted MAGA as a dangerous fringe movement, aligning himself with global elites and lecturing Americans on their supposed moral failings. He openly scoffed at Trump’s tariffs, his immigration policies, and his tough-on-China stance. Trudeau’s bet? That a Democrat-controlled America would reward his sycophantic pandering with favorable trade deals and continued subsidies for his progressive fantasies.
But Trudeau’s gamble failed. Trump is back, and Trudeau’s entire house of cards is collapsing. Canada’s economy, propped up by unfair trade advantages and U.S. energy consumption, is suddenly exposed. The 25% tariff threat on Canadian imports has Trudeau scrambling, not with bold leadership, but with empty promises and nervous laughter at Mar-a-Lago.
In a moment of pure irony, Trudeau, who once lectured Trump about values, now finds himself kneeling to kiss the ring. MAGA, what? Gone is the smug defiance, replaced by desperate platitudes about border security and economic cooperation. But let’s be clear: Trudeau isn’t there to protect Canadian interests; he’s there to save face. His government is woefully unprepared for Trump’s hardball tactics, and the Prime Minister’s office knows it.
During a recent dinner at Mar-a-Lago, President-elect Donald Trump reportedly suggested that Canada could become the 51st U.S. state if it couldn’t handle the economic impact of proposed tariffs. This remark came after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed concerns that a 25% tariff on Canadian imports would “kill” Canada’s economy.
Trump’s comment underscores the significant economic interdependence between the two nations. In 2022, trade between the U.S. and Canada exceeded $900 billion, with the U.S. accounting for 63.4% of Canada’s global trade. This deep economic integration means that shifts in U.S. trade policy can have profound effects on Canada’s economy.
Trump’s quip about Canada becoming the “51st state” wasn’t just a joke; it was a power move, a reminder of who holds the cards in this relationship. While Trudeau nervously laughed, the message was clear: Canada needs the U.S. far more than the U.S. needs Canada. Trudeau’s weakness has brought us here. Instead of securing energy independence, he’s strangled Alberta’s oil industry with crippling regulations. Instead of standing up to China, he’s kowtowed to Beijing while relying on U.S. trade to keep his agenda afloat.
And now, Trudeau is at the mercy of a man he spent years mocking. Trump’s tariffs are a direct consequence of Trudeau’s inability to lead. His failure to address illegal immigration and the fentanyl crisis has made Canada not just a bad neighbor, but a liability.
Trudeau’s Liberals have always been more concerned with appearances than action, more focused on virtue signaling than real governance. But now, the bill has come due. And the man holding the ledger is none other than Donald J. Trump.
So here we are: Justin Trudeau, the woke globalist, reduced to pleading for mercy at Mar-a-Lago. His smugness replaced by desperation, his rhetoric exposed as hollow. MAGA what, indeed.
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