News release from the ICBA and the AEG

AEG and ICBA Take on Trudeau Government’s Flawed Bill C-59

Earlier this week, the Alberta Enterprise Group (AEG) and the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association (ICBA) jointly filed a constitutional challenge against the federal government, over its new ‘Greenwashing’ law which unreasonably restricts free speech.

The challenge, filed in the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta, targets sections 236 and 239 of Bill C-59, the Fall Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2023, which amended the Competition Act in ways that severely limit the business community’s ability to discuss environmental impacts. These provisions impose unreasonable restrictions on the dissemination of truthful and fair-minded information, striking at the heart of free expression and open debate in Canada.

“This case is about protecting the free flow of information and ideas – the cornerstone of a free and democratic society,” said Chris Gardner, ICBA President and CEO. “This is a direct attack on free expression and an egregious overreach by the Trudeau government – it’s a slippery slope when we start to rely on a government department to police legitimate debate and dialogue on important public policy matters.”

“These regulations pre-emptively ban even truthful, reasonable, and defensible discussion unless businesses can meet a government-imposed standard of what is the truth.” said Catherine Brownlee, AEG President. “Important information for the public to consider is prohibited by the Act if it is not approved by some opaque verification process that the government has not defined.”

ICBA and AEG believe that the amendments violate fundamental Charter rights and undermine Canada’s ability to foster economic growth and responsible resource development. The two associations are committed to fighting for the principles of free expression and informed public discourse, which are essential to a vibrant economy and a healthy democracy. This legal challenge underscores AEG and ICBA’s dedication to supporting the businesses and workers whose skill and innovation drive a large part of Canada’s prosperity.

One of the most troubling aspects of the law is its one-sided application. “While businesses are gagged, critics of resource development remain free to make negative or unverified claims without facing similar scrutiny,” said Mike Martens, President of ICBA Alberta. “This creates a lopsided marketplace of ideas, where one essential participant – the business community – is effectively silenced.”

A copy of the filing can be found HERE.

About AEG

The Alberta Enterprise Group is the only group of its kind that puts direct action for Alberta business at its core. AEG is a community of Alberta business leaders who believe in driving change and building a brighter, more prosperous future for all Albertans. By sharing information, advocating for Alberta business, and building bridges to new markets, AEG provides a voice to members on important issues facing business today. AEG, putting your business first.  https://albertaenterprisegroup.com/

About ICBA

The Independent Contractors and Businesses Association (ICBA), is the largest construction association in Canada, representing more than 4,500 members and client companies. ICBA is one of the leading independent providers of group health and retirement benefits in western Canada, supporting more than 300,000 Canadians. ICBA has chapters in both British Columbia and Alberta. www.icba.ca

From LifeSiteNews

By Clare Marie Merkowsky

Maggie Braun, the founder of Kicking International Council out of Local Environmental Initiatives, told LifeSiteNews that there are ‘small wins happening every day’ against globalism by pro-local Canadians.

A pro-freedom advocate told LifeSiteNews that many Canadians have already successfully stood up to the meddling of the United Nations’ globalist agenda, encouraging all citizens to know their rights under the law to protect their local communities.   

During a November 20 discussion at the Rankin Culture and Recreation Centre in Pembroke, Ontario, about the ways in which the United Nations are breaking municipal laws and violating property rights in an effort to achieve their globalist goals, Maggie Braun, the founder of Kicking International Council out of Local Environmental Initiatives (KICLEI), shared just what Canadians have been doing to successfully stand up for their local communities. 

“There’s small wins happening every day,” Braun told LifeSiteNews in an interview before the discussion. 

“Counselors opening up and communicating with the community and our concerns and just bridging that gap and sharing and exchanging information with them and slowly watching them start to make moves to withdraw from the programs or shut down renewable energy projects that don’t make sense in their area,” she shared as an example of successful pushback.

KICLEI is an organization dedicated to empowering local governments to address the needs in their community, and not to blindly follow the direction of groups like the UN.    

The group also works to ensure “every Canadian enjoys the right to privacy, property, and self-determination, while fostering respect for our cultural and regional diversity.” 

According to Braun, her goal is to “advocate for local environmental stewardship programs over globally mandated climate action plans” by informing Canadians of their property rights, particularly with respect to the attempted implementation of the UN’s climate policies.  

“We’ve discovered that these programs are coming in through an organization called ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability) and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, who have brought certain programs down to the municipal level to drive climate action plans,” Braun explained.   

Following this discovery, Braun has been working to bring awareness to the issue and persuade city and town councils to vote against UN recommendations which would undermine their citizens’ sovereignty. She revealed that her first victory was in Thorold, Ontario.  

Braun explained that a group of four  “saw that the environmental committee had openings,” and decided to send delegations to the meeting, start petitions and pack the council with support.

“We did four delegations in a row and by the end of it the staff recommended that they withdraw from the program,” Braun stated. “We just had to show up and do the basic work and it worked.”

“That was our first big win and now we’ve taken those strategies, developed tools that we can bring across the country” to help citizens “push back on the climate action plan.”

Earlier in November, Maggie Hope Braun told LifeSiteNews via email that the meeting will address how global agendas, “particularly UN climate initiatives,” are reshaping municipal priorities and policies across Canada. 

Braun voiced concerned over local governments feeling pressured to adopt policies set by international organizations rather than responding to local priorities. 

“Programs aligned with UN climate goals often come with strings attached, especially regarding federal funding, which can compel municipalities to follow UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to access resources,” she wrote. “This reliance can dilute local autonomy, making it difficult for municipalities to allocate budgets according to their own needs, as funding is often tied to specific climate-related expenditures—like electric fleets—that may not suit every community’s practical or economic realities.”  

She added that these programs often introduce costly mandates, increase taxes, and, in some cases, affect privacy through the use of data-monitoring smart technologies, all of which can strain communities financially and socially. 

“Canadians are beginning to feel these pressures, and many are questioning the long-term impacts on their rights, privacy, and economic well-being,” Braun stated.  

Braun’s concerns are hardly unfounded as in March, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued an “urgent” call for countries around the world to sign on to their sovereignty-undermining “Pandemic Accord” by May. However, as May came around, countries were still unable to agree on the treaty, with many refusing to sign away their sovereign rights.  

As a result, the treaty was not signed into law, but critics have warned that the WHO will likely continues its efforts to coerce countries to sign the document.  

Similarly, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s “pandemic prevention and preparedness” bill is set to become law despite concerns raised by Conservative senators that it gives sweeping powers to government, particularly over agriculture.