Canadians Foot the Bill
Where news meets rational thinking
Good morning, It’s Tuesday, February 18th. In today’s news, the Liberals hand out another $25 million to foreign activists, Canadian banks must ‘comply or explain’ diversity targets to the federal government, Poilievre’s rally strikes a patriotic chord but contradictions remain, Mark Carney introduces a new carbon tariff that would hurt Canadians and help no one, and much more.
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Ottawa’s $25 Million Ideological Giveaway: Foreign Activists Cash In, Canadians Foot the Bill
The Canadian government has once again found a way to burn through taxpayer money on ideological vanity projects with no measurable results. Meet the Renewed Women’s Voice and Leadership Program, a multi-year initiative where Ottawa is shovelling $25.2 million overseas for what can only be described as a bureaucratic fever dream of activism.
According to the official description, this project funds women’s rights organizations (WROs), lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex plus (LBTQI+) groups, and feminist networks in “crisis- and conflict-affected settings.” Why? Because there is a “globally recognized and significant gap in funding” for these movements. Translation: Canadian taxpayers are now financing foreign activist organizations because they supposedly don’t get enough funding elsewhere.
The project claims to deliver “rapid response grants” for activists' security needs, “collective care grants” to ensure their well-being, and the design of “spaces” for trans, non-binary, and feminist movements. In other words, Canada is handing out millions of dollars for vague, ideological activism while real issues like skyrocketing housing costs, failing healthcare, and public safety go ignored.
And what has this massive tax expenditure accomplished? Nothing. The program’s “Results Achieved” section is left blank—because even the government can’t point to a single success. It’s all just buzzwords about “knowledge leadership” and “exchange learnings on collective care.” How convenient.
Instead of fixing Canada’s broken economy, crumbling infrastructure, or actual foreign policy concerns, our government is prioritizing funding gender activism in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. If that sounds absurd, it’s because it is. This isn’t aid—it’s ideological imperialism, paid for by working Canadians who see nothing in return. Source.
Federal Government: Canadian Banks Must ‘Comply or Explain’ Diversity Targets
The federal government’s latest move to force banks and financial institutions to disclose their diversity quotas is yet another example of Ottawa prioritizing ideology over economic stability. As of Feb. 15, federally regulated banks, insurance companies, and trust firms must report the number of women, Indigenous people, visible minorities, and persons with disabilities in leadership roles—along with their policies and targets for increasing those numbers.
This is a blatant overreach into the private sector, forcing businesses to justify whether they are adhering to politically driven diversity targets or explain why they aren’t. The government’s so-called “comply or explain” mandate is nothing more than coercion disguised as policy, with the threat of sanctions looming over non-compliant institutions. Even worse, Ottawa claims this isn’t even red tape—a laughable attempt to dodge accountability under Canada’s One-for-One rule, which supposedly prevents regulatory bloat.
At a time when banks should be focused on lowering fees, improving services, and ensuring financial stability, they are instead being pushed to prioritize government-mandated identity quotas. Meanwhile, south of the border, the US under Trump is moving in the opposite direction—shutting down DEI initiatives in federal institutions, calling them discriminatory and harmful. Even Canada’s Big Six banks have backed away from the UN’s Net-Zero Banking Alliance following Trump’s inauguration, signalling a potential shift away from performative ESG and DEI policies.
With Trudeau stepping down and an election on the horizon, the fate of these mandates remains uncertain. But one thing is clear: government interference in private enterprise under the guise of diversity and inclusion is a distraction from real economic issues—and Canadians will be the ones paying the price.
Poilievre’s Rally Strikes a Patriotic Chord, but Contradictions Remain
For much of the past decade, Canadians have been encouraged to view their country through a lens of guilt. National pride has been tempered by an endless reassessment of history, and expressions of patriotism often met with skepticism. But at a Canada First rally in Ottawa this weekend, the tone was markedly different. Thousands of supporters gathered, not to apologize, but to affirm their belief in the country’s sovereignty and future.
“The unjustified threats of tariffs and 51st statehood from Donald Trump have united our people to defend the country we love,” Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre declared. “Sometimes it does take a threat to remind us of what we have, what we could lose, and what we could become.”
The speech struck a chord with those who have grown frustrated by what they see as a diminishing sense of national identity. Poilievre did not shy away from framing the moment as one of urgency, stating emphatically, “Let me be clear: we will never be the 51st state. We will bear any burden and pay any price to protect the sovereignty and independence of our country.” The words were met with resounding applause, a sign that many in the audience welcomed this message of defiance.
Yet, beneath the rhetoric lies an unresolved tension. Poilievre warned Americans, “Never confuse our kindness with weakness,” yet for years he has argued that Canada is weak. His platform has been built on the premise that the country is broken—its institutions failing, its economy floundering, its citizens burdened by rising costs and diminishing opportunities. If Canada is indeed standing strong, why does it continue to struggle?
The rally was a sign that Canadians are ready to reclaim a sense of national pride. But whether that pride can be translated into meaningful change remains to be seen. Source.
Mark Carney’s Carbon Tariff Would Hurt Canadians and Help No One
Mark Carney’s newly announced carbon tax plan includes a hidden industrial carbon tax and a carbon tariff on imports, officially called a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. This means higher costs for Canadians as imported goods become more expensive.
About 70% of countries don’t have a carbon tax, including the US, which cut emissions far more than Canada without one. If Carney slaps tariffs on American goods, Trump or any US president would retaliate, hurting trade and driving up costs even further.
These tariffs won’t reduce global emissions or pressure other countries to act—they’ll just raise prices for Canadians. From farmers needing fertilizer to manufacturers relying on cross-border supply chains, everyone will pay more. And how many bureaucrats will it take to enforce this mess?
Carney’s carbon tariff is just another carbon tax in disguise. Canadians can’t afford the ones they already have—the last thing we need is another. More
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Emergency responders transported the injured to local hospitals, while airport operations have resumed. The cause of the crash remains unknown, though pilots were warned of potential air turbulence before landing. More
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