Business
Canadian official keeping Parliament closed is a member of Trudeau’s family foundation

From LifeSiteNews
“How is there no conflict of interest with Mary Simon, especially? This is very similar to Freeland sitting on the WEF board?”
Canada’s governor general, who is keeping Parliament closed on behalf of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, is a member of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, an organization named after Justin’s father that was founded in part by his family.
According to the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation website, Governor General of Canada Mary Simon, who has been keeping Parliament suspended at the request of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, is a mentor for the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation.
The website lists Simon as a “champion of the social, economic, and human rights of Canadian Inuit people, she shares with the Foundation community the experience she acquired in senior leadership positions in various land claims organizations.”
The Trudeau Foundation labels itself as “an independent and non-partisan charity established in 2001 as a living memorial to the former prime minister.” However, the foundation is under investigation after it received a large donation alleged to be connected to the Chinese Communist Party.
Simon now serves as Canada’s Governor General, the federal representative of the Canadian monarch. As such, Trudeau’s request to suspend Parliament to allow for a Liberal leadership race was approved by Simon before taking affect.
Parliament has now been closed for over a month, since January 6, and is scheduled to remain closed until March 24, despite calls from both Canadians and politicians to reopen the legislature.
Currently, Canada is unable to fully address issues facing Canadians, including U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff threats. Regardless of this, Trudeau has refused to reopen Parliament, a decision enabled by Simon.
Many online have pointed out that Simon’s role in the Foundation could cause conflict of interest when dealing with Trudeau.
“Friendly reminder that the Governor General of Canada, Mary Simon, is a member of the Trudeau Foundation,” one user wrote on X. “Has any Member of Parliament raised this as an issue of conflict of interest?”
“The Trudeau foundation along with Trudeau must be investigated,” another declared.
“How is there no conflict of interest with Mary Simon, especially? This is very similar to Freeland sitting on the WEF board?” he questioned.
In addition to being a mentor for the Trudeau foundation, records reveal that the Trudeau government increased Simon’s 2025 salary to $378,000 following the $15,200 increase. Simon’s salary has increased by $49,300 since she took office in 2021.
“Can anyone in government explain how Canadians are getting more value from the governor general, because her taxpayer-funded salary just increased by more than $1,200 a month,” Canadian Taxpayer Federation Federal Director Franco Terrazzano said.
Business
A Look at Canada’s Import Tariffs

By David Clinton
Speaking of foreign tariffs, Canada’s hands are not exactly clean
It’s one thing to oppose the various iterations of recently threatened U.S. tariffs: many of those carry the potential to inflict serious harm on Canada and Canadians and we’re right to be nervous. However, whether or not Canada’s many external-facing policies use the term tariff in their titles, we have more than a few protectionist trade barriers of our own. I thought it would be useful to list some of Canada’s more obvious protectionist policies.
Unfortunately, one thing these examples lack is context. It’s no secret that international trade is complicated. Some of the trade barriers I’m going to describe are policy responses to legitimate safety issues. And, even among those restrictions that were designed to protect local industries, I couldn’t usefully estimate whether there are enough of them to define our total trade ecosystem.Nevertheless, here’s what I did find.The Customs Tariff Act governs Canada’s import tariffs. All goods entering Canada from countries on the Most-Favored-Nation list that aren’t eligible for lower rates through trade agreements are subject to tariff charges as high as 17 percent. Here are some practical cases of imports from the U.S. that aren’t covered by the CUSMA trade agreement:
- U.S. t-shirts using imported fabric could face an 18 percent tariff, adding $18,000 to a $100,000 shipment.
- A $30,000 U.S.-assembled car with Asian parts incurs $1,830 in duties.
- $50,000 of U.S. strawberries could face $4,250 in seasonal duties if applied.
- $200,000 of steel wire from the U.S. could face $108,000 in extra anti-dumping duties.
Canada’s supply management system for dairy, poultry, and eggs is a notorious example of a policy that looks, walks, and quacks just like a duck an import tariff. Supply management is governed by a combination of federal and provincial laws, including the Export and Import Permits Act and the Farm Products Agencies Act. Regulations can hit over-quota imported cheese with rates as high as 245.5 percent and chicken can be taxed at 238 percent. And that’s assuming you somehow manage to score an import permit from Global Affairs Canada.The Canadian Food Inspection Agency enforces strict sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures that often require layers of inspections or certification requirements that can significantly raise compliance costs. The differences between some of those requirements and an economic tariff are not always obvious.The Canada Border Services Agency collects an excise tax on imported liquor. For example, a U.S. exporter looking to ship 100 litres of 40 percent ABV whiskey to Canada will face a duty of $467.84 (100 × 0.4 × $11.696). That duty must be paid by the importer.In addition, various provincial liquor control boards apply fees and markup costs on imported alcohol, which effectively create price barriers for foreign products (when they’re even allowed on store shelves).Book Importation Regulations limit parallel imports of foreign editions in order to protect Canadian publishers. I assume this is why so many major international publishing companies maintain Canadian offices and, on paper at least (so to speak), publish special Canadian editions.The various Canadian Content (CanCon) rules governing broadcast media will also undermine the principle of free trade, even if those rules won’t necessarily increase import costs.Here are some examples of regulatory compliance rules that aren’t always just about safety:
- Electrical product safety certification rules sometimes requires foreign electronics manufacturers to repeat testing despite already having UL certification, adding 3-6 months to market entry.
- US medical device companies can face duplication of regulatory submissions and maintenance of separate quality systems due to Health Canada requirements.
- Chemical manufacturers must submit detailed testing data specific to Canadian requirements in order to register their products.
- Small US food producers must implement separate packaging lines for Canadian-bound products to satisfy nutrition labeling requirements.
This isn’t to say there’s necessarily anything morally wrong with any of those rules. And, as I noted, I’m not sure whether Canada’s overall trade profile is more restrictive than our international peers. But, when faced with foreign tariffs, it can’t be said that Canada’s hands are perfectly clean.
Business
Vice President Vance expects framework of TikTok deal by April 5

MxM News
Quick Hit:
Vice President JD Vance expects a framework agreement to resolve TikTok’s ownership by April 5, as the Biden-era law requiring its Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the app or face a ban looms. President Donald Trump had previously delayed enforcement of the law, allowing more time for negotiations. The White House is in discussions with multiple potential buyers to establish an American-owned version of the social media platform.
Key Details:
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Vice President Vance stated that a high-level agreement will likely be reached that meets national security concerns while creating a U.S.-based TikTok enterprise.
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President Trump signed an executive order in January, delaying the enforcement of a law requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a ban.
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The White House is engaged with four interested groups in potential acquisition talks.
Diving Deeper:
The fate of TikTok in the U.S. has been a subject of intense debate due to concerns over data security and its ties to the Chinese Communist Party through ByteDance. The law, originally passed under the Biden administration, sought to force the sale of the app due to fears that American user data could be accessed by the Chinese government. However, after taking office, President Trump extended the enforcement deadline by 75 days, giving room for negotiations.
Vice President Vance, speaking to NBC News aboard Air Force Two, expressed confidence that an agreement will be reached by April 5, though some details may still need to be finalized afterward. He and national security adviser Michael Waltz have been leading efforts to facilitate a sale that would address national security concerns while preserving TikTok’s massive American user base.
President Trump revealed last weekend that his administration is in talks with four different groups interested in acquiring the app. While the specifics of these negotiations remain undisclosed, the administration has made it clear that TikTok must operate as a distinct American entity to remain in the U.S. market.
As the deadline approaches, ByteDance has not publicly commented on the ongoing discussions. However, with bipartisan concerns over the influence of the Chinese Communist Party on U.S. technology platforms, the expectation is that any deal will include significant safeguards to prevent foreign interference in the app’s operations.
The coming weeks will determine whether a sale materializes or if further action will be needed to enforce the law. Either way, the Trump administration has signaled its commitment to ensuring that TikTok is no longer under the control of a hostile foreign adversary.
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