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Whistleblower Advocacy Sounds the Alarm: Corruption Runs Wild Without Real Protections

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The Opposition with Dan Knight

Survey Exposes Glaring Gaps in Justice and Support for Whistleblowers in Ontario

Let’s be clear: whistleblowers are the unsung heroes standing between a functioning democracy and total government rot. But according to a new survey by the Whistleblowing Canada Research Society, Ontario’s legal system is failing them spectacularly. Funded by The Law Foundation of Ontario, the study surveyed lawyers who handle whistleblower cases. What it found should outrage every Canadian.

Whistleblowers face a gauntlet of obstacles—from legal and financial ruin to retaliation that destroys their careers and lives. The report paints a picture of a system designed to silence truth-tellers and protect the powerful.

The Findings: Whistleblowers Left in the Cold

  1. No Legal or Financial Safety Net:
    Whistleblowers risk everything to expose corruption, but when the lawsuits hit, they’re left on their own. The survey highlights the lack of publicly funded legal support, leaving courageous individuals to fend for themselves against deep-pocketed corporations or government lawyers.
  2. Culture of Fear:
    Want to speak up? Be prepared to lose your job, your reputation, and maybe even your family. Toxic workplace cultures and a cowardly “see no evil” mindset keep most people quiet.
  3. Lawyers Aren’t Ready:
    Shockingly, many legal professionals don’t even understand the laws meant to protect whistleblowers. The result? A justice system ill-equipped to handle cases where the stakes are the highest.

The Bright Spot: Not All Lawyers Are Afraid

Out of the 147 lawyers surveyed, 40 have stepped up, agreeing to take whistleblower cases and join a new directory on Whistleblowing Canada’s website. These are the legal warriors ready to fight for justice, but let’s be honest—40 lawyers in all of Ontario? That’s just a Band-Aid on a gaping wound.

Pamela Forward’s Warning

“This survey research underscores the gaps and barriers hindering whistleblowers from playing their vital role in society,” said Pamela Forward, President of Whistleblowing Canada Research Society.

Translation? If we don’t fix this broken system, corruption wins.

Why This Matters: The Whistleblower Cases That Expose the Rot of Corruption

Over the past three years, whistleblowers have been at the center of some of Canada’s biggest scandals. Each one reveals the price of speaking out—and the lengths to which our so-called leaders will go to hide their dirty laundry.

Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC):
This scandal emerged in early 2023, when whistleblowers within SDTC—a federal green fund intended to support sustainable technologies—raised alarms about rampant financial mismanagement. Senior executives were accused of approving large grants to companies with which they had personal ties, bypassing established funding protocols meant to ensure fairness and accountability. Investigations revealed that millions of taxpayer dollars had been misallocated, with some funds allegedly diverted for personal or non-environmental uses. CEO Leah Lawrence resigned in November 2023 amid mounting public and political pressure. By mid-2024, the fallout led to the dissolution of SDTC as an independent entity, marking a significant failure in oversight of a key federal initiative aimed at combating climate change.


ArriveCAN Contracting Fraud:
The $54 million ArriveCAN app, ostensibly developed to streamline Canada’s pandemic-era border protocols, became a lightning rod for controversy after whistleblowers exposed irregularities in its procurement process. Investigations revealed that GCStrategies, a consulting firm with ties to Liberal-affiliated individuals, acted as a middleman for contracts worth millions. The firm outsourced much of the app’s development to smaller subcontractors while retaining a significant cut of the funds. Critics questioned why the federal government didn’t rely on in-house developers, who could have completed the app for a fraction of the cost. The revelations sparked investigations by the RCMP and parliamentary committees, with whistleblowers alleging that government officials ignored proper oversight to steer contracts toward preferred vendors. Public outrage continues as investigations remain unresolved.


Chinese Election Interference:
In late 2022, a whistleblower within the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) leaked explosive documents detailing Beijing’s covert interference in Canada’s federal elections. According to the classified intelligence, the Chinese government funneled money to at least 11 candidates in the 2019 election and executed disinformation campaigns to influence voter behavior. These efforts were allegedly coordinated by China’s Ministry of State Security and the United Front Work Department, with the goal of securing a Liberal minority government while undermining Conservative candidates perceived as critical of Beijing. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was briefed on the interference but reportedly took no substantive action, sparking accusations that his government prioritized political convenience over national security. Further leaks in 2023 outlined similar interference in the 2021 election, leading to a public inquiry headed by Justice Marie-Josée Hogue. The whistleblower’s disclosures have intensified scrutiny on the Trudeau government’s handling of foreign interference.


Public Sector Integrity Commission’s Incompetence:
The Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner, created to provide whistleblowers with a safe avenue to report misconduct in federal workplaces, has become emblematic of bureaucratic failure. As of October 2024, the office faced an overwhelming backlog, with some cases languishing for up to three years without resolution. Whistleblowers have reported losing faith in the system, with delays often leaving them exposed to retaliation while their allegations go unaddressed. Commissioner Harriet Solloway admitted that resource constraints and poor internal management have exacerbated the backlog, effectively rendering the office incapable of fulfilling its mandate. Critics argue that this dysfunction discourages whistleblowing and emboldens bad actors within the federal government.


SNC-Lavalin’s Never-Ending Fallout:
The SNC-Lavalin affair, though originating in 2019, continues to cast a long shadow over Canadian politics. At its core, the scandal involved allegations that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office improperly pressured then-Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould to secure a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) for SNC-Lavalin, a Quebec-based engineering giant accused of bribery and fraud. Whistleblowers exposed the extent of political interference, leading to Wilson-Raybould’s

Trudeau’s Corruption and NDP Complicity: Laurentian Elites Are Selling Out Accountability

The Trudeau government’s corruption isn’t just a headline—it’s a pattern. A federal green fund turned into a slush fund, shady app contracts funneled to Liberal insiders, Chinese interference in our elections swept under the rug—it’s one scandal after another. And every time, Trudeau shrugs, dodges questions, and tells Canadians to trust him. Trust him? After yesterday’s non-confidence vote, it’s clear he doesn’t need Canadians’ trust as long as he has Jagmeet Singh and the NDP propping up his government.

Let’s not mince words: the NDP just sold out Canada’s integrity. Singh and his party could have stood for whistleblowers, accountability, and democracy. Instead, they chose to keep Trudeau’s corrupt regime afloat, betraying every Canadian who hoped for real leadership. It’s a disgrace, and it proves the NDP has become nothing more than a branch office of the Liberal Party.

The Real Takeaway

The Laurentian elites love to preach about transparency and fairness, but when whistleblowers come forward to expose the rot, those same elites close ranks. Why? Because the system works for them. Corruption is fine—as long as it benefits the right people. And make no mistake, in Trudeau’s Canada, “the right people” are his donors, his insiders, and anyone who helps him cling to power.

What about the people who risk everything to speak the truth? They’re treated like enemies of the state. Retaliation, ruined careers, and endless delays—this is how whistleblowers are punished for defending democracy.

If we don’t demand better, Canada’s message is clear: there’s no price for corruption, and there’s no reward for bravery. This isn’t just about Trudeau’s scandals or the NDP’s betrayal; it’s about whether we believe in the principles that make a free society work—truth, accountability, and justice.

Whistleblowers shouldn’t be punished—they should be celebrated. They’re the last line of defense in a government that has forgotten its duty to the people. It’s time to stop the rot, call out Trudeau’s corruption for what it is, and hold accountable every single person and party enabling it.

Canada deserves better than Trudeau’s Laurentian cronies and the NDP lackeys who keep them in power.

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While Canada’s population explodes, the federal workforce grows even faster

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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

Senior Fellow, Fraser Institute

Milagros Palacios

Director, Addington Centre for Measurement, Fraser Institute
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From Smug to Subservient, Justin Trudeau Bows to MAGA Realities at Mar-a-Lago

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The Opposition with Dan Knight

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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