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The Latest: Hungarian president expresses condolences to NZ

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ANKARA, Turkey — The Latest on global reaction to the deadly shootings in two mosques in New Zealand (all times local):

3 p.m.

Hungary’s president has sent a telegram to New Zealand’s governor-general expressing all Hungarians’ condolences to the families and friends of the victims’ in the “ruthless attack” against the two Christchurch mosques.

President Janos Ader said he was “deeply shocked” by the news and wished the injured a speedy and full recovery.

Ader said that “in these difficult hours, we all express our sympathies with those who mourn their loved ones lost in this pointless terror attack.”

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2:55 p.m.

U.S. President Donald Trump is expressing “warmest sympathy and best wishes” to the people of New Zealand after “the horrible massacre in the Mosques.”

Trump tweeted Friday as the White House issued a statement condemning the attacks at two mosques in the city of Christchurch that left at least 49 people dead.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders described the attack as a “vicious act of hate.” She says the U.S. stands in “solidarity” with the people of New Zealand.

New Zealand police said at least 49 people were killed Friday at two mosques in the picturesque South Island city. More than 20 were seriously wounded. Muslim leaders say the mass shooting was evidence of a rising tide of violent anti-Islam sentiment.

Trump tweeted that “innocent people have so senselessly died” and added: “The U.S. stands by New Zealand for anything we can do. God bless all!”

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2:40 p.m.

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has sent a message to her New Zealand counterpart, Jacinda Ardern, expressing her “deep shock” and condemnation of the attacks on two mosques in Christchurch.

Hasina’s press wing said the prime minister reached out to Ardern on Friday.

An international cricket match between New Zealand and Bangladesh has been cancelled after players from the visiting team narrowly avoided a mass shooting at one of the mosques.

Bangladesh’s cricket board president says the team is safe in a locked hotel in Christchurch.

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2:40 p.m.

Pope Francis is denouncing the “senseless acts of violence” in the Christchurch mosque shootings and is praying for the Muslim community and all New Zealanders.

In a telegram of condolences Friday, Francis offered his solidarity and prayers to the injured and those who are mourning lost loved ones, and noted that it was a particularly difficult time for security and emergency personnel.

He said he was “deeply saddened to learn of the injury and loss of life cause by the senseless acts of violence at two mosques in Christchurch, and he assures all New Zealanders, and in particular the Muslim community, of his heartfelt solidarity in the wake of these attacks.”

The message sent by the Vatican secretary of state ended by saying: “Commending those who have died to the loving mercy of Almighty God, Pope Francis invokes the divine blessings of comfort and strength upon the nation.”

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2:35 p.m.

Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte has sent his condolences to the victims of the mosque attacks in New Zealand that left 49 dead.

Conte on Friday called the attacks “dreadful,” noting that the victims were “hit while they were in a place of prayer. All forms of intolerance, hatred and violence are inacceptable.”

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2:30 p.m.

Iran’s foreign ministry has condemned the attack on two mosques in New Zealand.

Iranian state TV Friday said a spokesman of the ministry, Bahram Ghasemi, condemned the shootings as a “terrorist attack.”

Iran’s ambassador to New Zealand, Jalaleddin Namini, told Iranian state TV that there were no Iranian nationals among those killed or wounded. However, Namini said he is still waiting for a confirmed list of the victims.

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2:25 p.m.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has sent a telegram to the prime minister of New Zealand, expressing her condolences after the attack on two mosques in Christchurch.

“It is a perfidious attack on worshippers and their houses of prayer,” Merkel said Friday. “The attack on Muslim citizens is also an attack on New Zealand’s democracy and its open and tolerant society. We share these values and thus also the horror of the New Zealanders.”

Merkel says she sends her condolences to the relatives of the victims and is wishing the wounded speedy recoveries.

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2:20 p.m.

Queen Elizabeth II has expressed her condolences to the people of New Zealand following the attacks on mosques in Christchurch.

The monarch sent a message to the governor general of New Zealand, saying she was “saddened by the appalling events in Christchurch today. Prince Philip and I send our condolences to the families and friends of those who have lost their lives.”

The monarch paid tribute to the emergency services and volunteers offering support to the wounded.

She says “at this tragic time, my thoughts and prayers are with all New Zealanders.”

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2:15 p.m.

The grand imam of Egypt’s Al-Azhar, the revered 1,000-year-old seat of Sunni learning, has condemned the mosque attacks in New Zealand, warning of the “grave consequences of hate speech.”

Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb said in a statement that today’s shooting “sounds the alarm about the importance of not tolerating racist groups” adding that the attack reflects “the grave consequences of hate speech, xenophobia, and the spread of Islamophobia.”

He called for more efforts in promoting the principles of tolerance among different religions and cultures, and expressed condolences to the victims’ families.

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2:10 p.m.

Officials from the Western-backed Palestinian Authority and the Islamic militant group Hamas have sharply condemned the attacks on two mosques in New Zealand.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat says he extends his “prayers and tears” to the families of the victims. Erekat denounced the “use of religion for political ends” on Twitter Friday, recalling past attacks targeting places of worship, including Israeli settler Baruch Goldstein’s massacre of Palestinian worshippers at the Ibrahimi Mosque in the West Bank city of Hebron, and the assault on a Pittsburgh synagogue last year.

Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, called the carnage in New Zealand “a heinous crime against worshippers in their mosques.”

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said the attack confirmed “that terrorism knows no religion…it’s the result of incitement against Islam and Muslims.”

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2:10 p.m.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says “irresponsible” politicians and media organs that encourage “xenophobia, Islamophobic tendencies and hate speech against Muslims” are as much responsible for the attacks on two mosques in New Zealand as the “despicable” assailants.

Speaking at a joint news conference with European Union officials in Brussels, Cavusoglu also said Friday that two Turkish citizens, identified as Mustafa Boztas and Zekeriya Tuyan, were hurt in the attack but were not in life-threatening conditions.

Turkish authorities were still trying to obtain information about a third Turkish citizen, he said.

Cavusoglu said: “The EU and European countries should not consider attacks and hate speech against Muslims and our religion as freedom of expression and democracy and should take precautions.”

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2:05 p.m.

The world’s largest organization representing Muslim nations has condemned the attack on mosques in New Zealand that killed at least 49 people.

The secretary-general of the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Youssef al-Othaimeen, said in a statement Friday the attack “served as a further warning on the obvious dangers of hate, intolerance, and Islamophobia.”

Al-Othaimeen called on New Zealand “to provide more protection to the Muslim communities living in the country.”

He also offered his condolences for those affected by the mass shooting.

The OIC is based in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia.

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2:05 p.m.

The prime minister of Norway, which saw 77 people killed in a far-right attack eight years ago, has expressed solidarity with New Zealand after deadly attacks on two mosques.

Erna Solberg told Norwegian broadcaster NRK that “although it is across the globe, this is a strong reminder of how important it is for all of us to help bring down tensions, work against extremism, and that we show solidarity with each other when something like that happens.”

In July 2011, confessed Norwegian right-wing extremist Anders Behring Breivik killed 77 people. Like the presumed New Zealand attacker, he posted a manifesto online before the attacks.

“This looks like it is a terrorist attack from the extreme right against immigrants and refugees,” Solberg said, adding it is “a reminder that we have to fight extremism in all forms.”

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1:10 p.m.

Gulf Arab states are condemning an attack on mosques in New Zealand that killed at least 49 people.

Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates all offered their sympathies Friday over the attack.

Saudi Arabia said one of its citizens was lightly wounded in the attack, but survived.

Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, tweeted his condolences, noting that “on a day of peace like Friday and at a place of worship like the mosque, we witnessed the most heinous crime of religious hatred.”

Noon prayers on a Friday are an integral part of Islamic life, a day when all practicing Muslims join congregations to listen to a sermon.

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1 p.m.

Japan’s top government spokesman has offered his condolences to the victims of mosque attacks in New Zealand and says Japan stands by the people of that country.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, in a regular news conference Friday, expressed “heartfelt condolences” to the shooting victims and their families, while extending sympathy for the injured.

Suga expressed “solidarity with the people of New Zealand.”

Japan’s Foreign Ministry issued an emergency safety advisory to Japanese nationals in the area, urging them to stay indoors and follow instructions from the local authorities.

The ministry also advised the Japanese in Christchurch to closely monitor local news “to secure your own safety.”

So far no Japanese have been affected by the attacks

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12:55 p.m.

Malaysia’s government has slammed the attack on two mosques in New Zealand as an act of terror.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said he regretted the incident and urged the New Zealand government to do its best to “arrest these terrorists.”

The foreign ministry said two Malaysians were wounded and have been hospitalized.

“Malaysia condemns in the strongest terms this senseless act of terror on innocent civilians and hopes that those responsible for this barbaric crime be brought to justice,” the ministry said in a statement.

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12:25 p.m.

Sweden’s Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom has tweeted that she was “shocked by the attack in Christchurch,” saying “we condemn terrorism in all forms.”

Danish Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen also commented that “extremism has again shown its ugly face.”

Denmark’s Jewish community, which was targeted in a February 2015 attack where a guard was shot and killed, also expressed “shock” at the news of the New Zealand attack.

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12:20 p.m.

France is increasing security measures at mosques and other religious sites after the deadly attack against two mosques in New Zealand.

French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner tweeted Friday that he ordered regional prefects to send patrols and reinforce surveillance of places of worship “as a precaution.”

French President Emmanuel Macron, also in a tweet, denounced the “odious crimes against the mosques in New Zealand” and said that France will work with international partners to fight terrorism.

The rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris condemned the attack in Christchurch, which left at least 49 dead.

France is home to western Europe’s largest Muslim community. While French Muslim and Jewish sites are sporadically targeted by vandals, France has not seen a major attack on mosques of the kind that targeted New Zealand.

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12:15 p.m.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has expressed solidarity with the people of New Zealand following attacks on worshippers attending prayers at two Christchurch mosques.

Khan, said in a statement Friday that the news is “heartbreaking.”

He says: “London stands with the people of Christchurch in the face of this horrific terror attack. London will always celebrate the diversity that some seek to destroy.”

Khan sought to reassure Muslim communities in London following the attacks, saying that the Metropolitan Police would be visible outside mosques.

London mosques have been targeted in the past. One man died and several others were injured in 2017 when Darren Osborne drove a van into people leaving evening prayers. Prosecutors say Osborne was motivated by a hatred of Muslims and been radicalized by far-right propaganda he found online.

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12:10 p.m.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says he’s shocked at the “terrible attacks” that killed dozens of worshippers attending Friday prayers in two mosques of New Zealand’s capital, Christchurch.

In a tweet sent on Friday, Sanchez sent condolences to the victims, its families and the government of New Zealand.

“We emphatically condemn violence and the lack of reason of fanatics and extremists who want to break our societies,” Sanchez has written.

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12:05 p.m.

Germany’s foreign minister says the attacks on two mosques in Christchurch are a “brutal crime” that touches people of all religions around the world.

In two tweets, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Friday Germany’s sympathies were with the friends and families of the victims of the attack.

He says “the horrific terrorist attack in Christchurch targeted peacefully praying Muslims — if people are murdered solely because of their religion, that is an attack on all of us.”

Maas says “we stand at the side of the victims. Stay strong New Zealand!”

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12:05 p.m.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is calling on Western nations to rapidly take measures to curb rising racism against Islam and Muslims, saying new attacks such as the mass shootings in New Zealand would otherwise be “inevitable.”

Speaking at the funeral of a former minister on Friday, Erdogan renewed his condemnation of the attack on two mosques in Christchurch.

Erdogan said: “It is clear that the understanding that the murderer — who also targeted our country, our people and my person — represented, has rapidly started to take over Western communities like a cancer.” It was an apparent reference to reports that a suspect had left behind a 74-page manifesto that also threatened Turks.

Erdogan continued: “I call on Western countries especially to rapidly take measures against this dangerous turn that threatens the whole of humanity.”

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11:35 a.m.

Pakistan’s prime minister has condemned attacks on two mosques in New Zealand, saying he blames rising Islamophobia.

Imran Khan wrote Friday on Twitter that “terrorism does not have a religion.”

He added: “I blame these increasing terror attacks on the current Islamophobia post-9-11 where Islam & 1.3 bn Muslims have collectively been blamed for any act of terror by a Muslim.”

Pakistani officials say there are no Pakistani citizens among the dead.

Pakistan has witnessed several attacks on places of worship in the past decade, especially targeting its minority Shiite community.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen also tweeted her condolences.

Tsai said: “I’m utterly saddened by the mass shooting in Christchurch, #NewZealand. My thoughts go to the victims & their families.”

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10:50 a.m.

A top diplomat in the United Arab Emirates is offering his condolences over an attack on mosques in New Zealand that killed at least 40 people.

Anwar Gargash, the UAE’s minister of state for foreign affairs, tweeted “heartfelt condolences” to New Zealand on Friday.

Gargash wrote: “Our collective work against violence & hate must continue with renewed vigour. Our thoughts & prayers are with the families of the victims.”

The UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula, is home to expatriate workers from Australia and New Zealand. The country is a staunch Western ally.

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10:25 a.m.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has condemned the attacks on mosques in the New Zealand city of Christchurch calling it the “latest example of rising racism and Islamophobia.”

Tweeting in English and Turkish on Friday, Erdogan said: “On behalf of my country, I offer my condolences to the Islamic world and the people of New Zealand, who have been targeted by this deplorable act.”

He also wished a speedy recovery to the wounded.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said 40 people were killed in the attack on two mosques.

Turkey’s private NTV news channel quoted Turkish embassy officials as saying there are no Turkish citizens among the dead.

The Associated Press



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Alleged Human Traffickers arrested in Red Deer, Montreal, and Edmonton

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Human trafficking suspect arrested in Red Deer, July 2024

From Alert, the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team

Three human traffickers arrested in Project Endgame

Three men have been arrested and stand accused of running a human trafficking operation that stretched across Canada; operating throughout Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Quebec.

Project Endgame was a year-long investigation led by ALERT’s Human Trafficking unit, and also relied on the assistance of the Edmonton Police Service, RCMP, and the Quebec joint forces Anti-Pimping team known as EILP.

Arrests and search warrants had taken place in Edmonton, Montreal, and Red Deer. A total of 23 charges related to human trafficking offences have been laid against Clyde Elien-Abbot, 31, Kevin Dorcelus-Cetoute, 31, and Jean Rodnil Dubois, 31. Elien-Abbot was arrested on January 31, 2025 in Edmonton, while the other two accused were arrested on July 23, 2024.

“Project Endgame exhausted all resources and avenues to bring charges against the suspects and end this cycle of sexualized violence and degradation,” said Staff Sergeant Chris Hayes, ALERT.

A number of human trafficking victims were located and provided resources and assistance through ALERT’s Safety Network Coordinators. ALERT believes there are additional victims and encouraging them to contact police.

Project Endgame revealed a cross-Canada network of sex trafficking that has been in operation for over a decade by the accused and possibly others. ALERT’s investigation saw the perpetrators work in the communities of Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, Lloydminster, Red Deer, Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray, Cold Lake, and Estevan, Sask.

The perpetrators allegedly controlled the victims through coercion by forcing them to perform multiple sex acts on multiple clients every day. If the victims question the traffickers or dispute the situation, they were often violently assaulted, degraded, and/or threatened of further loss, violence, and isolation.

Project Endgame began in May 2023 following a 911 call placed to police detailing a sex worker being violently assaulted. The investigation has connections to a 2021 ALERT human trafficking investigation in which Dorcelus-Cetoute was charged.

Clyde Elien-Abbot, 31-year-old from Montreal, is charged with:

  • Trafficking in persons;
  • Procuring;
  • Material benefit from sexual services;
  • Advertising sexual services;
  • Money laundering; and
  • Animal cruelty.
Kevin Dorcelus-Cetoute, 31-year-old from Montreal, is charged with:
  • Sexual assault;
  • Assault;
  • Trafficking in persons;
  • Procuring;
  • Material benefit from sexual services; and
  • Uttering threats.
Jean Rodnil Dubois, 31-year-old from Montreal, is charged with:
  • Sexual assault;
  • Assault;
  • Trafficking in persons;
  • Procuring;
  • Material benefit from sexual services; and
  • Uttering threats.
Elien-Abbot remains in custody and has a bail hearing scheduled for February 19, 2025. Dorcelus-Cetoute and Dubois were both released from custody and are scheduled to appear in court on March 7, 2025.

Project Endgame involved the assistance of a number of agencies from across the country, including: Edmonton Police Service, City of Edmonton Animal Bylaw, Service de Police de a Ville de Montreal (SPVM), RCMP ‘C’ Division, RCMP ‘K’ Division, and RCMP ‘D’ Division.

ALERT was established and is funded by the Alberta Government and is a compilation of the province’s most sophisticated law enforcement resources committed to tackling serious and organized crime.

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All 6 people trying to replace Trudeau agree with him on almost everything

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From LifeSiteNews

By Clare Marie Merkowsky

The Liberals are choosing a new face, but all six contenders seem likely to continue forcing Canadians down the same path as the PM they’re out to replace

With the Liberal leadership election just over a month away on March 9, Canadians are examining the six final contenders and questioning if they will bring change to the Liberal Party or carry on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s radical legacy. 

The six contenders for Liberal leader and consequently, the next prime minister, are: Mark Carney, Chrystia Freeland, Karina Gould, Jaime Battiste, Frank Baylis and Ruby Dhalla.  

While all the above candidates are promising to turn the Liberal Party around, their policies, both past and proposed, suggest little difference from the radical, anti-life and globalist agenda embraced by the Trudeau government.

Former Governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney 

Carney appears to be the frontrunner for Liberal Party leader, with many mainstream outlets tacitly promoting him as a solution for Canadians, and numerous MPs having endorsed his campaign.

However, as LifeSiteNews has previously reported, Carney’s history suggests he would be an even more radical version of Trudeau.

While his impressive work experience certainly raises him in the estimation of Canadians, especially compared with Trudeau’s pre-political career as a drama teacher, the former Governor of the Bank of England, like Trudeau, openly supports abortion, the LGBT agenda and many of the tax and fiscal policies of the Trudeau government, such as the carbon tax.

Carney’s endorsement of energy regulations go even further than Trudeau’s, with the candidate having previously blasted the prime minister for exempting home heating oil from the carbon tax. 

Carney has also been a longtime supporter of the globalist World Economic Forum, attending their infamous annual conference in Davos, Switzerland as recently as January 2023.

Carney routinely uses social media to advocate for achieving so-called “net-zero” energy goals, and even had his team bar multiple independent journalists from attending the press conference he held to announce his bid for Liberal leader.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland  

Freeland is perhaps best known internationally for her heavy-handed response to anti-mandate Freedom Convoy protesters, which saw the then-finance minister direct financial institutions to freeze the bank accounts of Canadians who participated in or donated to the protest. 

Freeland, like Carney, also has extensive ties to the WEF, with her receiving a personal commendation  from former WEF leader Klaus Schwab.   

Interestingly, at the same time as Freeland announced her Liberal bid, the WEF’s profile on Freeland was taken down from their website. Additionally, the majority of Freeland’s Instagram posts have been removed from public view. 

Many have speculated online as to the reason why these actions were taken, with some suggesting that Freeland desires to distance herself from the massively criticized group.  

Critics often pointed to Freeland’s association with the group during her tenure as finance minister and deputy prime minister, as she was known for pushing policies endorsed by the globalist organization, such as the carbon tax and online censorship.  

Former House Leader MP Karina Gould 

Gould, an avid abortion activist, is perhaps best known for telling American women that they can have their abortions in Canada following the Supreme Court of the United States’ overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022.  

Gould is also known for continually advocating in favor of state-funded media, which critics have warned causes supposedly unbiased news outlets into de facto propaganda arms for the state.

In one example from September, Gould directed mainstream media reporters to “scrutinize” Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, who has repeatedly accused government-funded media as being an arm of the Liberals. 

Gould also claimed that Poilievre’s promise to defund outlets like the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation would deny Canadians access to important information, ignoring the fact that the Liberals’ own legislation, which she voted for, blocked all access to news content on Facebook and Instagram.   

MP Jaime Battiste 

Voting records show that in 2021 Battiste opposed a bill aiming to protect unborn children from sex-selective abortions. Later that same month, he voted to pass Bill C-6, which allows parents to be jailed for up to five years for refusing to deny the biological sex of their gender-confused children.

Furthermore, Battiste struck down a motion to condemn incidents of arson and vandalism of churches across Canada. In October 2023, a Conservative MP put forward a motion to denounce the arson and vandalism of 83 Canadian churches, especially those within Indigenous communities.    

However, Battiste moved to adjourn the meeting rather than discuss the motion, saying, “I would like to call to adjourn debate on this if that’s what we can do, so we can hear the rest of the study, but if we have to, then I would rather discuss it in camera because it does have a way of triggering a lot of people who went through residential schools and the things they are going through.”  

The Liberal government is known to be extremely lenient in their rhetoric when it comes to attacks on Catholic churches, with Trudeau even saying such behavior was “understandable” even if it is “unacceptable and wrong.”  

Former MP Frank Baylis  

Baylis served as a Liberal MP in 2015 but chose not to seek re-election in 2019. Now, he has thrown his hat in the ring as Liberal leader. 

During his time as MP, Baylis was a staunch supporter of abortion. In 2016, he voted against a Conservative bill to provide protection to unborn children and pregnant mothers from violence.  

Interestingly, Baylis is the former owner of the Baylis Medical Company of Montréal which was awarded a $282.5 million government contract for now “useless” ventilators during the COVID “pandemic.” 

Former MP Ruby Dhalla 

Dhalla served in the House of Commons from 2004 to 2011. Interestingly, Dhalla, born to Indian immigrant parents, has promised to deport illegal immigrants and “clamp down on human traffickers.” Dhalla’s stance sets her apart from the other Liberal candidates on the issue.  

While Dhalla styles herself as an “outsider,” during her time as an MP, she worked to further abortion in Canada, voting against legislation to protect babies from violence in the womb.  

In conclusion

It seems that no matter who is selected as the next leader of the Liberals, the party will remain one which prides itself on being pro-abortion, pro-LGBT, pro-euthanasia  and globalist in vision.

While Trudeau may be taking the blame for the current state of the Liberal Party, with these 6 candidates it would appear that the party remains intent on pushing the same policies.

Although it is true that Trudeau’s political blunders, such as his repeated historical use of black-face or his inviting a Nazi-aligned World War II veteran into Parliament, have contributed to his popularity decline, it seems the policies behind the blunders are not his, but the Liberal Party’s itself.

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