Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau Wears Bulletproof Vest At Campaign Event

Liberal leader and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attends a rally during an election campaign visit to Mississauga, Ontario, Canada October 12, 2019. STEPHANE MAHE / REUTERS

CBC: Trudeau vows campaign won't change course after threat forced him to wear bulletproof vest

Liberal leader's appearance at Mississauga, Ont., event Saturday was delayed 90 minutes

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau vowed he won't change how he campaigns despite being the target of an undefined threat that forced him to wear a bulletproof vest and beef up protective measures during a rally in Mississauga, Ont., on Saturday.

Speaking Sunday to reporters in Toronto, Trudeau refused to offer any specifics about the threat, saying only that his first concern was for the safety of his family and for all the Canadians at the Mississauga event.

"This will not change at all how I campaign, but I'm not going to make any further comments on it."

Trudeau's scheduled appearance at Saturday's rally, which attracted 2,000 supporters, was delayed by 90 minutes and featured a much heavier security detail once he took the stage.

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WNU Editor: The crowds are showing up at Prime Minister Trudeau's campaign events. But the polls are indicating a minority government when Canadians go to the polls next week.

More News On Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau Wearing A Bulletproof Vest At A Campaign Event In Toronto On Saturday

Trudeau dons protective vest as security concern delays Mississauga rally -- Toronto Star/Canadian Press
Canada's Trudeau dons bulletproof vest for campaign event, CBC cites threat -- Reuters
Trudeau appeared at rally in bulletproof vest amid security concern -- CTV

Canadian Federal Election - Official Leaders' Debate

CBC: Leaders clash on climate, immigration, abortion and Bill 21 in intense debate

On crowded stage, 6 leaders exchange attacks and sharp one-liners in only official English-language debate

The six main federal party leaders battled it out in the English language debate in Gatineau, Que., Monday night, exchanging answers and accusations as they looked to bust out from the pack in the final two weeks of the campaign.

The only English debate with all six party leaders saw the discussion range across five topics including: affordability and economic insecurity, environment and energy, Indigenous issues, leadership in Canada and on the world stage and polarization around human rights and immigration.

On the first topic of the evening, leadership, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer came out swinging for the fences, ignoring the theme to instead launch a heated attack on Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau who he called a "fraud" who does not deserve to be prime minister.

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WNU Editor: None of the issues that concern me were seriously brought up in tonight's debate (i.e. government deficits/help for businesses and entrepreneurs/lowering my taxes). I also found the debate format to be dysfunctional. And why five women moderators but no men? As to who stood out in the debate. The main stream media is saying that it was a draw. I do not see it that way. Of the two main candidates, Conservative leader Andrew Scheer and Liberal leader Justin Trudeau, Andrew Scheer did not appeal to me, and Justin Trudeau appealed to me even less. And as for the other four leaders on the stage, to me they were irrelevant.

Who Will Be The Next Canadian Prime Minister?

CTV: Trudeau attacks Tories for not releasing platform as leaders prepare for debate

OTTAWA -- Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau took aim at the Conservatives on Sunday for not releasing their election platform as the majority of federal party leaders spent the day cramming for Monday's critical English-language debate.

The debate is in Gatineau, Que., within sight of Parliament Hill. Trudeau and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh were the only two leaders to spend the day on the hustings shaking hands and, in Trudeau's case, attacking the Tories, though neither strayed far.

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WNU Editor: This weekend's tracking polls show the Liberal Party and Justin Trudeau ahead by a few percentage points. But when I looked at the sampling that was used in these polls, they lean very heavily in favour of the Liberal Party. This confirms to me what I have sensed since the beginning of this election. Pollsters have underestimated Conservative support in the past few Canadian provincial elections, and I think this is also in play in this election. Case in point, one poll shows only 25% believe Trudeau should get a second term .... POLL: Only 25% think Trudeau should get a second term (Toronto Sun). This low poll number usually means the end of a political leader.

But this does not mean the end of Prime Minister Trudeau. Even with his miscues his primary opponent, Conservative leader Andrew Scheer, has IMHO not been effective in this campaign. He has not gained the trust of independent and swing voters to support him, and even his base is not happy with him. Some of my friends who have voted for the Conservative Party in the past are not  going to vote even though they dislike Justin Trudeau. This is not a good sign for Conservative leader Scheer. As for my friends who have voted Liberal in the past, I have noticed that their sentiments are even worst. They feel let down by Prime Minister Trudeau, and they have no burning desire to go to the polls to vote for him. Case in point. I live in a riding that has voted Liberal for decades. But in this round I have yet to see one Liberal placard on any home. It is almost as if these voters are ashamed to show to the neighbours that they support Trudeau.

As to what is ahead. This week is debate week. The candidates will be debating each other in an English debate Monday evening, and a few days later in a French debate. Swing voters usually make their final decision on who they will vote for after they have seen these debates, and I expect the same in this election. This time next week is when I will have a better read on who will be Canada's election. But for now, my gut is telling me that we are heading into a Conservative minority government when voters go to the polls on October 21.

New High Quality Video Shows Prime Minister Justin Trudeau In Blackface

A new high quality video of @JustinTrudeau dancing in blackface

Read more: https://t.co/Ytarj5Heih#cdnpoli #elxn43 #TrudeauBlackface pic.twitter.com/vyrIiJpHdO

— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) September 28, 2019

Post Millennial: Why did the Toronto Star just remove a high-quality Trudeau blackface video?

Earlier today, the Toronto Star published an article “explaining” the backstory behind Justin Trudeau’s blackface situation.

The video is of him in blackface head to toe, with a wig on.

While the piece debunks one claim that Trudeau had a shirt with bananas on (he did not, it was toucans), it raised another serious question.

Why did the Toronto Star put up just the high-quality photo of the toucans, but then remove the high-quality video showing the entire event?

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WNU Editor: The gift that keeps on giving. The Toronto Star removed the video because they have always been sympathetic to the Liberals. Their editorial board has always given their support to the Liberals, and I expect them to do the same thing again this year. As for the election. The polls currently show the opposition Conservative Party in the lead by about a point or two over Trudeau's Liberals. I have some very good contacts in the Liberal Party, they tell me that their support is where it counts (i.e The Atlantic Provinces, Quebec, and Ontario), and they will have enough seats to form the next government. These sources have always been accurate to me in the the past, and I have no reason to doubt them. As to what is my take on these polls .... in the past two years we have had a number of provincial elections where the pollsters have underestimated Conservative support by about 5% (and even more in some cases like the Alberta election). I would not be surprised if this  underestimating of support may also be in play in this election. One more personal observation. I live in of Montreal's suburbs. In the last election there were Justin Trudeau signs on many homes near where I live (including my two neighbours). Today .... not one home has a sign.

Update: After seven hours, the Toronto Star has finally made the video available to the public. But they did it only after other individuals had copied the video and posted it for all to see.

Report: Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau Broke Numerous Conflict Of Interest Rules In The SNC-Lavalin Criminal Case

CTV: PM Trudeau sought to influence Wilson-Raybould in 'many ways': Ethics czar

OTTAWA—Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion has found Prime Minister Justin Trudeau broke the federal Conflict of Interest Act in relation to the SNC-Lavalin scandal, by seeking to influence Jody Wilson-Raybould in "many ways."

Dion has found that after taking months to review "troubling" evidence and relevant legal and constitutional principles, Trudeau contravened section nine of the Act, which states that public office holders are prohibited from using their position to seek to influence a decision that furthers the interest of a private third party.

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WNU Editor: My Liberal friends were hoping that this report would be released after the election. No such luck. What is also not helping is Prime Minister Trudeau's refusal to apologize for breaking these ethics rules. This is already resulting in blow-back 9 weeks before a general election .... Canada's Trudeau accepts he breached ethics rules, refuses to apologize (Reuters).

More News On Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau Breaking Numerous Conflict Of Interest Rules

Trudeau breached Conflict of Interest Act over SNC-Lavalin, says ethics commissioner -- Calgary Herald/Canadian Press
Trudeau broke rules in SNC-Lavalin affair, says ethics tsar -- BBC
Trudeau Violated Ethics Law in SNC-Lavalin Case, Watchdog Finds -- The New York Times
Justin Trudeau violated ethics laws, watchdog finds weeks before Canadian election -- FOX News
Justin Trudeau violated law by urging that case be dropped – watchdog -- The Guardian
'I take responsibility,' Trudeau says in wake of damning report on SNC-Lavalin ethics violation -- CBC

Will Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau Lose The Next Election?

Source: Ipsos polls, most recent of 1,000 adults living in Canada conducted July 12-15; margin of error: +/- 3.5 pct. pts.

Wall Street Journal: How Justin Trudeau Lost His Rock-Star Popularity

Revelations about the Canadian prime minister’s advocacy for SNC-Lavalin, which faces fraud allegations, threaten his party’s majority.

Justin Trudeau did little wrong in his supporters’ eyes during his first three years as Canada’s prime minister. In the fourth, his popularity has dropped so far his party may lose its majority in October elections.

A secretly taped call is one reason why. Just before Christmas, Canadian Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould turned on her iPhone voice recorder for a call with the country’s top bureaucrat, Michael Wernick. Mr. Trudeau and senior officials had already pressed her and her chief aide 20 times in calls, messages and in person to let a major Canadian firm avoid a criminal trial on bribery and fraud charges. She had resisted.

On the phone, Mr. Wernick said the company, SNC-Lavalin Group Inc., was considering selling itself or moving abroad, and Mr. Trudeau believed it should be given the chance to negotiate an out-of-court settlement.

Mr. Wernick, unaware of the recording, said: “I think he is going to find a way to get it done.”

Ms. Wilson-Raybould didn’t relent: “This is going to look like nothing but political interference by the prime minister, by you, by everybody else that has been involved in this.”

That’s exactly how it looked to many Canadian voters when the recording surfaced after parliamentary hearings in February and March exposed details of the Trudeau government’s moves to advocate for the engineering-and-construction firm. Testimony in the hearings captivated the public and turned Ms. Wilson-Raybould into one of the most recognizable Canadian politicians outside Mr. Trudeau.

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WNU Editor: The above article focuses on Prime Minister Trudeau's office trying to influence a criminal case of a strong political supporter and backer. But there are many other reasons why Trudeau's popularity is decreasing. A perceived Canadian government anti-oil stance in the oil rich province of Alberta. The cultural and demographic impact of massive immigration in French Quebec. Environmentalist groups not satisfied that Prime Minister Trudeau's climate change policies are making a difference. Indigenous groups not satisfied with the Prime Minister's attempts at reconciliation. Economic concerns over budget deficits and tax and spend policies. Bottom line. Four years ago then candidate Trudeau was a blank slate. Today he has a record, and many former supporters are disappointed.

Another Liberal Provincial Government Defeated At The Polls In Canada. More Signs That Prime Minister Trudeau Is Facing A Tough Re-Election Campaign Later This Year

CTV: P.E.I. Tories win minority government, with Green opposition

The Progressive Conservatives won a minority government in Tuesday's P.E.I. election, with a Green official opposition.

The incumbent Liberals were reduced to third place, with Premier Wade MacLauchlan going down to defeat in his own district of Stanhope-Marshfield.

CHARLOTTETOWN -- Voters in P.E.I. have shed their century-old embrace of the Island's two-party system by electing a Tory minority government, bringing a dramatic conclusion to a tight electoral race that saw the upstart Green party secure a firm foothold in the legislature.

Two hours after the polls closed Tuesday, the Tories were leading and elected in 12 ridings, the Greens were in second with nine and the incumbent Liberals, led by Premier Wade MacLauchlan, were in third with five.

MacLauchlan failed to win his seat.

"It's something that happens in politics," he told reporters. "The tide has changed."

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Update #1: CBC News projects PC minority government in P.E.I. (CBC)
Update #2: Prince Edward Island election results: voters elect PC minority (Global News)

WNU editor: I live in Canada, so I follow politics very closely here. For the past week the media has been telling everyone that the Greens were leading in the polls, and they were on their way to become the first Green Provincial government ever elected in Canada. Many were even hinting that it could be historic. With the results now official, the following conclusions can now be made. The polls, the media, and the pundits were completely wrong. Again. The final results are here. This election is another defeat for the Liberal brand, and an ominous sign for Prime Minister Trudeau. In the last election Prime Minister Trudeau won every riding in the Atlantic provinces. That is clearly not going to happen when Canadians go to the polls later this year.

Huge Electoral Win For Conservative Party In The Oil Rich Canadian Province Of Alberta

CTV News: Jason Kenney's UCP wins majority government in Alberta

Former federal cabinet minister Jason Kenney’s United Conservative Party has won a majority in Alberta’s provincial election, unseating Rachel Notley and ushering in a return to the centre-right for the province.

Kenney’s victory follows an often heated 28-day-long political slugfest, dominated by name calling and personal attacks, allegations of voter fraud and even a last-minute RCMP search of a UCP candidate’s office.

Cheers erupted and chants of “UCP! UCP! UCP!” rang out at Kenney’s election night headquarters in The Big Four building on the Calgary Stampede grounds when news of his victory flashed on a screen in the room.

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Update: Jason Kenney's UCP wins majority, defeating Rachel Notley's NDP (National Post).

WNU Editor: The election was not even close. With over 50% of the vote, the United Conservative Party has won a massive majority, and will immediately join the growing provincial opposition to Prime Minister Trudeau's climate and economic policies.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Under Fire Over Claims That He Pressured The Former Justice Minister To Intervene In A Fraud Case Involving A Major Donor To The Governing Party

CBC: Trudeau under fire over claim he pressured justice minister to intervene in SNC-Lavalin fraud case

Company facing charges of fraud and corruption in connection with payments to Libyan officials

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau found himself in the opposition's crosshairs Thursday following a report that he pressed former Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould to intervene in the prosecution of construction giant SNC-Lavalin on charges of fraud and corruption.

Trudeau denied today that he or his staff "directed" Wilson-Raybould to intervene. At one point, in reply to a journalist's question, he said in French that he never "asked" her to make any decisions in the case.

"The allegations in the Globe story this morning are false," Trudeau told reporters during a Toronto-area news conference Thursday morning.

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WNU Editor: The former Canadian Justice Minister is saying nothing .... thereby fuelling speculation that she was pressured to intervene in a fraud case involving a huge engineering company that is also a major donor to Trudeau's political party. I do not know where this case is going, but I do know that the government's handling of these accusations today were horrible. If this is not cleared up in the next day, this will be a major story in Canada for the next few days/weeks/months.

More News On Today's Allegations That The Canadian Prime Minister Pressured The Former Justice Minister To Intervene In A Criminal Case

Liberals questioned over claim PMO pressed AG to drop SNC-Lavalin case, Trudeau denies -- CTV News
Trudeau denies his office 'directed' Jody Wilson-Raybould to help SNC-Lavalin -- National Post/Canadian Press
Trudeau government facing calls for investigation into allegations former justice minister was pressed to drop SNC-Lavalin charges -- Toronto Star
Trudeau says report his office pressed former justice minister to drop SNC-Lavalin prosecution ‘false’ -- Global News
Canada PM denies pressuring minister to be lenient with SNC-Lavalin -- Reuters
PM's shaky denial of interfering in corruption case -- Brian Lilly, Toronto Sun

This Monday's Quebec Provincial Election May Elect A Party Who Promises To Expel Immigrants Who Fail A 'Values Test'

The Coalition Avenir Quebec party led by businessman François Legault, seen here, is tied with premier Philippe Couillard’s Liberals. (Christinne Muschi / Bloomberg)

Toronto Star/Washington Post: Political party vying in Quebec election promises to kick out immigrants who fail 'values test'

Days before a provincial election in Quebec, a center-right party promising to slash immigration and to kick out all immigrants who fail tests of "values" and the French language is in a dead heat with the incumbent Liberals who have governed the province for most of the past 15 years.

The Coalition Avenir Quebec, a party led by businessman Francois Legault, is tied with premier Philippe Couillard's Liberals, with each party supported by 30 percent of decided voters, according to a poll by Ipsos for La Presse and Global News. That makes it likely the Oct. 1 election will produce a minority government.

This year's contest will be the first in nearly six decades where the "national question" - whether French-speaking Quebec should separate from the rest of Canada - is not a campaign issue. But those bitter independence battles have morphed into acrimonious fights over immigration and perceived threats to Quebec's francophone identity.

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WNU Editor: I live in Quebec and I will be voting in this provincial election on Monday. The media outside of Quebec are focusing on the issue of immigration, and while this is an important issue .... this election will be decided in the rural areas where the economy is the main issue .... Quebec election: Debt, taxes and the labour shortage (Montreal Gazette). As for the issue of expelling immigrants .... provincial governments do not have the power to decide who is a citizen of their province or not ... this is a bogus issue.

Uproar In Canada's Parliament After PM Justin Trudeau's Bizarre Behavior

CBC: Justin Trudeau's elbowing incident leaves House in an uproar

'There is not a parallel in contemporary Canadian history,' NDP House leader says following Commons uproar.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was accused of "manhandling" Opposition whip Gord Brown and elbowing NDP MP Ruth Ellen Brosseau in the House of Commons as MPs gathered for a vote on the government's assisted-dying bill Wednesday afternoon.

In video from the House, Trudeau is seen walking toward Brown in a crowd of MPs in the Commons aisle, taking his arm in an apparent effort to move Brown toward his seat. While doing so, he encountered Brosseau, who was also standing in the aisle and was seen physically reacting after the contact.

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WNU Editor: This ends the Trudeau honeymoon .... at least in Canada.

More News On Yesterday's Canadian - parliamentary Uproar On PM Justin Trudeau's Behavior

Justin Trudeau's elbowing incident leaves House in an uproar -- CBC
‘I was elbowed in the chest by the prime minister,’ Brosseau says, as Tory MP says he asked PM to let go of him -- National Post
Chaos erupts on Hill: Trudeau apologizes for physical contact with Opposition MPs -- Global news
'Let go of me — now,' allegedly manhandled Tory MP Brown told Trudeau -- Toronto Sun
Justin Trudeau criticized for losing his cool in House of Commons -- CBC
Trudeau apologizes after being accused of manhandling, elbowing MPs -- Globe and Mail
Canada PM Justin Trudeau: I'm sorry for manhandling parliament members -- CNN
Justin Trudeau Apologizes to Female Legislator After Bizarre Parliamentary Altercation Breaks Out -- VICE News
Trudeau ‘Sunny Ways’ Turn to Rancor After He Elbows Lawmaker -- Bloomberg