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Former Canada Finance Minister’s Thank-You Letter to WEF Suggests More Collaboration Than Disclosed

Former Finance Minister’s Thank-You Letter to WEF Suggests More Collaboration Than Disclosed
A press photographer works next to the logo of the World Economic Forum (WEF) at the opening of their annual meeting in Davos on Jan. 15, 2024. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)
Noé Chartier

By our friends at Epoch Times/ Noé Chartier

Close interactions between Canadian cabinet ministers and the World Economic Forum are well-documented, but a newly revealed letter suggests forum staff may have been doing more work with the federal government than previously disclosed.

In an undated letter to a WEF official, former Finance Minister Bill Morneau praised the organization and its collaboration to achieve “common” objectives.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation to the WEF staff, for the support provided to the Government of Canada,” wrote Mr. Morneau in the letter obtained through the access-to-information regime.

Neither the WEF nor the Canadian government typically advertise what support the forum provides. The finance department has not replied to a request for information about the date of the letter and details of how WEF staff helped the government.

The letter was addressed to Philipp Rösler, a former German politician who served as a WEF manager and head of its Centre for Regional Strategies.

The federal government is known to have been involved in at least two WEF policy initiatives: the Known Traveller Digital Identification (KTDI) project and the Agile Nations network.

Poilievre Reaffirms Ban on WEF Ties in Conservative Party, Calls Davos Crowd ‘Hypocrites’

John Robson: The Feds’ Green Dreams Touted at WEF Are Detached From Reality

KTDI was a pilot project between Canada, the Netherlands, and private sector interests to develop a system of digital credentials for airplane travel between countries. Agile Nations is a group of countries working to streamline regulations to usher in the WEF-promoted “Fourth Industrial Revolution” that includes gene editing and artificial intelligence.

KTDI began in 2018, and Canada signed onto Agile Nations in November 2020, a few months after Mr. Morneau resigned during the WeCharity scandal. Both projects were worked on while Mr. Morneau was finance minister from 2015 to 2020.

Since both these projects fell outside of Mr. Morneau’s portfolio as finance minister, it seems to suggest that his letter of appreciation to the WEF was referring to other joint collaborations.

Canada's then-minister of Finance Bill Morneau speaks to the Canadian Club of Canada in Toronto, on March 6, 2020. (Cole Burston/The Canadian Press)
Canada’s then-minister of Finance Bill Morneau speaks to the Canadian Club of Canada in Toronto, on March 6, 2020. (Cole Burston/The Canadian Press)

The WEF’s mission statement says it is dedicated to “improving the state of the world.” It gathers leaders in the fields of politics, business, and activism to promote progressive policies on issues like climate change and making capitalism more “inclusive.” As is routine with the organization, it did not respond to requests for comment.

Critics of the WEF, which gathers world elites to shape global policies, often disagree with its progressive agenda and warn about its influence on countries.

“No staff, no ministers, no MPs in my caucus will be involved whatsoever in that organization,” Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre said in January.

He added that officials who attend the forum’s annual meeting in Davos are “high flying, high tax, high carbon hypocrites” who travel in private jets while telling average citizens not to “heat their homes or drive their pickup trucks.”

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has also criticized the WEF, saying in 2022 she finds it “distasteful when billionaires brag about how much control they have over political leaders, as the head of that organization has.”

Ms. Smith was likely referring to comments made by WEF founder and chairman Klaus Schwab in 2017, when he said said he was “very proud” to “penetrate the cabinets” of world governments, including that of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

“I know that half of his cabinet or even more than half of his cabinet are actually Young Global Leaders of the World Economic Forum,” Mr. Schwab told an audience at Harvard University.

WEF founder Klaus Schwab delivers a speech during the "Crystal Award" ceremony at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, on Jan. 16, 2023. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)
WEF founder Klaus Schwab delivers a speech during the “Crystal Award” ceremony at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, on Jan. 16, 2023. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)

Davos Links

Mr. Morneau’s letter to the WEF comes from internal Finance Department records and is the only document in the release package that pertains to Mr. Morneau. It consists mostly of praise for the organization.

“As a Steward of Economic Growth and Social Inclusion, I have had the privilege of observing first-hand and benefiting from the WEF’s important contributions to foster public and private collaboration towards developing concrete solutions for strong, broad-based economic growth,” he wrote, adding that WEF analysis of different topics such as “structural reform priorities” was “helpful to develop substantive policy measures.”

He wrote that “as we enter another ambitious year for the WEF, I look forward to a continued fruitful collaboration to pursue our common objective of achieving stronger, sustainable and more inclusive growth.”

Other department records relate to current Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and her involvement with the WEF. She is a board member of the forum and also an alumnus of the Young Global Leaders program that Mr. Schwab referenced.

Mr. Morneau, who resigned as minister in 2020, is listed on the WEF website as an “agenda contributor“ and a ”digital member.” He was a regular participant at the group’s annual meetings in Davos, Switzerland, while he was in office.

During those years, the Finance Department’s media relations office wasn’t shy about advertising ministerial trips to Davos.

“Canada’s strong presence at the Forum underscores the importance of this meeting for shaping the international agenda and advancing economic opportunities for Canadians,” read a January 2020 press release from the department announcing Mr. Morneau’s trip.

The Finance Department has not returned inquiries in recent years pertaining to Ms. Freeland’s involvement with the WEF, nor has it issued press releases referencing her involvement.

Some have questioned whether Ms. Freeland’s role as deputy prime minister and finance minister as well as a forum board member constitutes a conflict of interest. The Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner said in its 2022 annual report it received more than 1,000 requests in a two-month period from members of the public to investigate the participation of MPs and ministers in the WEF.

The office said the requests “did not provide sufficient information to warrant an investigation.” Ms. Freeland’s leadership position with the WEF has been declared to the office and has therefore been cleared.

Featured image: Original paintings by R. Delaney.

Icons Masked In League Of Wrestling Paintings

The League of Wrestling Mask Portraits is a growing body of work, undertaken in 2023, by realist painter, Richard Delaney. The work is a satirical, Pop Art-style, examination of the famous and controversial people of our time, such as Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Justin Trudeau, Elon Musk, and Greta Thunberg. Delaney paints their approximately, life-size portraits, in an unconventional manner. Politicians and celebrities are depicted wearing personalized wrestling masks (as in professional wrestling, aka Lucha Libra, often referred to as Mexican wrestling masks). They wear their masks as if ready to battle/wrestle in the social and political ring.  

Each mask is customized for the individual wearer with clues to their identity imbedded in the design.

The symbolic clues help the viewer identify the person when the facial features alone are not enough. For example, the design of Greta Thunberg’s mask reflects her climate activism. Yellow flame-patterned, patches, around her eyes, nose, and mouth, rise up to symbolically melt what appears to be an ice cap on the top of her head, causing melt-water to flow into the blue, ocean-like area of the mask, covering her face. The dominant colours, light blue and yellow, reference Thunberg’s country, Sweden, and its flag.     

Delaney’s paintings in oil and acrylic are garish, bombastic, and humorous. They are fresh and contemporary while being reminiscent of 1960’s Pop Art. The visual aesthetic is like a combination of cartoon, realistic painting, and or photo collage. The mask component has a hint of vintage, comic book art, and pulp art illustration. In contrast, the facial features of the subjects are rendered in a somewhat, photorealistic style.

Conceptually, the League of Wrestling Mask Portraits, is very much Pop Art, and may have roots in the work of Warhol.

Both artists use mass media as a reservoir of ideas. They each present the concept of fame and celebrity in a uniquely identifiable style. There is no doubt that the ‘mask’ in Delaney’s work is simultaneously a visual brand, and a concept to be pondered.  

    

Delaney has coined the terms “maskified” and “maskification,” to describe his portraits. The maskified portraits cannot be viewed without some consideration for the basic idea and purpose of a mask, that is, to conceal true identity, and or to project a persona. The maskification of Donald Trump, for example, in a red mask with gold trim and crown, draws a comparison to classic comic book superheroes or villains, depending on one’s political stance. The connection with Mascaras de Lucha Libra is of course, intentional, and it is this simple juxtaposition that makes the work visually and intellectually, compelling.        

Delaney plans to produce a large collection of portraits by the end of 2024.

Ultimately, he imagines them displayed and for sale in a contemporary art gallery. For the time being, they are available to view on social media in the form of humorous reels and videos. There are many potential subjects that Delaney would like to paint, including, for example, Dylan Mulvaney, Joe Rogan, Kamala Harris, King Charles, Pierre Poilievre, and Jordan Peterson. Who do you think should be maskified? You can make suggestions by following Delaney on social media where he will be frequently unveiling new paintings for his League of Wrestling Mask Portraits. 

How Do Canada Provinces Grade In Taxpayer Fiscal Transparency?

September 15, 2022 – Taxpayers and citizens need greater fiscal transparency from Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial governments, says the latest report from the C.D. Howe Institute.

In “The Right to Know: Grading the Fiscal Transparency of Canada’s Senior Governments, 2022,” William B.P. Robson and Nicholas Dahir graded these governments’ budgets, estimates and financial statements on how well they let legislators and voters understand their fiscal plans and hold them to account for fulfilling them. The grades range from A to D. While some of the governments present helpful and timely budgets and financial statements, others fall badly short.

The authors underline that budgets, estimates and financial statements must let interested but non-expert users find and understand and act on key information.

“Taxpayers’ and citizens’ ability to monitor, influence and react to how legislators and officials manage public funds is fundamental to representative government,” say Robson and Dahir. “We need to check that legislators and government officials are acting in the interest of the people they represent, and we need to respond if we conclude that they are acting negligently or in their own interest. Financial reports are key tools for monitoring governments’ performance of their fiduciary duties.”

image: Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau website. Link to Transparency PDF: https://pm.gc.ca/en/news/backgrounders/2015/11/27/open-and-accountable-government

While much of the financial information presented to legislators and the public by Canada’s governments has improved over time, the assigned grades reveal significant shortfalls. This year’s report card covers year-end financial statements for fiscal year 2020/21 and budgets and estimates for 2021/22. The results were as follows:

  • Manitoba, British Colombia and the Northwest Territories trailed the the class with grades of D;
  • The federal government got a D+ – which was actually an improvement from an F last year, when it failed to produce a budget;
  • Newfoundland and Labrador also got a D+;
  • Nova Scotia scored a C and Prince Edward Island scored a C+;
  • Quebec scored a B- and Ontario scored a B;
  • Nunavut, Saskatchewan, and New Brunswick each scored B+;
  • Alberta and Yukon topped the class with grades of A and A- respectively.

These governments tax, spend and borrow hundreds of billions of dollars, and the fiscal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will make their financial position all the more important in the future. The authors conclude: “This annual report card hopes to encourage further progress and limit backsliding. Canadians can get more transparent financial reporting and better fiscal accountability from their governments, if they demand it.” For the Silo, Lauren Malyk.

For more than 60 years, the C.D. Howe Institute has researched and published on policy challenges and potential solutions aimed at improving the performance of Canada’s economy and raising Canadians’ living standards.

Read the Full Report

Featured image via GIFT- The Global Initiative for Fiscal Transparency

Cons: Federal Libs C-10 Bill Has Massive Potential for Abuse of Power

Ottawa, ON – The Hon. Erin O’Toole, Leader of Canada’s Conservatives and the Leader of the Official Opposition, issued the following statement calling on Justin Trudeau to withdraw Bill C-10:
 
“In a democratic society, abuses of power and authority can and should be called out without fear of retribution. Social media has rapidly become the platform for this purpose, from cellphone videos of interactions with police to social media posts by survivors of sexual assault and harassment leading to the #MeToo movement.

“But in the midst of a pandemic, while Canadians are stuck at home and relying on social media for information, connectivity, and entertainment more than ever before, the Liberal government is quietly moving to radically change how Canadians use the internet.
 
“In a society that values freedom of speech and expression, Bill C-10 leaves the door open for a massive abuse of power on the rights of Canadians. 
 
“Canada’s Conservatives support creating a level playing field between large foreign streaming services and Canadian broadcasters, and championing Canadian arts and culture. A Conservative government would do so without compromising Canadians’ fundamental rights and freedoms.
 
“We are calling on Justin Trudeau to withdraw Bill C-10 today. If this is not done, a Conservative government will stand up for Canadians and repeal this deeply flawed legislation. While the NDP and the Bloc may look the other way on the freedom of expression, Canada’s Conservatives will not.” 
 
Le chef des conservateurs Erin O’Toole demande à Justin Trudeau d’annuler le projet de loi C-10 

 
Ottawa (Ontario) – L’honorable Erin O’Toole, chef des conservateurs du Canada et de l’Opposition officielle, a fait la présente déclaration demandant à Justin Trudeau d’annuler le projet de loi C-10 :
 
« Dans une société démocratique, les abus de pouvoir et d’autorité peuvent et doivent être dénoncés sans crainte ni représailles. Les médias sociaux sont rapidement devenus la principale plateforme à cet effet, qu’il s’agisse de vidéos d’interactions avec la police réalisées à l’aide de téléphones portables ou de messages publiés sur les médias sociaux par des victimes d’agressions et de harcèlement sexuels, qui ont donné naissance au mouvement #MeToo.
 
« Or, en pleine pandémie, alors que les Canadiens sont coincés chez eux et dépendent des médias sociaux pour obtenir de l’information, se connecter et se divertir, plus que jamais auparavant, le gouvernement libéral a discrètement tenté de changer radicalement comment les Canadiens peuvent utiliser les médias sociaux.
 
« Dans une société qui valorise la liberté de parole et d’expression, le projet de loi C-10 ouvre la porte à un abus de pouvoir et à une atteinte aux droits des Canadiens.
 
« Les conservateurs soutiennent des conditions égales entre les gros services de diffusion continue étrangers et les radiodiffuseurs canadiens, ainsi que la défense des arts et de la culture du Canada. Un gouvernement conservateur le ferait sans compromettre les droits fondamentaux et la liberté d’expression des Canadiens.

« Nous demandons à Justin Trudeau d’annuler le projet de loi C-10 aujourd’hui. Si cela n’est pas fait, un gouvernement conservateur défendra les intérêts des Canadiens et abrogera cette loi profondément défectueuse. Le NPD et le Bloc peuvent fermer les yeux sur la liberté d’expression, mais pas les conservateurs. » 
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Prime Minister Trudeau On Barcelona Terrorist Attack

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, issued the following statement on the terrorist attack in Barcelona:

“I am deeply saddened by today’s terrorist attack in Barcelona that has killed and injured so many innocent people.

“Sophie and I join all Canadians in offering our sincere condolences to the families and friends who have lost loved ones, and our best wishes for a fast and full recovery to those injured [yesterday].

“While we cannot ignore the outrage we feel, together we must renew our commitment to protect the freedom found in societies that promote unity, openness and inclusion.

“Spain, we grieve with you and denounce hate and violence in all of its forms. Canada will continue working with the international community to fight terrorism and build a world where we can all feel safe and secure.”

Significant Gasoline Price Hikes At Ontario Pumps

January 1st kicked off 2017 with significant gasoline price hikes at the pumps courtesy the Ontario Liberal government’s cap and trade legislation. I obviously voted against that bill.

Ontario’s cap and trade, Canada’s price on carbon

Another reality is that Canada is putting a price on carbon, the nature of which is still being negotiated with the provinces. With national carbon pricing being the new reality, Opposition Leader Patrick Brown has written an open letter to Justin Trudeau indicating that Kathleen Wynne’s cap and trade law “does not have Ontario’s best interests at heart,” and requesting that Ontario cap-and-trade be removed from the Trudeau carbon pricing system. I’m not holding my breath on that one.

The problem with the provincial cap and trade tax and the federal price on carbon is that going electric is neither technologically nor economically feasible for most, thanks to the Ontario Liberal’s Green Energy Act. I also voted against that bill.  The cap and trade tax system serves as a stick to try and modify behavior without offering a viable alternative and without a carrot to reward changes made, other than using the revenue for more subsidies for things like electric cars and Toronto transit.

As Ontario’s Official Opposition we have committed to dismantle the cap and trade system ever bearing in mind the federal government is mandating all provinces put a price on carbon.

On January 1, the province capped greenhouse emissions and will sell allowances to companies who have to exceed the cap. The province will lower the cap over time. Companies exceeding their cap can also buy additional allowances, or if they come in below their annual limit, can sell their emission allowances to other companies within a market comprised of Ontario, Quebec and California.

It is estimated Ontario businesses will be paying $300 million a year to California.

We maintain the government is so desperate to hike taxes, they have rejected a revenue-neutral plan – cap-and-trade money will disappear into general revenues.

Cap and trade has clearly not been designed to return money to those paying – it is a blatant $2 billion-a-year tax grab under the guise of environmentalism. It will seriously impact everyone’s pocket book. Oil refineries for example will pass their recovery costs of cap and trade to their customers at the pumps. It subtracts money from people, not only for gasoline, diesel, propane, natural gas, heating oil and aviation fuel but also for groceries, clothing and other consumer goods produced and delivered by carbon-fueled plant, equipment and transportation.

Ontario drivers are being treated like clowns.
Ontario drivers are being treated like clowns.

Ontario’s Auditor General reports the cap and trade tax will cost families an extra $156 this year for gasoline and natural gas, rising to $210 by 2019. Added transportation costs for goods and services will be another $75 per household by 2019.

We are committed to dismantling the cap and trade scheme and the Green Energy Act. This is the best way to ensure people’s hard-earned money stays exactly where it should stay…in their pockets.

In conclusion, I ask you the reader – where do we go from here? There probably won’t be an election until June 2018 and this is the time to consult on policy.

Click me!
Click me!

Provincially, the Ontario PC Party has committed to dismantle the Wynne cap and trade law, as well as the Green Energy Act. However, carbon pricing is now the reality in Canada and Ontario will be bound by the Trudeau price on carbon.  For the Silo, Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett.

Canada Needs To Adopt WHO Labeling Says MP Justin Trudeau

photo courtesy of the author
photo courtesy of the author

Article from March , 2013 –  In 1981, the World Health Organization introduced Code of Marketing for Breast-milk Substitutes. To date, 84 countries have enacted legislation making the labeling Code law in their countries. While Canada agreed and signed onto The Code and the amendments, to date it has not created any law, which would uphold this International document.

The WHO Code says, among many other items, that breast milk substitutes (including formula and infant foods) should not be directly advertised to consumers because they are sub-optimal foods to feed to babies and infants. Advertising includes newspapers, ads on Google or other websites, texting, and free samples through the mail.

Formula companies in Canada say they abide by the WHO Code by including a preamble in every commercial: “while breast milk is best…” Ask your average consumer today what they think about breast milk and formula and specifically if there is any difference. I have posed this question while working at numerous health fairs in the past 5 years. It is staggering the number of people who view breast milk and formula as having the same nutritional value. In case you do not know already, this has scientifically been proven false.

Over the past 5 years, I have written MPs and MPPs about why Canada does not uphold the WHO Code. What I heard from Health Canada directly is:

The Food Directorate of Health Canada is responsible for the development of policies, regulations and standards for all foods. The Food Directorate is also responsible for the premarket notification process for infant formulas…Manufacturers are responsible for the accuracy of information on the labels and advertisements for food and for compliance…”

This is akin to letting prisoners run the jail.

While writing my monthly (and at times weekly) concerns to government officials, I found an MP who said that, “If we were signatories to it, we should live up to it.” This was Justin Trudeau.

I am saying be politically involved. I have a stack of letters and many emails from all parties in their response to the WHO Code. It has been 30 years since Canada signed The Code. Why is it taking so long to actually do something to enforce it? Enforcing the Code would not result in taking formula off the market at all. The Code’s aim is to make healthier babies and our babies are entitled to the highest degree of health. For the Silo, Stephanie MacDonald. 

StephanieMacDonaldSiloWriter