Brian Lilley Podcast

On Wednesday night's show, hours before Amanda Simard announced she would leave the PC Party to sit as an independent, I was explaining what was happening. I had talked about Simard likely couldn't stay in caucus after not only voting with the NDP motion on French services but more importantly, she had voted against the government's fall economic statement - a confidence vote. Then Mary called in. A Francophone woman who lives in Simard's riding, Mary was not impressed. I think she will be less impressed today after the announcement.

Did the framers of the Charter really believe that Section 33 of the Charter, known as the Notwithstanding Clause, should rarely if ever be used? Not according to Norm Spector who was in the room for many of the conversations. Listen as Norm explains what really happened and even how Pierre Trudeau promised to use the Notwithstanding Clause.

Is Doug Ford going to Washington to clean up Justin Trudeau's mess on NAFTA? Sure looks that way. Trudeau can't get a deal, Chrystia Freeland can't get a meeting and Ford is heading to Washington. Listen as Brian Lilley breaks it down. Plus a long conversation with Norm Spector about what really happened when the Notwithstanding Clause was agreed to as part of our constitution, it isn't what most people are telling you. Democrats attack Trump's Supreme court pick in a strange way and so much more.

This past week the Ontario government under Doug Ford announced a major reform of education. It was almost a home run with changes to math, skilled trades, financial literacy and more. But there is nothing but confusion on sex-ed. Listen as Brian Lilley speaks to Tanya Granic Allen about the mess caused by Ford's education minister Lisa Thompson.

When Mad Max did the Bernier Bolt last week some thought it was the end of the Conservative Party. So far, no one is following Max, at least not from the party brass and workers. Kory Teneycke was one of Bernier's top advisors during the leadership campaign. He also worked for Stephen Harper, recently ran Doug Ford's successful Ontario campaign and started Sun News Network. Will he follow Max? No! Find out why.

Justin Trudeau's Liberals say there is no problem, no crisis, on the border. Yet Trudeau's own immigration minister, Ahmed Hussen, is warning that the system is unsustainable as people cross the border illegally in the tens of thousands. Listen as Brian Lilley speaks to former Chris Alexander who served as immigration minister in the last Conservative government about Trudeau's abject failure. SHARE this on Facebook.

Justin Trdueau's decision to sneak through the fact that talks with the premiers on equalization were off isn't sitting well out west. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe had proposed a number of changes to the system that he feels does not benefit his province. Moe and other premiers were supposed to meet with Trudeau and have discussions in the spring. Now those talks are off and the system that helps Quebec and the Maritime provinces stays in place. That also happens to be the area the Liberals have their power base. The move has generated outrage in Western Canada and former Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall says Western alienation is on the rise under Trudeau.

Does Canada still have a "special relationship" with the United States? And if we do, how do we fix it? In the wake of Donald Trump's tariffs and blasting of Canada on Twitter, Brian Lilley debates Geoffrey Johnston, the international affairs columnist for the Kingston Whig-Standard, on how to deal with the trade war.

The Supreme Court of Canada has decided that "charter Values" trump Charter Rights like Freedom of Religion. In their bizarre decision on Trinity Western University's law school, the Supreme Court has decided that the Charter is not there to protect minority groups but to push agendas. Listen as Brian Lilley speaks to lawyer and Executive Director of the Canadian Constitution Foundation, Howard Anglin about the problems with the decision.

The Liberals claim they are the most open and transparent government ever. They also claim that they base all their decisions on facts, evidence and science. Yet when asked to release their studies on the cost of their carbon tax plan for the average Canadian family, Justin Trudeau's Liberals have refused. So from Thursday night until Friday morning, the Conservatives refused to play nice and made the Liberals stand and vote on hundreds of line item spending measures. Listen as Brian Lilley speaks to Conservative finance critic Pierre Poilievre on why the CPC took this route and what they accomplished.

The people have spoken and in Ontario they said they didn't want Kathleen Wynne's cap and trade debacle. So Doug Ford promised to get rid of it right away. Well what is a Liberal to do? Justin Trudeau's environment minister Catherine McKenna says she will impose a federal carbon tax. Listen as Brian Lilley explains all that is wrong with that idea.

Is there something happening to fix the border crisis? Reports say yes but the Trudeau government says no. Meanwhile Kathleen Wynne says she will run on her record, a record that calls for her defeat. Brian dives into the carbon tax issue with lots of audio from Question Period in the House of Commons, an interview with climatologist Dr. Tim Ball and Kris Sims from the British Columbia office of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. That and your calls.

A full show with lots on Trudeau's carbon tax plan, why it won't work and why the price of gas and everything else will go up. Senator Denise Batters on how Trudeau is trying to usurp democracy in the Senate. Ray Heard on Wynne's desperation in the Ontario election. Jon Robson on the daft Supreme Court we have in Canada. Megan Barth on the unfunny progressive left at the White House Correspondents Dinner. And lots on Trudeau's ever rising carbon tax. Listen and SHARE this on social media.

We are getting gouged at the pumps for gasoline, paying more that we should. But what is behind it? Dan McTeague, senior petroleum analyst with GasBuddy.com join Brian on the radio to say it has more to do with bad government policy than those greedy big oil companies. Listen and learn. And share this clip!

The two Koreas did what was unthinkable just a few months ago, they held a peace summit where Kim Jong-un actually went onto South Korean soil, the first time a leader from the north has done so in more than 50 years. Should we be hopeful? Cynical? A combination of the two? How does this compare to the Berlin Wall moment and how much credit does Donald Trump deserve? Listen as Brian interviews international affairs columnist for the Kingston Whig-Standard, Geoffrey Johnston on all these questions.

Last year, Canada had a little over 20,000 people intercepted by the RCMP crossing the border illegally. Almost all, about 18,600 came across in Quebec, mostly at Roxham Road. Candice Malcolm has been writing about this issue in the Toronto Sun and just visited the site in-person to document it, listen as she explains to Brian what is really going on.

A leader from North Korea visited the South for the first time in 53 years, why isn't Donald Trump getting credit for this amazing summit. South Korea gives him credit but not Western media. Brian gives his own thoughts and talks to international affairs columnist Geoffrey Johnston about the situation. What is really happening on Roxham Road with the border crisis? Brian speaks to Candice Malcolm, just back from documenting it with her own eyes.

New data shows that when Justin Trudeau tweeted a welcome to the world's refugees that Canada's bureaucrats were flooded with requests to come here. Conservative immigration critic joins Brian to discuss the whole story including what is happening at the border now, the high level of illegal crossings now and the huge budget payoff you didn't hear about.

A new poll shows that Canadians are not on board with the main policy plank that Justin Trudeau is pushing - a carbon tax. Listen as Brian Lilley breaks the poll down, speaks to Warren Kinsella about the Facebook data scandal and the Liberals treating voters with disdain. Michelle Rempel also joins the show to discuss the border problems. Brian discusses the plans for the redevelopment of Albert and Slater Streets.

Matthew Schrier was 45 minutes from escaping Syria when he was taken hostage by Al Qaida. The freelance photographer who had gone to the war torn country to document the fighting went through torture, interrogations and robbery including at the hands of Canadians. It was what he found when he escaped and got back home that has left him shocked. Among those revelations, items bought with his credit card while he was a hostage were shipped to an address in Montreal. Despite working with the RCMP, those responsible have never been charged. Listen to Matthew's story.