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It's the third and final day of the Canada Strong and Free Network's flagship conference in Ottawa and True North's Andrew Lawton Show is once again live from the exhibit hall. In today's show, Andrew speaks to former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott about freedom, conservatism, and why the right has to articulate its own position on climate and the environment instead of accepting the left's premises. Also, the Fraser Institute's Paige MacPherson on choice and education, plus the Canadian Taxpayers Federation's Franco Terrazzano on whether there is hope on the horizon for Canadian taxpayers.

Across the country, communities are being hollowed out and overrun by tent cities and increasing homeless populations. What has gone so wrong? True North’s Andrew Lawton catches up with former Toronto mayoral candidate Anthony Furey to discuss on the margins of the Canada Strong and Free Network’s annual conference, the flagship event for the country’s conservative movement. Also on the show, former adviser to Margaret Thatcher John O’Sullivan, plus Tracey Wilson of the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights, and some other folks who get pulled in as the show progresses.

Canada's flagship conservative conference, hosted by the Canada Strong and Free Network, kicks off today in Ottawa, with a roster of speakers including former British prime minister Boris Johnson, former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott, and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. True North is broadcasting live from the convention all week. In today's kickoff episode, True North's Andrew Lawton speaks to Canada Strong and Free Network president Adam Bolek about the conference theme, "leading with conviction." Also on the show: Macdonald-Laurier Institute domestic policy director Aaron Wudrick, Durham member of Parliament Jamil Jivani, and filmmaker-turned-Conservative candidate Aaron Gunn.

The legacy media has lost their collective minds because Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre quoted a media report that said the Rainbow Bridge explosion on Wednesday was being treated as a terrorist attack. On Thursday, a Canadian Press report attempted to embarrass Poilievre, but the Conservative leader stood his ground. In response, the media has gone into overdrive to cover for the Liberals and attack Poilievre – even going as far as accusing him of being an “intellectual bully.” Typical. Tune into a special live edition of Fake News Friday on The Candice Malcolm Show!

The Liberals delivered their fall fiscal update yesterday, painting a grim picture of Canada's finances despite Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland's claim that Canada is not and never has been "broken." The update shows more spending, more deficits, and more taxes, with millions more going to bailing out Canadian journalists and ballooning debt servicing costs. True North's Andrew Lawton discusses with Conservative finance critic Jasraj Singh Hallan. Plus, the federal government has vowed to fight to defend its plastics ban despite a court finding it was unconstitutional. What does this mean for Canadian industry? Catherine Swift of the Coalition of Concerned Manufacturers & Businesses of Canada joins to weigh in. While antisemitic protests have become a mainstay across the country, Quebec has proven to be a particular hotbed for Jew hatred. National Post Barbara Kay explains why that is.

The Canadian Human Rights Commission has been quiet on six weeks of rampant antisemitic hate and calls for violence against Jews and Israelis, but has published a discussion paper taking aim at the real source of discrimination – Christmas and Easter. The human rights commission says Christmas and Easter being holidays is discriminatory against non-Christians, making Canada a religiously intolerant "settler colonial state." True North's Andrew Lawton discusses with Rebel News founder Ezra Levant. Plus, a new report from C2C Journal exposes the "dangers and delusions" of central bank digital currencies, which the Bank of Canada is actively exploring. Author Gleb Lisikh joins the show to discuss.

An analysis of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's daily itineraries by journalist Glen McGregor reveals that in Trudeau's eight years in office, he's taken 22 months – nearly two years – of "personal" days. This is 24 per cent of his term that has been days off, with no public events or publicly disclosed meetings. True North's Andrew Lawton weighs in. Legacy media journalists are criticizing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre for calling the Trudeau government "socialist" – even though one of Trudeau's ministers publicly called himself a "proud socialist" a couple of weeks ago. Also, the Supreme Court has struck down the federal government's plastics ban as unconstitutional, the latest rebuke of Trudeau's environmental policies. Andrew discusses with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation's Kris Sims. Plus, does Canada need a top-to-bottom reform of its tax system? Macdonald-Laurier Institute researcher Aaron Wudrick says we do. He joins the show to explain.

The federal government has finalized yet another extension of its amnesty period for firearms banned by order-in-council in May 2020, meaning owners of newly prohibited guns may have a reprieve if Justin Trudeau's Liberals are ousted in the next election. True North's Andrew Lawton discusses why this is good news and focuses in on what Alberta has done to push back against Ottawa gun control. Also, a new study from the Aristotle Foundation finds that despite the proclamations of Trudeau and the mainstream media, Canada is not a systemically racist country after all. Aristotle Foundation president Mark Milke joins the show to discuss.

Bernie Farber, the founder of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, admitted in an X post that the CAHN lacks the "resources" to look into anything other than the "extreme right." This was his explanation for CAHN's relative silence in the wake of Hamas' attacks on Israel and rampant antisemitism across Canada at pro-Palestine rallies. True North's Andrew Lawton says Farber accidentally said the quiet part out loud, admitting a lot of Jew hatred comes from the left. Also, the media is freaking out over Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's upcoming appearance with Tucker Carlson. Plus, interviews and stories from the Alberta UCP AGM and the ARC Forum in London.

The first ever conference for the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) concluded this afternoon, wrapping up three days of discussions about responsibility, freedom and citizenship in the context of uplifting individuals and families, rather than states and globalism. True North's Andrew Lawton spoke to dozens of attendees from different backgrounds and found one fairly common goal – a rejection of wokeness and grievance politics. In this edition of the show, live from London, Andrew recaps the conference and shares some interviews he did there. Plus, thousands of Alberta United Conservative Party members are set to descend on Calgary this week for what's shaping up to be the biggest political party convention Canada has ever seen. A big part of the high attendance is due to organizing efforts by grassroots advocacy group Take Back Alberta, whose founder, David Parker, joins Andrew live.

While the World Economic Forum and globalist commentators push for open borders, attendees at the Alliance for Responsibility (ARC) Forum in London, United Kingdom, are more concerned with dismally low birth rates in the west and unfettered mass migration. True North's Andrew Lawton comes to you live from London after wrapping up Day 2 of the inaugural ARC Forum. According to a new poll, more Canadians than ever believe the country's immigration rates are too high. This comes as the Liberal government continues to ramp up immigration targets despite an affordability crisis. The consensus on immigration is changing – not just in Canada, but around in the world. Plus, the Federal Court has defended Justin Trudeau's 2020 gun ban in a ruling delivered yesterday. Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights CEO Rod Giltaca joins the show to discuss what this means for gun owners and Canadians as a whole.

True North's Andrew Lawton is live from London, United Kingdom, where the first Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) Forum kicked off today. The conference features 1,500 delegates from 72 countries with discussions about citizenship, responsibility and individualism, rather than globalism and collectivism. Andrew says this makes it an important counterbalance to the World Economic Forum and its annual Davos summits. Also, a Liberal cabinet minister says if western Canadians want their concerns about the carbon tax to be heard, they need to vote Liberal. Plus, Kris Sims of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation on the return of the Alberta legislature and the federal government's home heating oil backtrack.

Many of the progressives who wish to censor speech they disagree with as "hate speech" and mandate pronoun usage are defending their right to free speech when challenged on endorsing or condoning Hamas violence against Israel. If you hope that pointing out this double standard will change anything, you're mistaken, True North's Andrew Lawton says: the anti-free speech left doesn't care. True North's Sue-Ann Levy joins to talk about the Toronto District School Board-sanctioned student walkout to protest Israel underway today. Plus, free speech-loving doctors and medical professionals are holding a conference in Nova Scotia this weekend to take a stand for Free Speech in Medicine. Organizer Dr. Chris Milburn joins the show to explain.

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre spoke in support of a private member's bill banning federal vaccinate mandates. Liberal MPs including Mark Gerretsen and Seamus O'Regan said it was a "waste of time" and accused Poilievre of not being focused on real issues. True North's Andrew Lawton says the Liberals just don't want to be forced to defend their atrocious Covid record. Also, True North journalist Noah Jarvis joins the show to discuss his series on waste, mismanagement and conflicts of interest at the federal clean technology crown corporation Sustainable Development Technology Canada. Plus, lawyers Christine Van Geyn and Joanna Baron of the Canadian Constitution Foundation have a new book out about the government's assaults on freedom over the last three years. They join the show to talk about Pandemic Panic: How Canadian Government Responses to Covid 19 Changed Civil Liberties Forever.

A massive poll conducted by the federal government found that a majority of Canadians think Justin Trudeau is on the wrong track on nearly all issues. In spite of these numbers, the Liberals have doubled down on their record and ramped up their attacks on the Conservatives. Do you think there’s anything they could do to turn the ship around? True North’s Andrew Lawton weighs in. Also, several Liberal and New Democrat politicians and left-wing media personalities have called for a “ceasefire” between Israel and Hamas. They claim to be speaking up for “peace,” but all they’re doing is denying Israel’s right to self-defence. JSpaceCanada chair Joe Roberts joins the show to discuss. Plus, Girl Guides of Canada is banning its chapters from participating in Santa Claus parades because of the organization’s commitment to “secularism and inclusivity.” This comes as the Canadian Armed Forces prevents chaplains from offering religious prayers at Remembrance Day ceremonies. Veteran Tom Marazzo is back to talk about it.

Dozens of students at the Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) law school have signed – and deleted – an open letter condemning Israel as a "settler colony." The signatories say they "support all forms of Palestinian resistance and efforts toward liberation" and explicitly Palestinians should be judged by different rules than Israelis because the former are the "oppressor." True North's Andrew Lawton discusses. Lawyer Ari Goldkind says Toronto police have failed to protect the city's Jews from a spike in antisemitism. He joins Andrew to weigh in. Plus, Kris Sims from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation joins for her regular Monday check in – this time discussing Rideau Hall's $8 million barn.

A new poll shows that not only most Canadians favour Pierre Poilievre to Justin Trudeau, but even those who voted for Trudeau in 2021 are split on whether he should step down ahead of the next election. While the polls have consistently bad for the Liberals, Trudeau has been unequivocal that he plans to contest the next election – and his caucus has been in lockstep behind him. Do you think he should run or resign? Also, Trudeau has told Alberta Premier Danielle Smith the federal government will fight Alberta's proposed withdrawal from the Canada Pension Plan, prompting Smith to tell Ottawa to butt out. True North's Andrew Lawton discusses with Aaron Wudrick of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. Plus, the criminal mischief trial of Tamara Lich and Chris Barber continues, with testimony this week from Ottawa residents opposed to the Freedom Convoy. Epoch Times reporter Matthew Horwood joins the show to give the latest.

The media and politicians were quick to take Hamas at its word and lay blame against Israel for a Palestinian rocket that crashed into a hospital parking lot in Gaza. Media outlets have quietly rewritten their stories and headlines in the past day, but even this morning Minister François-Philippe Champagne referred to the hospital bombing as an "attack." True North's Andrew Lawton weighs in. Plus, anti-Israel protests continue to mount, with increasingly antisemitic rhetoric. Andrew discusses with Ratio'd host Harrison Faulkner. Plus, the federal government has vowed to outlaw online "hate speech" as part of its "online harms" bill. Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms president John Carpay joins the program to unpack what this means for free speech.

The Liberals have seized on a wave of antisemitic protests to reiterate their pledge to introduce a law regulating "online harms." The bill, which the Liberals originally promised to table in 2021, would ban restrict online "hate speech" at a lower threshold than what exists in law right now – and penalize social media platforms that allow it. True North's Andrew Lawton says the answer to hate is not censorship. After taking credit for making grocery store owners lower their prices, the Liberals are now complaining that grocers haven't provided a firm plan. Canadian Taxpayers Federation federal director Franco Terrazzano weighs in. Also, United Conservative Party members will vote on policy resolutions aimed at protecting parental rights when it comes to children changing gender and pronouns at school Alberta Premier Danielle Smith hasn't yet committed to taking the same actions that the governments in New Brunswick and Saskatchewan have though. True North COO and longtime Alberta politico William McBeath joins the show to discuss. Plus, American media have taken notice of Pierre Poilievre's handling of a reporter who accused him of being Trump-like in an awkward interview.

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh survived a leadership review on the weekend, through fewer NDP members voted for him than did in his last two reviews. More notably, NDP members adopted a resolution calling on the NDP to withdraw its support of the Liberal government unless the Liberals make good on their promise of a national pharmacare plan. True North's Andrew Lawton weighs in. Also, the federal government withheld documents from the RCMP, preventing the RCMP from fully investigating the SNC-Lavalin scandal. Democracy Watch founder Duff Conacher joins the show to discuss. Plus, what does the Supreme Court of Canada's rebuke of the 'no more pipelines' law, Bill C-69, mean for the Canadian oil and gas sector? The Canadian Taxpayers Federation's Kris Sims is back to break it down.

The Federal Court of Appeal held a hearing yesterday to decide whether it was reasonable to dismiss Brian Peckford's and Maxime Bernier's legal challenge of the Covid vaccine mandate for air travel as "moot." The Federal Court ruled earlier that since the government lifted the mandate, there was no point in adjudicating whether it was unconstitutional (despite the government asserting it had a right to reintroduce it). True North's Andrew Lawton discusses with lawyer Eva Chipiuk. Fraser Institute senior fellow Kenneth Green joins to discuss how "Covid theatre" replaced public health policy. Plus, Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman on Hamas' call for global jihad tomorrow and international human rights lawyer Sarah Teich on the "settler" narrative being peddled to justify Hamas violence.

Canada's state broadcaster, CBC, is refusing to refer to Hamas as terrorists in its coverage of the terrorist group's attacks on Israel over the last four days. A memo sent to its journalists also forbids them from mentioning Israel's withdrawal from Gaza in 2005. True North's Andrew Lawton says this shouldn't come as a surprise given the way the media covers Israel in general, including the latest attacks. Honest Reporting Canada executive director Mike Fegelman joins the show to discuss. Also, CUPE is doubling down after its Ontario president, Fred Hahn, lauded "resistance" in a Thanksgiving message. Plus, the federal government is extending its amnesty on firearms banned by order-in-council in 2020 to 2025, meaning the amnesty will last until after the next federal election.

While thousands came out yesterday to stand with Israel, a shocking number of protesters at rallies across Canada took to the streets to defend and justify Hamas' brutal terrorist attacks against Israelis. Some said the attacks were "decolonialism in action." Others said it was "resistance." These statements came as the death toll surpasses 1,000 and Hamas threatens to execute hostages. True North's Andrew Lawton weighs in. Plus, Canadians faced more difficulty getting news over the weekend thanks to Bill C-18, which prompted Facebook to block Canadian news links and may soon result in Google doing the same. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation's Kris Sims joins the show for her weekly check-in to discuss.

As inflation continues to drive up the cost of groceries, Canadians are having to compromise on quality and nutrition to feed their families, a new survey shows. The research from Dalhousie University finds that nearly two-thirds of Canadians are concerned about the unhealthy consequences of their purchasing habits; almost half of respondents are now buying groceries from the dollar store, relying more on non-fresh products. True North's Andrew Lawton weighs in. Also, a private member's bill from Conservative MP Ed Fast seeks to push the government to rollback its expansion of assisted suicide to people suffering only from mental illnesses. Andrew discusses with Euthanasia Prevention Coalition executive director Alex Schadenberg. Plus, cancelled professor Eric Kaufmann is launching a new anti-woke university course at the University of Buckingham. He joins the show to talk about it.

The Alberta government has launched an aggressive, $8 million ad campaign seeking to "educate Canadians and Albertans" about the dangers of the federal government's net-zero emissions reduction schemes. Premier Danielle Smith is also preparing to invoke the Sovereignty Act to push back against the feds plans. Alberta Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz joins True North's Andrew Lawton to discuss. Also, the media is trying to blame the PC loss in Manitoba on Premier Heather Stefanson's stand for parental rights. Plus, the Inuit elder photographed with Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre on the weekend, Manitok Thompson, is on the show to share her story.