Lobbying – Page 7 – Canuck Law

November 23, 2021

Who’s Pulling John Horgan’s Strings?

B.C. Premier John Horgan claims that he acts in the best interests of the residents of the Province. Supposedly, eliminating freedom and medical autonomy are all done in the name of the public good. But is that really the case? Are Horgan and his associates truly bumbling fools, or is there something more nefarious at play?

Due to reader request, this sequel is going up.

This series continues on who’s pulling the strings of influential politicians. Previously, Elizabeth May, Erin O’Toole, Michelle Rempel, Steven Guilbeault (Part 1 and Part 2), Doug Ford (many times), Rankin & Strang, Jason Kenney, Scott Moe, Brian Pallister and Blaine Higgs were covered.

In case anyone thinks that Bonnie Henry is really the brains behind the “pandemic effort”, she’s not. She’s just another actor, reading a script that’s provided. Without someone to tell her what to say, she starts babbling idiotically, such as repeatedly admitting there’s no science behind anything she does. She did find the time to publish a book though.

An honest and transparent media would call Horgan, Henry, Dix and Farnworth out for their obvious lies and deceptions. However, with enough subsidies, that doesn’t happen.

Here are the open lobbyist registrations that are flagged by searching vaccines. A lot of the names should be familiar. If they’re not familiar, then you have a lot of catching up to do.

1. Jean-Marc Prevost, Counsel Public Affairs

This has been addressed in an earlier piece. Prevost was the “Director of Strategic Communications” for Bonnie Henry immediately before becoming a lobbyist for Counsel Public Affairs. This firm has been lobbying all across Canada on behalf of Emergent BioSolutions, the company that makes AstraZeneca.

Prevost has also been a handler for the Alberta and Manitoba Governments before moving over to BC. now lobbies on behalf of Innovative Medicines Canada, which represents pretty much the entire pharmaceutical industry.

2. Brad Lavigne, Counsel Public Affairs

Before becoming a drug lobbyist, Brad Lavigne was very involved with the Federal NDP. He even worked in the Office of Jack Layton, when he was Leader of the Official Opposition. He got very close to having some real power, but now channels it behind the scenes. Lavigne has also been a CBC commentator since 2004, though it’s doubtful he’s ever been asked hard questions about his lobbying.

3. Kiersten Combs, AstraZeneca

Considering that Bonnie’s ex-Communications Director now lobbies on behalf of Emergent BioSolutions, it stands to reason that AstraZeneca would benefit. After all, this is the company that actually manufactures the product.

4. Matt Williamson, Global Public Affairs

Matt Williamson has worked with both the Governments of Manitoba and Alberta before becoming a lobbyist in B.C. It’s interesting, his career path seems pretty similar to Jean-Marc Prevost. He’s also working for Innovative Medicines Canada, which means pretty much everyone.

5. Geraldine Vance, B.C. Pharmacy Association

Early in her career, Geraldine Vance was “Communications Counsel” for the Government of B.C. Now, she lobbies on behalf of the B.C. Pharmacy Association, which is funded by drug companies. But that’s probably irrelevant. Just because a group is funded by big pharma, that doesn’t mean there’s any conflict of interest.

6. Marwan Akar, Merck Canada

Interesting side note: Marwan Akar got his MBA from Imperial College London. This is where the infamous Neil Ferguson conducts his doomsday modeling.

7. Cole Pinnow, Pfizer Canada

Pfizer really doesn’t need an introduction, does it? Heck, they donate to, and sponsor, nearly everything under the sun.

Anyhow, this isn’t everyone on the list. However, they are some of the more notable names who’ve been pulling Horgan’s strings lately.

One also has to wonder if this lobbying factored into Horgan’s decision to terminate anyone in the B.C. Civil Service who refuses to take the experimental shots.

Never mind that having “interim authorization” is not the same thing as being approved. These sickos in Government want to get everyone, even the children.

Of course, B.C. did still permit indoor wine tasting earlier this year, despite ordering a shut down of other businesses. The fact that Bonnie Henry co-owned a winery in Keremeos probably factored into that decision. Actually, Bonnie being on the sauce would explain a lot of what she says and does.

After all, she’s done a 180 since her testimony in a 2015 Ontario Labour Arbitration case over the Sault Area Hospital’s vaccinate-or-mask policy.

So who’s pulling Horgan’s strings? It probably isn’t Adrian Dix, the Health Minister. His background in history and political science doesn’t qualify him to do anything. So who could it be?

November 19, 2021November 19, 2021

Some Of The Larger “Anti-Racism” Grants The Feds Pump Out At Taxpayer Expense

Racism divides communities, breeds fear and fuels animosity. Addressing racism and discrimination is a longstanding commitment of Canadians who see our country’s diversity as a source of strength. Canada is strong, not in spite of our differences, but because of them. Unfortunately, Canada is not immune to racism and discrimination — challenges remain when it comes to fully embracing diversity, openness and cooperation.

It is vital that Canada stands up to discrimination perpetrated against any individual or group of people on the basis of their religion and/or ethnicity and this is why the Government of Canada has committed to engage the public on a new federal anti-racism strategy. We are exploring racism as it relates to employment and income supports, social participation (for example, access to arts, sport and leisure) and justice.

Building a Foundation for Change: Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy 2019–2022 is a $45 million investment that will take immediate steps in combatting racism and discrimination based on what was heard during the engagement process and supported by research. The Strategy will complement existing government efforts and programs aimed at eliminating inequities by focusing on three guiding principles: Demonstrating Federal Leadership, Empowering Communities, and Building Awareness & Changing Attitudes.

The premise of this would be laughable, if it weren’t meant to be taken seriously. Canada is strong, not in spite of our difference, but because of them? How is having nothing in common with your neighbours a source of strength? What exactly binds communities together if not their commonalities?

If diversity really is our strength, then why does this continuous racism exist? Doesn’t everyone celebrate that being divided makes us united?

More than just words, the Federal Government (or rather, taxpayers), have been spending huge sums of money for this delusion for years. Below is just a sample of the money spend on this.

Note: some of the grants predate that program, but are worth sharing anyway. If nothing else, this stupidity needs to be exposed.

ORGANIZATION	DATE	AMOUNT
519 Church Street Community Centre	Nov. 9, 2020	$300,000
Aboriginal Legal Services Inc.	Apr. 1, 2020	$290,000
Aboriginal Peoples Alliance Of Northern Ontario	Sep. 1, 2021	$512,600
ACCT Foundation	Apr. 15, 2020	$309,000
Action Dignity Society	Sep. 1, 2021	$245,675
Action For Healthy Communities Society Of Alberta	Sep. 1, 2021	$233,430
Actions Interculturelles De Developpement Et D’Education	Sep. 1, 2020	$200,000
Algoma University	Sep. 1, 2021	$262,500
Association Of Ontario Midwives	Sep. 1, 2021	$224,936
Bilal Community And Family Centre	Apr. 1, 2020	$212,000
Black Legal Action Centre	Feb. 1, 2020	$336,577
Black Students’ Mental Health Project	Sep. 1, 2021	$226,798
Bureau De La Communaute Haitienne De Montreal	Sep. 1, 2021	$400,000
Canadian Anti-Hate Network	Jun. 1, 2020	$268,400
Canadian Council Of Muslim Women	Oct. 1, 2020	$316,700
Canadian Freestyle Ski Association	Apr. 1, 2021	$1,010,295
Canadian Sport Institute Ontario	Apr. 1, 2021	$1,247,877
Canadian Sport Institute Pacific Society	Apr. 1, 2021	$1,721,743
Catholic Centre For Immigrants (Ottawa)	Apr. 1, 2020	$380,578
CEE Centre For Young Black Professionals	May 1, 2020	$279,500
Centre D’Amitie Autochtone De Val D’Or Inc.	Oct. 1, 2021	$416,400
Centre Des Femmes Afghanes	Sep. 1, 2021	$203,702
Centre for Race and Culture	Apr. 1, 2010	$497,663
Centre Multiculturel de Ressources de LaSalle	Oct. 18, 2021	$425,000
Children’s Peace Theatre	Sep. 1, 2021	$250,000
Chinese Canadian National Council	Sep. 1, 2021	$240,000
Coaching Association Of Canada	Apr. 1, 2021	$308,000
Coalition Of Muslim Women of KW	Jul. 1, 2020	$285,000
Council For The Advancement Of African Canadians In Alberta	Sep. 1, 2021	$221,500
Corporation Wapikoni Mobile	Sep. 1, 2021	$587,313
Culturelink Settlement And Community Services	Oct. 1, 2021	$227,636
Durhamn Regional Unemployed Help	Sep. 1, 2021	$225,801
Edmonton Centre For Race And Culture	Sep. 1, 2021	$222,020
Equipe R.D.P.	Sep. 1, 2021	$340,000
Equitas – Centre International d’Education Aux Driots Humains	Sep. 1, 2020	$490,000
Family Services of Peel	Feb. 15, 2021	$324,200
Federation Des Chambres De Commerce Du Quebec	Sep. 1, 2020	$200,000
Federation of Black Canadians	Sep. 1, 2020	$263,300
Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak	Oct. 1, 2021	$659,201
First Light St. John’s Friendship Centre Inc.	Jun. 1, 2021	$362,900
First Light St. John’s Friendship Centre Inc.	Sep. 1, 2021	$253,940
Georgian bay Native Friendship Centre Inc.	Sep. 21, 2021	$416,000
Grand Council Treaty #3	Sep. 1, 2021	$346,700
Institut National Du Sport Du Quebec	Apr. 1, 2021	$1,522,301
Institut De Recherce Et D’Eucation Sur Les Relations Racials	Aug. 3, 2020	$225,000
Integration Jeunesse Du Quebec	Sep. 1, 2020	$281,742
Jane/Finch Community And Family Centre	Aug. 1, 2021	$216,879
Jewish Family Services of Ottawa	Aug. 10, 2009	$632,273
Jewish Family Services of Ottawa	Dec. 23, 2009	$693,415
Jewish Family Services of Ottawa-Carleton	May 13, 2010	$1,263,495
John Howard Society of Ontario	Oct. 1, 2021	$433,225
Justice For Girls Outreach Program	Aug. 4, 2020	$206,970
Legal Aid Ontario	Sep. 1, 2020	$285,000
Lift Community Services Of Qathet	Sep. 1, 2020	$222,000
Maison D’Haiti	Sep. 1, 2021	$279,810
Makeway Charitable Society	Sep. 1, 2021	$228,833
Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Inc.	Aug. 1, 2021	$500,000
Matawa First Nations Management	Sep. 7, 2021	$355,208
Metro Toronto Chinese & East Asian Legal Clinic	Apr. 1, 2020	$301,904
Metro Toronto Chinese & East Asian Legal Clinic	Sep. 1, 2021	$286,910
Midaynta Community Services	Oct. 1, 2021	$275,000
MOSAIC – Multilingual Orientation Service Association For Immigrant Communities	Sep. 1, 2021	$213,250
Muslim Association Of Canada	Sep. 1, 2021	$349,210
National Anti-Racism Council of Canada	Mar. 28, 2008	$211,205
National Anti-Racism Council of Canada	Aug. 28, 2008	$430,213
Nigerian Canadians For Cultural, Educational And Economic Progress	Oct. 1, 2021	$219,420
Nishnawbe-Aski Legal Services Corp.	Apr. 1, 2020	$376,788
Northern Alberta Alliance on Race Relations	Sep. 1, 2009	$497,161
Northern Nishnwabe Education Council	Sep. 1, 2021	$250,000
North Shore Multicultural Society	Aug. 1, 2021	$247,653
Northwestern Ontario Women’s Centre	May 3, 2019	$250,000
Nova Scotia Department Of Justice	Oct. 1, 2020	$200,000
Nunatsiavut Government	Sep. 1, 2021	$352,660
Ontario Federation Of Indigenous Friendship Centres	Apr. 1, 2020	$284,050
Parry Sound Friendship Centre	Sep. 1, 2021	$225,000
Q’Wemtsin Health Society	Jul. 1, 2021	$333,865
Reach Edmonton Council	Oct. 1, 2020	$255,000
Regent Park Community Health Centre	Sep. 1, 2021	$275,823
Regional Connections Inc.	Sep. 1, 2021	$254,704
Return The Love Community Support	Sep. 1, 2021	$200,000
Riel Institute For Education And Learning	Aug. 30, 2021	$236,095
Riverdale Immigrant Women’s Centre	Sep. 8, 2021	$288,387
Ryerson University	Sep. 1, 2020	$250,000
Sentencing And Parole Project	Nov. 1, 2021	$300,000
Service D’Orientation Et D’Integration Des Immigrants Au Travail De Quebec	Sep. 1, 2020	$280,000
Social Planning Council Of Winnipeg	Apr. 1, 2020	$266,100
Sommet Socio-Economique Pour Le Developpement Des Jeunes Des Communautres Noires	Mar. 1, 2020	$251,090
Table De Concertation Des Organismes Au Service Des Personnes Refugiees Et Immigrantes Inc.	Sep. 1, 2021	$375,000
Taibu Community Health Centre	Apr. 1, 2020	$460,238
Town Of Strathmore	Apr. 1, 2020	$260,000
Tsuut’ina Nation Police Service	May 1, 2020	$215,000
Umoja Community Mosaic	Sep. 1, 2021	$288,800
United Jewish Appeal Of Greater Toronto	Sep. 1, 2021	$340,000
Urban Alliance On Race Relations	Jul. 21, 2021	$235,800
Urban Rez Solutions Social Enterprise	Aug. 1, 2019	$430,000
Vieux Theatre De St.-Fabien (LE)	Apr. 1, 2021	$1,900,140
Women’s Health In Women’s Hands	Sep. 1, 2020	$340,000
YMCA Of Windsor-Essex County	Jan. 29, 2008	$203,002
ZMQ Global	Sep. 1, 2021	$287,840

It must be stated that the connection between many of these grants and “fighting racism” is far from clear. For a lot of these, it looks like just a way to funnel money in a manner that couldn’t otherwise be done. Do we really have to pay for people to go skiing, just to prove we’re not racists? The actual search results in 600 hits, so it’s not practical to cover them all. These are just the bigger ones listed.

An interesting observation: considering all that white privilege that exists in the West, it seems that whites are about the only group that hasn’t qualified for it’s own specific funding.

15(2) Subsection (1) does not preclude any law, program or activity that has as its object the amelioration of conditions of disadvantaged individuals or groups including those that are disadvantaged because of race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.

Of course, equality under Section 15 of the Charter doesn’t seem to mean much. The second part of it specifically allows discrimination as long as it’s done to help “disadvantaged groups”. Thank you very much, Pierre Trudeau.

Ever wonder why some problems continue to get worse? Trudeau Jr. has substantially increased the funding of his predecessor, Stephen Harper.

(1) https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/anti-racism-engagement.html
(2) https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/funding/anti-racism-action-program/application-guidelines.html
(3) https://search.open.canada.ca/en/gc/?sort=agreement_value_fs%20desc&page=2&search_text=anti-racism
(4) https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/pch/documents/services/download-order-charter-bill/canadian-charter-rights-freedoms-eng.pdf

November 18, 2021November 18, 2021

Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin: Hero Of Nova Scotia, Or Another Fake Populist?

Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin, the Cumberland North MLA, supported an interprovincial blockade in June 2021. She ultimately became something of a folk hero in her riding.

CTV News posted a short clip of Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin’s blockade support, and her ultimate removal from the Progressive Conservative Party of Nova Scotia. Smith McCrossin seems to portray herself as a hero of the people. But is she really what she appears to be?

On the surface, she appears to say the right things. However, upon looking deeper, she could just be a means of “managing” the opposition to medical tyranny out in the Atlantic. In fact, there are signs that her blockade was a publicly stunt, and not some deeply held belief.

A cynic may wonder if her blockade stunt was a calculated effort to secure reelection. After all, there was no guarantee she would have won.

For example, she opposed blockades only the year before, when done under the guise of Indigenous rights. Now, she’s okay with doing it as a way to protest “pandemic measures”.

Nothing wrong with wishing someone a happy birthday. After all, Robert Batherson was Smith-McCrossin’s Campaign Manager when she ran to be the Leader of the NSPC Party. She ended up losing to Tim Houston, who recently became Premier after defeating Iain Ranking.

From April 2008 until March 2009, Batherson was registered in Nova Scotia as a lobbyist for Pfizer Canada. Some will argue this is ancient and irrelevant, and they can hold that view. As a reminder, Pfizer also has ties to Erin O’Toole and Doug Ford. Batherson has also been a lobbyist for McCain Foods Limited, Sobey’s Pharmacy Group and Pharmasave Atlantic.

Batherson is currently the President of the Conservative Party of Canada, and also heads his own lobbying firm: Harbourview Public Affairs. The CPC National Council Secretary is Amber Ruddy, who’s a drug lobbyist, and also pushed for easier access for big pharma to your medical data. In fact, the CPC Caucus in general is anti-freedom. Anyone truly committed to liberty and bodily autonomy should stay the heck away from these people.

Smith-McCrossin received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from Dalhousie University. Her husband is a doctor in Nova Scotia who got his M.D. at Dalhousie. Is there a concern over his license if he speaks up? However, she’s strangely silent on her Alma Mater’s decision to begin experimenting on children as young as 6 months old. This is disturbing on many levels, but yet this “rebel” apparently has nothing to say on this issue.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons for the Province has made it clear that they don’t want doctors handing out exemptions to the vaccine orders. Never mind that it’s still experimental, with indemnified manufacturers and no long term testing. Smith-McCrossin never speaks out about this.

Side note: but the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation recently offered Dalhousie research grants for “smart farming solutions“. One was for $250,000, and the other for $1.5 million. Also, the “Global Grand Challenges” appear to still be open.

Here, Smith-McCrossin shows her true colours. She doesn’t have any ideological issue with pushing the mass vaccination agenda. She just views coercion as an ineffective way of getting things done. It’s a minor disagreement over methods, not the results. Scrolling though her Twitter feed, she’s very much pro-vaxx, and there’s a total lack of criticism of the public health dictatorship in the Province, and in Canada overall.

This tacit support of tyranny doesn’t appear to be a partisan issue. She was silent when Iain Ranking (Liberal) was doing it, and she’s still silent when Tim Houston does the same thing. This blockade stunt in the Spring appears to be a one-off, and not what she actually believes in.

Oddly, there are more comments from her about increasing women’s representation in politics than on the oppression that Nova Scotians face under the twin evils of Rankin and Houston. Not once does she unequivocally condemn what these monsters are doing. She’s basically just another Rempel.

Ultimately, people must come to their own conclusions. However, this “independent” doesn’t seem to be the freedom fighter that the public has been led to believe.

(1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRasP5Qo6e8
(2) https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/elizabeth-smith-mccrossin-progressive-conservatives-1.6078399
(3) https://www.thecoast.ca/halifax/border-blockade-politician-takes-her-bias-on-the-road/Content?oid=26685363
(4) https://twitter.com/NovaScotiaESM/status/1455865080525033481
(5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Smith-McCrossin
(6) https://novascotia.ca/sns/Lobbyist/consultant/confirmation.asp
(7) https://cpsnsphysiciansearch.azurewebsites.net/PhysicianDetails.aspx?LicenceNumber=010438
(8) https://canucklaw.ca/cv-8k-dalhousie-experimenting-on-6-month-old-infants-lisa-barrett-more-vaccine-hesitancy-grants/
(9) https://www.dal.ca/dept/research-services/opportunities/opportunities-announcements-news/news/2020/10/26/smart_farming_innovations_for_small_scale_producers.html
(10) https://www.dal.ca/dept/research-services/opportunities/opportunities-announcements-news/news/2021/11/15/bill_and_melinda_gates_foundation_global_grand__challenges.html
(11) https://twitter.com/NovaScotiaESM/status/1433584927447072769

October 11, 2021October 11, 2021

Some Thoughts On Why Flair Airlines Supports The Mandatory Vaccination Policy

It seems a bit counter-intuitive that a discount airline would be so enthusiastic about the policy of mandatory vaccines for travelers. Flair Airlines is one such company. Then again, looking a bit deeper, there may be other reasons for doing this.

Specifically, it appears the Flair Airlines LTD. has been getting CEWS, the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy. Of course, they are likely getting other subsidies as well.

After all, this company went from serious financial hurt, to being able to expand its operations across Canada. Such a sudden shift requires a lot of money.

A quick look through the Federal Lobbying Registry shows that Flair has been quite busy getting the attention of public office holders. The middlemen they send are also worthy of a closer look.

1. Saad Baig, StrategyCorp Inc

Saad Baig is a Director in StrategyCorp’s Public Affairs group and brings six years of experience advising senior cabinet ministers in the Government of Ontario.
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Most recently, Saad was Senior Policy Advisor to the Minister of Finance where he was a pivotal part of the team that tabled Ontario’s first balanced budget in ten years. He served as the lead advisor to the Minister on matters relating to tax policy, economic policy and municipal finance. Saad led the development of the 2016 Fall Economic Statement and 2017 Ontario Budget in key areas including transportation, infrastructure, economic development and international trade.
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Prior to joining the Ministry of Finance, Saad spent over three years as the lead advisor for infrastructure policy to several ministers where he participated in key negotiations on federal-provincial infrastructure matters, designed municipal funding programs, developed infrastructure planning legislation and coordinated policy and issues for two crown agencies.
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Saad has been involved in numerous political campaigns at the municipal, provincial and federal levels including the 2014 central campaign for the Ontario Liberal Party.

This lobbyist for the discount airline spent 6 years in the Ontario Government, in a variety of roles, working for Kathleen Wynne and Dalton McGuinty.

2. Garry Keller, StrategyCorp Inc

Garry has served in several key leadership roles in Canadian politics, including as Chief of Staff to Canada’s Foreign Minister, John Baird; Chief of Staff to the Leader of the Opposition Rona Ambrose, and chief Parliamentary advisor to Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He also served as a Chief of Staff to the Government House Leader and the Chief Government Whip, Director of Communications to the Minister of the Environment and Director of Parliamentary Affairs to the President of the Treasury Board. He also served as Acting Chief of Staff to the United Conservative Party Caucus in Alberta in 2017.
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As the Chief of Staff to the Foreign Minister, Garry was required to deliver strategic, communication and political advice on both international and domestic matters. He has experience in dealing with regulatory and legal matters, national security matters, trade negotiations, as well as the promotion of Canadian interests and Canadian values on the world stage. He is also an experienced practitioner of the Access to Information Act.
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Garry regularly provides commentary on domestic and international politics for CTV News Channel, TVO’s The Agenda and a variety of talk radio shows across Canada. His commentary has also appeared in the National Post and the Globe and Mail, and he has appeared on a number of panels for associations and other organizations on Canadian politics.

Keller spent many years as a Conservative Party of Canada operative, and handler for various politicians. He also moved on to Alberta politics.

3. Sébastien Labrecque, StrategyCorp Inc

Before pivoting to government relations, Sébastien worked in the federal government, which led him to develop a thorough understanding of the inner workings of policy and research development in the public service. Thanks to his experience at Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, Sébastien possesses an extensive knowledge of the policy and stakeholder ecosystems in the areas of housing finance and the digital economy.

Labrecque spent over a year and a half working for the Federal Government before he switched over and became a lobbyist.

4. Kristina Martin, Loyalist Public Affairs

Kristina is a seasoned strategic communications and government relations expert with over a decade of experience working in politics, government relations and the non-profit sector. Based in Ottawa, she knows the inner workings of Parliament Hill and is recognized as a connector and go-to advisor for corporate and nonprofit leaders to advance complex policy agendas.
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Before joining Loyalist Kristina worked as Director of Communications and Public Affairs at Canada’s largest science and technology outreach organization, Actua. Prior to that she worked at a national government relations and strategic communication firm.
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Kristina has also served as a communications and political advisor to federal elected officials.

Kristina Martin spent many years with the Federal Liberals when they were in opposition. Now that they are back in power, she’s in a position to wield some real influence.

5. Conal Slobodin, StrategyCorp Inc

Slobodin has since left StrategyCorp and gone to Walmart. However, he has held roles in the Federal Government, and is a former consultant for the Yukon Liberal Party. Small world.

6. Andrew Steele, StrategyCorp Inc

As a Vice President at StrategyCorp, Andrew emphasizes client service, creative solutions and professionalism. He provides counsel on management consulting projects, communications challenges and government relations files at the federal, provincial and municipal level.
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Previously, Andrew served as Senior Advisor to the Premier of Ontario, as well as Chief of Staff in several Ministries. He has held senior campaign roles for the Liberal Party of Canada and the Ontario Liberal Party.
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Andrew was the founding CEO of the Pecaut Centre, a non-profit management consulting firm housed at the Boston Consulting Group. More recently, Andrew was essential to implementing the strategic transformation of public broadcaster TVO into the province’s partner for digital learning inside the classroom.
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A director of the board of the Michael Garron Hospital, Andrew graduated with distinction from the MBA program at Ivey. He writes regularly on public policy as an opinion columnist for the Globe and Mail and others.

Steele, by his own admission, has held senior campaign roles for both the Ontario Liberals, and the Federal Liberals. The connection to Michael Garron Hospital is an interesting one. That’s where Michael Warner, the pro-lockdown doctor, Michael Warner works. Melissa Lantsman, MP-elect for Thornhill, is also a Director.

As for Kenzie McKeegan, Dan Mader and Chris Froggatt, check out this piece on their recent work as Pfizer lobbyists. Have to wonder what all of these political hacks arranged in order for Flair to get onboard with these passports.

There doesn’t seem to be an obvious mention of a bailout, but it’s the most likely thing to search for. And they are definitely getting CEWS from the taxpayers.

(1) https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/airline-transportation-mandatory-vaccination-1.6206844?fbclid=IwAR38cd6IDeB-_TKKGxfRWnyNe9dg2VUons6nOc0Yp8_xKtll5xvazN9L8kM
(2) https://apps.cra-arc.gc.ca/ebci/hacc/cews/srch/pub/bscSrch
(3) https://lobbycanada.gc.ca/app/secure/ocl/lrs/do/advSrch?V_SEARCH.command=refineCategory&V_TOKEN=1234567890&V_SEARCH.scopeCategory=solr.facetName.registrationStatus%3D1
(4) https://lobbycanada.gc.ca/app/secure/ocl/lrs/do/advSrch?V_SEARCH.command=navigate&time=1633983200675
(5) https://www.linkedin.com/in/saadbaig/
(6) https://strategycorp.com/people/baig-saad/
(7) https://archive.is/sgF3b
(8) https://www.linkedin.com/in/garry-keller-73130b79/
(9) https://strategycorp.com/people/keller-garry/
(10) https://archive.is/aFUE1
(11) https://www.linkedin.com/in/s%C3%A9bastien-labrecque-4497915b/
(12) https://strategycorp.com/people/labrecque-sebastien/
(13) https://archive.is/usIo6
(14) https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-martin-3b1b6741/
(15) https://loyalistpublicaffairs.ca/kristina-martin/
(16) https://archive.is/IFW5a
(17) https://www.linkedin.com/in/conal-slobodin/
(18) https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmsteele/?originalSubdomain=ca
(19) https://strategycorp.com/people/steele-andrew/
(20) https://canucklaw.ca/melissa-lantsmans-real-record-as-a-lobbyist-after-installing-doug-ford/

October 10, 2021October 12, 2021

Who’s Pulling Blaine Higgs’ Strings?

Moving along, we get to New Brunswick, which is run by Blaine Higgs, who identifies as being a conservative. He has been in Office since November 2018, or about 3 years. So, he’s had some time to settle in.

Effective September 22, 2021, the Province had a vaccine passport in place. For a lack of a better term, these are “movement licenses” which allow people to maintain some semblance of freedom. (Credit to RoadtoSerfdom Twitter Account).

Let’s take a look at who Higgs has been talking to recently. Granted, some of the postings happened before he took power. Still, the same people keep coming around, trying to influence policy.

What a lot of pharma lobbying there has been in the last few years. And all this for a very small province. But don’t worry, because that certainly won’t impact how Higgs runs the affairs for New Brunswick.

1. Canadian Biosimilars Forum (Pfizer, Merck), Ross Wallace

Ross Wallace is part of Santis Health, which lobbied on behalf of Canadian Biosimilars Forum. The CSF is a coalition of pharma companies, much like Innovative Medicines Canada. Interestingly, Wallace worked for AstraZeneca for over 5 years prior to joining this group.

2. Innovative Medicines Canada, Pamela Fralick

Pamela Fralick and Innovative Medicines Canada were addressed in more detail earlier. IMC actually works as a collective to push for the joint interests of the pharmaceutical industry. See Item #4 for more information on them both

3. Innovative Medicines Canada, Cheryl Stewart-Walsh

Cheryl Stewart-Walsh is the Regional Director (Atlantic Canada) for Innovative Medicines Canada. Interestingly, she helped install Mike Savage as Mayor of Halifax, then worked in his office.

4. Merck Canada, Octavio Rego

Octavio Rego appears to have been in the pharma industry for the bulk of his working life. He spent 8 years at Sanofi, then another 13 at Merck.

5. Purdue Pharma, Rémy Bouchard

Rémy Bouchard now works for Purdue, but has had a lengthy career in other companies. These include: Teva, AstraZeneca, and GlaxoSmithKline.

Side note: Higgs was part of the “coalition” of controlled opposition conservatives who pretended to oppose the Federal Carbon tax. Hard to challenge something when you enthusiastically support the overall agenda.

Anyhow, have a look around, and see what’s really happening. Want to know why all these politicians are so adamantly pro-vaxx? It’s not that complicated. Of course, this doesn’t take into account what may be happening off the books.

October 9, 2021October 12, 2021

Who’s Pulling Brian Pallister’s Strings?

Former Manitoba Premier, Brian Pallister, really knows how to be an asshole. Recently, he doesn’t even try to hide it anymore. Pardon the missing link to the original video, but this was from June 2021.

Welcome to our continuing series on who’s pulling the strings of influential politicians. Previously, Elizabeth May, Erin O’Toole, Michelle Rempel, Steven Guilbeault (Part 1 and Part 2), Doug Ford (many times), Rankin & Strang, Jason Kenney and Scott Moe were covered.

Before anyone says anything, yes, Pallister has left office. That being said, he’s done a lot of damage while he was still Premier. It’s long past time to call him out for it.

Company	Lobbyist	Active Since
Abbvie Corporation	Nathan Clark	October 04, 2021
Alliance For Safe Online Pharmacies	Joanna Carey	September 13, 2021
Alliance For Safe Online Pharmacies	Dani Peters	June 25, 2021
AstraZeneca Canada Inc.	Kiersten Combs	September 01, 2021
Boehringer Ingelheim Canada	Andrea Sambati	September 15, 2021
Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association	Dean Crawford	October 01, 2021
Emergent BioSolutions	Rob Gilmour	August 26, 2021
Emergent BioSolutions	Amber Ruddy	August 30, 2021
GlaxoSmithKline	Faris El-Refaie	September 13, 2021
Hoffman-La Roche	Ronnie Miller	September 24, 2021
Innovative Medicines Canada	Pamela Fralick	September 13, 2021
Janssen Canada Inc.	Lauren Stone	January 15, 2021
Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association Of Canada	Stephanie Dunlop	December 18, 2020
Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association Of Canada	Sandra Hanna	August 19, 2021
Organon Canada Inc.	Michael Casia	July 06, 2021
Pharmacists Manitoba	Jeremy Sawatzky	January 07, 2021
Sanofi Pasteur	Erin Iverson	September 08, 2021

As with the last article, this only covers active registrations. Now, the presence of these drug lobbyists wouldn’t have any impact on Pallister’s hardline pro-vaccine stance, would it? Brian hasn’t been compromised, has he? Let’s take a look at who some of these people are.

1. Alliance For Safe Online Pharmacies, Dani Peters

Dani Peters, or rather, Danielle Peters, runs a firm called Magnet Strategy Group. She also helped secure a $173 million Federal grant to Medicago. Partly this was for a vaccine, partly it was for the production of a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant.

As for ASOP, the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies, their agenda is pretty straightforward. They want it to be easier for people to purchase drugs online.

2. Emergent BioSolutions, Rob Gilmour

How very interesting. Rob Gilmour works for Counsel Public Affairs, which also employs Amber Ruddy. He’s spent over 16 years as a political consultant in Ontario. Additionally, he has been the Deputy Executive Director of the PC Caucus while Doug Ford was Premier. What a small world it is.

Emergent BioSolutions is the company that actually manufactures AstraZeneca’s products. Not too many people know that. So Kiersten Combs would have the same goal as the lobbyists for Emergent.

3. Emergent BioSolutions, Amber Ruddy

It has been brought up before how Amber Ruddy is actually the Secretary of the National Council of the Conservative Party of Canada. She does this while remaining a pharma lobbyist. She also works to undermine medical privacy in Canada. Apparently, few people have a problem with all of this.

Ruddy also used to be a lobbyist for GlaxoSmithKline, but doesn’t appear to have a current registration.

4. Innovative Medicines Canada, Pamela Fralick

Pretty strange that the President of Innovative Medicines Canada would also be running: (a) the Canadian Cancer Society; (b) the Canadian Healthcare Association; and (c) the Canadian Physiotherapy Association. It especially makes sense when looking at how many organizations are part of this group.

5. Neighbourhood Pharmacy Ass’n of Canada, Stephanie Dunlop

Stephanie Dunlop worked for the Conservative Party of Canada in 2014/2015. Then she tried to get Erin O’Toole installed as CPC leader in 2017. After that, she worked to make Doug Ford the Premier of Ontario. Now, she lobbies for big pharma. This is a pattern we see over and over again.

6. Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association Of Canada, Sandra Hanna

Sandra Hanna has been with Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada for close to 4 years, according to her LinkedIn profile. Curiously, she has a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from the University of Toronto. The Association has quite the interesting list of partners and members.

The Association was very interested in the recent Federal election, to put it mildly. They even released their own “toolkit” for how to influence the role of pharmacy.

7. Pharmacists Manitoba, Jeremy Sawatzky

Before becoming a lobbyist, Jeremy Sawatzky had a career in news and sports broadcasting. Turns out, he also worked in the Manitoba Government, which probably proved useful.

As before, this isn’t everyone who is involved in such activities. That being said, it should shed some light on just who the people are pulling the strings.

Additionally, Manitoba Health doesn’t appear to be a registered charity. Other Provinces are. However, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority certainly is one. What should shock no one is that its top 10 employees are paid over $350,000 per year.

Let’s not forget about Pallister hiring G4S last year, a surveillance and intelligence firm, that also was involved with detentions and prisons. He also openly mused about imposing curfews late last year. Remember, this is all about keeping people safe from a virus.

Have to wonder why the mainstream press in Canada never bothers to report any of this. It’s not like the information was difficult to find.

Category: Lobbying

Who’s Pulling John Horgan’s Strings?