CANADA

Fraud Or Nazi Sympathizer?

By Davide Mastracci • 27 Sept 2023

Good morning, Maple readers.

Today we have my latest article, asking a tough question about Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, an opinion piece from The Breach condemning Canada’s inaction on Indian-government targeting of Sikh activists and a short video from The Breach about how Canada’s social housing system got demolished.

But before I get into that, I have a quick question for you: What are some of your favourite Canadian independent local news publications that align with The Maple’s mission? We’re currently planning our October fundraising drive, and we’d like to share the proceeds from new members with a few independent publications whose work we support. If you have any suggestions, please reply directly to this email. We read everything you send.

Now, enjoy today’s newsletter.

Is Chrystia Freeland A Fraud Or A Nazi Sympathizer?

Davide Mastracci | The Maple | September 26

Since Friday’s double-standing ovation for a Nazi in Parliament, many MPs have tried to excuse their actions by claiming they assumed the man had been vetted and that they didn’t know he was a Nazi. I don’t think that’s a good excuse, because the way he was introduced should have set off alarm bells. Still, I can see why these MPs have offered that particular excuse. There is one MP, however, who could never reasonably do so: Chrystia Freeland. In my latest, I argue that at this point, given her track record, she’s either a complete fraud or a Nazi sympathizer. I explain why in the piece. Let me know what you think.

I write, “Freeland is the most powerful Ukrainian nationalist in a country full of them. She speaks Ukrainian, owns a residential property in Kyiv, has lived, studied and worked in Ukraine, has edited at least one scholarly article pertaining to Ukrainian Nazis during the Second World War, and is often positioned, by the media, government, and herself, as a knowledgeable voice on Ukraine, at least relative to other politicians and public figures in Canada. If we are to believe the frequent and lavish praise of Freeland’s supposed deep understanding of Ukrainian history in the 20th century, then she should have absolutely been triggered by Rota’s description of Hunka (assuming she didn’t know of him before the invitation was sent, or even at any point before he made his appearance before parliament, which also seems unlikely). And yet, despite that, or perhaps because of it, Freeland joined the rest of the MPs in offering a standing ovation for Hunka, beaming as she did so.” (5-minute read)

Canada Has Ignored India’s Targeting Of Sikh Activists For Too Long

Kunal Chaudhary | The Breach | September 22

Another piece of major news in Canada in the past couple of weeks, of course, has been Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s declaration that India was behind the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June. For what it’s worth, I personally can’t believe the statement entirely until some sort of proof is offered, just as I have been critical of the claims made against China (which is not to say I feel the same about both governments). Regardless, there is a long and clear history of India targeting Sikh activists in Canada. This article outlines that history, bringing up many things I had little idea about.

Kunal Chaudhary writes, “With India’s role in the assassination of Nijjar, it is clear that this “fundamental respect” for Canadian sovereignty is lost on the Indian government—and never seemed to concern the Canadian government all that much either. Given their record of interference over the last few decades, it is arguable that any notion of respect for Canada’s sovereignty on India’s part has been a politically-convenient fiction for both governments, while they bolstered economic ties at the expense of the rights of Sikh and Muslim Indians and Indo-Canadians.” (6-minute read)

Liberals And Tories Demolished Canada’s Legacy Of Social Housing

The Breach | YouTube | September 22

I haven’t shared a video in quite a while, so here’s a very short one from The Breach outlining how Canada’s federal Liberals and Conservatives both put work in to destroy the legacy of social housing. Of course, such a short video can’t capture the entire history or its nuances, so do follow this up by checking out our course on housing (just make sure you’re logged in to your account).

Here’s the video description: “Decades ago, the Canadian government helped build massive amounts of public and non-profit housing for working people. That legacy was destroyed—by Liberals AND Conservatives. It’s time the government builds again.” (2-minute watch)