Ontario MPPs Vincent Key and Eris Babikian demand Dr. Kester Khan remove his "Wuhan pneumonia" sign, claiming it fuels anti-Asian hate, while Ezra Levant questions its impact in a Chinese neighborhood. Meanwhile, Derek Sloan criticizes COVID lockdowns as 282x more harmful than beneficial, citing U.S. reopening successes and his fightthefines.com crowdfunding efforts. Levant contrasts Sloan’s bold advocacy with Aaron O’Toole’s declining influence, warning of government overreach in silencing dissent—highlighting tensions between pandemic policies, political courage, and perceived foreign interference in Canada. [Automatically generated summary]
A Chinese-Canadian doctor in the Chinese language uses the phrase Wuhan pneumonia.
And a Chinese critic says it's racist.
But the doctor's Chinese and the message isn't in Chinese and the patients are Chinese.
Who would be behind causing such strife?
Well, I'll give you one guess.
And yeah, it's the Chinese embassy.
I'll give you the details next ahead.
But before I do, let me invite you to become a subscriber. to Rebel News Plus.
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Here's to the show.
Tonight, are Canadian politicians running errands for Beijing's dictatorship here in Canada?
It's April 29th, and this is the Ezra Levant Show.
Why should others go to jail when you're a biggest carbon consumer I know?
There's 8,500 customers here, and you won't give them an answer.
The only thing I have to say is government go why I'm opposed to them is because it's my bloody right to do so.
Oh, here's a crazy story for you.
Let me show you the headline.
Wuhan pneumonia.
Ontario MPPs urge Chinese Canadian doctor to remove divisive sign.
So just to be clear what's going on here, there is a doctor in Ontario who in Chinese, not even in English, so he's speaking to fellow Chinese Canadians, refers to COVID-19 as the Wuhan pneumonia, which is where it came from and that is what it does to you.
And yet Canadian politicians are telling this doctor not to say that.
Let me read a little bit of this story.
It's from the National Post.
Two Toronto-based politicians are pressing a Chinese-Canadian doctor to remove a sign on his office door in Chinese that refers to COVID-19 as the Wuhan pneumonia, complaining the wording could incite anti-Asian hatred.
Let me stop you right there.
If the only people who can read it are Chinese speakers, odds are they are ethnically Chinese.
I mean, there are some Caucasian or non-Chinese people who speak Chinese, but if you're in a Chinese neighborhood going to a Chinese doctor whose door has Chinese writing, odds are you're Chinese too.
What's the likelihood that that will whip you up into anti-Chinese fervor?
You're probably Chinese yourself and you're going to a Chinese doctor by choice.
Does this make any sense?
Here, I'll read a little more.
The English part of the sign, which explained Dr. Kester Khan's office protocol during the pandemic, referred only to COVID.
So who complained?
Was it a patient?
Get this.
Vincent Key, a progressive conservative member of the provincial legislature with a history of ties to the Chinese government, said Kong may have made an innocent mistake, but it doesn't matter that the mention of Wuhan was in Chinese.
So a politician came to stir up trouble.
And this politician calls himself a progressive conservative.
Then again, these days, anyone does, don't they?
I mean, they even let Doug Ford and Aaron O'Toole call themselves conservatives.
Let me read a bit more.
Key had earlier posted about the issue in an anti-racism forum on the China-based WeChat social media site, saying that if the physician did not change the notice, he and fellow Tory MPP Eris Babikian would hold a news conference to publicize the issue.
So just to understand, WeChat is an amazing app, but it's Chinese.
And I don't mean ethnically Chinese or in the Chinese language.
I mean it is rooted in China and it carries with it the Chinese government's values.
It's an amazing app.
It's like Facebook and Twitter and PayPal combined.
It's an app that shows though that China is your center, not Canada.
In Canada, you can use Facebook in Chinese.
You can use Twitter in Chinese.
When you're on WeChat, you're showing where your center of gravity is.
Isn't it funny that this Canadian conservative would make threats about embarrassing this doctor in a Chinese WeChat ad.
I found that was very interesting.
The National Post, to their credit, interviewed a pro-democracy critic of communist China, a Chinese man himself named Chuck Kwan.
Here's what Chuck Kwan said.
This is the playbook of Chinese consulates in Canada.
They are using this anti-Asian hate to rally the troops, win the hearts and minds of Chinese Canadians.
As in, this is a non-issue, but these two MPPs, both of whom disgracefully seem to set their North Star by China, they're trying to whip this up, not because there's a real problem, but to alienate Chinese Canadians from Canada.
It's sort of like a Black Lives Matter stoking division, except for this has been coordinated by the Chinese embassies and consulates.
I'll read just a little more.
Key and Babikian have repeatedly attended Confederation of Toronto Chinese Canadian organizations and related events alongside China's Toronto Consul General, including the celebrations in 2018 and 19 of the 69th and 70th anniversary of the founding of People's Republic of China.
So that's a pro dictatorship lobby group.
They were celebrating not the Chinese culture, language, food, history, heritage, that's all wonderful things.
They were celebrating the communist regime at an event next to the Chinese diplomats here.
How on earth is that even abided here?
There's a lot going on here, Chinese meddling in our politics with the approval and passive support, I suppose, of the Conservative Party and the government.
But also the fake whipping up of divisions amongst people in our society.
It reminds me of the official approach taken by Teresa Tam and Justin Trudeau and others at the outset of the virus.
You know, there were very early critics of the government who said, you've got to stop those flights from China.
You've got to stop people flying here from Wuhan and other places and just going into schools.
There was a petition made to the school board in the York Regional District to have some sort of limits.
And maybe if someone was coming right over from Wuhan, that maybe they wear a mask or maybe don't go into class.
And funny enough, those are the rules now a year later.
But when that alarm was raised in a very modest way, it was called racist then too.
Except for then, as in now, the people behind the petition were Chinese Canadian families worried about what they had learned about the virus and Canada having its guard down.
There's a lot of craziness here.
Wokeism, taking offense where there is none, whipping up divisions between different races, stoking things for some headlines.
I think the darkest part is this is being coordinated by the Chinese embassy, and no one seems to care.
Kudos on the National Post for even writing the story.
I think this is only going to continue until we start to treat the Chinese embassy and its actions in Canada the same way we did during the Cold War towards the Soviet bloc embassies.
Stay with us.
More ahead.
The Honorable Member for Hastings, Lennox Addington.
Madam Speaker, lockdowns with no end in sight are being endorsed by federal leaders and are destroying our communities.
The impact on Canadians' lives is severe.
Ordinary people are being investigated by police for organizing peaceful protests against the lockdowns.
Last week, I heard from a young business owner in my riding.
She told me if things don't change soon, she will likely have to declare bankruptcy.
The liberal budget will be of no help to her.
Others have confided to me that their children have had to be medicated to reduce suicidal thoughts.
Tragically, the budget fails to address the surging youth mental health tsunami we are witnessing.
Canadians look to their leaders for help, but instead, their concerns appear to be falling on deaf ears.
We can look south of the border to see many U.S. states have reopened and are better from an economic, social, and mental health perspective.
It's time to recognize that quarantining the healthy helps no one and to end these draconian lockdowns once and for all.
There you have it.
Derek Sloan, independent MP, was elected as a conservative, but was made to walk the plank in a bizarre moment by Aaron O'Toole, who I note has fallen far down in the polls.
The latest Ipsos polls.
We'll have to do a story about that another day.
Just shockingly low, 17 points back in Ontario.
Aaron O'Toole, third place in Quebec and BC.
I think part of it is his embrace of the carbon tax, and part of it is his cancel culture approach to MPs like Derek Sloan, who joins us now via Skype.
Derek, great to see you again.
Glad to be here.
Thanks.
You know, I sometimes wonder, I look at the United States, there's 50 different states.
There's, of course, a very lively Congress.
And there's a range of opinions on the lockdowns.
You have states like Texas, South Dakota, Florida that are very hands-free.
Here's an image of the big UFC flight fight in Florida, just a packed stadium.
I don't see any masks there.
You got that approach.
And then you have your more locked down states, but even California and New York are not as locked down as Canada.
North of the border, no official party, either in government or opposition, is against lockdowns.
You got lockdowns in conservative Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, the federal opposition.
Why is it that only independents like you and Randy Hillier, and I think I've just gone through the whole list now, are the only guys on the other side of this debate?
Well, it basically comes down to just sheer cowardice.
And you're right, we don't have to be the first province or country to open up.
We have examples close to us that are faring well.
The data is coming out.
We'll talk about this later, but I just was reviewing the results of a study that looked at 80 different studies by a Canadian professor.
And he said that lockdowns are 282 times as harmful as their benefits.
The data is out.
It's a lack of courage and frankly, cowardice on behalf of Canadian politicians.
You know, a lot of people criticized Ron DeSantis, that's the governor of Florida, when he was one of the first to say we're going to loosen up.
And there was a moment there, I didn't know if he could lean into the wind, but he did.
And he actually led other people to join him.
So it wasn't just that he put his finger in the air, saw which way the wind was going.
He made the wind go in a certain direction just by relentlessly saying things like you just said there.
Like he's a real master of the facts more than most TV pundits or reporters are.
I got to think that someone who had a reasonable, not radical, but just a thoughtful, common sense approach to lifting the lockdowns, I got to think not only would they do well like Ron DeSantis is, but they would create sort of a new voter coalition.
It wouldn't just be traditional conservative voters.
It would be people who are just apolitical.
They don't think left-wing, right-wing.
They're just sick of this.
And you'd probably have, you know, working class people who have been locked out of their jobs, mom and pop business.
I'm just saying, you say people are afraid.
Roadblocks and Fears00:06:41
I get it.
But isn't there a big payoff for the leaders who take a chance on this?
Well, I think there is.
And, you know, I think that there's two different groups of people in this country.
There's sort of the media party people, like the media elites and those that pay attention to them.
And then there's average Canadians.
And I think, unfortunately, too many political parties base their activities on whatever the CBC or the Globe and Mail has said, but they're really missing out on where the average person is.
And more and more people are becoming disenfranchised.
I mean, I saw a poll that says six out of 10 Canadians don't like any federal political party.
There is an opportunity for a party or for a movement to capture that position.
And I think you're totally right.
Now, you're not just speaking in a figurative, sorry, in an abstract manner.
I understand that recently you attended a church in Aylmer, Ontario, and that the police chief has announced that he intends to prosecute you, to give you a summons.
Can you tell us what happened?
What did you allegedly do?
And what are you going to do about this summons?
Well, I haven't been served with anything.
I have read, as you have in the news, that apparently I seem to be one of several people that are being charged under the Reopening Ontario Act.
So whatever I do get charged with, and again, this is a provincial offense.
It's not a criminal charge.
I intend to fight it.
I know many people who have received tickets.
The government is not, they're too afraid to fight these in court.
They're throwing them down.
They're kicking the ball down the road because they don't want to actually have to go toe-to-toe with a real argument that addresses the charter or other arguments.
So they would rather just be able to give, they would rather the fear factor be there.
They don't want one case to be able to knock down their ability to keep the entire province under lock and key.
So I was at the church service in Elmer.
Man, it was, I'll tell you, Ezra, you know, I've been to church before many times, but I have never been to this church.
But, you know, to be in that church with people who are doing what they think to be right, you know, the police are outside and everything.
I have never seen a more positive and exciting service.
And it's available online.
They stream it live.
Wow, what a powerful sermon by some very humble people that live there in Elmer.
And I was proud to be there.
You know, that's exactly how I felt when I went to the Grace Life Church just outside Edmonton.
And I'm not even Christian, by the way, but I went there and I was just washed over by a feeling of normal.
I just thought, geez, I forgot what it was like in the before times.
And if I was in Edmonton, I would be going every week, I'll tell you that.
Let me ask you a few technical questions.
Grace Life Church, before they were expropriated and turned into a police garrison, took a very strong line against police coming onto the property or into the church during services.
They simply said to police, you cannot interrupt our church service.
And they knew that Section 176.2 of the criminal code forbids anyone from disturbing a religious service.
And so in the end, actually, police raided it on a weekday at 6 a.m., I think, to avoid breaking that law.
Can you tell me what was it like in Aylmer?
Do they let the cops on the property?
Do they let the cops in the building?
Because sometimes churches know their rights and sometimes they sort of get walked over.
So at Elmer, they kind of have security at the road that lets cars in or doesn't let other cars in.
I don't know if the police tried to get in or not, but they basically just stayed out at the road.
And I don't know if they were surveilling the scene or what they were doing, but I don't know if they tried to enter, but I didn't see them doing so.
Well, then how would they know that you were there?
I mean, I guess you could have mentioned it or tweeted about it, but how would they know what you would have done?
How would they know enough to charge you?
And of course, I'm a former lawyer myself.
I know that the standard for these men, I think, I don't know what charge you'll get, but it's typically beyond a reasonable doubt, or it's a high standard.
It's not like civil court where it's like balance of probabilities, 50-50 kind of thing.
If they didn't, if they weren't in the church, how do they know what you did?
How do they know where you stood?
How do they know anything?
I think this goes to your theory that maybe the whole thing is just a shock and awe to try and scare people.
Like if they didn't actually see you do what you allegedly did, how could they send you a ticket?
Well, the service was live streamed, and myself and another politician, Randy Hillier, were invited up to the front along with two others.
So there is a picture floating around of me being at the front of that service.
CBC picked it up.
So I'm assuming that's where they're getting their info from, but I'm not sure.
Yeah, and you know what?
Come to think of it, that's probably right if you mentioned it was live streamed.
Well, let me say one more thing, because you mentioned that you think that the authorities are going to kick the can down the road to avoid having a hearing on this.
That's our experience.
As you may know, we have a project called fightthefines.com.
We've crowdfunded lawyers for almost 1,000 people.
And I don't think we've had a single trial, but I've just asked our team for a count.
I think we're up to 20 wins without even a trial because the prosecutors look at the case and say, I'm not running with this.
And no one wants to be that test case because everyone says, well, these are likely unconstitutional.
The size of them probably renders them unconstitutional too, like a $1,500 ticket.
The enforcement of them, if it's a church involved.
So we represent close to 1,000 people, but they will not let us have our day in court because I think that, I mean, I don't want to raise expectations or hopes, but there's a chance all 1,000 people we represent will just be let to go free because this whole thing was either to scare people off or just to see who's so afraid they'll pay the ticket just to get out of a pickle.
Suing For Free Speech00:02:58
Yeah, I agree with you.
And, you know, if they wanted to, if they really did think they were in the right and wanted to send a message, then why not dig in?
I mean, but as you say, I have yet to meet someone who has disputed a ticket that has actually gotten their day in court.
Yeah.
Well, it's very interesting.
I want to thank you for coming on the show.
We played the clip of you in Parliament.
I'm glad you're still making representations as an MP.
I know your website is dereksloan.ca.
And last time we spoke, I asked you if you were any clearer on your public plans.
And I know that if you have a plan, you'll want to announce it in your own way.
But can you tell me if your thinking has clarified yet on what you plan to do, given that you've been ousted from Aaron O'Toole's party?
Well, I don't have anything further to report.
I would recommend that people sign up for my email on my website.
That will probably be the first place that I start to make clear my plans.
But I'd be happy to come on again when those plans have crystallized and hash them out with you.
Yeah, well, make sure you do.
I mean, I enjoyed having you come on the show when you were running for the leadership.
I said to our viewers, and I think you know this, that I felt like you promoted true conservative ideas and you were respectful of the populist nature of conservatives in Canada.
I think you were sort of a fan favorite, and we were outraged at the injustice and the clear false, the false pretext with which you were given the heave-ho by Aaron O'Toole, who I think is turning into a disastrous leader.
So I think I speak for many of our viewers when I say we very much look forward to seeing what you do next, and whether it's in the elected political arena or in some sort of NGO or action group, you clearly are showing some courage on this pandemic issue.
I look forward to you letting us know when you're ready to make that announcement, and I hope you'll come on our show, maybe even in a live stream to talk about it, because I tell you, it can't come soon enough.
As I mentioned, America has its fighters, but in Canada, they're very few in number.
So please do call us when you're ready for that.
Absolutely.
Thank you.
All right, there you have it.
His name is Derek Sloan.
He's the MP for Hastings, Lennox, and Addington.
And you can go to his website and get on his email list at dereksloan.ca.
Stay with us.
More ahead.
Hey, welcome back to my show last night.
Loretta writes, the manner in which Trudeau speaks that Ezra was trying to describe, I refer to as his phony thespian voice.
You're so right.
He sort of looks in the camera and he over-enunciates.
Official Government Bans00:01:00
I did not do that.
And you can trust me.
I almost always add, ladies, because that's how he talks and things.
Paul writes, there was a similar case here in Ottawa a little while ago, pre-COVID, when the mayor banned some of his critics.
Might want to check the precedent said on that.
I know that lawsuit.
We read that lawsuit before we filed our lawsuit.
You're talking about suing a government official who bans people from following them on Twitter.
Look, I just think it's a really bad thing for government officials to start to treat the instruments of the state as personal weapons of war.
I mean, I do not care, and I am not interested in the personal Twitter feeds or Facebook feeds of politicians.
I just don't care.
But official government offices with official government broadcasts banning me, that's outrageous.
And I think it violates my rights in a number of ways.
We'll see what the courts say.
All right, my friends, thanks for joining us today until tomorrow.