The Andrew Lawton Show

It seems as though fewer and fewer people are wearing poppies, which are increasingly difficult to find in stores. On the 100th anniversary of the poppy campaign, True North's Andrew Lawton says we're facing a crisis of remembrance, with indifference plaguing Remembrance Day commemoration. Also, almost all of the Conservative MPs excluded from Erin O'Toole's shadow and deputy cabinet are pro-life,...

Even with a vaccine mandate for air passengers and the US limiting entry at the land border to the fully vaccinated, the Canadian government is still demanding costly PCR tests for travelling Canadians returning home. True North's Andrew Lawton was nearly stranded abroad last week after a false positive on a $150 government-approved test. Also, Conservative MPs opposing vaccine mandates have been...

The Liberals' 2021 election platform commits to banning online "hate speech" in the first 100 days of Justin Trudeau's reelected government. This will likely be a revival of Bill C-36, which died when the election was called. In this special edition of True North's The Andrew Lawton Show, we talk about why the government's efforts to go after so-called hate speech are actually restrictions on free...

Albertans have voted to remove equalization from the constitution, though now it's up to Alberta's government to make the case to a federal government that hasn't generally cared about the west. Premier Jason Kenney will have to deliver to quell the growing Alberta independence movement, True North's Andrew Lawton says. Andrew sits down with Wildrose Independence Party leader Paul Hinman and Econo...

Patty Hajdu is out as health minister, Harjit Sajjan is gone from defence, and Bill Blair has lost his public safety portfolio – but all three remain in cabinet. Despite changes in Justin Trudeau's cabinet, it's clear the government is not interested in a course correction, but rather more of what they were doing before the election, True North's Andrew Lawton predicts. Also, a shout-out to a coup...

As Justin Trudeau's government seeks to "decarbonize" Canadian industry, the Liberals are advancing what they call a "just transition" devoted to "helping workers and communities thrive in a net-zero carbon economy." While it sounds noble, it's an initiative based on the idea of phasing out jobs in Canada's oil and gas sector. Moreover, it neglects to recognize the work being done by the energy in...

Calgary’s new mayor-elect Jyoti Gondek says her first order of business is to declare a “climate emergency” and work to “move past” oil and gas. True North’s Andrew Lawton says Gondek’s comments amount to a declaration of war on the energy sector, and a huge flip flop from her previous comments about the importance of that industry to Calgary. Plus, Tk’emlups Chief Rosanne Casimir dresses down Tru...

In an effort to bolster vaccine uptake, Saskatchewan's public health agency is saying that age and fitness have no bearing on your COVID risk – only vaccination status. For all the things about COVID we don't know, we do know that this simply isn't true, True North's Andrew Lawton points out. Also, Saskatoon police have invested 160 hours in tracking down attendees of a PPC election night event la...

As China ramps up its aggression and threats against Taiwan, the Canadian government has not budged position of maintaining the status quo. In this special edition of True North's The Andrew Lawton Show, Andrew shines the light on Canada's relationship with Taiwan, asking how Canada and Canadians can support Taiwan in its pursuit of independence from China. Joining this panel discussion are Conser...

"We're all in this together" is but a distant memory now, as provinces make it easier to report "non-compliance" with COVID-19 measures. A number of provinces with vaccine passports are maintaining web portals to invite complaints about supposed public health rule-breaking. The Manitoba and Saskatchewan government websites even let you report someone for not wearing a mask. True North's Andrew Law...

Justin Trudeau's vaccine mandate for federal public servants is so broad, it even applies to employees who do their jobs remotely from their own homes. This mandate proves what's become increasingly apparent in recent months, that the federal government is more interested in control than public health, True North's Andrew Lawton says. Also, Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA Drew Barnes joins the show to ex...

The Chinese regime was spending millions of dollars on PCR tests in Wuhan as early as May 2019, seven months before China announced the "first" instance of what would later be called COVID-19. True North's Andrew Lawton says China has not earned the benefit of the doubt, yet Justin Trudeau and Patty Hajdu were running interference for the Chinese regime throughout the pandemic, and have been silen...

Canada had its first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation this week, a new federal holiday aimed at honouring victims and survivors of Canada's Indian residential schools. While there's nothing wrong with setting aside such a day, it's clear that the Trudeau government's approach to reconciliation is only about platitudes and symbolism, which is why the Canadian flag has been at half mast for...

The Canadian Association of Journalists is calling on the RCMP to investigate Maxime Bernier for hate speech because he tweeted a few reporters' work email addresses and asked his supporters share what they think with them. While this move may not have been the nicest thing to do, it's not hate speech and to suggest otherwise is responsible and antithetical to the free speech principles the media...

Alberta Pastor Artur Pawlowski was arrested on the tarmac after landing at Calgary airport on what his lawyer says are outstanding contempt of court charges. True North's Andrew Lawton says Pawlowski's arrest and crackdowns on businesses not complying with vaccine passports are further reminders that enforcement is the new norm, with governments having long abandoned the "we're all in this togethe...

The People’s Party of Canada tripled its vote share from the 2019 election, and is facing accusations of being a “spoiler” in a number of Conservative ridings. True North’s Andrew Lawton says the PPC support was much broader than just traditional Conservative voters, so this narrative doesn’t hold up. Also, Conservative activist and former campaign manager Fraser Macdonald joins to discuss his pet...

Conservative leader Erin O'Toole gambled on a centrist strategy being the key to dethroning Justin Trudeau, but it didn't work. A Conservative Party of Canada national councillor has initiated a petition to recall O'Toole, which has been signed by thousands of Conservative members and activists. True North's Andrew Lawton lays out a few critical flip flops from the campaign. Also, Canadian Center...

Issues germane to western Canada have been all but ignored by most political parties and the media during the federal election, with little to no discussion about western alienation, which continues to grow as Alberta heads towards a referendum on equalization in October. In this edition of the Andrew Lawton Show, True North's Andrew Lawton spotlights western voices, including entrepreneur and inv...

After spending a few days on the road covering the Conservative campaign, last weekend True North's Andrew Lawton became the first and only journalist in the election so far to follow the People's Party of Canada campaign tour. Andrew followed PPC leader Maxime Bernier on a swing through Alberta, reporting on the PPC's message and events, as well as the unique coalition of supporters behind the up...

After weeks and months of saying no to vaccine passports and a society segregated based on vaccination status, the Ontario government is now making vaccines mandatory to go to restaurants, gyms, and other locales. Canadian Constitution Foundation litigation director Christine Van Geyn joins The Andrew Lawton Show to explain why this mandate is unconstitutional and simply unnecessary. Also, we look...

The Conservative campaign hit six provinces in four days this past weekend, with a couple of stops in Quebec, where leader Erin O'Toole laid out his proposed "contract" with the Quebecois. True North's Andrew Lawton joined the Conservative tour as a journalist, putting questions to O'Toole on free votes in caucus, foreign interference in Canadian elections, free speech, and other issues the mainst...

Liberal Women and Gender Equality Minister Maryam Monsef's "our brothers, the Taliban" line is just the latest in a string of gaffes in a Liberal campaign without a message. True North's Andrew Lawton says it was clear Monsef's faux appeal to the Taliban was to give the illusion to Canadians that the government is handling the situation – but it isn't. Also, Maxime Bernier is excluded from the lea...

After failing to gain traction from the the "lurking Stephen Harper" and "scary social conservative" tropes, the Liberals are now accusing Erin O'Toole of planning to privatize healthcare based on a video clip so deceptively edited even Twitter has labeled it "manipulated media." True North's Andrew Lawton says this is a sign of a Liberal campaign lacking a clear and coherent message, or even any...

Conservative leader Erin O'Toole says he's pro-choice, but because he says he also supports conscience rights for healthcare practitioners, the Liberals have unleashed a wave of attacks accusing him of being a pro-lifer in disguise. True North's Andrew Lawton says Justin Trudeau's "evil, scary social conservative" attacks against O'Toole, who agrees with the Liberals on social issues, reeks of des...

While Canadians are focused on the repercussions of lockdowns, an uncertain economic future, and a potential Afghanistan refugee crisis, Justin Trudeau is taking aim at Conservatives for not talking enough about the "she-covery" from the "she-cession." In this election kickoff edition of the Andrew Lawton Show, True North's Andrew Lawton talks about some of the key platform announcements and messa...