Newsletter – March 4th

On Saturday March 5th I am hosting a free skate event for all Thornhillers. I’d love it if you can join me, if you are interested, please make sure you RSVP by clicking here

A lot has gone on in the past number of weeks. The Government decided to invoke the Emergency Measures Act for no justified reason and has set an extremely dangerous precedent. Russia invaded Ukraine and is trying to take control while we see many brave Ukrainians from across the country are arming themselves to defend their country. I had the chance to question the Minister of Infrastructure about the Canadian Infrastructure Bank (CIB) and its major short comings.  

Below are some recent updates from Ottawa & Thornhill. 


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The Emergency Measures Act 

Never has the Emergencies Act been invoked. It has always been there but never used. In challenging times and in times of true crisis, it has always been there, but it was never used because it was viewed as a last resort and not a first choice.  

The debate of the Emergency Measures Act in the House of Commons was mired in the hyperbole of Liberal members opposite tripping over one another to claim that any member of this House encouraged the lawlessness that they, themselves, stoked. The idea that any member of the House of Commons would support the vile elements of this protest is wrong and members of the House know it. The Emergency Measures Act gave the Government unprecedented powers over all Canadians and impleaded our rights as Canadian citizens. Instead, the Government set a precedent. The legal reasoning and tone of the Liberals will be judged by those who will look back on these dark days to ask, “How did we get here?” 

Everyone has a right to peacefully protest any government policy. This is a fundamental freedom in our democracy. It protects the rights of individuals to express their views, even when those views are not shared by the elected government of the day. While these protests are a fundamental part of Canadian democracy, so too is the rule of law. The blockades that incapacitate our critical infrastructure, including our rail lines, our pipelines, our bridges and our urban downtown areas, are illegal. We cannot and should not arbitrarily decide to apply the rule of law to some situations and not others, like the Government did, because that is not how we build precedent. 

I do not think for a moment the threshold has been met to apply the Emergencies Act. The use of such authoritarian measures is disgusting and a stain on Canadian democracy. 


Russian Invasion of Ukraine 

These are painful and heartbreaking days for the people of Ukraine. It is unbelievable to watch images of families fleeing violence, citizens volunteering and lining up to receive weapons to fight for their country, and parents sending their children away to safety while they stay behind to defend Ukraine. 

In the last few days, the world has seen the defiance and strength of Ukrainians standing up for their freedom, independence and sovereignty against the unprovoked aggression of a violent dictator. Their voices were joined by millions of people here in Canada and around the world. 

The Conservatives are urging the federal government to expel Russia’s ambassador from Canada right away. Second, we are asking the government to recall Canada’s ambassador from Moscow. Third, we are asking the government to direct the CRTC to revoke the licence of Russia Today so that Putin’s propaganda machine can no longer reach Canadian homes. We are glad that companies such as Rogers, Telus, Bell and Shaw have already done this, but we would like to see the federal government take more of a lead on this issue. 

Fourth, we believe Russia should be isolated internationally and are urging its removal from organizations such as the G20 and the OSCE. Fifth, we are encouraging the government to implement visa-free travel from Ukraine to Canada to help families escape here to safety. The Ukrainian people do not want to be permanent refugees. They want to be able to live in a free, peaceful and sovereign Ukraine, but Canada can be a safe haven for them in this moment. 

Last weekend I was joined my biggest supporter, Ed Lantsman to stand strong against Russian aggression against our homeland – the place our parents came to Canada from in downtown Toronto and to speak during the emergency rally at the Ukrainian Consulate. 

On March 3rd, I gave a speech in the House of Commons on the Ukraine crisis.


The CIB needs to go 


The Prime Minister Needs to Apologize 

As the grandchild of Holocaust survivors, to see the unspeakable horror of the Shoah used in such a grotesque and juvenile way by our Prime Minister strikes at the very heart of the rot in our democracy. Real human tragedies are not to be used as cheap political fodder, carelessly thrown around by our Prime Minister with the sole purpose of igniting further division in an already divided state. I am offended, and above all I am deeply saddened that this is the state of politics in Canada these days. t’s true that symbols of hate have shown up on the fringes of recent protests. This is reprehensible, and I will be the first to stand up and condemn them unequivocally—as I have whenever and wherever they’ve reared their ugly head in past protests, in our playgrounds and on our buildings. 


To Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, there are only two kinds of people in our country: People who agree with him—and people who support Nazis.

To read more, click here.


Melissa Lantsman

melissa@melissalantsman.ca