BREAKING: Canada’s Parliament Considers Detective Helen Grus Case
Order Paper Questions Government Health Authorities’ Influence Re Grus Investigation into Sudden Infant Deaths
MP Cathay Wagantall Demands Communications Mentioning: Deputy Chief Steven Bell, Superintendent Heather Lachine, Inspector Hugh O’Toole, Prosecutor Vanessa Stewart
The case of Ottawa Police Detective Helen Grus and her investigation into a cluster of Sudden Infant Deaths in the Ottawa area is being raised in Canada’s Parliament. According to the rules, the Government must now provide a written answer within 45 days.
MP Cathay Wagantall (CPC)
Ottawa Police Detective Helen Grus is charged with ‘Discreditable Conduct’ under the Ontario Police Services Act for conducting “unauthorized” investigations into the sudden deaths of nine infants. The next Hearing is on Monday, March 25, 2024.
Grus was investigating any potential connection between the vaccination status of the mothers and the sudden deaths of breastfeeding babies. Ottawa Police shut down her investigation, ordered her to stop, and charged her with an internal disciplinary charge.
My independent journalism revealed that Public Health Agency of Canada personnel sought to influence the Ottawa Police investigation of Detective Grus as early as March 2022, and even continuing after she was charged in July of 2022. (My April 27, 2023 article here)
Now a Conservative Member of Parliament is formally demanding answers about the Grus Case by placing questions on the Order Paper.
The just-published Thursday March 21, 2024, Order Paper includes the following question by MP Cathay Wagantall, Member for Yorkton-Melville, Saskatchewan…
Q-24332 — March 14, 2024 — Mrs. Wagantall (Yorkton—Melville) — With regard to Public Health Agency of Canada, Health Canada, National Advisory Committee on Immunization and Privy Council communications in 2022:
(a) were there communications between any of the entities or their personnel with the Ottawa Police Services Board or Ottawa Police Services personnel or the Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario;
(b) if the answer to (a) is affirmative, was any of the communication with respect to Detective Helen Grus, stillbirths or deaths of infants under one year;
(c) if the answer to (b) is affirmative, what are the details of each communication, including the (i) date, (ii) type of communication such as memorandum, telephone conversation, fax, or email, (iii) subject, (iv) reports produced as a result of the communication, (v) names of people included or copied on the communication;
(d) were any of the named entities above or their personnel included in communications involving one or more of the following individuals, Deputy Chief Steven Bell, Superintendent Heather Lachine, Hugh O’Toole of the Professional Standards Branch, Prosecutor Vanessa Stewart, or the Ontario Coroner’s office; and
(e) if the answer to (d) is affirmative, what are the details of each communication, including the (i) date, (ii) type of communication, (iii) subject, (iv) reports produced as a result of the communication, (v) names of people included or copied on the communication?
Question Q-2433 can be found at the Parliamentary Website here.
Here is the Order Paper in pdf: ordpaper293
More Coming Soon
MP Cathay Wagantall
Website – CathayWagantall.CA
Cathay Wagantall
Cathay Wagantall | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Member of Parliament for Yorkton—Melville | |
| Assumed office October 19, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Garry Breitkreuz |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Cathay Caswell March 7, 1956 Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Political party | Conservative Party of Canada |
| Spouse | H. Martin Wagantall (1976–present) |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence(s) | Esterhazy, Saskatchewan |
| Education | University of Saskatchewan |
| Profession | Administrator, athletic director, businesswoman, politician |
Cathay Wagantall MP (née Cathy Caswell; born March 7, 1956) is a Canadian politician who was elected as a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of Canada to represent the federal electoral riding of Yorkton—Melville during the 2015 Canadian federal election.
Biography
Originally from Regina, Wagantall was raised in southern Saskatchewan until she moved with her parents and six siblings to Esterhazy in 1967.
On full scholarship, she completed three of four years of her Bachelor of Science in Physical Education with top honours at the University of Saskatchewan. During her summers, she worked in hospitals and level 4 care homes.
After traveling the world for a couple of years, Wagantall and her husband entered into a partnership in a lumberyard and contracting business in Springside. They eventually bought out the other partners, then lost their business during the early 1980s recession.
Wagantall moved to Edmonton in 1985. She served as the athletic director for what was then North American Baptist College (later Taylor College and Seminary).
In 1991, their family moved to Lloydminster, Alberta where her husband was a pastor in NewLife Community Church for seven years. During that time Wagantall coached community, junior and senior high basketball and worked as a teacher's assistant with special needs children in kindergarten and high school.
Upon returning to Edmonton in 1998, Wagantall worked for ten years at Taylor University College and Seminary in development, accounting and student loans. She also worked as a Sunday School teacher.
In 2004 Wagantall served on the Conservative Party of Canada Board of Directors for Edmonton-Mill Woods-Beaumont as the election readiness chair, president and financial agent. She door-knocked with then-candidate Tim Uppal against incumbent David Kilgour, and served as campaign manager for Mike Lake in 2006 and 2008. She served official agent for Tim Uppal in 2011. She worked in Uppal's Edmonton-Sherwood Park constituency office until March 2011, when she and her husband returned home to Esterhazy to own and operate Positive Signs, a sign and print company.[1][2]
Federal politics
In November 2014, Wagantall won the Conservative nomination in Yorkton—Melville for the 2015 federal election.[3] On October 19, 2015, she won the seat with 59.2% of the vote.[4][5] In the 42nd Parliament Wagantall introduced one private member bill, Bill C-225 titled Protection of Pregnant Women and Their Preborn Children Act (Cassie and Molly's Law), which sought to add a new class of person, a "preborn child", into the Criminal Code and make injuring or causing death to the preborn child while committing or attempting to commit another offence against a female person that the person knows is pregnant to be a separate offense.[6] While the bill was similar to Ken Epp's Unborn Victims of Crime Act, Bill C-485, which received second reading and referral to committee in March 2008 during the 39th Parliament, Wagantall's Bill C-225 was defeated in a vote in October 2016[7] with only members of the Conservative Party voting in favour.[8]
Wagantall was re-elected in the 2019 election. During the ensuing 43rd Canadian Parliament, she introduced one private member bill, Bill C-233, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (sex-selective abortion) which sought to create a new offense within the Criminal Code, punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment, applicable to medical practitioners who perform an abortion based solely on the grounds of the child's genetic sex. It was brought to a vote on June 2, 2021, but defeated with only Conservatives Party members voting in favour.[9][10] In the 2020 Conservative Party of Canada leadership election she endorsed Leslyn Lewis.[11]
After the House of Commons introduced a vaccine mandate, Wagantall claimed a medical exemption. It was rejected and she attended House meetings virtually.[12]
She was re-elected in the 2021 election. During the campaign, her campaign manager organized an online petition against mask mandates in Yorkton's Good Spirit School Division and Christ the Teacher Catholic Schools. She also ran a Facebook page on the topic.[13][14]
During the "Freedom Convoy" protests in Ottawa, Wagantall shared an unfounded claim that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's official photographer, Adam Scotti, had been sent to the protest to photograph a man with a Confederate flag. Wagantall claimed that this was to "misrepresent thousands of law-abiding, hard-working Canadian truckers and millions across the nation supporting them." She later deleted the Facebook post, and refused to comment on the matter.[15]
Personal life
Wagantall has been married to H. Martin Wagantall since 1976. She has three grown children and nine grandchildren.[citation needed]
Wagantall is a Christian.
Electoral record
| 2021 Canadian federal election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
|
|
Conservative | Cathay Wagantall | 23,850 | 68.67 | -7.48 | |||
|
|
New Democratic | Halsten David Rust | 4,237 | 12.20 | -0.05 | |||
|
|
People's | Braden Robertson | 3,247 | 9.35 | +6.92 | |||
|
|
Liberal | Jordan Ames-Sinclair | 2,183 | 6.29 | -0.13 | |||
|
|
Green | Valerie Brooks | 615 | 1.77 | -0.99 | |||
|
|
Maverick | Denise Loucks | 601 | 1.73 | ||||
| Total valid votes | 34,733 | |||||||
| Total rejected ballots |
| |||||||
| Turnout | 66.25 | -6.56 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 52,429 | |||||||
| Source: Elections Canada[16] | ||||||||
|
|
Conservative hold | Swing | -3.72 | |||||
| 2019 Canadian federal election: Yorkton—Melville | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
|
|
Conservative | Cathay Wagantall | 29,523 | 76.15 | +16.95 | $47,858.75 | ||
|
|
New Democratic | Carter Antoine | 4,747 | 12.24 | -7.96 | $224.73 | ||
|
|
Liberal | Connor Moen | 2,488 | 6.42 | -11.38 | none listed | ||
|
|
Green | Stacey Wiebe | 1,070 | 2.76 | -0.04 | $386.96 | ||
|
|
People's | Ryan Schultz | 941 | 2.43 | – | none listed | ||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 38,769 | 99.27 | – | |||||
| Total rejected ballots | 287 | 0.73 | – | |||||
| Turnout | 39,056 | 72.81 | – | |||||
| Eligible voters | 53,643 | |||||||
|
|
Conservative hold | Swing | +12.50 | |||||
| Source: Elections Canada[17][18] | ||||||||
| 2015 Canadian federal election: Yorkton—Melville | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
|
|
Conservative | Cathay Wagantall | 21,683 | 59.22 | -9.66 | $57,632.77 | ||
|
|
New Democratic | Doug Ottenbreit | 7,396 | 20.20 | -1.76 | $21,043.83 | ||
|
|
Liberal | Brooke Taylor Malinoski | 6,504 | 17.76 | +11.15 | $3,627.04 | ||
|
|
Green | Elaine Marie Hughes | 1,030 | 2.81 | +0.43 | $130.31 | ||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 36,613 | 100.0 | $229,969.51 | |||||
| Total rejected ballots | 95 | – | – | |||||
| Turnout | 36,708 | 68.36 | +4.96 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 53,694 | |||||||
|
|
Conservative hold | Swing | -3.95 | |||||
| Source: Elections Canada[19][20] | ||||||||
NDP MPs call for investigation into lobbying firm with ties to top Conservative adviser
Federal lobby group ‘Forecheck Strategies’ works from same office as ‘Jenni Byrne + Associates’
Two New Democrat MPs are asking the federal lobbying commissioner to investigate what he calls "potentially inappropriate lobbying activities" by top Conservative strategist Jenni Byrne.
On Thursday, the Globe and Mail reported that a federal lobbying firm is located at the same office — and employs many of the same staff — as Jenni Byrne & Associates, a provincial lobbying firm. NDP MPs Charlie Angus and Matthew Green sent a letter to Commissioner of Lobbying Nancy Bélanger calling for a probe of the relationship between the two firms.
"We are writing to you today regarding our concerns about potentially inappropriate lobbying activities by Jenni Byrne," they wrote in the letter.
"Given Ms. Byrne's advisory role and close relationship to (Conservative Leader Pierre) Poilievre and the Conservative caucus, Canadians deserve clarity on her lobbying activities."
Although Byrne's exact role with the Conservative Party is murky — neither she nor the party will confirm how she is involved — she is viewed as one of the most powerful Conservative strategists in Canada.
She has been seen walking into caucus meetings — spaces typically reserved for elected members, Conservative senators and the most senior staff.
Newly
elected Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his wife Anaida wave
as they take the stage at the party convention on Saturday, September
10, 2022 in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)
Forecheck Strategies was incorporated the first business day after Pierre Poilievre was elected Conservative Party leader in September 2023.
In addition to employing many of the same staff as Jenni Byrne + Associates, it is owned by Andrew Kimber and Simon Jefferies, who are also part-owners of Jenni Byrne + Associates.
Some lobbyists listed as working for Forecheck Strategies on the federal lobbying database are listed as employees on the website of Jenni Byrne + Associates, but not on the website of Forecheck Strategies.
There are other similarities between the two firms' websites. Forecheck Strategies's website cited their CEO being "especially good" at "making messes go away" — seemingly referencing a 2015 Globe and Mail profile of Jenni Byrne.
The reference was removed from the company's website after an inquiry from CBC News. Kimber denies Byrne is involved in the firm.
"Forecheck Strategies is a separate entity which Jenni Byrne has no involvement in. She is not and has never been an employee, consultant, director or shareholder. She does not, has not, and will not receive any compensation from Forecheck," said Kimber in a statement sent to CBC News.
Byrne did not respond to a request for comment and the Lobbying Commission's office said it would not comment on specific cases.
"I would suggest that we have a Conflict of Interest Act, we have a lobbying commissioner that sets very vigorous rules and I expect everyone to follow those rules," Dan Albas, a Conservative member of Parliament, said Thursday.
"I'm sure Mr. Poilievre would be the first person to say that."
The Office of the Leader of the Official Opposition did not respond to a request for comment.
Additional questions about provincial lobbying
Byrne also faced questions in February when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the opposition leader of "pretending" to care about high grocery prices because Byrne's firm lobbies on behalf of grocery giant Loblaw.
The Ontario lobbyist registry lists six employees of Jenni Byrne + Associates as registered lobbyists for Loblaw Companies Limited.
"It turns out that [Poilievre's] top adviser is working as a lobbyist for Loblaws. I think Mr. Poilievre owes some explanations to Canadians," said Trudeau at a media appearance in Waterloo, Ont.
Byrne herself is not listed on any public registry as a consultant for Loblaw. She did not respond to a request for comment.
"Let's be clear about the facts here, Jenni Byrne is not and never has been registered to lobby on behalf of Loblaws," said Jefferies in a written statement.
Speaking to a crowd of Vancouver business professionals on March 8, Poilievre took aim at lobbyists, saying they don't represent the interests of the working class.
"My experience with the corporate lobbyists in Ottawa, the main groups there, has been they have been utterly useless in advancing any common sense interests for the people on the ground," he told the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade.
"My message to corporate Canada is that if you want any of your policy agenda pushed forward, you're going to have to convince not just me, but the people of Canada that it is good for them."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Automatic reply: RE Trudeau Invoking the Emergency Act and Freeland defending her liberal democracy byway of her bankster buddies
From: "Wagantall, Cathay - M.P." <Cathay.Wagantall@parl.gc.ca>
Date: Sun, 20 Feb 2022 02:29:26 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: RE Trudeau Invoking the Emergency Act and
Freeland defending her liberal democracy byway of her bankster buddies
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Thank you for contacting the office of Cathay Wagantall, Member of
Parliament for Yorkton-Melville, Saskatchewan. This is an automated
response to acknowledge receipt of your email.
MP Wagantall welcomes hearing from constituents on issues that are
important to them. Priority will be given to Yorkton-Melville
residents, so please include your mailing address and phone number in
your email. If you are unsure, you can determine who your MP is by
entering your postal code at https://www.ourcommons.ca/
For constituents with an urgent matter, please call the constituency
office in Yorkton at 306-782-3309<tel:306-782-3309> or 1.800.667.6606
for assistance, Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Stay up to date with your MP’s work in Ottawa and in the Constituency
by signing up for her e-newsletter
here<https://www.
Please note: my office will not respond to messages directed to
another person or organization, or to correspondence containing
offensive or abusive language.
Due to the large volume of letters my office receives, form letters
from mass email senders are welcome, but will not receive a reply.
However, topics tracked and brought to the Member’s attention each
week.
Again, thank you for taking the time to contact MP Wagantall.
Sincerely,
Cathay Wagantall
Member of Parliament
Yorkton-Melville
FACEBOOK<https://www.facebook.
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INSTAGRAM<http://www.
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO CATHAY’S MONTHLY
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MPs to resume debate on Emergencies Act after police make gains against protesters
Liberal government defends controversial decision as protesters arrested in Ottawa
The House of Commons will resume its debate of the government's controversial decision to invoke the Emergencies Act on Saturday.
Liberal House Leader Mark Holland confirmed the reopening of Parliament late Friday evening after a day of furious police action against the convoy protest.
The House of Commons and Senate were shut down Friday in anticipation of the disruptive encounter between police and protesters, which resulted in more than 100 arrests and hours of tense standoffs outside the Parliament buildings.
Ottawa police said on Friday that the federal government's decision to invoke the Emergencies Act helped expedite its action against the convoy protest.
Interim Ottawa police Chief Steve Bell said the act and the provincial state of emergency provided police with the resources they needed to push back and end the demonstration.
"The three levels of government that have come together to support our efforts in this have led us to be able to have the success we're starting to see right now," he said.
"Without the authorities provided to us through these pieces of legislation, we wouldn't be able to be doing the work we are today."
More than 100 arrested
In a dramatic show of force, a line of police officers — some armed with weapons, face shields and gas masks — moved steadily along Rideau Street throughout Friday, pushing protesters west and making arrests along the way.
By early Friday evening, police had taken more than 100 people into custody and had towed 21 vehicles. However, dozens of protesters were still refusing to clear the area after sunset.
PHOTOS | Scenes from police operation to end Ottawa protest:
Police
enforce an injunction against protesters, some of whom have been camped
in their trucks near Parliament Hill for weeks, on Saturday. (Evan
Mitsui/CBC)
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland earlier in the day defended her government's decision to invoke the emergency powers now being used to clear downtown Ottawa, saying Canada's economy and democracy are being threatened.
"A liberal democracy must be prepared to defend itself," she told a news conference Friday as police continued to take into custody protesters demanding the elimination of all pandemic measures who have gridlocked the capital city for nearly three weeks.
The federal government triggered the Emergencies Act earlier this week for the first time in the legislation's history. It brought in new measures prohibiting public assemblies that disrupt the movement of people, goods and trade, or that support the "threat or use of acts of serious violence against persons or property."
Sen. Vernon White, who served as Ottawa police chief from 2007 to 2012, also said the act made Friday's police action more successful.
"I support it. I felt we were at a point of no return," he told CBC's Power & Politics.
Others have continued to criticize the use of the act, including Conservative interim leader Candice Bergen.
She blamed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for the state of affairs as police were facing off against protesters.
"This situation was created by the PM & his desire to divide Canadians," Bergen said on Twitter.
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) plans to sue the federal government over its decision to invoke the Emergencies Act, arguing that it violates Charter rights. Amnesty International has also raised concerns that the act could violate human rights.
Government says protests a threat to Canada
The government published its reasons for triggering the Emergencies Act late Wednesday, calling the situation across the country "concerning, volatile and unpredictable."
"The protesters have varying ideological grievances, with demands ranging from an end to all public health restrictions to the overthrow of the elected government," the government statement reads.
"Ideologically motivated violent extremism adherents may feel empowered by the level of disorder resulting from the protests."
The statement also said border blockades threaten Canada's economic security.
"The impact on important trade corridors and the risk to the reputation of Canada as a stable, predictable and reliable location for investment may be jeopardized if disruptions continue," it reads.
For six days last week, protesters blocked access to the Ambassador Bridge which connects Windsor and Detroit. The vital trade link was reopened to traffic on Sunday after police moved in.
On Friday, an Ontario judge granted an extension to the injunction that prohibits anyone from blocking access to the Ambassador Bridge. The previous order was set to expire Monday.
Debate delayed
Debate in the House of Commons on the government's decision to invoke the Emergencies Act was temporarily suspended as the police operation overtook the parliamentary precinct's doorstep.
House leaders previously reached a deal to debate the use of the Emergencies Act on Friday and throughout the weekend, from 7 a.m. ET to midnight, with a vote planned for Monday. The vote will still take place Monday evening, despite the cancellation of Friday's sitting.
The extraordinary powers provided by the legislation have been in effect since Monday, but the Emergencies Act stipulates that the federal government also must go before Parliament to seek approval from MPs and senators.
A note sent to senators on Friday morning asked them to stay away from the downtown core.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said his party plans to support the Emergencies Act declaration — which would carry it through the minority Parliament — but is ready to pull its support if the measures are no longer necessary or if the government takes on additional powers.
Key organizers arrested
On Thursday, police arrested Chris Barber and Tamara Lich, key organizers of the protest convoy that began as a demonstration against vaccine mandates and other pandemic restrictions.
Barber has been released on bail and ordered to leave Ottawa within 24 hours. Lich is scheduled to appear in court Friday at 9:30 a.m. ET.
According to police, Barber is charged with counselling to commit the offence of mischief, counselling to commit the offence of disobeying a court order and counselling to commit the offence of obstructing police.
Lich has been charged with counselling to commit the offence of mischief, police said.
CBC News has confirmed another of the convoy leaders, Pat King, was among those arrested Friday.
CBC special coverage
-
News and analysis will continue on CBC News Network with Power & Politics and Canada Tonight, and on The World at 6 on CBC Radio One and the CBC Listen app.
- Watch The National starting at 9 p.m. ET on CBC News Network for the latest news and analysis.
- And follow cbcnews.ca for breaking news, analysis and updates.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files from J.P. Tasker
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