CBCN - Wednesday, May 22, 2024 - 12:00 a.m. (ET) - Segment #40

of campaigns or run at campaigns. Look at this, rishi sunak and he gets control of campaigns, and they didn't check the weather, and look at that, and sound system blaring an old labor campaign song, and as a communications person, what did you think of this? >> I thought maybe going for 2012 obama sticking it out in the rain through a wet t-shirt weathering the storm kind of look, and totally, and absolutely failing. He just looks unprepared. He looks wet. And I loved the quote in rob's column today saying he couldn't even find himself an bum, umbrella, how is he going to run a country in if I was the team on this, I would feel bad about how they pulled it off. >> Worse from there and got to a party rally, and sky news there, and live images, and broadcast of security man handling the reporter and camera crew and dragging them out of the conservative campaign rally event. You launch in the rain at a time of your choosing and then your security is on one of the biggest stations in the U.K. man handling a journalist. >> As you know, david, campaign grab images and pictures tend to be a metaphor of how the campaign is going in british circles, being called a wet is a slur meaning you're not a conservative, just conservative in name only, and probably not the start he was looking for, and there are ways to do outdoor events and go off without a hitch, and that is not what happened in london today. >> Rob, this is your pick, and this is a down for you. Give us your thoughts on prime minister sunak and his quest for re-election. >> Yeah, I mean, this is my down because, rishi sunak is more than 20 percentage points behind keir starmer, the labor leader who is probably going to be the next british prime minister barring a catastrophic campaign by labor. There is just almost no way for sunak to win. The tories have been in power for 14 years. They've had five prime ministers, and they shuffled into the brexit referendum and the brexit debacle in 2016, and the british economy has been suffering since. You know, even after -- it was time for a change takes root, and we see it in this country, and believe me, justin trudeau is -- his polling numbers are richrishi sunak would wish for justin trudeau's numbers and that's how bad it is for rishi sunak, and I spoke to one of my colleagues in london, and saying he gave me the line of couldn't get a umbrella out for the event, and it was a disaster, and terrible launch, and the labor song blaring was "things can only get better," and the wags in the U.K. were saying things could only get wetter, and things bad for sunak. It was a dreadful launch, and I felt sorry for him watching it live. He doesn't have to call an election till later in the year, and I thought maybe call it in november, after the U.S. election, and hope that the U.K. economy continues to get better and maybe a biden victory or something like that or trump victory. Play off of that the way that I think is going to happen here, actually. Our election won't be till 2025. But just, sunak way, way down. >> You said 5 pms. David cameron, theresa may, boris johnson, liz truss and rishi sunak, and three since the last election. >> Yeah. Three -- >> That is the tale. >> Five since the tories took power in 2010. And liz truss, remember, prime minister for 49 days. She had to leave office after tanking the economy by promising unfunded tax cuts. Now she's on the U.S. far right conservative circles. You know, selling her book which is 10 years to save the west which is kind of terrible when you were only prime minister for seven weeks. >> David: cheryl and jamie, I need your insight on this. Me and rob have never planned a political campaign launch. Look, weather happens. I covered elections in newfoundland, man. It changes. How do you not have a covering, an awning? Cheryl, how do you plan for weather on something like this? I get you want number 10 as the back drop. You want to look like a prime minister. But they have weather forecasts in the united kingdom, I'm assuming. How do you account for something like this? >> I don't think you can. Like, the people that are running these events have run hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of political events and other events and surely they know how to put up a canopy or hold up an umbrella for the guy or find an alternative location so you don't have the worst campaign launch are where you

have your principal looking wet and not very formidable. So I just don't think there's an excuse for this. I don't think they planned it well. I think they hoped for something much different than we got. >> Jamie, we're all watching and saying why don't you run out with an umbrella, as a staffer, can you call an audible and go out and throw yourself -- find some way to shelter the guy from the rain. Or make it worse? >> Yeah, it makes it worse. The mistake made in advance of the exact moment. You try to do the outdoor event in the rain, and you set up a canopy or large enough tent and one over the podium and the speakers and another cover the media and the covers are not getting wet and ruining the shot, and all that done in advance and if you're worried about rain and not possible in that location, you look for plan b and another venue, and it's all about built-in contingencies, and the failures was hours, if not days ahead. >> You want to be in front of number 10 for the back drop, but that was rough. Cheryl, moving on to your pick. You have an up and after we stamped all over the U.K. election. What do you got for us? >> Yeah. I have an up. Taking it a bit closer to home today. 14 pride organizations from across alberta have united to ban the ucp from attending their celebrations this summer, and I'm giving an up to the organizations because, I mean, they are often thought of as organizations that, of course, are advocating for lgbtq rights, but put on great parties, and great celebrations in the summer, and in this case, they are using their collective voice to push back on policies that the ucp announced earlier this year that would limit the ability for transgender youth to access puberty blockers, treatments, even when their parents and physicians say it's the best course of action. And when you are bringing in policies that are infringing on human rights, you're not welcome at the celebrations, and they are raising the issue because it's less talked about than it was, and apply pressure on the government to consider rolling back the policies or not legislating them in the fall. >> David: help me understand the dynamic, though, in alberta politics. It's an issue national politics with federal conservative leaders not always going or not going to pride parades, for example. Would ucp members go to these events with any consistency in alberta? >> I mean, the ucp have attended. And former iterations of the party have attended. There has been previous bans. This is not the first ban where a conservative premier has been told they can't attend the celebrations. But, you know, depending on the iteration of the conservative party and depending on the premier, they have been allowed at the event in the past. >> Jamie, I know you've been active in this space in trying to force national conservative politics to move in a more lgbtq+ friendly election, and after the andrew scheer election, what do you make of the move in alberta? >> As a double-edged sword and I understand why they're doing it, and there's a lot of hurt and frustration as a result of premier smith's rules and proposals to roll back trans rights in the province, and the pride, tend to be more of a celebratory cause, and brings more focus to the issue. When you're an advocacy organization that represents the diversity of the community itself, and it's important to find allies in your political parties to grow your movement and lend an ear and by doing things like this, and for those allies on the inside at the ucp, it will make it harder for them to influence and shape government policy and get any reforms here. On the one hand, it's a public relations win, and I have no doubt they feel emboldened and good doing this given the year they have and I understand where they're coming from. As an institution of the community, you have to be careful not to burn all of your bridges, and it might feel good to surround yourself with the friends and people that agree with you, and but you have to change the hearts and minds. It is a double-edged sword. >> And rob, how do you see it? >> It's a P.R. win. There was a globe and mail piece and the direction that they took after scheer debacle, and dialogue is important. There's not a monolith of lgbtq political opinion. There are gay tories, there are gay new democrats, gay liberals. Gay greens. I worry about excluding folks. We have had this here in toronto, the pride parade in toronto is one of the biggest single events of the year of any -- from any community and it's a huge event and we've -- some tory leaders have gone in the past. But, you know, premier ford doesn't go to the toronto event, and goes to one in the suburbs in vaughan to march. For whatever reason. And I think that's too bad. I think that the premier of

ontario should be in the biggest single pride event in the province. >> David: but, jamie, I wonder, I guess given what happened in alberta, as cheryl points out, a lot of conflict and you don't want used as a back drop for someone enacting policies you don't support and showing up at the events saying hey, look where I was. >> You see diversity of opinion, and part of the reason it's justified this year and easier to make the call is the result of the anti-trans, anti-trans health care that goes against the advice of doctors and parents looking for trans affirming care for their kids who are dealing with a transition and that recognition that they are different in their gender and not who they were believed to be biologically as they were born. When you look at the broader struggle for lgbtq rights, and for gay and lesbians, and we have come so far in the past 30 years. Trans rights, the acceptance is not there. I think politicians and political parties of all stripes take a hit for doing something that perceived as anti-gay or anti-lesia, the reality for trans issues is not there, and we need more advocacy to change more hearts and minds. >> Jamie, get to your pick and you wanted to go international like rob did, and not U.K. >> We are going across the pacific and talk about democracy. Because it feels like democracy is under threat, and celebrate taiwan who had another election recently. Elected a new president since the democratic reformation in taiwan in the 1980's, the country has grown and prospered and continues to make a lot of progress. As we look at the down and negative things going in the world and the threats to democracy, taiwan is a country in all but name, literally, in terms of how it functions, even though it doesn't get the recognition in the world, and the chinese communist party is throwing their dynamic hissy fit as a result of the change in power, and the fact that there is a change in government democratically elected in taiwan. I wanted to celebrate that. >> David: jamie is not wrong, democracy is under threat, and the world is struggling with democracy and autocracy. >> It's a great thing to celebrate, and I don't think you'll find much disagreement on the panel and let's have a shining star who has fought for their democratic rights and that those around the world can look at and say it can be done and hopefully can be maintained. >> What are your thoughts, benzie? >> It's a good thought, and jamie is right, and we're fixated on the middle east and gaza and so on. But the strait of taiwan is one of the most fraught places in the world and china wants taiwan, and considers taiwan part of the mainland and I don't think anyone who likes democracy wants to see what happened to taiwan what is happening in hong kong, what has happened in hong kong since the handover to china in '97. I don't think we want to see that happen in taiwan. >> No. And jamie, going a bit more global, and don't want to see it happen in kyiv, and this is the other big conflict that people are losing focus on because of the destabilizing effect of what is happening in the middle east. One great moment, what I love about taiwanese democracy, and funny, and not making light of it. There was -- I watched the legislator physically grabbing the legislation, the bill they were trying to pass and running away with it. Because they couldn't bring it back to the table, and couldn't be passed. I was, like, that is something else to see. Physically picking up the legislation and running away with it. I don't know, rob, if we bring that to queens park. But, you know, it might make provincial -- >> Has anyone tried to steal the mace? >> David: stealing the mace. Curious to see what happened there. I want to thank you all. Appreciate it always. Rob benzie, cheryl oates, and jamie ellerton. Thank you for joining us for the power ranking hes here on power & politics. Thank you all for watching. I'm david cochrane. This has been power & politics. We'll be back in 22 hours with the next edition of the show. Stay right here. There's still more coverage still ahead on cbc news network. [ ]

>> Travis: it's 7 in montréal, 5 in red deer, and 4 in surrey. This is "canada tonight". Staggering stats. More than 1500 vehicles stolen in canada have been identified around the world. We'll tell you what interpol is saying tonight. >>> Three are stabbed to death in a brawl in montréal. One of the victims a 15-year-old boy. What police are saying about their investigation. >>> Alberta boom. The population of calgary and edmonton surge in the largest year over year increase in over two decades. What the population increase means for the province. >>> Financial crisis. Canada's biggest documentary film festival plays off. Eli is here with more. >> Announcer: from the canadian broadcasting centre, this is "canada tonight" with travis dhanraj. >> Travis: hello to you on this wednesday. Our top story this evening, canada now ranks among the top ten countries in the world from which automobiles are stolen, shipped, and sold overseas. That is according to interpol. The international police agency says more than 1500 stolen canadian vehicles have been identified around the world since february. Sarah galashan joins me with more on this story. Where are these cars being found? >> Reporter: for the most part in parts of the middle east and west africa where they are being [indiscernible] and resolid according to interpol. Most often we're talking about our luxury SUVs or crossovers. That's a car-like suv and according to interto they are being used as occurrence bibi international organizations tied to human trafficking, drug trafficking, and terrorism. How did canada become such a hot spot for this kind of theft, criminal activity? Already the insurance bureau of canada put a very high estimate on this. In february the canadian agencies partnered -- enhanced their information sharing with interpol. To that actually the head of the commissioner of the rcmp spoke to the joint effort that has been underway since february to track these vehicles down. Here's what he said yesterday... >> From february 13 to may 16 we've had 1553 alerts. That means there's another law enforcement agency in the world that's queried somewhere of the data in that and that brings up a second portion where there's 250 follow-ups made through with for that information. It's a global effort. It's not just nationally. We're seeing here in ontario and québec. You see it in the national effort to combat it. >> Reporter: the 1500 vehicles we're talking about discovered overseas since february, that's not all the vehicles stolen in canada. That is just those vehicles that have been stolen from canada and identified overseas. >> Travis: there likely are a lot more out there. We've been hearing about this car theft crisis in this country. What is being done in canada to stop this from happening in the first place? >> Reporter: because of enhanced sharing between canadian agencies and interpol, not likely 500 number -- not likely this 1500 number is a surprise to them. Yesterday there was a press conference where the government announced its new national action plan to target specifically organized crime groups which are suspected of being DEALINGth primary culprit in this kind of theft. That's really their focus. But earlier today deputy premier chrystia freeland was asked about the efforts of her government to try and get a handle on this, stop this kind of theft. Here's a little bit what she said... >> It makes life scary. It makes life more expensive. It raises the insurance rates for everyone. We have toughened anti-money laundering rules and created more tools to enforce those rules. We are also seeking to actually ban some of the equipment which is used to steal cars. We need the legal tools to do this. >> Reporter: to that end legal tools, that's legislation now before parliament. In february there was $28 million put toward the canadian border servicescanadian border services agency to enhance the screening done on containers being shipped out of country, out of canada, to make sure there's no stolen vehicles in those containers. That is also underway or work underway in the last few months. In february a big conference held, effort to coordinate between insurers and automakers to essentially try and thwart the thieves at the starting point, prevent the cars from being stolen in the first place. That's some of what is being done to this end.

>> Travis: sarah galashan at the breaking news desk in vancouver, thank you. >>> For a look at how we got here we're going to be joined by brian gast, vice-president of the investigative services division at equite association, joining us from montréal. What do you make of canada being such a hot spot for these kinds of thefts? >> Yeah. Thefts in particular vehicles that are being stolen for the purposes of export has really increased dramatically since covid. Organized crime entered into the space even more than they were before. It's high reward, low risk. Lot of the vehicles from ontario, québec are being stolen for that purpose, for the sole purpose of being exported and they're funding it organized criminal operations with those proceeds. >> Travis: why are ontario and québec the hot spots? >> It has to do with population. Population, high volume of targeted vehicles, SUVs, pickup trucks, luxury sedans, proximity of the port of montréal. That's historically been the primary method or location for exports. Those two things really put ontario and québec in a bad position. >> Travis: federal government estimates that 90,000 vehicles are reported stolen every year in canada. What more needs to be done to get that number significantly down? >> There's been some really great action last year, the province of ontario, solicitor general's office provided funding for the creation of a provincial auto theft team led by the opp and participating police services with the dedicated prosecutors team and significant about that is this is not just a victimless crime. It's not just a property crime. This is organized crime. They are funding their criminal operations so going after the organized crime groups that are behind it is significant and then you have february 13, the summit, federal summit, so now you have the provinces and the federal government working together, law enforcement across all levels, municipal, provincial, regional, and the federal working with cbsa. Everybody's working very hard, working with our investigators across the country. 2024 will be very interesting to see. Last year alone $1.5 billion of thefts, vehicle thefts, in canada. Ontario represented over 1 million -- 1 billion of that. >> Travis: you mentioned world crime. We continue to hear that. Do we have any more details in terms of the groups we're talking about? >> They might not be your traditional organize crime that everybody thinks of but it's basically people working together to commit a criminal offence, they are highly organized, highly connected, they are networks everywhere from the scout looking for the vehicles. There is a target list, vehicles that they want, vehicles that are desired overseas. Then individuals that have the ability to steal the vehicle and then get the vehicle containerized, sent out of the country and at the receiving end receiving that vehicle through resale or use overseas but very connected and organize. That's what law enforcement are doing a wonderful job combating that are really up against. >> Travis: certainly this is going to be a long-term plan to fix this problem to really get to the root of it. In the interim what do you recommend that vehicle owners do in this country? >> Ultimately it would be great to have the vehicle harder to steal in the first place. That's a longer term goal. There are things everyday owners of vehicles can do. If you have the luxury of parking in a garage, in a well lit area, using a steel week lock, after market mobilizer that protects against relay attacks, reprogramming attacks, [Indiscernible] attacks, using an on board diagnostic lock, a tracking service. All of those things add time because the criminal does not want to be in your vehicle for an extended period of time so anything that you can do to slow down the process to make it harder, your vehicle less of a target, is what we recommend. >> Travis: appreciate you being here tonight. Bryan gast, vice president of the investigative services division at equite.

>>> The son of a man accused in the 1985 air india bombing has been officially warned by the rcmp that his life could be under a businessman in su the son of rue pinnedman singh malik who was acquitted in 2025 of mass murder and conspiracy charges related to a pair of bombings in 1985 that killed 3731 people -- 331 people. He was gunned down outside of his office in surrey in 2022. Two men have been charged in his murder. Now cbc news has learned investigators have been probing a possible link between this murder and the government of india. Cbc's evan dyer broke this story and joins us with tell us about these latest developments. >> Reporter: that the son ofnef in and arrangele that both of the figures involved from the indian side in what appeared to be a reconciliation have certainly got issues around that raise questions which now in light of what's happened to

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