Judge rules Ezra Levant’s “Libranos” book was illegal, orders him to pay $13,000
Levant, of course, is appealing. And makes financial appeal, as usual.
I just might have to buy that book. If you’re told it’s illegal, you should probably read it. $7.50 for Kindle version on Amazon.ca
I don’t think they realize that by doing this, they’re simply proving whatever Ezra wrote about them in the book. Maybe I’ll have to buy it, too.
Indeed.
As they say, I don’t believe anything until it is officially denied.
Can someone provide the abridged version: How can a book be illegal?
“How can a book be illegal ?”
If, in Canada, a book about a politician/party is published (in this was before) or during an election, and/or advertised at a cost greater than $500, that book is subject to administrative penalty.
Much like human rights courts decide what right is, and then impose conditions which are backed by Contempt of Court if not heeded, the punishment is the Process.
In this case, whoever complained about lawn signs advertising a book during an election created a chain of legal frothings which have further and substantially enriched various and sundry government-funded lawyers, who determine what lawn signs are or are not permissible in Cubadian society.
Canada and it’s people are a f*****g joke.
There were at least a dozen books about the Liberals published during the election. All except Ezra’s heaped praise on Trudeau et al. Ezra’s was the only one critical, thus it was accused by Elections Canada as contravening the elections act because he didn’t register as a political campaigner or something.
Rules are rules, but rules are different for conservatives.
The Alberta NDP government tried the same thing in that province and eventually lost.
Bought it when it was released.
Not that inflammatory.
Actually repetitious and a little boring, in my view.
If you follow Rebel you already heard it all.
The book is worth the angst that it causes the Turd.
Why don’t they Ban FILTHY LIBERALS?
or Ban Crime. That would be pretty neat.
This is the regime and their Librano judges reminding you that criticizing the Party will get you in trouble. Next time Trudeau’s Rotten Corrupt Mounted Pigs will kick his door in.
They already did. As he was writing the book, and again at the Rebel office in Montreal.
They aren’t even pretending anymore.
Hmmm…much of the fake justification for the EMA came from CBC stories that were proven to be outright lies.
Wonder when the Ceeb will be prohibited from writing about any future anti mandate diktats?
when they kick down your front door how you going to come ?
with your hands on your head or on the trigger of your gun ?
What’s a good Canadian substitute for Brixton?
If what Ezra wrote is untrue why haven’t the Lieberals proven so in court?
I’ve just bought it in paperback from Jeff Bozo’s webshop.
The book is not the issue. It’s the lawn signs and whether it breached the third party financing laws. This is a judicial review case and the court held that the decision of the Commissioner was well within the scope of it’s power and, unless the decision is patently unreasonable, the court will not overturn the decision. That is the issue and not Ezra’s right to publish the book.
Ezra has the right to appeal and should do so. However , let’s not conflate the issues and make this something it’s not.
Ooooo, lawn signs. Our democracy is in danger. How is this something it’s not? Ezra should personally sue the judge in a civil trial….ah what am I saying? Country’s a f***ing joke. I hate it. Technocrat shitheads like you is why.
I agree and endorse.
Easy dude. He was just trying to clarify the issue and I appreciate it. It helps some people to not go off half cocked.
I like Ezra but e does tend to exaggerate, conflate and pretend not to understand sometimes in order to raise funds.
WHEN THE LIBERALS STARTED PAYING JOURNALISTS I checked if this had ever been done in the western world! it appears Hitler and the National Socialists did the same thing in Germany in 1937 and 1938! Other than that it has not been done in the the Free World countries!!!!
The censorship of ” The Libranos” by our Courts and RCMP is without precedent! Thomas Jefferson in the USA made sure this would never happen!
We in Canada should be outraged!!! Freedom of speech is dieing !!!!!
Freedom of speech died during the pandemic when all criticism of the lockdowns and the vax landed you meant you got censored, silenced and for the ‘worst’ offenders in jail, and severely fined. It was buried when the Supreme Court refused to hear travel mandates because it was moot.
Justin you are partly right ——–freedom for us on the right is crippled for sure but the political left can say anything they want!
CBC reporting “objectively” during the election, sued the conservative party. Nothing from elections Canada to exclude them from all further reporting as a conflict of interest. No fine. No reprimand. Just cheers.
I hate Amazon but just ordered the paperback. Hope Ezra sees at least some of that money.
Fortunately, I already own this book and read it some time ago! 🙂
As to the judicial crapulence ruling, in the finest Christmas tradition:
Up your chimney!
Cheers
Hans Rupprecht, C in C
1st St Nicolaas Army
Army Group True North
I’m all for freedom of speech, but Ezra Levant was playing around in a grey area. He took the cover of his book and posted it all over (presumably in the same places as campaign signs).
” Librano$. com Buy the Book” (Photo shows a parody of the Sopranos poster using Trudeau and cabinet members)
I don’t think you can question that a message is present. So, arguably it can be considered a campaign message if the signs were intermingled with the standard campaign signs. There’s little difference between this and some Political Action Committee putting up a sign. The main difference is the vagueness of the message if you are unfamiliar with Rebel news or the Sopranos, for that matter. In Ezra’s favor, he removed the wording from the book cover which stated “What the media won’t tell you about Justin Trudeau’s corruption.”
Still, it’s a grey area that could very easily be considered an In-kind Donation. And, let’s clear something else up. There was nothing deemed illegal about the book. That’s Ezra being cute. I suspect the $13,000 fine was for violating the election law…which, arguably, he might have. It’s a judgement call (no pun intended)…and it’s pretty clear which way the judicial system leans up there.
Maybe I misinterpreted this whole thing. I’m not clear on Canadian In-kind donations.
Orson
Butt when the liberals got “dark” money for their 2015 campaign EC did nothing to rectify that. And the CUCKS also did nothing, and as you and some others noted Ezra likes to over state sometimes.
The CUCKS need to start doing something besides worrying about abortions, gay marriages, MAID, and Bashing every demographic they don’t like. You see that in here a lot.
GYM
What would you propose the Conservatives do?
Lawn sign says: “Buy the book”.
It did not endorse a party.
Elections Canada knows who butters their bread.
Wow the deception here is through the roof. He was not fined for writing a book, and the book itself is not illegal. Read the ruling in the link. I don’t know why Ezra would provide the ruling then completely torque what it says.
Here’s what really happened: Ezra purposely planned a partisan book to be released during an election AND made lawn signs that looked like election signs but instead pointed to his book. Because he didn’t register under the elections act as a 3rd party he is subject to to AMP. The fine was issued because there was ample evidence of both. Ezra shot himself in the foot with social media posts.
If instead he had kept his mouth shut and published the book – even during an election – nothing would’ve happened if proved the book would’ve been published regardless of an election. The evidence proved the opposite.
Or if had registered as a 3rd party during an election, again nothing would’ve happened.
Thanks for telling us all what we already knew. Nobody cares.
I saw lots of “campaign signs.” So what? He got singled out.
But according the Allan S. and the other fascist fools, he should have “kept his mouth shut.”
Yes, democracy demands it. FU ASs.
I have no sympathy for someone who is complacent on election laws when obviously he should’ve done a bit of research, then when he’s stung complain that the book itself is illegal and please donate money.
This isn’t the first time Ezra has asked for donations while lying about what is actually happening.
And you don’t think those rules are enforced arbitrarily in Bananada?
Allan S. Not for the first time you are looking through the wrong end of the telescope. An attention seeking Journalist writes a book and promotes it an innovative manner. Not exactly a unique occurrence in the small world of politics. A mature self secure Politician, dealing with the affairs of state and the world movers and shakers would have ignored the issue. But not our own petty minded, vindictive, narcissistic, man child of a Prime Minister. Too much to bear for his fragile persona, and in the manner to which he has become accustomed the well remunerated, tax payer funded, dogs are set loose. It was not the book, they barked, but the advertising that was so egregious. Off with his head, why the very integrity of Elections Canada and the Election itself has been threatened and thrown into disrepute. He, and any others, must be taught a lesson. Brought down in submission. And so the dogs barked, the parade moved on. Meanwhile at the opposite end of the Dominion some alumni of the Heenan Blaikie stand by Judge reservoir, name Hogue, imperiously reigns over some farcical Investigation into Foreign interference in Elections. Any Conservative sufficiently impertinent to request standing is dismissed. No soup for you. And so it continues.
Ten thousand reporters and journalists on the public teat can register with elections Canada as anti-Conservatives (as if we hadn’t already noticed) but Ezra’s campaigning is illegal. The CCP can freely buy and sell Canadian LPC politicians but Elections Canada rules are absolute. That’s about the size of it. You must obey the criminals who make the laws.
“Everything government says is a lie and everything it has, it has stolen.” – Fredrich Nietzsche
i saw dozens of save the CBC signs . they only come up in an election and only on liberal lawns. not on NDP lawns because they think CBC sells them short too
did CBC also break the law???
Its no different than the manitoba nurses union advertising to “save healthcare”. Here’s the important difference: their advertising does not attack or endorse any party.
alla unDORK
Yup, it’s only subtly that they “endorse” a party, so OK by you, amIrite? You should get out more, that lab cellar you work/live in , is stagnating what little brain you have.
You see , every one knows which party supports what causes!
You mean they didn’t “endorse the ndp healthcare plan” within days of the provincial election??
I wonder if that would have more effect on an election than a crackpot with a self published book deal….
Their advertising does not attack any party!
Really? Why put the signs up?
Well, I stopped following Esra a few years ago. He loves playing on the edge of the law, and could use his legal education, brains and notoriety to better effect.
Way too edgy for my tastes. While I love free speech, I hate activism and am not a fan of aggressive, intrusive in-your-face journalism nor excessive verbal diarrhea, even though I am good at it, but only quietly with tolerant friends!
My most useful (not favourite) teachers were in grade 7, when we had to stiffly organize thoughts into paragraphs, with an introductory sentence, main points in the body and conclusions. BORING, but useful…
Next came an MBA prof, who would NOT accept any written submission over 100 words. Editing skills took hours, but my vocabulary improved …
Esra’s book likely has some astute points, I would think, surrounded by a LOT of verbiage.
deplorable
Try being a dyslexic for a day!
Hey Grumpy GYM: Take your bad mood and find a friend with some Christmas egg nog or something, as we do agree about a few things, and you sometimes make good points.
Hint: if you do not like other folks stuff, skip over it. I do this a lot with UNME. Editor required for your incomprehensible earlier submission – or maybe you already had enough egg nog for the evening???
“alla unDORK
Yup, it’s only subtly that they “endorse” a party, so OK by you, amIrite? You should get out more, that lab cellar you work/live in , is stagnating what little brain you have.
You see , every one knows which party supports what causes!”
What does this even mean? Pot calling kettle
Ezra is a lawyer, they use dozens of words when one will do
JD, correct. You can not even get into law school until you pass the LSAT, most places, which is super heavy on reading comprehension, vocabulary and reasoning. No subset of the test includes succinctness – ha ha.
So yes, dozens of words …
frm a friend who spent a career developing tough tests ..
there are exceptions, ‘f off trudeau’ is 3 counting proper names.
Of course Ezra is guilty.
He called Dear Leader a fool and a bandit..
During a sacred election..
Of course CBC is Not Guilty,for they praised Dear Leader as the second coming of Canada’s Imperial Fantasy.
Oh look Another Trudeau and it has nice hair..
While attacking the Conservatives on every front..
And not one penny of all the funds spent doing so?
Not one dollar counts toward Liberal Campaign Spending..
Can Ahh Duh..
Cannot be saved.
The sooner we leave these lying parasites the better.
Kleptocracy’s all end the same way.
Harder.
Faster.
Btw, the learned judge in question, one Cicily Y. Strickland, donated a modest $26.32 to the 2006 federal election campaign of Liberal MP Scott Simms, in his safe riding of Central Bay-Central-Notre Dame in Newfoundland. This guy:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Simms
Newfoundlander Cecily is an impartial judge. Her Liberal party leanings had NOTHING to do with this court decision. I say NOTHING at all. Wink nod.
Maybe Junior and the Librano$ will get booted before this gets to appeal and Ezra can petition the court to have it declared ‘moot’. Fair is fair, right?