Canadian Prime Minster Justin Trudeau is waging what appears to be a full scale lawfare campaign against right-wing outlet Rebel Media to prevent them from being able to cover political debates.
Trudeau had previously attempted to have Rebel, a Canadian outlet, banned from the election debates. He failed, but is now appealing the court’s decision — despite the fact that the two debates already happened and reporters from the outlet were allowed in.
On Friday evening, Ezra Levant, the owner of Rebel Media, received a notice of appeal to their Federal Court win.
At 5 p.m. tonight Justin Trudeau served us with a Notice of Appeal: he is suing to take away our media accreditation that the Federal Court gave us for the leaders debates.
He filed the notice on Oct. 17, but kept it secret until the election was over. https://t.co/fZgv1AQ14O
— Ezra Levant 🍁🚛 (@ezralevant) October 25, 2019
“Trudeau literally put five lawyers on the case to stop us from getting into the debate. He not only sent lawyers from the Debates Commission and the Justice Department, but he also splurged and hired one of the most expensive private law firms in the country, Borden Ladner Gervais,” Levant wrote in a statement.
Levant told The Gateway Pundit that the “emergency injunction ruling — the court’s official written judgment hasn’t even been published yet. So I’m not sure how they can appeal a judgment that hasn’t been written (and that they obviously haven’t read).”
“They filed this appeal with the court four days before the election, but kept it secret until yesterday (when the election was over). I just don’t even understand it — other than as ‘lawfare,’” Levant continued.
Levant believes that the motive of appealing the court decision is to prevent them from being able to cover debates in the future, or to grind them down and force them to spend so much on lawyers that they can’t continue.
“He has a minority government, so it’s possible that we could be in another election sooner rather than later. But what I truly don’t understand is why he’s appealing the emergency injunction that’s obsolete,” Levant explained. “I just can’t understand it, other than as a way to cost us money and warn other journalists.”
Rebel Media has already spent $18,000 on legal fees in their fight for free speech and a free press. Levant estimates that the fight against Trudeau’s appeal may end up costing them up to $75,000.
“It’s the first major decision Trudeau has made since his re-election: he’s going to restrict freedom of speech. Trudeau didn’t even wait for the Federal Court judge to publish their official decision, he’s appealing it sight unseen! In his notice of appeal, Trudeau is arguing that Rebel News cannot be journalists, because we don’t meet his standards,” Rebel Media’s statement continued. “Sorry, in Canada politicians don’t get to decide who is or isn’t a journalist. That’s not the Canadian way. That’s the Venezuelan way or the Iranian way.”
Rebel Media is now trying to raise money to continue the fight. Those who wish to contribute to the cause can do so here.
