Evidence of meeting #130 for Public Safety and National Security in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was videos.
A video is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
Well, what do you mean by the great.... Well, that there's an active attempt to replace a white population with a non-white population: What do you mean by that?
As an Individual
I think there are a lot of people who have concerns about the impacts of mass immigration removing the culture in certain areas. I think you could ask people in Brampton or individuals in Surrey what they think about the language being spoken around them, whether it's a Canadian language whatsoever, whether they feel that their culture is being preserved. I don't think it's an insane concept.
In fact, I think many liberals would agree that many cultures and peoples have been replaced before by mass immigration—our indigenous population not least of all.
Liberal
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
You might think it's insane, though, to head over to Russia, speak with a neo-fascist, Aleksandr Dugin, and then praise the guy—
Liberal
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Iqwinder Gaheer
Mr. Erskine-Smith, I'm sorry, no. The time is up. We're actually over a little bit.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Iqwinder Gaheer
Hopefully, another member can give you time to answer the question, but we're actually already over the time.
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.
I think it's fair to allow the witness to answer the question.
Liberal
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Iqwinder Gaheer
If you like, you can give her time to answer that question from your time.
I have Mr. Shipley on a point of order.
Conservative
Doug Shipley Conservative Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, ON
We've been sitting in this committee for many months—many years now—and prior to your taking over that chair, that was always the policy. If there was a question asked, the witness did have a chance to answer. That was always the policy.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Iqwinder Gaheer
I actually tried to stop Mr. Erskine-Smith from asking the question. I spoke while he was speaking—
As an Individual
I've been accused of some insane things, and I think it would be nice to—
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Iqwinder Gaheer
Again, if members feel differently, they can give the witness time to answer from their own time.
I turn the floor over to Ms. Michaud for six minutes.
Bloc
Kristina Michaud Bloc Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thanks to Ms. Southern for being here and for accepting our invitation to appear today.
Ms. Southern, since I'm going to speak in French, you can use your earpiece to get the English interpretation.
Earlier you mentioned that you had full control over the content of your videos. I don't know if you can tell us about that subject and the content you addressed. That might help us understand why Tenet Media approached you first. It's been alleged that Tenet Media is under Russian influence.
Why do you think Tenet Media picked you to make three videos a week and two documentaries a month?
I would appreciate it if you could give us a few examples of topics that you address in your videos.
As an Individual
Yes. Thank you.
I want to quickly take two seconds to respond to the allegations that I am an insane person for interviewing Aleksandr Dugin, given that my inspiration for the interview was from TVO's The Agenda with Steve Paikin. He interviewed Dugin. I don't think we would be calling him insane in this House. I think there is a deliberate effort to slander me for political purposes.
Now, to answer your question as to why you think I would be picked to make these videos, I've made a lot of content over the past 10 years: multiple documentaries that have received millions of views and really have encouraged a lot of people to consider ideas they haven't thought of before, like the plight of farmers in South Africa who are being murdered, or my film Borderless, which covered mass immigration to Europe from the perspective of immigrants who, quite frankly, were being screwed over and sold alive by human traffickers.
I think that I have a long history of creating very honest journalism that addresses issues that a lot of people are too afraid to broach, and that's why, I believe, I was approached by Tenet to work for them.
Bloc
Kristina Michaud Bloc Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC
Have you discussed Canadian politics and Russia's illegal war of aggression on Ukraine in any of your videos?
Have you often addressed those kinds of political topics?
As an Individual
I don't believe I recall making a single video about the Russia-Ukraine situation, but I certainly made videos about Canada, and they were all based on my own experience living here as a Canadian.
I made a video about housing prices in Vancouver, for example, something that I have seen go to absurd levels. I have families who live around me in my community who have been forced to live in trailer parks because the housing prices have gone so high they cannot afford rent. I look at the inflation with groceries and families struggling to afford food because the taxes are so high, because of bad policy put in by this Liberal government. I make videos on these subjects.
I make videos about the concerns of mass immigration without integration. You know, just a few weeks ago I had a friend of mine almost lose her daughter's life because an immigrant who refused to get a proper driver's licence smashed into her car, just missing her daughter, and then tried to intimidate her into not contacting ICBC.
When we have these issues of mass immigration without integration, when we have these issues of so many foreign buyers coming into this country and inflating prices, and when we have these issues of not putting the Canadian populace first, people want to hear these opinions.
I'm sorry to tell you once again, to the people here who might think that this is all foreign propaganda, it's not. No one told me to have these opinions. I grew up in Surrey. I grew up in B.C. I live in this country. I live paycheque to paycheque right now, you know. I struggle under this government, as many other Canadians do, and all of the opinions I put out here are my honest opinions.
Bloc
Kristina Michaud Bloc Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC
Thank you.
Would you please explain to us the course of events that led to the criminal investigation that was opened into Tenet Media? When did you learn that those allegations had been made, and when did you stop making videos? I imagine you had no other choice. Were you surprised? Were you at all suspicious of that start-up company? How do you think this all happened?
As an Individual
Once again, I had no reason to be suspicious. Of course, I was surprised when the indictment dropped. I did not have knowledge of what was in the indictment.
Once again, I can't comment as to how this all happened, because I was simply a contracted video creator. I just made videos for them.
Bloc
Kristina Michaud Bloc Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC
Thank you.
I understand your situation and your story, but you nevertheless don't seem to be taking this foreign interference seriously.
The allegations before you are extremely serious. Russian interference and disinformation are a fact in Canada right now. My impression is that you aren't as worried about our democratic institutions as I am.
Am I wrong? Do you think foreign interference is a major concern?