A petition from a citizen of British Columbia calls on the House of Commons to withdraw Canada from the United Nations.
Conservative MP and former PCC frontrunner Leslyn Lewis supports this petition on the House of Commons website. Since it was published online, the text has collected more than 77,000 signatures.
Ms Lewis is also part of Pierre Poilievre's shadow cabinet. The Conservative leader has not yet commented on the petition promoted by his MP.
We […] Let us pray to the House of Commons […] Urgently implement Canada's rapid withdrawal from the UN.
The petition deplores programs implemented by the United Nations without the consent of the people and their elected representatives.
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Curator Leslyn Lewis (file photo)
Photo: The Canadian Press / Adrian Wyld
The implementation of certain programs could likely result in unacceptable and intrusive general surveillance and violate the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Canadian Bill of Rights and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, it said.
The text also mentions that Canada's membership in the United Nations and its affiliates such as the World Health Organization has negative consequences for the population of Canada.
The petition also attacks some of conspiracy theorists' favorite targets, such as the World Economic Forum and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
According to Bob Rae, an extremist view
Canada's UN Ambassador Bob Rae sharply criticized this initiative.
“I don't take it seriously because I think it represents an extremist view of the political reality of the world,” he said in an interview with Radio-Canada.
When we read the petition, when we read the words and the ideas behind it, it has nothing to do with the reality of our lives [à l’ONU].
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Canadian UN Ambassador, Bob Rae (file photo)
Photo: The Canadian Press / Adrian Wyld
According to David Morin, professor of applied politics at the University of Sherbrooke, legitimate criticism of the United Nations can be made, but it requires rational arguments.
The references presented here ultimately suggest that the United Nations is the World Health Organization […] have some kind of huge secret agenda to control the planets, […] It doesn't respond to the slightest rational argument, he emphasizes.
The opposition criticizes Poilievre's silence
But what does Pierre Poilievre think of this petition and his MP who supports it? Interview requests from Radio-Canada went unanswered. An unacceptable silence, say the other opposition parties.
For NDP MP Alexandre Boulerice, it's a somewhat complicit silence. He should get in touch. He should say he disagrees.
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Conservative Party of Canada Leader Pierre Poilievre (file photo)
Photo: The Canadian Press / Sean Kilpatrick
On the Bloc Québécois side, MP Alain Therrien describes the petition as complete madness.
Professor David Morin believes the Conservative leader may have an interest in this petition circulating in certain, more right-wing circles.
“I would say that this petition is probably to some extent aimed at consolidating a part of the conservative electorate, the part that is probably the most right-wing part of the electorate and actually subscribes to a certain number of conspiracy theories,” explains Mr. Morin.
This is not the first time that conservatives have criticized the United Nations. As Prime Minister, Stephen Harper repeatedly criticized the functioning of the United Nations without advocating Canada's withdrawal from the organization.
With information from Laurence Martin