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Tony Visits With Former MPP Roman Baber
103 Plays2 years ago
Tony catches up with his old friend Roman Baber. Baber was a Member of Provincial Parliament for York Centre from 2018-2022, originally elected as a Progressive Conservation but later sat as an Independent.
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Transcript
Podcast Introduction
00:00:00
Speaker
And another thing And another thing And another thing
00:00:17
Speaker
Welcome to another episode of and another thing podcast, the podcast that Jody will tell you sets the bar. And Jody is very busy with his golf tournament. As you know, he cannot join us today. So I'm going solo again. And I want to thank our major presenting sponsor. That is John Mutton and the gang municipal solutions.
00:00:42
Speaker
They are a great presenting sponsor. They've done it for so long now and we really appreciate it. And of course, they are Ontario's leading MZO firm. They specialize in development approvals, permit expediting, planning services with municipalities, engineering services, architectural services, even things like minor variances and land severances
00:01:06
Speaker
go to municipalsolutions.ca and John and the gang will be very helpful to you. And of course, we'd be remiss if we did not also explain that this podcast is rebroadcast on terrestrial radio every Saturday morning at huntersbayradio.com in Muskoka 88.7. So you're welcome to rejoin us then as well.
00:01:32
Speaker
Well, great guest with us today.
Introducing Roman Baber
00:01:36
Speaker
It is my friend Roman Baber. Of course, he is a former member of provincial parliament 2018 to 2022 in Ontario. Of course, he was a leadership candidate.
00:01:47
Speaker
for the Conservative Party of Canada and finished fourth in that leadership race. He has now declared that he will seek the federal CPC nomination in the writing of York Centre, which was his provincial writing. He is a lawyer by profession. He opposed the COVID lockdowns and vaccine mandates. We'll probably get into that. Roman, thanks for coming on the program, man.
Why is Baber seeking nomination?
00:02:12
Speaker
It's good to be with you, Tony. Were you going to make a comment about how late we're doing this?
00:02:18
Speaker
about 9.30 in the evening, so I'm not sure if I should grab some more water or get a little bit of whiskey going, but we'll see how this progresses. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Well, we try to make it as difficult as possible for our guests to be comfortable. That's all joking aside. Thanks for taking the time. I know you've got a busy schedule these days. So tell our audience, I'm sure they're interested, why you decided to seek the nomination.
00:02:50
Speaker
Tony, for the last couple of years, I do not recognize our country. Some of your listeners may be familiar with my story. I've been incredibly lucky to immigrate to Canada when I was 15, write to the writing that I previously represented in the provincial parliament. I've had every opportunity to work, to succeed, to start a small business, even get elected.
00:03:15
Speaker
I've always believed that Canada is the best country in the world because all you ever needed to do to succeed in Canada is just work hard and be nice to people. But I'm afraid that that is slipping away. And in particular, I'm very concerned about two things. One is the erosion of Canadian opportunity in that kids like myself will not enjoy the same opportunity. And most of all, I'm very concerned for the erosion of Canada's democracy.
00:03:45
Speaker
My view is that anyone and everyone who are in position to make any kind of a difference, to steer our country back to the right path, needs to get off the couch right now and work. And that's what I intend to do.
Democracy and Free Speech Concerns
00:04:03
Speaker
I intend to win the nomination York Center and God willing, unseat my liberal MP Yara Sacks to help Pierre Poliev from conservative government.
00:04:15
Speaker
So let's just unpack. I mean, you've seen the response of the Trudeau folks and their supporters that were just over-dramatizing or making this up about democracy being imperiled. So give us your sense. I mean, and people should know you were born in the former Soviet Union. You spent a little bit of your growing up time in
00:04:38
Speaker
the state of Israel and then immigrated to Canada, I believe that's the story. So give us a sense of why you think this is a real challenge to our democracy. I probably start by saying that, and I explain this to kids in my public speaking slash constitutional law class, the most precious right of them all is our freedom of speech.
00:05:10
Speaker
Freedom of speech is so important because it protects all other rights and all other Canadians. And what we're seeing is an assault on free speech. It could be overtly as Bill C-11 that would potentially reorder or manipulate what Canadians see online and potentially deprive them of speech online.
00:05:40
Speaker
It could be subtle, like a radical left-wing woke cancel culture that gags professionals like myself, leaders in various institutions, business leaders, political leaders into silence. And so I'm very scared that this loss of the ability of Canadians to express themselves freely
00:06:10
Speaker
is very bad for democracy and it's also very bad for our public policy because you want to appreciate the field. You want to understand the baseline of opinions to arrive at a good opinion. And I can't imagine that we now effectively have thought police that would decree what is permissible and what isn't. It's a very bad track to go down.
00:06:38
Speaker
Yeah, I know. I'm sure you saw that story from a few days ago from the Liberal Party of Canada Convention where the Liberal delegates passed a motion, I think it was even unanimous, that they were in favor of a policy where government would be able to vet journalists before they published as well. And to be clear, Justin Trudeau said, no, we're not doing that. But that's clearly where the Liberals are coming from these days, right? Imagine
00:07:08
Speaker
what that type of action would do, where journalists would be required to disclose their sources, where you cannot, it's very difficult sometimes to draw the line between news fact and opinion. And opinion would therefore be censored. But going back to your democracy question, one of the most fundamental tenants of democracy is free and independent media. And I don't understand how
00:07:38
Speaker
how the Prime Minister can claim that we have fair and independent media when the Prime Minister signs its paycheck, literally, right? How are they going to hold government accountable? And that, unfortunately, isn't happening. And maybe I'll round up the democracy question using the word accountability. That's the essence of democracy is that we can hold
00:08:05
Speaker
folks accountable, and that doesn't seem to be happening anymore on any level of government, and especially now with the federal government.
Leadership Race Insights
00:08:15
Speaker
I'm concerned, Tony. Let's harken back to the leadership race, which was about a year ago now.
00:08:23
Speaker
I'd love to get, obviously, you know, Iran for a leader. Well, it's a long time ago now, almost 20 years. But I'd love to ask you this question. What did you learn in that leadership race? What were the highs and lows for you in that? I want to start by telling you what I've learned. First of all, I traveled the country back and forth
00:08:51
Speaker
three times. And I've been to places I've never visited before. I've traveled extensively around British Columbia. I visited the Yukon. Tony, Canada is such a beautiful country. And the more you travel it, the more you learn that. I can tell you that politically,
00:09:13
Speaker
I learned how profound and important the issue of indigenous peoples is. That is a theme that kept coming up throughout my travels, something that we have to give some serious thought to, and I'm glad that Pierre's thinking of material change in that respect. And on a personal level, I learned that if you're going to contest a leadership, you got to be in good shape.
00:09:42
Speaker
Yeah. People don't realize what a slog and a marathon it is, right? For sure. But even though it was one of the hardest things I've ever done, I've enjoyed myself immensely. And I met probably tens of thousands of Canadians
00:10:06
Speaker
And I also got to know the other contestants who I'm proud to call my friends. And I think most importantly, our leadership campaign was able to weigh into the conversation that needed to be had about freedom, about lockdowns, about mandates and passports, about the fact that we're
00:10:34
Speaker
we're not really seeing Canadian kindness that we're used to over the last couple of years. And of course, the erosion of our democracy. And so, I'm glad that we got to participate and of course, help frame the conversation and shape our party, something that we're very proud of.
Impact of COVID-19 Policies
00:10:55
Speaker
Because COVID was such a bizarre experience, Roman, in the sense that people went through a lot. Let's be clear about it. People with the lockdowns and families were split on whether they were vaccinated or not vaccinated. And then in the middle of all that,
00:11:17
Speaker
people forget, but Justin Trudeau called an unnecessary election in the middle of all this and then proceeded to vilify and demonize one section of the population, the unvaccinated. And then out of that came the Emergencies Act and so on.
00:11:37
Speaker
even despite or apart from the political aspect that I just mentioned, just the personal stories I'm sure you heard from people who really struggled through this whole period.
00:11:54
Speaker
It's still surreal to me. And Tony, I'm a friendly guy. I talk to everyone. Everyone has my phone number. I've heard from countless Canadians before I opposed my former government on lockdown policy. And the position was always sensible. It was, yes, COVID can be a very serious infection, especially to certain folks at end of life and
00:12:25
Speaker
long-term facilities. But what we failed to appreciate is the overall effect of our public health response on our health and mental health. And that was the primary focus, is that it became very clear to me that our health and health care was being compromised, whether it's the billion cancer screenings
00:12:50
Speaker
that didn't happen in the province of Ontario alone in the first year of COVID response, which Princess Margaret warned would lead to a tsunami in cancer, which is unfortunately manifesting itself right now. Or whether it was the fact that
00:13:07
Speaker
More than 300,000 surgeries were delayed in Ontario. Around Canada, it was about 800,000 surgeries and procedures. I spoke to a dental clinic owner a couple of weeks ago and she said to me, you know, Roman, people couldn't get cleanings.
00:13:27
Speaker
And because of that, their dental health considerably deteriorated, or we weren't able to diagnose early issues that would require attention. And so, all we saw is that there was some balance and that we weigh in the toll of our COVID response,
00:13:45
Speaker
into our public policy. But on a personal level, it was a tragedy for so many people.
Pandemic's Economic Impact
00:13:54
Speaker
Whether loved ones weren't able to see loved ones at end of life, I had a constituent that passed away and a sibling wasn't allowed into the funeral home because they would only allow a limited amount of people. Tony,
00:14:15
Speaker
Folks, no, I'm a normal guy and I'm a little sensitive and I still feel this profound sadness for what transpired. And I hope one day that there is accountability. And I'm sorry, I'm being a little chatty. No, no, it's great. That's what we want. If I may just... Folks are having difficulty moving on beyond what transpired, they can't get closure.
00:14:41
Speaker
They can get closure because public health will still not acknowledge what transpired. Governments will not go ahead and say, you know what, please feel free to lead your life. This is behind us. Liberal Party Convention, you mentioned a couple of days ago, they have a mandatory vaccination policy being recommended on the Liberal Party website until there is some sort of accountability. It's going to be very difficult for people to move on. Yeah. Yeah. It has all these echoes.
00:15:12
Speaker
ripples in the water that we're still feeling, and also economically too. Let's not forget that. I want to ask you, if I may, just two lingering effects. The most important one is our kids. I spoke to a grade three teacher. She said to me, Roman, my grade three kids are reading at a grade one level.
00:15:36
Speaker
Okay, the loss of education is remarkable. And of course, the mental health pandemic that was perpetuated by the response. And the second effect is on our business and primarily small business. Average small business debt accumulated in Canada was $180,000.
00:15:59
Speaker
People lost their savings, mortgaged their houses, or lost their businesses. It's a tragedy, and it wasn't necessary. And again, that's rippling through our communities, big cities, small towns, a lot of shuttered stores on main streets throughout the country for sure.
Conservative Party Strategy
00:16:21
Speaker
Hey, can I ask you a couple of political questions? Sure.
00:16:26
Speaker
I would love to get your sense of this because it looks like Maxime Bernier, leader of the PPC, is going to try for a seat finally in Portage-Lizgar in Manitoba. There's a by-election because Candice Bergen is retiring her seat. She's obviously a conservative former interim leader.
00:16:49
Speaker
You know the politics of this. Is he a viable candidate and a threat to conservative success in the next election, do you think? I don't think so. And that's why I'm very pleased with where we are today as a conservative party.
00:17:12
Speaker
We have candidates and, sorry, we have existing members of parliament, including the leader, that talk about freedom, that talk about the necessity to preserve and protect, in fact uphold individual choice. I think stylistically, Pierre has really come into himself. And by that, I mean, I think he was at his best during the leadership.
00:17:42
Speaker
And I'm glad to see you, especially over the last couple of months, he's really hammering hard and not being shy to do so. And so I think that
00:17:58
Speaker
it's incumbent on us to take a good chunk of the PPC vote. We need to embrace folks, the voters that is. We might understand why last time around you felt that you had no good option because the party did not stand up for Canadians, did not speak at a time of need.
00:18:24
Speaker
But now that the party recognizes what transpired and is fully on the freedom agenda, there is no reason to vote for another party. And in fact, the gravity of the next election must be impressed on voters that this is probably the most important election in our lifetime.
00:18:54
Speaker
Now, Pierre Poliev is going to need more than PPC votes in order to win the country, especially in other parts of the country, winning seats in Quebec or Atlantic Canada. You'll need more than that. So do you have a sense now? Can you see in your mind the path to victory for Pierre Poliev in the Conservative Party?
00:19:21
Speaker
Yes. So if, let's say traditionally we're at 34, 35%, if we steal another three to 4% from the PPC, that already puts us at 38, 39. And I think that the big difference maker the next time around are going to be young people. We're seeing polling where young people are now for the first time in, I guess, statistical history are turning concern,
00:19:51
Speaker
indicating their intention to vote conservative. That's a wonderful thing. We want to offer a message of hope to young Canadians that, Tony, they should enjoy the same opportunities, the same blessings that you and I had. And it's also very important to appeal to a lot of young people that have either tendency or the desire to vote for the New Democratic Party.
00:20:20
Speaker
I want to tell them, you don't want the government to give you anything. Yes, at times of need, of course, we have a wonderful social safety net for those that need it. But otherwise, you probably prefer that instead of government messing it up, that you avail yourself of every opportunity our country has to offer.
00:20:43
Speaker
And that message of optimism that we should offer young people should help us get us over the top, especially with a good turnout. And with respect to provinces and regional differences,
00:21:00
Speaker
I think we should unite our country behind economic opportunity, which should be predicated on natural resources. And for, we will go to Atlantic Canada. I see Pierre, he was just in Newfoundland the other day, speaking to loggers. We need to go to Atlantic Canada. We need to go to British Columbia and say, we are so blessed
00:21:27
Speaker
with some of the richest natural resources in the world. And we can do it more sensibly and be environmentally safe and unite our country behind economic growth, predicated natural resources. I think it's a winning message. It's a truthful message.
00:21:48
Speaker
I'm optimistic. Let's just get there sooner than later, Tony. That's all I want.
Chinese Interference in Politics
00:21:56
Speaker
Obviously, the story last week and a half has been three months' worth or four months' worth, really. The Chinese Communist Party interference in our politics and our elections
00:22:10
Speaker
And obviously the latest iteration of this was the plot to harass Member of Parliament Michael Chong and his family. What are your thoughts on this? I think about the fact that the story came to the forefront by virtue of the fact that there are some good people at SESIS that believe that the Justin Trudeau government
00:22:41
Speaker
is aware of what is transpiring and not doing anything about it. And that is unthinkable. We're dealing with a very sophisticated adversary. And at the same time, we have a government that seems to be completely or seemingly unwilling to defend Canada's democracy. And
00:23:07
Speaker
If Canadians don't have faith in the integrity of the system or the integrity of our elections, then we're in for some trouble because that is a true loss of democracy. So I can't stress enough how important it is
00:23:30
Speaker
not just to keep and safeguard our democracy, but to also preserve the appearance of the integrity of our democracy. And do you get a sense this is starting to be talked about amongst the general population?
Economic Challenges in York Centre
00:23:52
Speaker
I'm not sure. I mean, I certainly see the conversation on social media and I know that a lot of Canadians appreciate what's going on, but I can tell you speaking to my neighbors and my friends in York Centre. This is a wonderful riding in North Toronto. It's the west side of North York that is home to a lot of very diverse communities.
00:24:19
Speaker
a lot of new Canadians first come to York Centre and I can tell you that they're really struggling with the cost of living. And I hear this from all types of York Centre residents, from all communities and economic abilities, prices,
00:24:46
Speaker
are out-of-control services are very expensive. The fuel, $1.60, that's shepherd and bathurst. I think that's what's really occupying the minds of Canadians these days, is that they are seeing their ability to make ends meet, being materially eroded.
00:25:13
Speaker
So that's what's in their mind and that continues to be in their mind. It looks like inflation has declined a little bit, but food inflation is still very high.
Conservative Economic Plans
00:25:23
Speaker
Absolutely. So the other day I saw that Justin Trudeau accused the Conservatives of not having a plan to
00:25:34
Speaker
to make life more affordable. And that can be further from the truth. We can give Canadians immediate relief.
00:25:45
Speaker
by axing the carbon tax, which does not just make our energy and fuel more expensive, but makes everything and most predominantly food more expensive. We can reduce income tax, something that I'm very happy that I heard from Pierre Poliev not too long ago. We can make
00:26:08
Speaker
I think about the fact that we know what inflation is. It's too much money, not chasing enough goods. We need to encourage the production of goods. And that's what Pierre talks about when he talks about removing the gatekeepers. Let's cut some regulation. Let's make it easier for businesses to do business and produce to help supply meet demand that will immediately have impact on affordability. And finally,
00:26:37
Speaker
stop running these inflationary deficits. And if we get our fiscal house in order and allow people to work and to produce and eliminate the carbon tax and reduce income tax, I think Canadians are going to get a considerable relief. Roman, what kinds of lessons did you learn from your parents and their lives together that is part of who you are now?
Lessons from the Past and Future Hopes
00:27:08
Speaker
If I meet Tony, I was raised by my grandparents. That's okay. And I learned a couple of very, very good lessons.
00:27:19
Speaker
One is that love towards your family and others can help you overcome all challenges. And some of your viewers know I come from a Jewish family. My mom's family is from Ukraine. My father's family is from Russia. And they haven't had it easy for the last few generations.
00:27:51
Speaker
they encouraged me to believe and admire Western democracy, that respects individual rights, the freedom of speech, that values the dignity of human beings. And that has remained with me. And that drives me very much.
00:28:18
Speaker
Love. It must be very tough, though, with the invasion of Ukraine. Is that tough for you and your family? I would say that
00:28:32
Speaker
The conflict is a horrendous conflict. And not enough is being done to try and put an end to the conflict. But I've also lived in the Middle East. I lived in the state of Israel for seven years.
00:29:00
Speaker
That was very challenging as well, where I watched the second Intifada and Hamas would blow up a bus in Tel Aviv every other week, where I've become attuned to and started to believe in the difference in the existence between good and evil. And so
00:29:26
Speaker
That's one of the reasons I was propelled and became interested in public service. And I hope to continue to work for Canadians and make a meaningful difference. We have a wonderful country and we're wonderful people. And I want to leave you with this message of optimism that we
00:29:54
Speaker
we can make things considerably better, not just through politics, but a different approach to public service. And I still have optimism for our country and for our future.
Podcast Closing
00:30:09
Speaker
Well, Roman, it's been a pleasure to have you on the program, too. And I hope you don't mind. I got a little bit personal, too. And so the people could learn a little bit more about you. It's it's great to have you on the program. We wish you well with the nomination in York Center. And from there, I want to thank our sponsor again, of course, the indomitable John Mutton and of course, municipal solutions.ca. You can find them and you can also find us at Hunter's Bay Radio every Saturday morning.
00:30:39
Speaker
Thanks for joining us today. We'll be back in seven days.