Conservative Politics in Canada and the Implications for Human Rights

Author: Natalie Bello, PhD

February 26, 2025

After nearly a decade in office, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigned just days into the New Year. Trudeau’s resignation comes at a very precarious time for Canada, and particularly North American politics, as Donald Trump starts his second term as President of the United States. Trudeau's impending departure means the Liberal Party must elect a new leader and attempt to recover from a “15.7-point deficit” in the polls against the Conservative Party (CBC News, 2025). However, “there is a general sense of fatigue and frustration with his [Trudeau] government” (Murphy, 2025). Therefore, with the possibility of a conservative government emerging in Canada, let us explore some of the campaign promises made by Pierre Poilievre, Leader of the Conservative Party, and how they might affect human rights and freedoms in Canada.

Pierre Poilievre gave a speech to Canadians in Ottawa on Sept. 10, 2022 after winning his bid for leader of the Conservative Party. [Image credit: Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press]

Who is Pierre Poilievre?

Poilievre was elected as the Conservative Party leader in 2022, but he first entered the House of Commons in 2004. He has been described as, "a conservative, but with "libertarian tendencies” by Kelly Torrance, a fellow Canadian and member of the New York Post’s editorial board (Caldwell, 2025). Other political commentators have even characterized him as a “tame populist” or “considerably more moderate than Trump or European radicals” (Beauchamp, 2024). Regardless of these descriptions, certain aspects of his policies and campaign style echo the tactics of extreme populists, such as U.S. President Donald Trump. For example, in 2022, Poilievre allied himself with the “Freedom Convoy”, a blockade of truck drivers in Ottawa who protested the Covid-19 vaccine mandates (Bland, 2025). Many people, including Conservatives, characterized this group as a “badly behaved mob” with “racist views and a belief in conspiracy theories” (Bland, 2025). Poilievre has pledged to “cap spending, axe taxes, reward work, build homes, uphold family, stop crime, secure borders, rearm our forces, restore our freedom and put Canada First” (Bland, 2025). His campaign promises may appear more moderate in comparison to extreme populist leaders in the United States and Europe, yet some of his policies could have negative consequences for Canadians. With that in mind, let’s examine a few key issues.

Immigration

Poilievre has promised to shape his immigration policy around three key factors: “the demands of private-sector employers; the level of support planned by charities for refugees; and family reunification” (Rodrigues, 2025). He has indicated that the number of houses built will impact the number of immigrants allowed to stay in Canada. Poilievre appears more open to immigration than many populist leaders around the world, which is likely due to a smaller percentage of the Canadian population concerned with ethnic and religious groups, compared to right-wing extremist parties in other countries that often capitalize on these concerns within larger majority populations (Beauchamp, 2024). 

Keith Banting, a professor of Political Studies at Queen’s University in Ontario, believes "populism draws less extensively on anti-immigrant sentiment in Canada than it does almost anywhere else” (Beauchamp, 2024). Yet, Poilievre has claimed that immigration would be lower if he were to become Prime Minister and that he would "end the fraud of the international student and the Temporary Foreign Worker program” (Rodrigues, 2025). He has also made claims that the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is not being used appropriately, suggesting that the department of Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) has been “issuing positive LMIAs even when Canadian citizens and permanent residents are available to do the job” (Rodrigues, 2024). Poilievre has casted doubt on “refugee claims", stating "I love real refugees"—those who are "genuinely fleeing danger, like my wife" (Rodrigues, 2025). His wife, Anaida Poilievre, was a Venezuelan refugee. He also suggested implementing a "cap on the number of asylum seekers" and added, "I have no time for people who lie to come into our country, and that’s the problem we have to cut off" (Rodrigues, 2025). His skepticism about who qualifies as a “real refugee” and the imposition of a cap on asylum seekers could potentially endanger individuals fleeing their home countries.

The Shift in Immigration Policies has Already Begun

Changes in Canada’s immigration system have already started, with the federal government releasing plans to cut immigration targets and place restrictions on the number of temporary residents for the first time in Canada’s history (Yousif, 2024). Several initiatives to scale back the Temporary Foreign Worker program began at the end of last year, and the government has called an “indefinite pause” on new permanent residency sponsorship applications for parents and grandparents (Rodrigues, 2025; Qian, 2025). Before the pause, a limited number of qualifying Canadian citizens and permanent residents could apply to bring their parents or grandparents to Canada. Associate Professor of Sociology Yue Qian from the University of British Columbia noted that for many cultures outside of Western nations, parents play a central role in the household. However, this pause has resulted in the separation of families, leaving them with little choice but to rely on the 10-year super visa, which only permits stays of up to five years at a time (Qian, 2025).

International student visas are also undergoing changes, including “updated eligibility criteria for post-graduation work permits, an increase in the cost-of-living requirement, the closure of the Student Direct Stream and the Nigeria Student Express programs, caps on study permit applications, stricter rules for study permits, new regulations for off-campus work hours, and updates to open work permits for spouses” (Rodrigues, 2024). Some critics, mostly from tertiary institutions, have expressed concern that these new restrictions will discourage international students from coming to Canada (Yousif, 2024). Other advocacy groups like Migrant Rights Network explained how “migrants are being unfairly blamed for Canada's affordability crisis” (Yousif, 2024). There is clear evidence that, regardless of whether Poilievre becomes Prime Minister, Canada’s immigration policies are shifting toward a more conservative approach.

Climate Change

A key issue in this next federal election will be the carbon tax established by Trudeau’s party in 2018. This tax on fuels like gasoline or natural gas, is intended to encourage cleaner, more sustainable uses of energy (Government of Canada, 2025) and is levied at the federal, provincial, or territorial levels. The federal government has strived to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 to 45 percent by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, and this tax is a key component in achieving a reduction in gas emissions, according to Andrew Heffernan, Climate Associate at the University of Ottawa (2025). However, Poilievre is campaigning to “axe the tax”, suggesting the tax only further burdens lower- and middle-income homes that are already struggling with a high cost of living. Poilievre stated that he would "remove the tax for industry and consumers", "many of whom are already receiving a rebate", and introduce a replacement plan to slow down climate change (Paperny, 2025). However, he has yet to reveal his plan. An article published by Eric Van Rythoven, instructor in the Department of Political Science at Carleton University, indicated that if the Conservatives remove the carbon tax without a replacement, other countries may perceive that Canada is rolling back on its climate promises when they have the resources to do more (2024).

Poilievre has also promised to “approve pipelines like Northern Gateway and Energy East" and "fast-track approvals for liquefied natural gas plants” (Zimonjic, 2025). The current government initially blocked those pipelines and the liquefied natural gas plants. However, Poilievre has argued it has forced Canadians to sell their energy to the United States, giving President Trump leverage in making tariff threats. Poilievre also plans to repeal the government’s environmental Impact Assessment Act, which would allow the private sector to make unsubsidized investments and enhance Canada's ability to sell energy independently of the United States (Zimonjic, 2025). However, the Impact Assessment Act was established to monitor the potential impact of projects on environmental, economic, health, and social concerns. By removing the Impact Assessment Act, he is eliminating a tool that could reveal potential negative effects of his climate plans. Rythoven also indicated that a Conservative government is likely to do little on climate change, which not only has negative effects on our planet but could also “generate resentment from allies and trading partners who are making greater sacrifices” to combat climate change (2024). 

Tough on Crime

Another concerning policy change that Poilievre has promised to enforce is a tough-on-crime approach, including “mandatory minimum penalties for extortion and auto theft offenses” (Perrin, 2024). Currently, criminal offenses have a range of sentencing options, and judges can determine a sentence that reflects the seriousness of the crime. If Poilievre were to move forward with the implementation of mandatory minimum penalties, Parliament would remove judicial discretion and impose a minimum term of incarceration regardless of any facts surrounding the case. According to a Law Professor at the University of British Columbia, Benjamin Perrin, there is little evidence to suggest that mandatory minimum penalties effectively reduce crime (2024). In fact, they may contribute to “higher recidivism rates” and “further strain an already overburdened system”(Perrin, 2024). Mandatory minimum penalties can also perpetuate systemic racism, contributing to higher rates of incarceration of Indigenous people and Black Canadians (Perrin, 2024). 

In previous speeches, the Conservative leader has hinted at using "whatever tools the Constitution allows" to enact criminal laws if he becomes Prime Minister, such as stricter bail requirements and measures to make it more difficult for convicted murderers to transfer out of maximum-security prisons (Parry, 2024). While Poilievre has asserted that his campaign proposals are constitutional, he has also emphasized that he would use any available means to ensure they align with the Constitution, specifically stating, "We will make them constitutional, using whatever tools the Constitution allows me to use to make them constitutional. I think you know exactly what I mean" (Parry, 2024). Undoubtedly, his statement on the tools he would use is vague, but Poilievre has previously referenced the notwithstanding clause as a means to implement his policies (Parry, 2024). The notwithstanding clause, also known as Section 33 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, grants Canadian parliaments the power to override certain provisions of the Charter for a five-year term when passing legislation. Once invoked, Section 33 prevents any judicial review of the legislation in question. The clause was a proposed compromise that emerged during the debates over the new constitution in the 1980s. Its purpose was to give provincial legislators more power to pass laws in response to concerns that the Charter had shifted authority from elected officials to the judiciary. Trudeau's father, Pierre Trudeau, was Prime Minister at the time and strongly objected to the clause, but ultimately agreed to its inclusion under pressure from the provincial premiers.

Poilievre's claims have been met with criticism and concern. Federal Justice Minister Arif Virani argued that the notwithstanding clause "should be a last resort, not a first option" (Parry, 2024). Meanwhile, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May expressed her alarm, saying, “I'm deeply disturbed that Mr. Poilievre would think it's acceptable to suggest the federal government could use the notwithstanding clause to bulldoze not just our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, but centuries of adherence to the principle that anyone in our criminal justice system is innocent until proven guilty” (Parry, 2024). Poilievre's proposed tough-on-crime policies could have negative long-term effects on Canadians, particularly if his government becomes the first administration to invoke the notwithstanding clause. These policies could disproportionately impact minority communities, who are often the most affected by an unequal justice system, and potentially violate the fundamental rights and freedoms enshrined in the country's Constitution.

Attacks Against the News Media and Exaggerated Rhetoric 

One aspect of Poilievre that mirrors far-right leaders like Donald Trump is his attacks on media outlets who criticize or question his policies, as well as his use of exaggerated rhetoric to attack the opposition. For example, the Conservative Party leader has proposed defunding the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), cutting an estimated “$1 billion in taxpayer dollars” the news organization receives annually. Poilievre has gone as far as to post on his X account that the CBC is “Trudeau propaganda, not news” (Taylor, 2023). CBC is one of the country’s only media outlets that serve Canadians in both official languages and eight Indigenous ones", remarked a spokesperson for CBC. Removing funding for CBC would change the “very nature of how programs and services are funded in Canada to target public money at only one language group”, requiring the Broadcasting Act to be rewritten (Taylor, 2023).

Poilievre also lashed out at Bell Canada Enterprises Inc. (BCE) last September after their news outlet, CTV News, aired an edited clip of him that he claimed, "altered the meaning of his words" (Tasker, 2024). In the House of Commons, he described a news segment discussing his "non-confidence motion" of Trudeau as "extremely dishonest" and "fraudulent" (Tasker, 2024). Before it was revealed that the clip had been manipulated and the editors responsible were removed, he continued his boycott against BCE Inc. (National Post, 2024). He criticized BCE CEO Mirko Bibic, declaring he was "overpaid", accusing him of "emptying the books to pay his wealthy friends", and asserting that the company pays an "unacceptably and unrealistically high' dividend" (Tasker, 2024). Regardless of the publication or media outlet, Poilievre willingly attacks the news media like CTV, CBC, the Canadian Press, and even the Parliamentary Press Gallery as "pro-Liberal" whenever he disagrees with their coverage of him (Tasker, 2024).

The Conservative Party leader’s extreme rhetoric toward his opponents or anyone who challenges his policies is troubling. Poilievre not only uses this language in speeches or when talking to the media but in political spaces as well, such as when he referred to Trudeau as a "wacko" and was eventually ejected from the House of Commons for refusing to withdraw his statement (Wherry, 2024). In another instance, he called the New Democratic Party Leader Jagmeet Singh "a fake, a phony, a fraud, and a liar" (Wherry, 2024). He uses this extreme rhetoric to undermine his opponents, suggesting they are elitist, while aligning himself with the working-class. Poilievre also utilized similar language when discussing policy changes. For instance, he expressed a goal to "replace a woke culture with a warrior culture" in the Canadian Forces. This remark came in response to the Canadian military’s recent reversal of a decision to "loosen personal grooming standards" in 2022, in which the Forces lifted most restrictions on "hair length, hair color, nail length, and facial tattoos, alongside the introduction of gender-neutral uniforms" (Cullen, 2024). Poilievre has been known to spread misinformation as well. He showcased this strategy during his leadership campaign in 2022 and again in the summer of 2023, when he made claims, later discredited, that “the World Economic Forum is attempting to impose its agenda on sovereign governments” (The Canadian Press, 2023). The Conservative Party leader even promised that his minister would not attend the "international organization's conferences, including the annual meeting” (The Canadian Press, 2023).

Poilievre, at times, does not appear as radical as right-wing leaders in Europe or the United States, and it still remains unclear whether he will win the election or what kind of Prime Minister he would be if he did win. Yet we can say with certainty that Poilievre seems committed to more populist policies like his “1980s style tough-on-crime program” or the removal of environmental strategies to curb climate change (Moscrop, 2025). With Poilievre in charge, Canadians can expect a slash on “taxes, regulations, and, perhaps, social programs”, especially since he has not committed to “saving popular social programs that Trudeau’s government established like free dental care plans or prescription drug care” (Moscrop, 2025). Poilievre is quick to lash out at the news media or anyone who disagrees with him, even if he has got the facts wrong, and has shown a willingness to associate with extremists. All of this suggests that Canada may soon be led by a right-wing government, which could have a significant negative impact on the more marginalized communities across the country. As we approach the federal election, all eyes will be on Canada and whether they will soon follow in the same footsteps as the United States and parts of Europe.

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Glossary

• Adherence - Adherence is an attachment or commitment to a person, cause, or belief.

• Asylum Seekers - An asylum seeker is a person who has left their country to seek protection from persecution or serious human rights violations in another country. An asylum seeker is waiting for a decision on asylum claims and is not yet legally recognized as a refugee.

• Blockade - A blockade is the act of preventing goods or people from entering or exiting a sealed-off area.

• Boycott - A boycott is a nonviolent and voluntary decision to refrain from purchasing or engaging with a product, person, organization, or country as a form of protest. The goal of a boycott is to create economic pressure that encourages the targeted party to change their objectionable behavior.

• Broadcasting Act - The Broadcasting Act is legislation that oversees the Canadian broadcasting system and cultural policy. It aims to protect freedom of expression and promote the use of English and French in Canada. The law encourages the development of Canadian expression, promoting Canadian stories and music, and making programs accessible to people with disabilities. It was last amended in 1991.

• Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms - The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects the rights and freedoms of Canadians, including freedom of expression and the right to equality. It forms part of their Constitution and was signed in 1982.

• Capitalize - Capitalize means to take an opportunity in order to gain an advantage.

• Carbon Tax - A carbon tax is a government-imposed pricing mechanism that places a fee or tax on each tonne of emissions from fossil fuel sources such as coal, natural gas, or gasoline.

• Conservative - Conservatism is cultural, social, political, and ideological beliefs that aim to preserve and promote traditional institutions, customs, and values, including the nuclear family, organized religion, and the nation-state.

• Conservative Party - The Conservative Party of Canada is a federal political party that was formed in 2003 by merging two main right-leaning parties: the Progressive Conservative Party and the Canadian Alliance. The party includes a diverse group of members and voters with a range of philosophies and ideas. However, many align with center-right to right-wing positions on the political spectrum.

• Conspiracy theories - A conspiracy theory is typically characterized as a hypothesized belief or idea  that contradicts the mainstream consensus among qualified experts, such as scientists, doctors, or historians, who are equipped to evaluate its accuracy.

• Deficit - A deficit is a shortfall or loss. 

• Disinformation - Disinformation is incorrect or misleading information that is deliberately deceptive and propagated.

• Disproportionately - Disproportionately means being in a way that is not properly balanced or is either too large or too small in relation to something else.

• Dividend - Dividends are a share of a company's profits distributed to stockholders. They are commonly used to reward investors for holding the company's stock. Typically paid out quarterly, dividends can be issued in the form of cash or additional stock. Dividends can provide a regular source of income to investors.

• Eligibility Criteria - Eligibility criteria are established guidelines that outline the characteristics, qualities, or skills that all individuals must possess to determine if they meet the conditions for participation.

• Elitist - An elitist is someone who holds attitudes and beliefs that favor a socially elite class, granting power to a small number of individuals. Elite groups can be formed based on qualities such as intellect, wealth, power, physical attractiveness, lineage, and more.

• Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) - The Employment and Social Development Canada is a department in the federal government that is responsible for social programs and the labor market at the federal level. The department works to improve the standard of living for Canadians, promote a highly skilled labor force, and encourage an efficient and inclusive labor market. 

• Energy East - Energy East was a proposed pipeline that would have transported diluted bitumen from Western Canada and the Northwestern United States to Eastern Canada. Bitumen is a component of petroleum. The total length of the pipeline would have been 4,600 kilometers (2,900 miles), with approximately 70 percent (1,900 miles) utilizing existing pipelines. If constructed, it would have been the longest pipeline in North America.

• Exaggerated - To exaggerate is to make something seem larger, more important, better, or worse than it really is.

• Extortion - Extortion is the practice of obtaining something, often money, goods or property, through force or threats. In most jurisdictions it is considered a criminal offence.

• Fatigue - Fatigue refers to a state or attitude of indifference or apathy brought on by overexposure.  

• Fraudulent - Fraudulent behavior involves deception or the intention to mislead others. Fraud itself is an intentional act of deceit aimed at benefiting the perpetrator or infringing on the rights of a victim. It always includes some form of falsification, whether through withholding important information, lying, or creating fake documents.

• Greenhouse gas emissions - Greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide and methane, are released into the atmosphere, trapping heat and contributing to the greenhouse effect, which drives global warming. These emissions primarily result from human activities, including the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas.

• House of Commons - The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. It consists of up to 338 democratically elected Members of Parliament (MPs). Elected members may hold office for a constitutionally limited term of up to five years following an election.

• Immigration - Immigration is the act of traveling to another country to live there permanently. 

• Impact Assessment Act - The Impact Assessment Act is a process for determining the impact of projects carried out on federal lands or outside of Canada. The outline assesses the positive and negative environmental, economic, health, and social effects of proposed projects, as well as the impact on Indigenous groups.

• Impending - Impending refers to an event, often unpleasant or unwanted, that is about to happen. 

• Incarceration - Incarceration is the confinement of an individual in a jail or prison

• Judicial - Judicial refers to the judgment process, the act of judging, and the administration of justice conducted by the part of government responsible for the legal system. 

• Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) - The Labour Market Impact Assessment is a document Canadian employers may need before hiring foreign workers. The document is issued by the Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) department, and it assesses the impact of hiring a foreign worker. A positive LMIA indicates that there is not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident that can fill the position, while a negative LMIA indicates the position can be filled by a citizen or permanent resident. 

• Liberal Party - The Liberal Party of Canada is a federal political party and is the oldest and longest-serving active party in the country, having been founded in 1867. The party positions itself more toward the center or left-center of the political spectrum. Its guiding principles are grounded in liberalism, which encompasses political freedom, religious freedom, national unity, equality of opportunity, cultural diversity, bilingualism, and multilateralism.

• Libertarian - A libertarian is an advocate of a political philosophy that prioritizes freedom and liberty as core values. Libertarians believe in expanding individual autonomy and political self-determination. They support the protection of civil rights and oppose authority, state power, militarism, and nationalism. Libertarians advocate for minimal state intervention in both the free market and the private lives of citizens.

• Legislation - Legislation is the process by which the government creates laws, involving the use of specific powers and functions.

• Levied - A levy is an act of imposing or collecting a tax, fee, or charge by a government or authority on individuals, businesses, or property.

• Manipulated - Manipulated refers to controlling something or someone for personal gain, often unfairly or dishonestly.

• Marginalized - Marginalized refers to placing someone or something in a position of little to no importance, influence, or power.  

• Migrants - A migrant is a person who travels to another country in order to find employment. 

• Nigeria Student Express - This program provided a faster processing time for study permits for Nigerian students. The program was discontinued in November 2024.

• News Segment - A news segment is a brief film piece that is part of a television or radio program, or is broadcast online. It reports on a news event that has occurred within the 24 hours leading up to the broadcast.

• Non-confidence motion - A no-confidence motion is a vote by a legislative body to determine whether an officer (or the Prime Minister) is still fit to hold their current position.

• Northern Gateway - The Northern Gateway was a proposed pipeline project in Western Canada that consisted of two pipelines stretching 1,177 kilometers (731.4 miles) between Alberta and the West Coast. The project included a westward-flowing pipeline with a capacity to transport approximately 525,000 barrels of oil per day for export off the coast, and an eastward-flowing pipeline that would carry about 193,000 barrels per day of natural gas condensate.

• Parliament - A parliament is a legislative body. In Canada, Parliament is the federal legislature, seated at Parliament Hill in Ottawa. It is composed of three parts: the Crown, the Senate, and the House of Commons. Parliament has the power to make laws, raise taxes, and authorize government spending. 

• Perpetuate - Perpetuate means to cause something to continue or last for a long time. 

• Precarious - Precarious refers to a situation lacking security or stability, often involving danger or reliance on uncertain conditions.

• Premier - A premier is the head of government in a province or territory. In Canada, there are ten provincial premiers and three territorial premiers. 

• Populist - A populist is someone who adheres to a political ideology centered around the belief that ordinary people are in opposition with the perceived elite. It is commonly linked to anti-establishment attitudes and a general disdain for traditional political structures. Populists often portray the elite as a homogenous group that prioritizes their own interests over those of the general population.

• Propaganda - Propaganda is information often of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a particular cause, doctrine, or point of view.

• Provincial - In Canada, provincial governments are based on the British Westminster parliamentary tradition. They consist of an elected legislative assembly, from which a governing cabinet is chosen by the premier.

• Provisions - Provision is a statement in an agreement or law stating that a certain action must occur or be completed, especially before another action can take place.

• Radicals - Radical refers to something or someone considered extreme or very different from previous norms.

• Rebate - A rebate is money returned, often by the government, or a deduction from a payment amount.

• Recidivism - Recidivism is the act of a person repeating an undesirable behavior after they have experienced negative consequences of that behavior. Recidivism is often referred to as the percentage of former prisoners who are rearrested for similar offenses.

• Refugees - Refugees are people who are compelled to leave their home country to seek safety in another nation. They may be forced to leave due to fears of persecution, armed conflict, violence, or serious social unrest.

• Resentment - Resentment is an emotion characterized by feelings of anger arising from being compelled to accept or do something an individual dislikes. It can also be described as anger or unhappiness regarding a situation that the individual perceives as unfair or wrong.

• Reunification - Reunification is the process of bringing a group of people or things together again after a period of separation.

• Rhetoric - Rhetoric is the strategic use of language aimed at persuading, motivating, or informing an audience.

• Right-wing Extremist - A right-wing extremist refers to an individual who subscribes to a range of ideologies characterized by radical conservatism, authoritarianism, ultra-nationalism, and nativism. This term encompasses political, social, and religious movements that are more radical than mainstream conservatism.

• Sovereign - A sovereign state or government holds ultimate authority over a specific territory. It is generally understood that a sovereign state operates independently, free from control or influence by any external governing body.

• Student Direct Stream - This program provided a faster processing time for study permits for eligible international students. The program was discontinued in November 2024.  

• Sustainable - Sustainable refers to the ability of our society to exist and develop without depleting the natural resources needed to live in the future.

• Systemic Racism - Systemic racism is the oppression and discrimination of an ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or marginalized, to the advantage of another, as perpetuated by inequity within interconnected systems such as politics, the economy, and social systems.

• Tactics- A tactic is an action or strategy carefully planned to achieve a specific end. 

• Tariff - A tariff is a tax imposed by one country on goods and services imported from another country. It is used to influence trade, raise revenues, or protect competitive advantages. Tariffs can be a schedule of duties or charges on imported or exported goods. 

• Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) - This program allows Canadian employers to hire foreign workers to fill temporary jobs when citizens or permanent residents are not available to fill the role. There is no set maximum time a person can temporarily work in Canada. The length of time is dependent on the job offer from an employer and length of time listed on the Labour Market Impact Assessment. To qualify as a Temporary Worker, an applicant must already have a job offer from a Canadian employer and obtained permission from the Canadian government via Labour Market Impact Assessment. The program is regulated through the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. 

• Tertiary Institutions - Tertiary institutions are institutions that provide post-secondary education. They include universities, colleges, technical training institutes, and vocational schools.

• Unsubsidized - Unsubsidized refers to something that is not supported or funded with public money and is not partially paid for by the government or any other organization.

• Wacko - Wacko is an informal term used to describe someone who is crazy or strange. 

• Woke culture - Woke culture refers to a trend of inclusive and progressive culture that is aware of issues such as racial prejudice, discrimination, sexism, and other social inequalities. It emphasizes awareness and activism in the fight against injustice.