Tamara Lich's house arrest isn't enough for them

[00:00:00]Ezra Levant here for Rebel News. I'm in downtown Ottawa at the courthouse. I've been here so many times, almost all of it, for the trial and sentencing of our friend Tamara Leech, the spiritual leader, as I call her, of the Canadian trucker convoy that was the largest and most effective peaceful protest in Canadian history. Tamara was such a gentle and hopeful and positive leader of that. I believe that's the reason why the prosecution has uh had a vendetta against her for years. In fact, they turned her mischief trial into the longest running mischief trial in Canadian history. I think it's precisely because she was such a positive face for the convoy, they wanted to bismerch her.

[00:00:47]Anyways, why am I here now? Because of course, she was sentenced more than 6 months ago, sentenced to house arrest.

[00:00:54]Tamara's lawyers are appealing that she they want an acquitt and the prosecution is appealing that they actually want more prison time for her. So what are we doing today? Well, today is what's called a bail variation hearing. Uh she's under house arrest, but one of the things about house arrest is you're allowed to work. And of course, Tamar Leech worked for Rebel News before she was convicted. She would um go to conferences, speak for us. She would even play uh she's in a band. She would play at our events. She was an active part of the Rebel family. Most importantly, she wrote the number one best-selling book called Hold the Line.

[00:01:32]And so, she went on a book tour for us.

[00:01:34]So, after she was sentenced, I approached the uh corrections officer, the probation officer in Alberta in charge of her file. And I said, "Look, just because she's sentenced doesn't mean she should stop working. She's got to earn a living. let's work together to make sure we can come up with a plan so she can still work because work is an exemption to house arrest. That's just the law. And I went through it line by line with the probation officer including the fact that we wanted to write another book and go on a book tour and do journalism and it was all agreed to. the probation officer in medicine hat agreed to it and Tamara has gone on almost a dozen little reportorial journeys for us. But one of those was to the house of the US ambassador on the 4th of July just a week or two ago and the site of Tamara Leech at such a prestigious event freaked out the regime media and they were apoplelectic. The CBC went nuts.

[00:02:38]Even the New York Times said, "How dare this happen?" So suddenly, Tamar Leech's right to work was nipped in the bud. For example, Tamar Leech was going to be in Ottawa today for this court event, and we said, "Well, since you're in town, let's do some journalism on Parliament Hill." Suddenly, the probation officer said, "No, you can't do that. Uh, not only can you not travel outside Canada, you can't even travel outside Alberta."

[00:03:04]Well, hang on. We have to. We're a national media company. Tamara has reported for us from a multiple of provinces. So today is going to be a showdown on that issue. And I'm actually not just going to tell you about it. I'm actually going to be on the stand as the witness today. I wrote and swore the truth of the contents of an affidavit explaining to Mary Leech's role with Rebel News, how it's essential that she be able to travel. How can a journalist cover the country if she cannot leave her own home? I mean, there are there is some news in medicine hat. In fact, we've done a couple of things there, but the news is everywhere. And I I see a viciousness and a pettiness in the government. I think they were furious that she was treated with respect by the US embassy and allowed to attend as a journalist. So, I think there's a lot of personal vengeance here. I'm absolutely not blaming the individual parole officer in Alberta who has been very uh cooperative and supportive of Tamara. I think that the prosecutors here in Ontario reached out to corre the correction service in Alberta and said no more uh trips for Tamara Leech because uh we don't like her politics or something like that. I don't know, but it's outrageous and that's why we're here today. So, long story short, in about an hour's time, I am actually going to take this stand, swear to tell the truth on a Bible, and then speak to what I put in my affidavit, how she's worked for us before she was convicted and sentenced. She has to continue to work for us. And that means the ability to travel for work. And it's going to be sort of incredible to see Doug Ford's prosecutor say, "No, she's not allowed to work." And because she's I don't know expressing herself too much. She looks happy. I don't know. There's a bitterness and a vengefulness in these prosecutors that I've never seen before.

[00:05:06]Compare how Tamara Leech is treated with any violent criminal who's released on any given day. I mean, the bail in this country is a joke.

[00:05:16]Even accused terrorists are let out on bail. And here you have the peaceful protester who because she's a political thorn in the side of the establishment, they have such a hate on for her, they're trying to clip her wings.

[00:05:31]Anyways, I'm going to be on my best behavior and my goal is to speak truthfully and to be of assistance to the court. Tamar's lawyer is one of the best around. His name is Lawrence Greenspan.

[00:05:42]He commands the respect of everyone. And I've really enjoyed watching him deal not only with the court but with the media. Believe it or not, even haters in the media when Lawrence Greenspan talks, they stop and listen because he's so uh experienced and knowledgeable. It's like listening to a college professor. I've learned so much just from listening to the man. Anyhow, today that's what I'm going to do. So, I'm going to be on the stand. Normally, I live tweet the proceedings. Obviously, I can't do that if I'm literally in the witness box. So my friend and colleague Alexa Lavois has come to Ottawa along with Guiama to do the journalism while I do the talking.

[00:06:20]So that's what's going to happen today.

[00:06:23]If you want to help us in our battle, please do because we're up against the unlimited resources of this state. It's been so lopsided. I I've never seen such a waste of prosecutorial resources in my life. It was around a 50-day trial and that was all at the choice and the doing of the prosecution. And all I could think about was how many rape trials, how many uh home invasion trials were not able to be heard, were were uh dismissed for want of prosecution because I don't know, four prosecutors spent two years hounding to Maril Leech.

[00:07:02]It's really a disgrace. And I remind you that the prosecutors doing that were Ontario prosecutors reporting to Doug Ford. They weren't Trudeau's men or Carney's men. Remember that. Anyways, if you can help us out, help us equalize the terms. Please go to the Tamara Project.com.

[00:07:19]At the Tamar Project.com, you'll help us keep Tamara on the go, keep her on the road, keep her doing journalism, and help us help her. For example, we've hired a halftime producer doing nothing but assisting Tamara get around, comply with the court orders, etc. We obviously don't take any government funding as media. So, we rely on you, our friends out there. So, please go to the Tamar project.com. That's my report from outside the court. When I am going to be in the court, follow my colleague Alex Lavois on Twitter or X as it's now called and I'll have some thoughts afterwards. I don't think we're going to get the result today. Uh that'll probably be a week or two. But I think it's incredibly important because it really comes down to this.

[00:08:06]Is the politics of Tamara Leech, is that enough to change her rights? What I mean is she's complying with her sentence.

[00:08:17]Everyone who's under house arrest is still allowed to work. Her her codefendant Chris Barber, for example, is a long haul trucker. So, he's obviously allowed to travel, including to the United States, and I totally support that. Obviously, he's got bills to pay, a family to feed. That's the law. One of the exemptions to house arrest is for work. Does Tamara Leech get the same rights as any other Canadian under house arrest? Is she allowed to work? Or because she works for Rebel News, but because her work is political in nature, does she lose that right? That's what that's that's at stake in the Ottawa courthouse today.

[00:08:54]Help us out at the tamarapro.com and follow along with my colleague Alexa Lavois.