There are many ways to unperson the politically inconvenient. In Putin’s Russia, falls from windows and balconies have become an occupational hazard for professionals asking questions. The EU, meanwhile, leans towards more refined tactics: finding legal ways to bar politicians deemed to be unsavoury from standing. And then there’s Canada, where it seems that the state doesn’t need to disappear you — just your bank account.
Meghan Murphy, a candidate for the People’s Party of Canada and long-time critic of the Canadian establishment, appears to be the latest victim of the regime’s financial guillotine. Writing on her Substack, Murphy has claimed that her bank account had been frozen on government orders — coincidentally, on the very day she announced her intention to stand in the upcoming election:
That same day, I tried to access my bank account and could not. I contacted my bank, Vancity, and was informed the account had been frozen as per direction from the government. I had accessed my account just two days prior, so the timing was clear.
When approached for comment, Vancity said privacy obligations prevented it from commenting on the matter.
As a defender of women’s rights, and a vocal critic of government overreach, it’s fair to say Murphy has made many enemies within the Canadian establishment. Her views saw her exiled from social media (until Elon Musk offered a digital parole), and targeted by the bullies of the be-kind brigade. Indeed, she fled to Mexico in 2021, out of a “genuine concern” that if she didn’t, she’d never be able to leave:
“I predicted I would be targeted by the government on account of my political dissidence—specifically due to my criticisms of Covid mandates, increasing authoritarianism, and attacks on free speech by the government, as well as on account of the fact I have been the most prominent and vocal critic of gender identity ideology and legislation in Canada for over a decade now” she wrote in a post explaining her banking situation.
Murphy’s apparent financial cancellation may be shocking, but it’s not new. The precedent was set in 2022, when the Liberal government deployed emergency powers to freeze the accounts of truckers protesting vaccine mandates. The Freedom Convoy — a sprawling, messy protest sparked by cross-border quarantine rules — saw hundreds of drivers clog the streets of Ottawa for three weeks. Rather than negotiate, Trudeau opted for an historic first, invoking the Emergencies Act to financially cripple the protesters.
Like Murphy, who has long been smeared as a neo-Nazi for saying men aren’t women, the truckers were branded far-right extremists. Trudeau wrote them off as a “small fringe minority” with “unacceptable views,” while much of the mainstream media gleefully zoomed in on the cranks to paint the entire protest as dangerous. And undoubtedly, as with any large group of people there will have been some supporters with unpalatable views. But let’s be honest: by using emergency powers to financially kneecap citizens the Canadian government has inched the country closer to fascism, than the disparate groups opposing lockdowns.
Perhaps the most galling part of Murphy’s apparent targeting is the contrast between her treatment and that of Canada’s more profitable exports. This is, after all, the same country that hosts Ethical Capital Partners, the somewhat ironically named private equity firm that owns Aylo — parent company of Pornhub, RedTube, and YouPorn. Despite multiple lawsuits, accusations of profiting from child sexual abuse material and non-consensual content, Aylo continues to operate in Canada unimpeded. Murphy, meanwhile, can’t even use her debit card — and has good reason to think twice before returning to her homeland.
Canada has become … a state that stifles dissent with an iron fist wrapped in a sustainably-sourced mitten
Whether one agrees with Murphy or not is beside the point. Her allegations should disturb anyone with even a passing interest in civil liberties. Canada has become the ground zero of touchy-feely authoritarian progressivism; a state that stifles dissent with an iron fist wrapped in a sustainably-sourced mitten. It’s a country where “compassion” comes in the form of state-sponsored suicide, fetishists in frocks are granted more rights than women, and critics of the regime are branded as dangerous extremists before being digitally and financially erased.
Freezing Murphy’s bank account would not just a swipe at one inconvenient candidate but a warning shot to anyone who dares dissent. Which is precisely why voices like hers are not just inconvenient, but essential.
