EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated to clarify that the order seeks to determine the number of public servants and Canadian Armed Forces members who have been members of antifa over the past 10 years, not over an indefinite period.
A Conservative MP wants to identify the number of federal public servants or members of the Canadian Armed Forces who sympathize with the left-wing antifa movement.
Edmonton-area MP Garnett Genuis has asked federal departments and agencies, as well as the military, if any of their employees are now, or were members of the decentralized protest movement over the past ten years.
“Antifa” is not a formal organization, but an umbrella term for political movements that oppose far-right, racist and fascist groups.
Antifa has become a fixation for U.S. President Donald Trump, and a lightning rod for right-wing websites and commentators, who depict the counter-protesters as violent mobs. The administration has controversially declared antifa a domestic terrorist organization, although the designation does not appear to have a basis in U.S. law.
Genuis has asked the Canadian government for a formal response on whether it permits “membership or involvement” with antifa for public servants or members of the CAF, and how many “people active in Antifa activities” Ottawa employs.
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The Sherwood Park-Fort Saskatchewan MP also wants to know if any bureaucrats or CAF members have been “disciplined … for Antifa-related activities.”
Bernie Farber, a longtime social justice and anti-hate advocate, noted that going back decades, most CAF members would be considered anti-fascist.
The U.S.-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies noted that violent acts connected to antifa have typically involved groups counter-protesting fascist and far-right groups.
But according to a 2025 study by the think tank, while broadly “left-wing” political violence has risen in the U.S. over the last decade, it remains at a lower level than “right-wing” or “jihadist” extremist violence over that same period.
With Trump’s extreme unpopularity in Canada, most Canadian Conservatives try to avoid any appearance of ideological overlap with U.S. Republicans. At the same time, antifa has not become the mainstream political target in Canada to the extent it has south of the border.
On Parliament Hill Monday afternoon, Genuis declined to answer questions about what prompted the antifa probe, suggesting Global News contact his office, which had not responded to Global’s questions as of Thursday morning.
Genuis put his questions to the government via the Order Paper, a process that allows any MP to submit written queries to federal departments and agencies. The written questions are typically used by opposition MPs to get factual and detailed responses about government programs, policy or spending. The government has 45 sitting days to reply, meaning Genuis can expect his response in April.
Public servants are permitted to participate in “any political activity so long as it does not impair, or is not perceived as impairing, the employee’s ability to perform his or her duties in a politically impartial manner,” according to federal law.
Regular members of the Canadian Armed Forces are more limited in their extracurricular political activities, requiring permission to participate at the municipal level and being barred from participating in provincial or federal politics.
Reserve members are not restricted from political activities, although they are still subject to the CAF’s general rules when engaging in civilian activity.
I would hope every member of CAF is antifacist, not Antifa.
I would really hope every single member of the CAF is a “member of antifa” considering the CAF is arguably the closest thing in the entire world to what Id label as an Antifa organization
On account of the Canadian military’s past history and all the things we were… known to do… back in WWI and WWII, I would hope the CAF is literally as antifa as you can literally get… You have to be incredibly out of touch to not understand how offensive it is to even try and imply a member of the CAF /isnt/ antifa… Its sort of the job?
Jhihadist violence is NOT right wing violence. Global news are left wing hacks.
ANTI FACISTS or ANTIFA fought in WW2 to eradicate EUROPE and North Africa of German and Italian fascists. This MP is dangerous in his lack of knowledge and understanding of past and current political history. God save us from dimwits like him.
First who is this guy !
And what interest does he have in what the US thinks of anti -fascist . This thinking has no place in Canada M H MAY
Artifact is a good thing. Find them if you will reward them
Liberals and Antifa. Both the same. Both total sc um.
What a moron, is he telling us he supports fascism ?
Look at him pointing that finger, that’s a trademark for the CONS
Any then that j ivani fellow, look in the mirror dude. Wonder what cheap drugs his ma and pa were into.
Someone should ask the MP Genuis if he is against fascism. The implications are obvious.
Its good they got rid of ristad. One less to worry about.
We have another waiting-in-line genius here in surrey. A dish bag.
Poop little peer poli, he’s got his hands full with these wacos, he’s not any different either. He thought 3 word slogans would be all he needed.
What a little twerp, reformCON genius.
Who is in control of that party anyway?
It’s the lack of response from their leader that encourages this kind of ignorance.
“The fascists of the future will call themselves anti fascist.” Winston Churchill. How prophetic given that Antifa fill that prophesy.
This little twerp is another excellent reason NOT to elect a Reformacon government.
Anti-fascist means Anti-fascist.
Antifa means fascists that are trying to pretend not to be.
There is a really big difference.
Who knew that all our forces in ww2 were on the wrong side? What education system is this stand-up comic a product of?
Poilievre the conservative leader has lost control of his party. Who is speaking for the conservative party?
Cons talks about immigrants not Canadian enough, yet they embrace the Orange guy who wants to annex Canada and all things Canadian. There’s a regiment in downtown Vancouver near where I live. Most of the people in uniforms I see looks immigrant descendents. This country was and is built and defended by immigrants and descendents of immigrants.
Every good human is Antifa. Full stop.
I would hope that EVERY member of CAF is against fascism.
ANTIFA is an organization its funded by Carney
25 yr veteran here, of course I am against racism and dictatorship and far right ideals. Isn’t that why our forefathers fought in 2 world wars. So I am a terrorist in this mans eyes?
This gives me a chuckle during dark times. Keep up with the MAGA gibberish, Cons. The country is watching.
Why would we allow non Canadians to join our armed forces? Not only Antifa but also foreigners that will have no loyalty to Canada or Canadians but will have loyalty to the government and who would not hesitate to quell any dissent. Do we now live in a third world dictatorship?
I’ve got nut butter and man love for you James Bilodeau
I enjoy nut butter on my face.
Why does global always say far right. There is no far right. There’s far left and that is definitely Antifa. The left is 90% of the violence. That’s low balling. They are complete lunatics. You can’t reason with them. There is no debating. Yet propaganda outlets like global only speak of “far right “. Ever read any article where global ever once referred to the left as far left? Think about that for a minute. Ever once? Didn’t think so. That should tell you something right there. Propaganda folks. 100%!
I think people are a little uninformed, of you pay a bit now closer attention to things happening to our neighbor, antifa is the name, but fascism is their game.
They have shut down talks simply because they go against their own idealogy, they attack people for being in the other side of politics or again, simply disagreeing, I don’t know about any of you, but I don’t want to live in a country where I have to worry about me or my family being attacked for simply having a different opinion, and this has been an issue in usa for years, I’m glad this is being brought to light because these people, those that are part of antifa, the terrorist organization that does have leadership, does have uniforms, slogans, you name it, they have it to be a formal group, but progressive media, or mainstream always paints them in a good light, and seeing global do this? I’m not surprised, how much money from the liberals do they get?
The mainstream media lies, so your own research and form your own opinions.
Canada for Canadians and Canada first, let’s not turn this country into a third world
My Jewish grandfather fought against these socialist workers party P O Ss that these liberals have always supported. Probably rolling in his grave at what Canada has devolved into under Trudeau and carnival Carney
Very shameful reporting – though not surprised at this point.
All of Canada is antifa. Antifa means anti fascism. Im more alarmed at the fact this idiot thinks anti fascism is bad.
I’m confused, or maybe English is not Garnett’s first language and he is confused. Correct me if I’m wrong:
“Anti” = against
“fa” = short for fascism
“Antifa” = against fascism
So if you are against antifa, doesn’t that make you Pro-fa?
“Pro” = in favour or proponent of
“while broadly “left-wing” political violence has risen in the U.S. over the last decade, it remains at a lower level than “right-wing” or “jihadist” extremist violence over that same period.”
Nope, jihadist violence isn’t right-wing. It’s Left. Because it’s the Left who have essentially embraced these guys into North America and European society and provided little condemnation when they cause violence in the forms of actual attacks or “protests.”
My God, and guys like this get offended when you refer to them as “Maple MAGA”… Actually, maybe this guy wouldn’t be. Thanks to Global News for their fulsome explanation as to what this “Conservative” MP is asking about. If the CPC “brain trust” (quotation marks, quite deliberate) don’t make an example of this guy, they’ve got what’s coming to them.
A conservative wants to weed out… Conservatives?
Antifa are a bunch of far-left terrorist co ck suckers that need to be eliminated. Mostly n*gg*rs but they have badies of all types, and several muslims.
small wonder that progressive conservatives are leaving the cpc
Yes lets look at the CAF for members that are antifa. I believe there has been tons since the mid 1930’s to the mid 1940’s. I could be wrong here, but I think there were tons in the US as well.
This guy needs to give his head a shake. Every member of the CAF should be considered antifa. It’s a frame of mind, a moral code, something to stand behind. Not some organization that needs to be labelled as a terrorist organization. Not like the proud boys.