Luke LeBrun
@lukelebrun.ca
Investigative journalist | Editor, @pressprogress.ca | Send tips & story ideas: [email protected]
Pinned
Luke LeBrun
@lukelebrun.ca
· Nov 8
Honoured to be recognized for my journalism covering right-wing politics and far-right extremism by being named the recipient of CJFE’s 2024 Arnold Amber Award for Investigative Journalism
Appreciated everyone’s kind words and support
Appreciated everyone’s kind words and support
Reposted by Luke LeBrun
Two things I’m not sure is widely understood:
1. Many public servants no longer have their own desks and work in transient government co-working spaces
2. Many describe a Kafkaesque existence of going to physical offices only to spend their time on video calls with the people sitting next to them
1. Many public servants no longer have their own desks and work in transient government co-working spaces
2. Many describe a Kafkaesque existence of going to physical offices only to spend their time on video calls with the people sitting next to them
Federal public servants called back to office 4 days a week starting this summer | CBC News
The federal government expects its employees to return to in-office work for a minimum of four days a week starting this July.
www.cbc.ca
February 8, 2026 at 3:22 AM
Two things I’m not sure is widely understood:
1. Many public servants no longer have their own desks and work in transient government co-working spaces
2. Many describe a Kafkaesque existence of going to physical offices only to spend their time on video calls with the people sitting next to them
1. Many public servants no longer have their own desks and work in transient government co-working spaces
2. Many describe a Kafkaesque existence of going to physical offices only to spend their time on video calls with the people sitting next to them
Reposted by Luke LeBrun
The government takes all its cues from private sector. We've been indoctrinated to believe government is inherently inefficient, but all of its worst qualities are from douchebag CEOs with MBAs.
Two things I’m not sure is widely understood:
1. Many public servants no longer have their own desks and work in transient government co-working spaces
2. Many describe a Kafkaesque existence of going to physical offices only to spend their time on video calls with the people sitting next to them
1. Many public servants no longer have their own desks and work in transient government co-working spaces
2. Many describe a Kafkaesque existence of going to physical offices only to spend their time on video calls with the people sitting next to them
Federal public servants called back to office 4 days a week starting this summer | CBC News
The federal government expects its employees to return to in-office work for a minimum of four days a week starting this July.
www.cbc.ca
February 9, 2026 at 12:51 AM
The government takes all its cues from private sector. We've been indoctrinated to believe government is inherently inefficient, but all of its worst qualities are from douchebag CEOs with MBAs.
Reposted by Luke LeBrun
We had to explain to them how the vast majority of our work was done individually. No senior managers were asking for our snappy ideas. We were tasked to write products and then needed to quickly produce such products with no distractions. What we needed were the offices we already had.
February 9, 2026 at 1:03 AM
We had to explain to them how the vast majority of our work was done individually. No senior managers were asking for our snappy ideas. We were tasked to write products and then needed to quickly produce such products with no distractions. What we needed were the offices we already had.
Reposted by Luke LeBrun
I was on an employee committee 9-10 years ago to provide feedback on a huge renovation that would gut most individual offices and replace it with a new “activity-based workspace” i.e. hot-desking where no one owns their desk anymore. The designers genuinely wanted to listen to us, which was great…
February 9, 2026 at 1:03 AM
I was on an employee committee 9-10 years ago to provide feedback on a huge renovation that would gut most individual offices and replace it with a new “activity-based workspace” i.e. hot-desking where no one owns their desk anymore. The designers genuinely wanted to listen to us, which was great…
thank goodness we finally get a musical performance of completely apolitical songs like america the beautiful and the star spangled banner, followed by a military flyover
February 8, 2026 at 11:31 PM
thank goodness we finally get a musical performance of completely apolitical songs like america the beautiful and the star spangled banner, followed by a military flyover
Reposted by Luke LeBrun
Whenever someone says no politics there’s a lot of politics going on.
“No place for politics in political decisions” is itself a political position
CBC continues to scold Canadians on the need to keep our "politics" out of the discussion on whether we get strong-armed into buying the F-35.
Lol... the F-35 is all about politics.
It is the politics of threat and intimidation against our independence.
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
Lol... the F-35 is all about politics.
It is the politics of threat and intimidation against our independence.
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
February 8, 2026 at 3:10 PM
Whenever someone says no politics there’s a lot of politics going on.
“No place for politics in political decisions” is itself a political position
CBC continues to scold Canadians on the need to keep our "politics" out of the discussion on whether we get strong-armed into buying the F-35.
Lol... the F-35 is all about politics.
It is the politics of threat and intimidation against our independence.
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
Lol... the F-35 is all about politics.
It is the politics of threat and intimidation against our independence.
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
No place for politics in F-35 cockpits as Canadian fighter jet pilots get ready to train at U.S. base | CBC News
While procurement for Canada’s complete fighter jet fleet remains up in the air, advocates say politics need to be set aside as members of the Royal Canadian Air Force head to Luke Air Force Base in A...
www.cbc.ca
February 8, 2026 at 3:03 PM
“No place for politics in political decisions” is itself a political position
Pleased to see the Russian Embassy of South Africa’s posts have returned to my FB feed with a lovely message from Sergey Lavrov:
February 8, 2026 at 2:49 PM
Pleased to see the Russian Embassy of South Africa’s posts have returned to my FB feed with a lovely message from Sergey Lavrov:
Reposted by Luke LeBrun
The world heard JD Vance being booed at the Olympics. Except for viewers in the US | Bryan Armen Graham
The world heard JD Vance being booed at the Olympics. Except for viewers in the US | Bryan Armen Graham
The real risk for American broadcasters is not that dissent will be visible. It is that audiences will start assuming anything they do not show is being hidden
www.theguardian.com
February 8, 2026 at 10:04 AM
The world heard JD Vance being booed at the Olympics. Except for viewers in the US | Bryan Armen Graham
Reposted by Luke LeBrun
I understand why non-public servants in Ottawa are rolling their eyes at public servant complaints about the return to office mandate.
But as Luke points out, what is the point of going to a building where you have no office and are spending the entire time on MS teams video calls?
It's ludicrous.
But as Luke points out, what is the point of going to a building where you have no office and are spending the entire time on MS teams video calls?
It's ludicrous.
Two things I’m not sure is widely understood:
1. Many public servants no longer have their own desks and work in transient government co-working spaces
2. Many describe a Kafkaesque existence of going to physical offices only to spend their time on video calls with the people sitting next to them
1. Many public servants no longer have their own desks and work in transient government co-working spaces
2. Many describe a Kafkaesque existence of going to physical offices only to spend their time on video calls with the people sitting next to them
Federal public servants called back to office 4 days a week starting this summer | CBC News
The federal government expects its employees to return to in-office work for a minimum of four days a week starting this July.
www.cbc.ca
February 8, 2026 at 4:03 AM
I understand why non-public servants in Ottawa are rolling their eyes at public servant complaints about the return to office mandate.
But as Luke points out, what is the point of going to a building where you have no office and are spending the entire time on MS teams video calls?
It's ludicrous.
But as Luke points out, what is the point of going to a building where you have no office and are spending the entire time on MS teams video calls?
It's ludicrous.
Reposted by Luke LeBrun
Or, in some cases, not having a team in the same building at all. Commuting into an office to take video calls with colleagues in other provinces.
February 8, 2026 at 3:51 AM
Or, in some cases, not having a team in the same building at all. Commuting into an office to take video calls with colleagues in other provinces.
Two things I’m not sure is widely understood:
1. Many public servants no longer have their own desks and work in transient government co-working spaces
2. Many describe a Kafkaesque existence of going to physical offices only to spend their time on video calls with the people sitting next to them
1. Many public servants no longer have their own desks and work in transient government co-working spaces
2. Many describe a Kafkaesque existence of going to physical offices only to spend their time on video calls with the people sitting next to them
Federal public servants called back to office 4 days a week starting this summer | CBC News
The federal government expects its employees to return to in-office work for a minimum of four days a week starting this July.
www.cbc.ca
February 8, 2026 at 3:22 AM
Two things I’m not sure is widely understood:
1. Many public servants no longer have their own desks and work in transient government co-working spaces
2. Many describe a Kafkaesque existence of going to physical offices only to spend their time on video calls with the people sitting next to them
1. Many public servants no longer have their own desks and work in transient government co-working spaces
2. Many describe a Kafkaesque existence of going to physical offices only to spend their time on video calls with the people sitting next to them
Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights VP of Public Relations Tracey Wilson posting photos of public safety minister Gary Anandasangaree in a bathroom urinal
February 7, 2026 at 10:23 PM
Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights VP of Public Relations Tracey Wilson posting photos of public safety minister Gary Anandasangaree in a bathroom urinal
Reposted by Luke LeBrun
I hope they plan to appeal because that is not a precedent that should be floating around.
Can you imagine if this was a precedent in Minnesota?? Anyone ICE isn't assaulting or killing would be sued for literally blowing a whistle.
Can you imagine if this was a precedent in Minnesota?? Anyone ICE isn't assaulting or killing would be sued for literally blowing a whistle.
A Canadian jury convicted a protester of criminal assault for sounding an electronic whistle at a Conservative MP:
"Superior Court Justice Charles Hackland told the jury there were no legal precedents for the assault charge: assault with a weapon normally involves touching someone with that object"
"Superior Court Justice Charles Hackland told the jury there were no legal precedents for the assault charge: assault with a weapon normally involves touching someone with that object"
Sherif found guilty of assault by noise alone – Centretown BUZZ
centretownbuzz.ca
February 7, 2026 at 9:36 PM
I hope they plan to appeal because that is not a precedent that should be floating around.
Can you imagine if this was a precedent in Minnesota?? Anyone ICE isn't assaulting or killing would be sued for literally blowing a whistle.
Can you imagine if this was a precedent in Minnesota?? Anyone ICE isn't assaulting or killing would be sued for literally blowing a whistle.
A Canadian jury convicted a protester of criminal assault for sounding an electronic whistle at a Conservative MP:
"Superior Court Justice Charles Hackland told the jury there were no legal precedents for the assault charge: assault with a weapon normally involves touching someone with that object"
"Superior Court Justice Charles Hackland told the jury there were no legal precedents for the assault charge: assault with a weapon normally involves touching someone with that object"
Sherif found guilty of assault by noise alone – Centretown BUZZ
centretownbuzz.ca
February 7, 2026 at 9:03 PM
A Canadian jury convicted a protester of criminal assault for sounding an electronic whistle at a Conservative MP:
"Superior Court Justice Charles Hackland told the jury there were no legal precedents for the assault charge: assault with a weapon normally involves touching someone with that object"
"Superior Court Justice Charles Hackland told the jury there were no legal precedents for the assault charge: assault with a weapon normally involves touching someone with that object"
“This morning, I spoke to a really senior adviser to Pierre Poilievre, and he said that it took him all hell’s work to convince Pierre to finally take up anti-immigration status. And that’s happening”
A former OneBC staffer previously participated in a Spaces call with the leaders of white nationalist/"Canadian nationalist" organizations.
They talked about deporting 10 million people and joked about throwing "millions of Punjabis" into the sea. 1/3 thetyee.ca/News/2026/02...
They talked about deporting 10 million people and joked about throwing "millions of Punjabis" into the sea. 1/3 thetyee.ca/News/2026/02...
Inside the Far-Right Push to Influence Canadian Political Parties | The Tyee
A conference call shows a political operative with past Conservative connections advising several white nationalist groups.
thetyee.ca
February 7, 2026 at 3:56 PM
“This morning, I spoke to a really senior adviser to Pierre Poilievre, and he said that it took him all hell’s work to convince Pierre to finally take up anti-immigration status. And that’s happening”
Reposted by Luke LeBrun
A former OneBC staffer previously participated in a Spaces call with the leaders of white nationalist/"Canadian nationalist" organizations.
They talked about deporting 10 million people and joked about throwing "millions of Punjabis" into the sea. 1/3 thetyee.ca/News/2026/02...
They talked about deporting 10 million people and joked about throwing "millions of Punjabis" into the sea. 1/3 thetyee.ca/News/2026/02...
Inside the Far-Right Push to Influence Canadian Political Parties | The Tyee
A conference call shows a political operative with past Conservative connections advising several white nationalist groups.
thetyee.ca
February 6, 2026 at 4:07 PM
A former OneBC staffer previously participated in a Spaces call with the leaders of white nationalist/"Canadian nationalist" organizations.
They talked about deporting 10 million people and joked about throwing "millions of Punjabis" into the sea. 1/3 thetyee.ca/News/2026/02...
They talked about deporting 10 million people and joked about throwing "millions of Punjabis" into the sea. 1/3 thetyee.ca/News/2026/02...
Reposted by Luke LeBrun
This rules. Kick Bovino out of every fucking bar in the country.
Border Patrol boss Gregory Bovino tossed from Las Vegas bar
Former U.S. Border Patrol Commander-at-Large Gregory Bovino was reportedly asked to leave a Las Vegas bar out of safety concerns for the venue’s customers.
lasvegassun.com
February 6, 2026 at 9:58 PM
This rules. Kick Bovino out of every fucking bar in the country.
It’s incredible how many headlines that focus on Jamil Jivani are prompted by Jivani personally feeding self-serving information to media outlets about himself or Jivani releasing misleading statements implying he’s assumed some kind of national leadership role
February 6, 2026 at 12:56 PM
It’s incredible how many headlines that focus on Jamil Jivani are prompted by Jivani personally feeding self-serving information to media outlets about himself or Jivani releasing misleading statements implying he’s assumed some kind of national leadership role
Reposted by Luke LeBrun
FT exclusive:
“The US state department is set to fund Maga-aligned think-tanks and charities across Europe to disseminate Washington’s policy positions and challenge perceived threats to free speech.”
via @annasophiegross.bsky.social and colleagues
“The US state department is set to fund Maga-aligned think-tanks and charities across Europe to disseminate Washington’s policy positions and challenge perceived threats to free speech.”
via @annasophiegross.bsky.social and colleagues
February 5, 2026 at 11:39 PM
FT exclusive:
“The US state department is set to fund Maga-aligned think-tanks and charities across Europe to disseminate Washington’s policy positions and challenge perceived threats to free speech.”
via @annasophiegross.bsky.social and colleagues
“The US state department is set to fund Maga-aligned think-tanks and charities across Europe to disseminate Washington’s policy positions and challenge perceived threats to free speech.”
via @annasophiegross.bsky.social and colleagues
Sorry, why is Canada's fake trade minister holding unofficial trade talks with Usha Vance?
Exclusive: What a Canadian Conservative MP told Vance during unofficial trade talks
Jamil Jivani told Semafor that he met with the US vice president, a longtime friend, as well as other officials, in part to de-emphasize Canada’s deals with China.
www.semafor.com
February 6, 2026 at 4:21 AM
Sorry, why is Canada's fake trade minister holding unofficial trade talks with Usha Vance?
Reposted by Luke LeBrun
"Democracy & justice in Alberta are being threatened. Alberta is being abused by its own government much the same way the United States of America is being abused by its current president."
Over 180 Lawyers have penned an open letter calling out Smith's attack on the law.
#abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli
Over 180 Lawyers have penned an open letter calling out Smith's attack on the law.
#abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli
February 6, 2026 at 2:01 AM
Reposted by Luke LeBrun
A public servant texted Doug Ford's number to express concern with his government's return-to-office mandate.
They received a voicemail suggesting they "go get another job."
pressprogress.ca/public-serva...
They received a voicemail suggesting they "go get another job."
pressprogress.ca/public-serva...
Public Servant Surprised by Voicemail from Doug Ford Suggesting They ‘Get Another Job’
The worker had messaged Ford's number to express concern about the Ontario government's return-to-office mandate
pressprogress.ca
February 4, 2026 at 10:47 PM
A public servant texted Doug Ford's number to express concern with his government's return-to-office mandate.
They received a voicemail suggesting they "go get another job."
pressprogress.ca/public-serva...
They received a voicemail suggesting they "go get another job."
pressprogress.ca/public-serva...
This voicemail prompts a number of questions, but one of the top ones for me is how does the Premier of Ontario not have anything better to do with his time than call people up at night and leave passive aggressive voicemails?
Here's Doug Ford's surprising voicemail message to a public servant who expressed concerns about the Ontario government's return to the office policy:
“You don’t like it, go get another job”
pressprogress.ca/public-serva...
“You don’t like it, go get another job”
pressprogress.ca/public-serva...
February 5, 2026 at 3:00 PM
This voicemail prompts a number of questions, but one of the top ones for me is how does the Premier of Ontario not have anything better to do with his time than call people up at night and leave passive aggressive voicemails?