Will Dove 00:00 COVID lock downs with 10s of 1000s of small and medium sized businesses or SMEs out of business and their employees out of work. A large stores like Walmart and grocery store chains remained open. This happened, in part, because large corporations have billions to spend on lobbyists to represent their interest with our governments. But what if there was a lobby group that represented SMEs? Benoit Trudeau is an experienced lobbyist who used to work for those big corporations. He has a deep understanding of government and lobbying. But now he's founded the very first lobbying group in Canada, and perhaps even the world to lobby for small and medium sized businesses. Alberta free is already at work, representing the energy and capital industries in Alberta to work towards Ben's vision of creating a self sustaining province that will provide independence and autonomy from Global's interference and federal government control. In this interview, Ben provides a practical guide for people in other provinces to do the same. How does someone become a lobbyist? How does lobbying really work? And most importantly, how do you assemble coalition's of SMEs large enough that the government will take notice and make changes favorable to those businesses. This interview may prove to be one of the most important I have ever done. It is nothing less than the manual for the people of Canada to protect themselves from the planned agenda of the globalists and agenda that is being carried out with the willing cooperation of our federal government. It is for this reason that this interview is being released in its entirety. Please watch it, share it, and most importantly of all, if you are in a position to do so, take action. Ben, it's a pleasure to have you on the show. Benoit Trudeau 02:04 Thank you for having me today. Will Dove 02:06 Now we're going to be talking about lobbying today. And you got a lot of experience with this would you please explain your own background and lobbying? Benoit Trudeau 02:13 So basically, I come from a family of . . . my dad used, is still at 77 years old, quite active, PR guy in Quebec where we're very renowned, a speech writer. And and and what what we call what most people call spin doctors. So I was raised and in the political arena in the back rooms. My dad would drag me in, in meetings and in the backroom at the hotel during conventions up up like that to talk to where we were talking with his clients. And and so I was raised, the aim that that there were some player groups that were background players that were basically moving the show with the corporation. One of the first, my dad's first client has been bail tagged up at that he had McDonald in the early 80s, where they were expanding all their restaurants in Canada and then he had GM. He had then started with financial institution, the shell being one of the big clients of my dad in the 80s, so well still, I always navigated around around that area and my dad encouraged me to get involved in all pics after the referendum I started lobbying in the party multimedia industry to develop the multimedia industry we brought Ubisoft which were the game maker as their first office outside of France and Montreal. And then from there, we lobbied for the government to subsidize the multimedia industry Meanwhile, as well, my word to my dad I started working in order to lobby for the pharmaceutical industry for Robert Frost and and Vos Dynastic and other big firms to accompany to, to come in and build up a core or production research facility in Montreal. Sold so yes so and then that led me to join my brother working in work by for my father in progress company. We're the largest advertising campaign Quebec at the time and are just PR companies and we start producing new press conferences and an annual assembly and special events openings are being sold so we started working for prom stands for Merck we would produce the videos to promote their new their new drugs and then organize parties for the doctors to prescribe these new drugs and then so on so so I've been quite successful in that keep on doing politics on the side. And in 2003 I accepted Christ I became a born again Christian and and decided to do stuff differently. I found out that know I worked, I was part of organizing a lot of stuff that were what I would consider to be immoral. And I decided to change my way and then went back to school. Bible college, back then I get a Bachelor in Urban Planning as well. And at the end of that, Stephen Harper in power and I became like the boss of Canada Economic Department for the region. I just turned to Mr. doppia Blackbird. So I was in charge of 4.3 billion of grants given to Quebec. And that's what brought me to Alberta. And during during a Cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister asked, asking to do length with a variety of Whoppers which were being manufactured and, and at my when I well, I fly into first time was to meet with Mr. Stelmach was premier at the time, and that morning, I had to meet with Stelmach I had to resign. Does politics is politics and, and there's a gentleman in the Prime Minister office that didn't like me, and it was, it went both ways. But he was a prime minister office, I was not. So I resigned, and I moved to Alberta, and I've been here since 2008. Doing land development, I'm a bit of a serial entrepreneur as small car dealership, and all kinds of different stuff in this province that but mainly land development. And, and then in in, when Kenny's flip flopped on the vaccine start, in September of 2020, I believe, I decided to go back in politics because I knew how the machine works. And I got involved the following January, with TBA at the time and, and, and then the Yeah, and then from there, start getting involved as well and backing up then Daniel Smith in their, in their initial campaign and, and from there, I got involved back in the party. And with with with networking and the way I knew I knew to do it, and I know, within with within probably a year now I was able to open up enough connection and a networking team to to register my stuff and my business partner, we registered registered a lobbying company, and we decided to, I decided to go back back and settled in lobbying. To change that for the best, for the better and for truth to prevail, and they had an end to end it for small small guys. Know, I, I've done a lot of work for a big corporation and how they operate and they've been upgrading for as, as long as I am born, know I I went in meetings, I that fiddle it Nick Doulton in 19- 1989, I was in a meeting. I was with my dad after the at the office, he was told by one of his business partners CAG, like something so I was with him waiting to go home. So I just follow that with like, 12 years old here, it needed a bit to opened up maybe 16. Anyway, so I went with that in that meeting. And that guy looked at my dad and said, well, Gil, I have a very good friend and wants to become prime minister, so I want you to take care of his smile. His name is Paul Martin, though, that gives you a bit the idea of the world I lived in. Will Dove 08:32 Right so it's obviously you've got a broad spectrum of experience with business politics lobbying, and then why get lobbying later for now let's talk about Alberta Free which as far as I know and correct me if I'm wrong on this is the only lobbying organization of its kind in Canada that represents small and medium businesses. Benoit Trudeau 08:49 That's right, they probably even in your world will tell you why because lobbying is a bit of a it's a bit of an obscure function in politics. It's it gets it it gets its name from from the parliament theory at thirds, though when you go to other law and the parliament you you have the you have the room where they debate and behind behind that room you have like a back for you know when when where we have to be fair and couches and and and this is called the lobby of the parliament. And when when you invite some guests and when you're Minister Prime Minister and you've had some guests, the guests can remain in the lobby while the chamber is is doing its stuff, is working. And then in breaks when they take breaks during that in all that they go out to the lobby where they were then can meet so so the the terminology came from the guys that were the Friends of the power that would stay in the lobby and chat with them and modify some laws while the debate was going on. In this case, it took a very, very commercial, tangent. And the culprit of that is Roger Stone, who became Christian, maybe two, three years ago, but before that he was far from being Christian, this guy, this guy was a lobbyist of all the dictators of the world. And he's changed the he changed the world lobbyists in the states tremendously in the 80s. In the 80s, him and his business partner Manafort went in jail after the Trump election. So Roger Stone was the one that brought Trump to presidency. And he resigned, it's this partner from their lobby company took his place and that ---- up in jail. Right after the election, that's how to restore we that's employment history. But these guys what they've done, they brought lobbying to a level of almost borrowing, getting whatever you want with money. And in the States, the rules are way, not not as strict as in Canada, or as in England. And basically, a lot of lobbyists in the states will get, tell me how much how much you you're worth. And they will tell you, what I can give you as law? No, it's a bit different in Canada and Canada, the function of lobbying, the submission is a function of educating basically a politician and bureaucrats to to have a damn change laws or have some funding. And for your clients. That's basically what it is. And gather, the funding for the party is very strict. So it's really about I just want to do that relationship between the states and Canada. But most people hear about lobbying aid, which is totally different than then lobbying Canada. Will Dove 11:48 Okay, so Alberta Free and you can see the site, folks, at albertafree.com, you have come up with seven spheres of freedom. And if you can secure these spheres, then you secure a good environment for small and medium sized businesses. Can you talk about those, please? Benoit Trudeau 12:04 Yes. So what pushed us to create Alberta Free, my business partner and myself, so my business partner is George Bears, which I met during all the the process of raising up freedom, George was hard at taking back our freedom with the Royal buyer at the time. So I joined George with John Hsu, John joined our train and what we were looking at this how can we how can we change, how can we modify the trajectory of our province to make Alberta help sustain to put Alberta first and to prevent all this incursion? Another: how can we can we build a lobby a lobby? So how could we get enough power that when we sit in front of a minister and you want for instance, a micro refinery to be accepted instead of a mega refinery by the big guys led by the WEF and the rest? Now. When when you are minister of energy when you meet with Suncor, who brings you 20 billion a year and 8,000 jobs, and then you meet with Alberta Free. And we'll present you a project that will bring you forty jobs and may be like 50 million a year. Of course, you will be the Suncor wi will weight than the Alberta Free. So how do we change that? And the answer is by people. So the first thing that that politician are afraid of is people. They want the vote, they want to be loved, they want to be liked. And they want your vote, though. So we say why don't we Why don't we develop a model of lobby, which would be rational lobby that will serve the business people and yet where it's served at will give the same access the same systemic influence power, and the big guys are using and by the number. So what we have we have the seven spheres of freedom, which is seven area that if we can be blocked, a good businesses, local businesses and all these seven spheres, Alberta will be self sustained, though, which is super important in terms of crisis. We saw with the disruption of the the supply chain we saw with with Ottawa preventing us to go to the border with all that incursion in our powers that we need to find a way to to be able to sustain our province, like if Alberta was locked down was to be locked down today. We could survive probably four days not even a week. We don't produce any of our meds we don't produce, most our food is controlled by Americans and then Brazilian. Our oil is controlled by 78% foreign entities including up to 38% Chinese Communist Party. I mean this province has been pillaged. Since its creation No, it's it was it's one other province that was created. And that was that has been built around resources to serve the east. And that hadn't changed. So it changed. It changed in a way that we now have a federal government that is no more nationalist that is that wants a world government, well, now it's even worse because now we're controlled by by decision and dabbles and decision. And it goes on in Zurich, and we're losing our sovereignty. So the the way to gain it back is to empower our small businesses, there are small businessmen that they tried to kill with COVID, all the restriction they did. They've been in lockdown that killed a lot of small businesses, so we need to re empower them. And the way to do that, so that we were doing debt weapons spheres, out of the spheres, we have anchor clients. So we put, we find somebody that that is aligned with our vision that is aligned with our principle. And then and that has the power and money to be able to move stuff. And then that person or that enterprise, become our anchor clients. And then to gain the same power as a Suncor or, or big player. We gather stakeholder clients behind that. So So for instance, we have a refinery, refinery. No, you will build one in Milk River, Delta province. So now we're gathering a bunch of ranchers that will be able to get their diesel directly from the refinery to backup that project. So then when we sit in front of the Minister of Energy, we're not only representing that company, which is quite small compared to Suncor, we're praising that company and 234 100 stakeholders that want the project to happen. And then the power people give us the same power of money. compensate for the lack of money, on the other hand, is okay, so Will Dove 16:51 I have to assume that the government is actually receptive to this because the Premier and the MLAs don't want Ottawa running our province either. Benoit Trudeau 16:59 That's right! Here in Alberta, we have the privilege to add whoever know, Jordan Eichler or Margaret Thatcher that had been elected that that No, I had, no I saw she will be well settled. And in a role, and, and a couple of I mean, I mean, she she shared the wisdom, she had the capacity to make Alberta like a beacon of freedom in this country. And of course, our job is made easier with a government that is receptive to grassroot movements. In this case, here in Alberta, our job is made easier with that I'm not saying it's easy to jump still, because people don't realize as well that when you are Premier, when you are a minister, you are very limited in your interaction, what you can do. And the biggest limit is the wall of the deputy minister. So we have a system that works the political one side, the bureaucrats on the other and there's a wall, the middle, I'll get the minister, the Office of the Deputy Minister, and it's only the Minister to have the right to go on both sides. So if you are a minister of health, or a minister of energy, you have you can lose your job. If you go in the morning and step into your ministry to talk to a department director, you have no right to do that. It's forbidden for you to do that. You have to ask your deputy minister question Minister --- and the machine brings you back information. If you don't do that, it's all political interference. And you can lose your job for that, though, so you're always limited by the machine itself and by the bureaucrats. So the big difference between the minister in between even MLA and a lobbyist is that as a lobbyist, I'm not limited by that wall. So I can go on both side of the wall, get some question and meet anybody they want in the ministry, then meet the Deputy Minister himself, and then anybody at the governmental level, and often facilitate communication or distribution of information on both sides of the wall, which a premier or minister cannot Will Dove 19:00 Well, and you made a statement in one of your other interviews, saying you could meet with the deputy minister in the morning and administer that. Benoit Trudeau 19:08 Yeah. That's right, could be that fast to get to the ear that actually counts. Now... Will Dove 19:13 To get into the specifics of the seven spheres, folks, you can go to albertafree.com. And you can look that information up yourself, Where I want to go now, Ben, is an explanation. You've made a few allusions to this, but please educate us on how exactly lobbying works. I think a lot of us have this mistaken impression that basically it comes down to bribes and I strongly suspect that's somebody's oversimplification. So for those of us who have no experience of politics, no experience of lobbying, please explain that process. If a company and let's let's start with something simple a large company comes to a lobbyist and says we want x in the government what process but a lobbyists go through to get that for them. Benoit Trudeau 19:57 Okay, I can give you a I can give you an example. For instance. This would be I'll use our mobile starter house and example. So here in Alberta, we pretty simply represent the beat of Canada. 82% is controlled by two companies Cargill and GBs. And these two campaigns invest millions a year in lobby, and what they do, basically, most lobbying is performed here in this province by a law firm. So so they will hire high end lawyers that are well connected, that have friends, both in the machine as -- official, the government, that see the Ag department and all that. And as elected official that well, and what they will do, they will they will meet with these people and and tell them why they should change this law, or why they should do that change and, and then they will negotiate something that will serve their clients. So it's often easier to do, and this is work lobbying is expensive. And it's your when you're a big corporation, that politicians are easy, easy to get to. because their job is to be loved by people and meet people. It's quite easy to meet to meet a minister. I mean, it's not No, it's not it's not. It's all a question of your personality after that, and your skill to develop your your your relationship. But again, the initial meeting is quite easy and doable. No, it's not. What is very, very more difficult is to get to meet the bureaucrats. Because if you're director of the department you have, you have no reason to meet me. And then the way you access these people is through your, through your path that like it's when you go on LinkedIn, and you want your start good see people and this one is this person 2-person removed, 3-person removed. And then what you're trying to do is to, to meet that meet this person to be able to communicate your message. And that part can be very expensive. I will give you another example then, then then then me packing I will go on the inner sector, for instance, for Ford send the hydrogen file, which is a big, big pile right now. And that Berta? Well, the hydrogen solid managed by the Department of the Ministry of Energy, there's probably I don't know, two, three three directors in their group present that manage a pile. And and and this director will go to conferences every year or so. So then what you need to do easy to spot for instance, the hydrogen conferences happening all around the world, then you will show up at these conferences, make sure to meet these individual at these conferences, and then kind of follow up leading up to this conference, adopt a different workshop or different visit and all that. And you will make sure just to go and meet that guy that morning, just like by accident, and then introduce yourself. And so you come from Alberta as well, though, hey, what are you doing today, and then you make sure that you're at the same workshop during the today. And then you go to the cafeteria with your little tray beside the guy and just chat and talk about stuff and you develop a relationship with that person. Will Dove 23:09 But I just want to interject with a question for clarification. If I'm understanding everything you're saying, it's not just about meeting with politicians, you have to meet with the bureaucrats, the deep state, the people who are have been there for 20 years. Benoit Trudeau 23:09 That's right. Will Dove 23:24 This takes a fair bit of A) research. Benoit Trudeau 23:28 Yes. Will Dove 23:28 B) cleverness because as you said, you have to sort of meet them by accident and you made allusion to the big corporations of hire high paid lawyers who are well connected so I would think it's it's fairly obvious that it would be quite helpful to a lobbying group to have people within it who are themselves well connected. Benoit Trudeau 23:46 Yes well and that's it know like like and if you want to start the lobby yourself i The The first step is to get involved in your political party. And what's true in Canada is that there's very few people involved in political party and it's quite easy to get involved and to get close to the head to the leadership contrary to other other country where it's almost impossible to get to prominent position within within the party. So so that's an advantage that we have so but it's not everybody that can, everybody can register as lobbyist; it's not anybody that can be successful or can be a good one. Will Dove 24:23 Yes. Benoit Trudeau 24:24 At the end of the day it's a question of relationship the question of and being a friendly and lovable like people and once you have that contact the other step that you need to be careful is how you manage your your you really should because you don't want to flood, know, like, let's see, it's a minister give you a cell phone. You don't want to start texting him every five minutes. No, he will he will block you out. So So after that, it's it's an art of managing your relation. Now relationship with with these people and when you call the action pick up the phone. No, no They actually, yeah, you can talk to them. So that's the core of lobbying Will Dove 25:06 To be a successful lobbyist, first of all, you have to have excellent people skills, so that you can talk to people so you can make friends quickly, so that you know where to draw the line and communications so that you don't get to the point where you become an irritation to them. And I imagine because I have a past myself in sales, when you're having that relationship with that person, you have to keep in mind, it's not about what you want. It's about what they want. Benoit Trudeau 25:31 That's right. That's right. So it's all about presenting how you present yourself, and how you help them. I know, a lot of times, people think, again, there is so much a misconception about power. And about being Premier and about being, being Minister, know. At the end of the day, a minister, the guy like you and I and and still don't really know, you become minister of energy? Well, maybe maybe you don't know anything about energy. Maybe you just have notion of energy. And then you will be briefed by your deputy minister and cabinet. You are briefed on your side and all that, but you need to be educated. You need you need to? And after you don't know, you don't know the details? No, we don't know. Even something where we really shouldn't come from know that, like I can say to the to the Minister of Energy, you know what, we should get rid of the obligation to put biodiesel mixed --- on diesel? He said, Well, okay, I agree with that. But where does that legislation come from? Is it pretty well, with the broad, I mean, even them don't know. And often it's not the Deputy Minister that will tell them because you have to understand that for bureaucrat, for bureaucrat to do nothing, he keeps his job. If you do something, you might lose it. So for bureaucrat to do something, you have to be absolutely sure that he won't lose his job. And this is why they don't like changing stock. Because if they change something, they might lose their job. If they don't do anything, they keep their job. No. So Will Dove 27:00 I think that raises a real challenge that, because we were talking earlier about how important it is to make contact with the bureaucrats with the deep state with the people who've been there forever. So the example you just gave somebody becomes Minister of Energy. And he or she may not know anything about it. But the bureaucrats that have been there for 20 years do. And so if you can get to them, and convince them the benefit of a project, and they can go to that minister, and explain the benefits to them. Is that about correct? Benoit Trudeau 27:29 That's right. Well, yeah, but but it's a good balance that you need to balance as well, you with the minister and the and the and the bureaucrats, because the bureaucrat still receive their, their marching order from the minister, ultimately. So a good lobbying will prepare the Minister to communicate in a way that the bureaucrats will receive correctly. And then we'll prepare the bureaucrat to send back the information, the way you want them to format it, that will ensure their job and satisfy the minister. And if you achieved that, then you have a very successful lobby, because then you you get the changes you want in a slick fashion, then is to take the credit, and the bureaucrat get as well, often the promotion because only the minister likes him because he basically deliver what he wants. And vice versa, though, so and it's that balance, that is very, very, very difficult to to achieve, because I saw cases where ministers or Premier will push and will frustrate the machine and then the machine will just stop working, it will just like back off. No. And then you cannot have them do anything. I mean, so you can have like policy and mandate and all that and they will drag their feet and it won't be implemented during your during during your your reign. No, it will. At the end of the day people are people and you have to deal with them and treat them as people and you have to be careful about about how you are you agree your stuff? And if you do it the right way, then you see change. No. So So again, I would like to tell you like Well, no, if you want to start a lobby firm in your province here ABC, but there's there's so much subtilty but I believe that didn't every problem though, in every party, there are individuals that would be very good lobby, and it's for them just to to grasp. grasp that and and this is one thing that we'd like to do about Alberta Free. No, I'm discussing right now with my business partner to give them some tool, some some some computer tool to help the process and to have the structure into the outlook. Know, like it's, it's so specific that you can not just take like, like an already made software to help you in relation. No, you need a different type of tool. And we want to develop a series of these tool and maybe self branch size or at least help other organizations similar to ours. was started out of province. Okay, I want to get back, that's something that will end... Will Dove 30:05 I want to get back to that in a little bit. But I want to back up just a little bit to that balancing act you were talking about, with between the bureaucrats and the politicians and how you have to be working both sides at the same time to have a successful lobby. And early in the --- this is fairly easy if you've got a $20 billion project, that's going to make 5000 jobs. Harder for something like Alberta Free where you're working for, I assume, conglomerates of small and medium sized enterprises, where you've got to convince both sides that working, you know, putting in legislation or making changes that will favor what they're doing and favor the autonomy of the province, which, as we've already discussed, is in the interest of the politicians. Benoit Trudeau 30:45 Yes. Will Dove 30:45 What kind of challenges are you running into in that regard? With Alberta Free? Benoit Trudeau 30:51 Well, the biggest challenge we're running into, with Alberta Free, is always in human resources. Like, again, if I take back the example of the bureaucrats, the Minister of Energy in Ministry of Energy, or with the hydrogen pile, for example last, this past May, we had the largest arguers conference here in Edmonton. And then from the ministry, there was about 10 guys that I knew that we need to know, and then it's she that were attending that conference, because it was local. So when it's local, it's easier for them to get there. They're there, they're okay to less just these conferences. And some of them were as well a part of the organization. So the problem now is that now let's see if 10 guy wants that. So technically, you wouldn't need 10 Guys on your side to speak. Because you'd like to have a one to one. No, you don't want to you don't want to spread your your effort on two, three guys, because you will lose them and no one's like, like the story of the of the ball with with all these towels, the old and the young one and send them out, just wait and, know, one at a time. No, don't don't run in the pack, they will all run away. So So So basically, you technically will need to have 10 guys to attend to 10 bureaucrats. And then just to register, just to register at the conference is $600 per person. And then there's like, official workshop at $100 each. And then there's a three-day so you need to pay your guy in these three days. So an intervention like that and lobbying to give up these these contact can easily cost 100,000. To start just initiating the these, these contacts and this is the biggest challenge that we have is that we don't have that 100,000 To, to spread on on the one event, at least not not not yet know what that is, this is why we're trying to gather these stakeholders and people charter stand up. If you become a client of ours, we are stakeholder we're asking based on $100 one shot to backup one project and people say why why why do you? Why would they give you 1000 bucks? Well, I will tell you that 1000 bucks can go far now on this, I have 100 of you to be able to move the needle. And this is where the addiction part comes as well to the people on this whether we like what you're doing this morning because people kind of need to understand the concept and then say no, what if nobody, these guys asked me to become a stakeholder and asking 1000 bucks new so No, they won't go to Disney World with it. Or they were to develop these network that we need. And this is the biggest challenge. Let's see right now, what makes it a bit easier as well network is that we're worse off to meet and we're meeting people, we still had quite a small except a chest, the rest of government is quite li we don't have these huge department with hundreds and hundreds of people. I do have another wild like HF hat. So so it's a bit it's a bit easier to find these in visual and to make contact with them because we're a small community. And all the other way you go it's through friends of friends know so little for you know, you have Uncle Joe, that whose daughter is married to the director of that department and then nope, know, you meet him at a wedding or whatever. And then and then. And then this guy says, oh, it's not me to take care of that. Bob, I will introduce you to and this is how you start. So I said the biggest challenges this one while birth is to, to dig in the machine and the deep state. Will Dove 34:29 Now I wanted this interview to be a guide for people in other provinces to be able to go and do the same thing you're doing in Alberta. And so yes, I want this to be realistic, though, for people to understand what they're getting into if they go down this road. So if I'm understanding everything you've just told me, you've got an added level of complexity with Alberta Free because you've already talked about how a successful lobbyist say one that's working for a large corporation. They still have to balance talking to the deep state, the bureaucrats and the politicians and coordinating all of that. But for something like Alberta Free you've got a third level of complexity, where you have to create these conglomerates of small and medium sized enterprises, they're all in the same industry, where everybody's willing to put into the pot to pay for that lobbying to make that happen. So it's, this is not an easy thing to do, but it can be done. Benoit Trudeau 35:18 Yes, yes. And you need to be ready to spend a lot of time, you need to be ready to be open and again to manage, manage your communication with again, here in Alberta we have we have that, that rebel of ease that within Canada, we are by far the province that has the most freedom groups, which adhere with the type of thinking that help us with what we're doing. So so we have a pool of podcasters and, and freedom movement, to which we go and meet and do conferences. So so that's how we, that's how we started we gathering 100 People target people to think in the kitchen, and do a presentation and explaining and educating people. And that's and I believe that that's it, if you want to duplicate that model, in any other province, that's number one, you have to find a crowd that will be receptive to what you're, what you're doing, and that really have motivation, and that really have a will to change thought. And I believe, or know, I just spent two weeks in Quebec, I didn't went to Quebec for six years, my my army that Barak, I, I'm in debt burdens first. No, I married a girl from Edmonton. All our four kids are born and raised in Alberta. I don't miss Quebec in a single minute. And nice to have my family down there and all that. So I went to visit for the first time in six years. And man it was like us. I couldn't be without to express that that that we cut people like knowing Quebec right now in America, it's taboo to speak even about COVID. I mean, I mean, all of them believe that the government did the best job ever. And because they all speak French and not understand a single word of English, they truly believe it. And they believe that the entire world did what they did what they did with their curfew, and, and all that and, and then the clinic government, most of the nursing home in Quebec, are owned by the government. And when COVID started, they locked down the doors of all of them. So there's some nursing home 95% of people died in it, they just loved them. So treat this situation whereby the panic saying, oh, everybody's dying? Well, no, you let your people die by locking the doors are different. But anyways, so I won't go there. But just to tell you that if you want to start what we're doing, Quebec will have a big challenge, way more than than that'd be in Saskatchewan. And within No, even BC, northern BC, we're what there is the freedom fighter group, which I believe are kind of needed for model because you need you need to have to deal with people that do know the power of the grassroot, you need to deal with people that that saw what a small, small group of trucker did as a worldwide effect and ripple effect. To understand that no, what if we all gathered together, we can change that? And I believe that that's step number one. No. So to duplicate our model, you have to find your tribe of people are willing to rest and to put their money where their mouth is to know to start to moving stuff. Right. Will Dove 38:23 Now, Ben, you've made it very clear that being a lobbyist is it's a people business, you have to be very, very good with people and well connected, you have to be good to bring people together. You have to be good at communicating. But you made allusion earlier to computer tools that you're looking at developing? And I think it'd be educational for people if you told us what those tools are? Benoit Trudeau 38:42 Yes. Okay. So the tool that we're developing are similar to polling tools. So so I've done in my life, I've done probably about 30 campaign, I'm, I'm a professional campaigner. I have done a lockup campaign, federal provincial municipal in Quebec mostly. And there's lots of tools that you use in a campaign, holding tool, this demon dialer that I know you because they when you six times a day and and in terms of the other these tools that I believe, can be more or need to be organized and can be useful lobby, because at the end of the day, may need in our model will be as powerful as we can reach people. And the tool that we're developing right now are tools that are in the family of the analytics tool. So basically, we need to be in control on Facebook and Pinterest and all that and to reach people where they are and one believe one very efficient tool that we're working on is is basically a platform that will that will be able to spread and pose video of videos and in very targeted every year on targeted IP addresses. For four different different types of people to be able to be very efficient in the way we, we send the message and the way we communicate with them, though, so one tool is very technical plays with with analytics data. So you can buy a lot of that up from Facebook from interest on their users. And then there's a way that you can they can use the data all legal I, by the way, there's nothing that nothing nefarious in that, no, it's like, but to compile, there's so much data available nowadays, and formation, that that we're developing tools, and probably a tool to facilitate our work in reaching people. And as when gathering information. So for instance, light, like, there's a tool that that all politician would want that at the federal level, that's easy to use. It's kind of a robot, that scans all the news with named and bring you compiled that let's say what you knew, I want to know what what the world is saying about will. So I will put your name down, and it will, it will send me automatically as soon as there are a new article introduced that that you're quoted, I will receive it automatically. Will Dove 41:09 So if I understand correctly, the purpose of a tool like that and be this, okay, you've got a group of SMEs that you've managed to put together into a conglomerate so that you can go to the politicians and the bureaucrats to lobby on their behalf. But they're still not going to be motivated to make changes that are in favor of that if the voters aren't. Benoit Trudeau 41:30 That's right. That's right. So so so so so then what we do? Well, two things that when we sit with them, we have to strength that they don't know how many stakeholder we have. Because according so so basically, when you are lobbyists, you have to report to the Ethics Commissioner. So every meeting that I do, and all that I every six months, I give a report to the commissioner, and that report is that this is my client, this is what I'm looking for to get for this client. And these are people I met. Okay. And and so that that this public information is I mean, I need to I need to to openly share that. And then, but but then I need to share who are my client, and so. So when I create that, that conglomerate, the stakeholders, these people, these businesses, these obviously become my client. But often, I don't want them to know how many clients I have a war date, because often the if I'm a no tweet post branch that just like support the mobile slaughterhouse or the diesel refinery, I don't want I don't want my triple ranch to be advertised on the government website. And we know that, that no, I have lobbyists. So there's a threshold of $1,000 maximum per project that somebody can pay me without me having the obligation to Dibble gate with that person hit. And and this is why we put that threshold at a $1,000, which complicates as well, it would be way easier to lobby if I could get her like like five business at 10,000 Each, instead of 50, business $1,000 each. But again, because of the way the system is built, we keep our clients at the thunder each except our acre clients, which is the the one we go to like with a credit union or instead one of our Eco client, or Alberta independent refineries, another of our anchor client, and social these are the guys that I have my ideal open lead with them. But when I sit in front of bureaucrats or in front of minister, they don't know how many other businesses are behind these two. And then that gives him the power to negotiate. Because they don't want to have they didn't want to do something where they will have like know that they know that their stakeholders are behind. And they know that the stakeholder paid like 1000 bucks behind it. So they know that they put their money where their mouth is they know that if I have the stakeholder to do door to door to get that Minister out, they will do it. And this is why now they listen to you. Because because they know they're the grassroot and they better listen to you because it's their job to listen to their people. Will Dove 44:09 And don't might that $1,000 limit be different in other provinces? Benoit Trudeau 44:14 Yes, every province has their rule, or Will Dove 44:17 Anybody who wants to deal with another province is gonna have to do the research to find out what the limit is in that province before they work that contribution. Benoit Trudeau 44:25 Exactly. And every province has an Ethics Commissioner. So you can go into any province website and do a research on the Ethics Commissioner of the province or the federal Commissioner. And then and then you have to register per province or lobby. And then and then here in Alberta, there's there's lobbyists individual, there's lobbyists organization, so for instance, most Chamber of Commerce are registered under the lobby act of Alberta, Chamber of Commerce, lobbied the government to get some funding or some stuff. And then and then there's like AC two type of a big lobby, you should arrive before projects, which is the one we're doing. And then the lobby for all the seats, well just to change laws and rules, and which we don't do very much. Unless it's totally late to the small business itself, though, Will Dove 45:15 You made reference just a few minutes ago to Bow Valley Credit Union. I know they listen to Brett Oland. He's very much in favor of our rights and freedoms and in financial independence. So without getting into anything that might be confidential, how crucial is it to your efforts to have a partnership with, say, basically a bank? Benoit Trudeau 45:35 Yeah, well, I mean, I mean, the way we've done it, it's a, again, it's a bit, it's a bit reverse, because what we've done, we sell, okay, we need to, we need to get a client and the energy, we need to be independent energy, we need to be independent in our food, that we need independent in our finances. If we at least cover these three, these three file in Alberta, well, then if something happened, and still, we can still eat and drive their truck and do covers between us. So So and then among these three, Bow Valley was introduced to us by a friend of ours works with fast. Dr. Moody was the father of ATP, our approach to the project, though Dr. Moody introduced us to grep. And then we, we start looking at what he was doing, and testing the guy as well. They'd like to guide like a, it's a real deal. Like, it's okay, so so. So I want I want you, as a client, sit with that, and start looking at us and did some presentation and all that say, Well, know what you guys are really like what you're doing, the way you're doing it, I want you as lobby, as lobbyists. So then we, we can agree to that. And then but the problem would, again, be values. A good example, the probable Valley is that now our mandate is to change some laws, because nobody is under a provincial regulation, as a financial institution. And and we need, we need to reopen that that law on credit union that is 30 years old. And we need to change some aspect in it. Because right now, the regulator's don't consider gold and silver as currency, they consider that a commodity. And Bow Valley cannot put commodities on their balance sheet. And the balance sheet at that I'm gonna take inland in the credit union, they're the the ratio that can learn more. And so now we're lobbying for them to change that, to reopen the law and say know what, and then we all agree that gold and silver has been a currency for 1000s of years, that's at that line, no, just said, Okay, gold and silver strengths. And that will solve a bunch of problems for our clients that will enable them to bring back their gold reserves on their balance sheet and then to re establish their credit rating for debt. So this is what lobbying is about with small organization. And but to do that, well, we need to hire the lawyers at at 1000 bucks an hour that will, that will carve that legislation, that will help the bureaucrats. And so look, so to be able to change that even with a very favorable political entity, we need to help the bureaucrat getting the results we're looking for. And that process. Now we estimate the lobby for Bow Valley may be at, I don't know maybe in the range of 2 million in the next two or three years to achieve what we want and well they cannot afford that. They are too small to afford that so so then what we're doing, we're asking their members and people around to gather if you want to protect your your your bank accounts, if you want to protect the your asset with Anessa institutional design value. Well, we're asking you to put a bit of money now to on the lobby, to make sure that we can change the law in favor of going silver and then that we the other the other layer of lobby we're doing for them, it's at the federal level to protect them from FINTRAC. FINTRAC is the instrument that the government used to treat the bank account at the trucker convoy. So what we want we want Alberta to create kind of an umbrella that will filter the information that FINTRAC is sucking from from all your purchases and traveling like a barrier. Quebec has it, Quebec [unintelligible] FINTRAC cannot go directly in the criterion of Quebec account like they like they do here in Alberta. So so we want to create that umbrella. And then the third thing they're asked theosophy is the organization that rate that regulate the mortgages rule, and they they implement a new environmental layer in their in their test to give you a loan that brought its Yabba Nolan Alan gas company since July 1. and you want to borrow 1 million, the bank will charge you interest on 2.8 million because they have they have to provision one point 180% of your wall. And then so so your your practical interest rate that you have to pay on your one million dollar loan would be in the area of 24 to 28%. Because of that new test, no. So, so again, we want to protect we want we want to, you don't want us fee to be applied, and the Federal push very much to, to to to push these instruments in here. And suddenly we have permission institution and eight dB of attritor branch in Alberta, which is absolutely will and and voluntary registered to the step. So, so so so the only hope we have is the credit unions and the and we need we need people to join that lobby, that's gonna be a long term fight against their regulators, the bureaucrats to protect the institution itself. Will Dove 50:57 Act now further to educating us on lobbying because you said that in order to lobby successfully for mobile electronic union, you'd probably need about $2 million every year, what would be done with that $2 million. Benoit Trudeau 51:09 So what is done with two million dollars is mostly what were what I was talking about, about the reach to building with the bureaucrat. That's one part. And probably there's probably half a million that will go there. And there's no envelope in there. It just like to show up at conferences, and to show up at that event and to so so there's no question of giving a trip to South Florida [unintelligible]. This is illegal, they said is it right? Now, this is not what we're doing. But if the guy's going to a financial conference in the Bahamas, well, you're going to meet him there. Also, so so you're not bribing him, you're not paying the trip that the government that pays for that. But but you need to be aware of where he is, you need to be where these people are, that have no obligation to meet you at all. So you need to find ways to to meet them. So that's one part one section or section is that mainly when we talk about financial thought, there are so many rules and plus, even even so your initial, even here, the problem that intervene in investment and all that, that I used to hire very high end lawyers that are very, very well versed know, in the field. And if I hire like, like a 68 year old lawyer that has four years experience in the financial field, well, the guy will charge me 1000 bucks an hour. No, and for the guy to draft me, know, legislation that will make sense. You might spend like I don't know, a month on it, the one month at 1000 bucks an hour. I mean, that guy must cost me like half a million just for that document. So so so this is where the [unintelligible] go. This is what is very costly lobbying. Will Dove 52:55 And you made reference earlier, Ben to how I'm happy to be registered to be a lobbyist. What is the registration process? Benoit Trudeau 53:01 It's super simple. You go on their website, anybody can register to be a lobbyist. So you go on their website, you put your name and your and then then you describe what what what you what you're going to do. In fact, the commission that bureau has as an app, and by to even go and try it, they have a question there is that 'Am I a lobbyist?', a lot people say, I don't know, technically, as soon as you interview for somebody else, for the government, you are considered lobbying. So so so if you are, for instance, you're helping know the Humane Society to get to get the new cage and then know for for their, for their backs fall off to his and you're going through V with your MLA, technically, you have to register to be a lobbyist. So technically, so So what they have they have that that questionnaire that you fill, and that tells you do you need to register or not. And if you need to, it's very simple. You you fill up the form, then you said, this is what I'm doing. And then the SEC Commissioner will review that saying, Well, maybe you don't need to, maybe you need to if you need to, once once you're registered, you need to remit a report of your activities every six months or so. And so So Will Dove 54:15 Is there a cost like a licensing fee? Benoit Trudeau 54:17 No cost? No. Will Dove 54:18 Okay. Benoit Trudeau 54:18 No cost. Will Dove 54:19 And when you said go on the website, you mean alberta.ca? Or is this... Benoit Trudeau 54:25 Well, the Government of Alberta, you make a research on Ethics Commissioner Alberta. Will Dove 54:30 Yeah. Benoit Trudeau 54:30 And you will find the website of the Commissioner of Alberta and that you you can register there and as well we can go and make research to see who are the lobbyists whether they lobby for that. It's all public information. When you can't do that in every province, you can go to BC Nola BCFE Commissioner, and you can go look at their their lobbyist registry there at the federal level as well at canada.ca. You can go look at the Federal Registry. So these registries are open and public. Will Dove 55:02 All right, thank you, Ben, you've given us a quite an education. So let me see if I if I can sum this up. Because once again, folks, I want to be realistic with what we're presenting to you. But as Ben has demonstrated, this can be done. But it's not just, you know, getting registered as a lobbyist. You're going to need lawyers, you're going to need people who are willing to get in the politics in order to have influence and make connections. You're going to need people who have excellent people and organizational skills, so that you can bring all these people together, and you're going to need somebody who has experience in business and finance. Benoit Trudeau 55:37 That's right. That's right. Okay. Its summary. Yes. Will Dove 55:43 Ben, thank you so much for this work that you're doing. I really hope that people, other provinces are going to take your model. Once again, folks, the site is albertafree.com. You can go there. You can look at the seven spheres. You can take this interview, other interviews that Ben has done, educate yourself and make a difference in your province fighting for small and medium sized enterprises. Benoit Trudeau 56:04 Thank you. That's right. Thank you, Will. Oh, good luck.