Conservative MP Roman Baber Says Canadians ‘Are Counting on Their Representatives to Speak Their Mind’

An exclusive interview with the man Doug Ford expelled but Pierre Poilievre embraced.

Roman Baber speaks during an announcement in Toronto on Sept. 22, 2016. (Aaron Posner/Creative Commons)

On Jan. 15, 2021, then Ontario Progressive Conservative MPP Roman Baber was expelled from the Ontario PC caucus minutes after he publicly challenged Premier Doug Ford’s COVID-19 lockdown regime, claiming “the medicine is killing the patient.”

“Mr. Baber's comments are irresponsible. By spreading misinformation he is undermining the tireless efforts of our frontline health care workers at this critical time, and he is putting people at risk. I will not jeopardize a single Ontarian's life by ignoring public health advice,” Ford said at the time.

For many politicians, being expelled from caucus would mark the end of their political career. But not for Baber.

Baber held the line and finished his term in the Ontario legislature as an independent MPP championing the freedom cause. He then moved to the federal scene, launching a bid for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada, a bid that was ultimately unsuccessful. But he then sought, and won, the federal Conservative nomination in York Centre, the riding he had previously represented provincially. On election night, he defeated the riding’s controversial incumbent Liberal MP, Ya’ara Saks.

Despite being ousted by the provincial Conservatives, Baber has been welcomed with open arms by the federal Conservatives.

I caught up with Baber in his new Parliament Hill office during the short post-election spring session. I have interviewed him many times since I first launched my political journalism career. What I love about him is that he has never turned down a request, including this one.

We discussed, among other things, being outspoken in politics, immigration, antisemitism, the threat of jihadist ideology, and how the federal Parliament compares to Queen’s Park.

This conversation took place in June 2025.

ELIE CANTIN-NANTEL: You’re an outspoken individual. In politics, we’re often told, and I’ve certainly been told this myself, that it’s safer to stay quiet and go along. But isn't your successful political journey a testament that there are, in fact, rewards for those who speak truth to power?

ROMAN BABER: Absolutely.

It also depends on why folks choose to get into politics. I got into politics because I genuinely believe that I can make a positive difference, and because I am hoping to leave a positive legacy behind me.

While I agree that I should probably be a little more diplomatic at times, I don't believe that holding back on what I believe would be in line with my principles, nor would it be something my York Centre constituents would want. Canadians all across the country are counting on their representatives to speak their mind and speak the truth for the benefit of their constituents.

ELIE CANTIN-NANTEL: Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre welcomed you with open arms into this party after Doug Ford kicked you out of his. What do you think this says about the modern federal Conservative Party, that they welcomed someone their provincial counterparts deemed “unacceptable?”

ROMAN BABER: A big part of what transpired towards the latter part of my career at Queen's Park was a notion that we need to restore democracy, not just to our country, where I believe our democracy was under assault in the last few years by the Liberals, but also to the Conservative movement.

Pierre Poilievre welcomes diversity of opinions in the Conservative movement. It's good not just for democracy, it's also good for public policy, because the more perspectives you entertain, the more likely you are to arrive at the right decision.

ELIE CANTIN-NANTEL: What are your top priorities as a new Member of Parliament?

ROMAN BABER: I think about the people of York Centre, located in North Toronto. It's one of the most diverse writings in the country. I think about the Jewish residents of York centre who don't feel safe in their own country. I think about the residents of Downsview who are suffering from crime on a scale that was not previously heard of. I think about provincial and municipal issues that affect them as well, such as housing affordability or City of Toronto policy on homelessness and shelters.

I have a tonne of work, but I am confident in my colleagues in helping me through this transition, and also in my wonderful staff in accomplishing what we've set out to do, which is to help the people of York Centre and Canada at large.

ELIE CANTIN-NANTEL: In your maiden speech, you called out a trend where everything is being labelled a 'crisis' that justifies state overreach. We saw this during COVID-19. But Roman, I became quite uncomfortable during the Trump tariff dispute, where you had a situation where, if you opposed counter-tariffs, which economists said hurt Canada more than the U.S., you were branded a traitor. Or if you said it made no sense to take wine away from liquor store shelves that had already been purchased from the U.S., you were also branded a traitor. To me, it felt like 'elbows up' was the new 'wear a mask' or 'stay two meters apart.' Did you feel a resemblance? Did you feel that what we went through at the start of the year kind of felt a bit like COVID-19, with a mass formation psychosis of sorts?

ROMAN BABER: I haven't been asked this question before.

Elie, I think that we went from one unprecedented crisis to another unprecedented crisis. According to Mr. Carney, this is the greatest crisis our nation has ever faced. We're talking about a trade dispute. We're talking about an unconventional U.S. president in unconventional times, potentially looking to revisit its relationship with Canada. And we, in my view, need to continue and work towards a resolution, a global resolution, in terms of being comprehensive, in terms of security, in terms of trade, and in terms of friendship.

One thing that saddens me a little bit is that our two nations are tied by much more than their current leadership. We share a border, we share a common heritage and a common history. We're allies in pretty much every war you can think of. We enjoy each other's culture. We enjoy American television and the American movie industry. And so, one thing I hope that will not happen as a result of what transpired is the erosion of our friendship with Americans.

ELIE CANTIN-NANTEL: The first time I interviewed you was in the summer of 2020 to talk about antisemitism, as it was on the rise that summer. Since then, the situation in Canada has gotten far worse. Since the attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, we’ve seen, in Canada, pro-Palestinian protesters chant 'Long live Oct 7,' 'Viva viva intifada,' ‘Death to Canada,’ and 'Explode the head of zionists’ We’ve seen anti-Israel protests outside of synagogues, vandalism of synagogues, Jewish schools being shot at, and imams preaching radical sermons.

In your maiden speech, you broke the silence and went where many aren't willing to go by warning about the threat of Islamic jihad. Do you believe Canada is on the same path as Germany, France, and the U.K., where disturbing jihadist violence has far too common? And what concrete steps could we take to avoid that fate?

ROMAN BABER: There's no reason to believe that Canada would be any different.

If you look at the European experience with jihad, there's no question that over time, if you permit that ideology to foment, then it acts out on itself. As I mentioned during my maiden speech, I lived in the State of Israel for almost seven years, and I have great concern that incitement to violence eventually leads to violence. So when someone calls for an intifada, which is violent resistance or violent rebellion, it's only a matter of time until they take the next step, and that is vandalism or shooting at a Jewish school. It may also lead to boycotts and repercussions for Canadians at work or in their educational institutions.

We have to be very careful with this, because our Canadian mosaic is very tolerant and loving. That's the country we love. But that does not mean we should accept violent extremist ideology that explicitly calls for violence. And this is not an issue of freedom of speech. As you know, I'm a free speech guy. This is about enforcement of existing laws. Incitement to violence is a criminal offence, and it should be treated and prosecuted as such.

ELIE CANTIN-NANTEL: I know Muslim immigrants who’ve come to Canada to flee jihad. But there are others who embrace radical Islamist ideas who have also been admitted into Canada, including during the Justin Trudeau era. Do you agree with Pierre Poilievre that those who commit antisemitic crimes and are here on temporary visas should be deported?

ROMAN BABER: 100%. [And] we should consider going beyond that.

I think that we need to consider the fact that living in Canada as a permanent resident or as a citizen is a privilege and a blessing. The day I became a Canadian citizen, and I remember going to that ceremony and taking that oath, was one of the best and most exciting days of my life. That privilege, that blessing, cannot be unconditional, and it would be very reasonable, in my view, to impose some conditions on permanent residency and Canadian citizenship. One of them should be: do not break the criminal law. And if you commit an offence and are found guilty or plead as such, then you should be denied the privilege of permanent residency or citizenship in Canada.

ELIE CANTIN-NANTEL: You got to be at Queen's Park, and now you're in Parliament. What's the biggest difference so far that you've noticed between the two places?

ROMAN BABER: The size and scale in Ottawa is obviously considerably greater. The demands of the job are much greater in Ottawa than they were at Queen's Park.

I have to give credit to the Conservative caucus. I've made a lot of good friends and met a lot of truly wonderful people who are remarkably bright and principled. One thing that really stood out to me in the last month is the fact that, from time to time, folks within the Conservative caucus may disagree with one another, but they always stand up for each other's democratic rights within the caucus. I find it remarkable that colleagues not only treat each other respectfully and kindly, but also ensure that they facilitate every opportunity for another member to actually do their job, represent their community, and be heard on issues that are important to them. That is a great cultural difference.

I wish my former colleagues at Queen's Park well. I still hope that I have a few friends in that caucus, but I am looking forward to charting a path in Ottawa where we can make a great difference for the people of York Centre and for our country.

ELIE CANTIN-NANTEL: At the time that Doug Ford kicked you out of his provincial caucus, did you ever imagine that four years later, you'd end up here in Ottawa as a federal Conservative MP?

ROMAN BABER: Frankly, at the time, I did not think much about my political career.

Nonetheless, I'm very grateful to Pierre Poilievre and the rest of the leadership for inviting me to run with them and for giving me an opportunity to serve my country again. I'm also very grateful to the people of York Centre for hiring me again to give them a voice, this time in Ottawa

This interview is part of a series I began when I was at The Hub highlighting new outspoken movement Conservative MPs. The other interviews, with Aaron Gunn, Andrew Lawton and Jamil Jivani, can be found here, and the one with Matt Strauss can be found here.

This conversation has been revised and edited for length and clarity.