Canada’s Trudeau Revokes Use of Emergencies Act
By: Noé Chartier
February 23, 2022: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced today he is revoking the use of the Emergencies Act, saying the situation is no longer an emergency.
Trudeau defended invoking the act in the first place, saying “It was the responsible and necessary thing to do” and there was evidence that individuals wanted to “undermine and even harm Canada’s democracy.”
He made the announcement at a press conference in Ottawa on Feb. 23 as the Senate was debating whether to confirm the government’s decision to invoke the act, after MPs on Feb. 21 passed a motion along party lines to approve the measures in the act.
Trudeau invoked the act on Feb. 14 to deal with the protests and blockades seeking an end to COVID-19 mandates and restrictions, declaring a public order emergency. Invocation of the act granted the federal government powers to freeze protesters’ and supporters’ bank accounts without a court order, as well as the ability to compel towing companies to tow away trucks parked in downtown Ottawa since Jan. 29, which they had earlier refused to do.
Police cleared all protesters from downtown Ottawa over the weekend and proceeded to gate the area to control individuals and prevent other protests from forming near Parliament Hill.
With blockades already cleared before the act was invoked, the only protest left was in Ottawa. The Opposition Tories were opposed to invoking the act, saying it was government overreach and the situation didn’t warrant the use of the act.
After Ottawa was cleared of protesters, the government said the act was still necessary to ensure new protests or blockades would not form again, with Trudeau saying that truckers were regrouping outside Ottawa and had an intent to create more blockades.
Opponents of invoking the act were quick to react to Trudeau’s announcement.
“There never was an emergency that required these extra-judicial powers,” said Alberta Premier Jason Kenney on Twitter.
“What a humiliation for those who were defending the indefensible 5 minutes ago. Alberta intends to proceed with an application for judicial review of the EA [Emergency Act] invocation to address this abuse of power.”
“Thank you to all who fought this abuse of power,” tweeted Conservative MP and party leadership hopeful Pierre Poilievre.
Source: The Epoch Times