Today: February 14, 2022

Today: February 14, 2022

By Andrew Thomson | UPDATED 6:28pmET

WATCH: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and ministers announce first-ever use of Emergencies Act to deal with blockades

The federal government has invoked the Emergencies Act for the first time since it replaced the War Measures Act in 1988, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed this afternoon.

Measures to counter continuing blockades and occupations will be time-limited, geographically-targeted, reasonable, and proportionate, according to Trudeau. Goals will include strengthening and supporting all levels of law enforcement, ensuring essential services are rendered, and authorizing financial institutions to freeze accounts connected to the blockades.

But with several premiers publicly objecting to the use of the Emergencies Act, Trudeau faced questions about where the provisions will apply. He pointed to Ottawa and border crossings such as Windsor as examples of "where they are needed," though the Emergencies Act applies across the country.

Those provisions includes:

  • Broadening the scope of money laundering and terrorist funding rules to target crowdfunding platforms and payment providers, which must register with FINTRAC and report large and suspicious transactions;
  • Allowing Canadian financial institutions to cease, without a court order, service to accounts suspected of furthering illegal blockades and occupations;
  • Allowing for the suspension of bank accounts and vehicle insurance of companies with trucks taking part in blockades;
  • Allowing the RCMP to enforce provincial law and municipal by-laws as needed

The federal government will not use the armed forces, suspend civil liberties, or override the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Trudeau said on Parliament Hill. 

Asked whether the Ottawa police should be given more power after being criticized for failing to effectively control protesters and blockades, Trudeau said the immediate goal is giving law enforcement the necessary legal authorities and extra resources.

“There will be time later to reflect on lessons that can be learned from this situation,” he said.

Conservative interim leader Candice Bergen said her party would study the provisions, but warned the Emergencies Act could inflame an already tense situation, accusing the prime minister of a "ham-fisted approach." 

Watch more Conservative reaction:

The Emergencies Act includes provisions for a “public order” emergency that "arises from threats to the security of Canada and that is so serious as to be a national emergency."

According to the Act, an emergency declaration needs to specify:

(a) concisely the state of affairs constituting the emergency;

(b) the special temporary measures that the Governor in Council anticipates may be necessary for dealing with the emergency; and

(c) if the effects of the emergency do not extend to the whole of Canada, the area of Canada to which the effects of the emergency extend.

A declaration must be subject to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms but allows for:

(a) the regulation or prohibition of (i) any public assembly that may reasonably be expected to lead to a breach of the peace, (ii) travel to, from or within any specified area, or (iii) the use of specified property;

(b) the designation and securing of protected places;

(c) the assumption of the control, and the restoration and maintenance, of public utilities and services;

(d) the authorization of or direction to any person, or any person of a class of persons, to render essential services of a type that that person, or a person of that class, is competent to provide and the provision of reasonable compensation in respect of services so rendered.

The Emergencies Act does not give the federal government authority to control or direct provincial and municipal police forces.

And the government must consult with affected provinces. If the public order emergency is confined to a single province, that government must indicate to Ottawa that the situation exceeds their "capacity or authority ... to deal with it."

The declaration automatically expires after 30 days unless continued or revoked, and must be tabled in Parliament and debated.

Parliamentarians have the authority to revoke a declaration -- Justice Minister David Lametti said a special parliamentary coverage would be struck to oversee the use of the Act.

Trudeau also announced that:

  • The Canada Border Services Agency has been turning back non-Canadians attempting to enter the country and join illegal blockades.
  • Canada will offer an additional $500-million loan to Ukraine and provide $7.8 million in lethal military equipment and ammunition.

Kenney says federal Emergencies Act not needed for Alberta blockades but Ford open to additional measures in Ontario

Today's First Ministers' call with Trudeau and the premiers followed the RCMP's arrest of 11 people at Coutts, Alta. and the seizure weapons, ammunition, and high capacity magazines from a group "said to have a willingness to use force" against police attempts to end the blockade at the Canada-U.S. border crossing.

Asked about federal use of the Emergencies Act, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said his province already has the needed statutory powers, operational capacity, and "strong laws."

A federal emergency declaration would be unhelpful and escalate the situation by potentially provoking protesters, Kenney added.

Watch Alberta Premier Jason Kenney take questions after an announcement in Calgary:

Quebec Premier François Legault said he opposed applying the Emergencies Act to his province:

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe also publicly signalled his opposition:

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said this morning that police in his province now have every resource and tool they need to deal with protests, including the continuing occupation in Ottawa.

As for the Emergencies Act, Ford said he would support any proposal to maintain law and order and ensure the economy functions.

Ford also announced Ontario will remove proof-of-vaccination requirements and all indoor capacity limits on March 1, though masking rules will remain in effect. Loosening of restrictions on capacity limits and gatherings will begin later this week.

Watch the news conference:

Here's what Conservative leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre told reporters ahead of this afternoon's question period:

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh indicated his party would support use of the Emergencies Act.

But such a development symbolizes a failure of federal leadership and weeks of inaction leading to the "siege of Ottawa" and border shutdowns, he said this morning. 

Watch Singh's full news conference:

But Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet called the Emergencies Act a "useless" option, echoing Legault's opposition to its application to Quebec.

Watch Blanchet's news conference:

Watch more from MPs today on the Emergencies Act and the blockades:

In the House

Watch today's question period:

MPs voted down last week's Conservative motion calling for the government to present, by the end of February, a plan for removing federal COVID-19 restrictions and vaccine mandates.  

The motion, from interim Conservative leader Candice Bergen, failed by a vote of 185 to 151:

That, given that provinces are lifting COVID-19 restrictions and that Dr. Theresa Tam has said that all existing public health measures need to be "re-evaluated" so that we can "get back to some normalcy", the House call on the government to table a plan for the lifting of all federal mandates and restrictions, and to table that plan by February 28, 2022.

The government has moved closure on a motion to expedite Bill C-10, which sets aside $1.5 billion to supply rapid COVID-19 tests. 

In Committee

Federal officials go before the Standing Committee on Finance for questions on Bill C-8. 10am ET / 7am PT

Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities Minister Dominic LeBlanc discusses his mandate with MPs on the transport committee. 11am ET / 8am PT

Housing and Diversity and Inclusion Minister Ahmed Hussen and Seniors Minister Kamal Khera both perform the same task at the human resources committee. 11am ET / 8am PT

Representatives of the agriculture sector -- from the Canadian Meat Council and Canadian Pork Council to the Egg Producers of Canada -- appear at the Commons agriculture committee to discuss supply-chain issues. 11am ET / 8am PT

The ethics committee hears more expert testimony about privacy and the government's collection and use of mobile data to analyze the pandemic movement of Canadians. 11am ET / 8am PT

Senior officials brief the foreign affairs committee on situation in the Taiwan Strait. 11am ET / 8am PT

Academic experts appear at the defence committee to discuss national security threats and Canada's operational readiness. 3:30pm ET / 12:30pm PT

Meanwhile, federal officials brief the trade committee on modernizing the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement. 3:30pm ET / 12:30pm PT

A number of groups make presentations to the natural resources committee on an emissions cap for the oil and gas sector, including Clean Energy Canada, Clean Prosperity, and the Pembina Institute. 3:30pm ET / 12:30pm PT

Two retired major generals -- David Fraser and Dean Milner -- appear at the Special Committee on Afghanistan to discuss the effort by veterans to evacuate refugees. 6:30pm ET / 3:30pm PT

Today in Politics Podcast: Mark Sutcliffe and Peter Van Dusen

The federal government says it’s prepared to enact emergency powers, but also says police need to "do their job" when it comes to ending the blockades. A Conservatives motion to end federal restrictions by March 31st goes before the House of Commons today. And Jean Charest says he’s "very interested" in running for the leadership of the federal Conservatives.

Here's your morning update with Mark Sutcliffe: