By Andrew Thomson | UPDATED 5:05pmET
In the House: Question Period and the Emergencies Act
Conservatives at today's question period accused the prime minister of using the "unprecedented sledgehammer" of the Emergencies Act to deal with blockades and occupations -- and continuing to divide and provoke Canadians instead of seeking a compromise.
Justin Trudeau countered that now was the time for "responsible leadership, not crass partisanship," listing a number of Conservative MPs he said continued to support blockade leaders.
Trudeau did not specifically answer a question from interim Conservative leader Candice Bergen about when the emergency declaration would be tabled for debate in Parliament.
Emergencies Act: Read the official cabinet order
Cabinet's formal order-in-council posted today justified the emergency declaration because of:
(i) the continuing blockades by both persons and motor vehicles that is occurring at various locations throughout Canada and the continuing threats to oppose measures to remove the blockades, including by force, which blockades are being carried on in conjunction with activities that are directed toward or in support of the threat or use of acts of serious violence against persons or property, including critical infrastructure, for the purpose of achieving a political or ideological objective within Canada,
(ii) the adverse effects on the Canadian economy — recovering from the impact of the pandemic known as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) — and threats to its economic security resulting from the impacts of blockades of critical infrastructure, including trade corridors and international border crossings,
(iii) the adverse effects resulting from the impacts of the blockades on Canada’s relationship with its trading partners, including the United States, that are detrimental to the interests of Canada,
(iv) the breakdown in the distribution chain and availability of essential goods, services and resources caused by the existing blockades and the risk that this breakdown will continue as blockades continue and increase in number, and
(v) the potential for an increase in the level of unrest and violence that would further threaten the safety and security of Canadians.
The declaration of a public order emergency thus allows for:
(i) measures to regulate or prohibit any public assembly — other than lawful advocacy, protest or dissent — that may reasonably be expected to lead to a breach of the peace, or the travel to, from or within any specified area, to regulate or prohibit the use of specified property, including goods to be used with respect to a blockade, and to designate and secure protected places, including critical infrastructure,
(ii) measures to authorize or direct any person to render essential services of a type that the person is competent to provide, including services related to removal, towing and storage of any vehicle, equipment, structure or other object that is part of a blockade anywhere in Canada, to relieve the impacts of the blockades on Canada’s public and economic safety, including measures to identify those essential services and the persons competent to render them and to provide reasonable compensation in respect of services so rendered,
(iii) measures to authorize or direct any person to render essential services to relieve the impacts of the blockade, including measures to regulate or prohibit the use of property to fund or support the blockade, to require any crowdfunding platform and payment processor to report certain transactions to the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada and to require any financial service provider to determine whether they have in their possession or control property that belongs to a person who participates in the blockade,
(iv) measures to authorize the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to enforce municipal and provincial laws by means of incorporation by reference,
(v) the imposition of fines or imprisonment for contravention of any order or regulation made under section 19 of the Emergencies Act; and
(vi) other temporary measures authorized under section 19 of the Emergencies Act that are not yet known.
The government must table a "motion for confirmation of a declaration of emergency" before both the House and Senate within seven sitting days of the declaration, according to the act.
Debate "without interruption" will begin the following sitting day. The declaration is automatically voided if either chamber votes down the motion.
"We are seized by this and we will be moving imminently," government House leader Mark Holland told reporters this morning when asked re timeframe for the introduction in Parliament of a motion to confirm the government’s emergency declaration under the Emergencies Act.#cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/vTpBJQzDq7
— CPAC (@CPAC_TV) February 15, 2022
Watch more with federal ministers:
Twenty MPs or 10 senators can also trigger a motion to revoke the emergency declaration. Voting would take place after no more than 10 hours of debate.
The declaration automatically expires after 30 days unless continued or revoked; a special parliamentary committee will be struck to provide oversight of the government's use of the Emergencies Act, Justice Minister David Lametti said yesterday.
Measures to counter continuing blockades and occupations will be time-limited, geographically-targeted, reasonable, and proportionate, according to Trudeau.
But with several premiers publicly objecting to the use of the Emergencies Act, Trudeau faced questions yesterday 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 declaration applies across the country.
The provisions include:
- 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;
- Authorizing 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 yesterday.
Meanwhile, Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly has resigned amid continuing anger and scrutiny of the service's response to the occupation that has overwhelmed the national capital's downtown core.
"He's a fundamentally decent man faced with a very difficult job and frankly I'm very saddened by this turn of events—and at the same I think there is an important job yet to be done to restore order & provide effective policing services to the people of Ottawa," says Min. Blair. https://t.co/wno9dz4xuf
— CPAC (@CPAC_TV) February 15, 2022
Asked yesterday 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.
Watch: Ottawa Police Services Board meets in wake of Peter Sloly's resignation as chief
Ontario Premier Doug Ford took questions in Hamilton this morning on the federal emergency declaration:
Federal ministers announce easing of COVID-19 border measures
Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos says the federal government is no longer recommending that Canadians avoid all non-essential travel, but adds that "Canadians should still exercise caution when travelling abroad."#cdnpoli | #COVID19 https://t.co/UigV4T5xbX
— CPAC (@CPAC_TV) February 15, 2022
Watch the full news conference with ministers Jean-Yves Duclos (health), Omar Alghabra (transport), Marco Mendicino (public safety), Randy Boissonnault (tourism) and Dominic LeBlanc (intergovernmental affairs):
Mendicino also discussed the use of the Emergencies Act and police action to re-open border crossings at Windsor (Ontario), Coutts (Alberta), and Surrey (B.C.).
In the House: Bill C-12
For a second straight day the government has moved closure on a motion to expedite debate on a pandemic-related bill.
Today is C-12, which addresses the clawback of Guaranteed Income Supplement payments to low-income seniors because of COVID-19 emergency benefits claimed as income.
In Committee
Immigration Minister Sean Fraser appears at the immigration committee for questions on his department’s processing times and acceptance rates. 11am ET / 8am PT
The top executives of the Public Sector Pension Investment Board appear at the public accounts committee following the auditor general’s recent report on the Crown corporation. 11am ET / 8am PT
The Office of the Auditor General briefs the government operations committee on air force and naval procurement. 3:30pm ET / 12:30pm PT
Senior officials from various federal departments brief the veterans affairs committee on the “desecration of monuments honouring veterans.” 6:30pm ET / 3:30pm PT
Today in Politics Podcast: Mark Sutcliffe and Susan Delacourt
The federal government invokes the Emergencies Act; the government goes after financial support for illegal activity connected with the protest, and takes aim at the finances of the blockade participants. And the Conservatives accuse Justin Trudeau of dividing Canadians.
Here's your morning update with Mark Sutcliffe:
