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Canada’s House of Commons on Monday voted 185 – 151 in favor of granting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau the right to enact the Emergencies Act in response to the protests against COVID vaccine mandates that have been taking place in Ottawa since Jan. 29. The Senate has three days to approve the measure, or it will be dissolved.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney over the weekend said he would file a legal challenge to the use of the measure, calling it “unnecessary,” “disproportionate” and claiming it “violated natural justice.”
Alberta is filing a Court challenge to the unjustified use of the Emergencies Act.
We may also intervene in support of other Court challenges.
As Tommy Douglas said about the use of the War Measures Act in 1970, it’s like “using a sledgehammer to crack a peanut. https://t.co/lx53TNcaJb pic.twitter.com/QD98vKgc32
— Jason Kenney (@jkenney) February 19, 2022
The premiers of Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Quebec also opposed Trudeau’s use of the Emergencies Act.
Meanwhile, Ottawa’s streets are clear today after police moved in over the weekend to disperse the Freedom Convoy protesters. Hundreds of Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Ontario Provincial Police and regular officers from across Ontario cleared out trucks and protesters, arresting about 170.
Trudeau said there were still some truckers outside the city limits planning blockades or occupations, The Guardian reported.
In an address to the nation Monday night, Trudeau called the protestors “dangerous,” “illegal,” “violent,” “disturbing” and “destabilizing.”
He told Canadian citizens the Emergencies Act is “necessary” in order to “restore order” and “keep people safe.”
Here’s the latest on the protests in Ottawa:
- In a vote of 185 (Liberals, New Democrats & Green) to 151 (Conservatives, Bloc Quebecois & Green), on Monday night, the Canadian Parliament approved the use of the Emergencies Act for a period of 30 days.
- The New Democratic Party’s leader Jagmeet Singh, with 25 seats in the House, said he will pull his support for the Act if the government fails to provide transparent information about its activities and an explanation of the ongoing necessity for the extra powers. The Act can be revoked at any time.
- The Emergencies Act will be immediately suspended if it fails to be ratified by both the House of Commons and the Senate, which has three days to decide on the issue. Scores of Canadians are lobbying and petitioning Senators to reject the act. The last time the Senate rejected a bill was in 1996.
- The new Emergency Economic Measures Order will require all Canadian financial institutions and fundraising platforms to register with and report any suspicious activity to the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) and to comply with requests to freeze “domestic terrorists’” accounts.
Unlike the Emergencies Act, this FINTRAC Order, which broadens the scope of Canada’s anti-money laundering and terrorist financing rules, is expected to be permanent, according to Canada’s Finance Minister, Chrystia Freeland.
- The Canadian Civil Liberties Association filed an application for judicial review requesting the Emergencies Act and the Emergency Economics Measures Order be squashed.
- Tamara Lich, one of the Freedom Convoy’s key organizers, was denied bail. An Ontario court judge stated there was too much of a chance Lich would re-offend if she was released.
Towed trucks may be sold to pay for Ottawa’s policing costs for the three weeks of the dispute and the settlements of a pending lawsuit could be leveled against key protestors by angry citizens.
