Commission probing use of Emergencies Act for 2022 trucker protests granted extension
The commission investigating the federal government's use of the Emergencies Act to quell the trucker protests last winter in Ottawa has asked for more time to complete its report.
A government source, who was granted anonymity to discuss matters not yet public, says the order-in-council establishing the Public Order Emergency Commission will be modified to change the Feb. 6 deadline to submit its report to the government.
The source, however, says the commission will abide by the deadline imposed by the Emergencies Act, which requires the report to be submitted to Parliament -- and released to the public -- within 360 days of the emergency declaration being revoked.
That deadline is Feb. 20.
Headed by Justice Paul Rouleau, the commission is investigating the federal Liberal government's use of the Emergencies Act last winter to end the "Freedom Convoy" protests that gridlocked downtown Ottawa for more than three weeks.
The government invoked the law on Feb. 14, 2022, which granted extraordinary powers to police and governments to limit the protesters' right to assembly and freeze their bank accounts in the hopes of clearing the demonstrations and preventing protesters from returning.
IN DEPTH
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PM Trudeau presents premiers $196B health-care funding deal, with $46B in new funding over the next decade
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Canada may be turning corner on inflation, but Bank of Canada governor not ruling out 'mild recession'
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Opinion
opinion | Don Martin: Beware the friendly face of Joe Biden. He's just not that into us.
Joe Biden comes for a sleepover next week to make Canada the 18th country he has visited since being sworn in as U.S. president, quite the protocol slippage from that fading, if not forgotten, tradition of Canada being the first foreign presidential pitstop, writes Don Martin in a column for CTVNews.ca.

opinion | Don Martin: Finally and inevitably, Trudeau waved the white flag
After weeks of refusing to look further into foreign election interference, Justin Trudeau surrendered to intense pressure and appointed a 'special rapporteur' to review China's actions. In his exclusive column for CTVNews.ca, Don Martin writes this 'startling change of heart' suggests the PMO is in panic mode and reflects badly on the prime minister's decision making.
opinion | Don Martin: The Trudeau tipping point is within sight
The Trudeau tipping point is within sight. The moment when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau knows he has to quit for the good of the party or the Liberals realize they can't survive re-election with him at the helm is almost upon us, Don Martin writes in an exclusive column for CTVNews.ca.
opinion | Don Martin: Trudeau can't ignore the dangers of Chinese meddling in Canada's elections
Bombshell revelations that suggest Chinese agents actively, fraudulently and successfully manipulated Canada's electoral integrity in the last two federal elections cannot be dismissed with the standard Justin Trudeau nothing-to-see-here shrug, Don Martin writes in his exclusive opinion column for CTVNews.ca.
opinion | Don Martin: Alarms going off over health-care privatization? Such an out-of-touch waste of hot political air
The chances Trudeau's health-care summit with the premiers will end with the blueprint to realistic long-term improvements are only marginally better than believing China’s balloon was simply collecting atmospheric temperatures, Don Martin writes in an exclusive column for CTVNews.ca, 'But it’s clearly time the 50-year-old dream of medicare as a Canadian birthright stopped being such a nightmare for so many patients.'
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