Emergency situation 'not over' PM Trudeau says after police crackdown in the capital

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government does not intend to keep the Emergencies Act in effect “a single day longer” than its required, but right now, concerns remain that protesters and trucks could be repositioning to return to the nation’s capital.

“This state of emergency is not over. There continues to be real concerns about the coming days. But we will continue to evaluate every single day whether or not it is time,” said the prime minister during a press conference on Monday, calling the use of the Act necessary but “not something we ever want to see again.”

Asked whether the wide-spanning national emergency powers are still required, given that blockades at border crossings have been alleviated and downtown Ottawa is quiet and largely free from trucks or convoy protesters after a weekend of massive police operations, Trudeau said that the situation prompting the use of the Act has not entirely been resolved.

There are still people and trucks who are affiliated with anti-COVID-19 mandates and anti-government protests gathered in Arnprior and Embrun, two towns on either side of Ottawa, that have indicated an interest in resuming blockades, Trudeau said.

“We will re-evaluate every single day, but right now, when the situation is still of people prepositioning, people being out there indicating that they are ready to blockade, to continue their illegal occupations, to disrupt Canadians' lives, we feel that this measure needs to remain in place,” he said. “We hope to only keep it in place for a number more days.”

As of Monday morning, there have been 196 arrests of “Freedom Convoy” participants in Ottawa, and 115 vehicles have been towed. Nearly 400 charges have been laid so far, ranging from mischief and obstruction, to assaulting a police officer. Checkpoints remain active around the downtown core, with only those who work, live or have a lawful reason to be in the area allowed to enter, as and crews continue to collect garbage and debris left in the streets.

• Capital Dispatch: Stay up to date on the latest news from Parliament Hill

Trudeau thanked the law enforcement agencies from across the country who joined the operations in Ottawa and noted that the last few weeks have been difficult, “disturbing,” and stressful for many Canadians.

The powers are set to remain in effect until mid-March, unless they are rescinded earlier by the government or Parliament.

Echoing his comments when he first enacted the Emergencies Act on Feb. 14, Trudeau said that he did not want to take the unprecedented step of using these powers, but the situation required it.

“This situation is not anything anyone wanted and, quite frankly, is not something we ever want to see again,” Trudeau said.

• 191 arrests later, Ottawa police remove remaining 'Freedom Convoy' vehicles

From weeks of unlawful activity, harassment of citizens, impacts to businesses, and acts of desecration, to evidence of ideologically motivated violent extremism and foreign-backed funding and disinformation, Trudeau said it was clear that local and provincial authorities did not have the tools needed to restore order.

PARLIAMENT WEIGHS POWERS

On Monday night, MPs voted to confirm the powers, seeing the historic vote pass 185 to 151, with the Liberals getting the backing of the NDP, while the Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois MPs voted against. The Green Party caucus of two was divided, seeing Elizabeth May back the move, while rookie MP Mike Morrice voted against the motion.

Ahead of the vote, Trudeau suggested he viewed it as a an indication of the level of confidence the House of Commons has in his continued leadership, prompting a few reluctant Liberals to get in line. 

“I can't imagine anyone voting against this bill as expressing anything other than a deep mistrust in the government's ability to keep Canadians safe at an extraordinarily important time,” Trudeau said.

• Vote on Emergencies Act becomes unofficial matter of confidence in government

The outcome of the vote was not a surprise as the NDP had said they’d be reluctantly backing the minority Liberals to see the declaration of emergency motion pass.

“We believe very strongly that this has been a national crisis,” said NDP leader Jagmeet Singh during a press conference following Trudeau’s address. “In response to that failure of leadership to take this seriously, we believe now the measures put in place… are helping to address the serious crisis… But I also want to be clear, we are prepared, and we've advised the prime minister, that we are prepared to pull our support and to trigger a vote on emergency measures… as soon as we believe it is no longer necessary.”

During this weekend’s special debate on the use of the Emergencies Act, Official Opposition MPs repeatedly spoke about how they feel the suite of federal powers—from compelling tow truck drivers to move big rigs, to freezing bank accounts and other financial assets of those suspected of being complicit in supporting the convoy—is massive government overreach.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau walks across an empty Wellington St. to a news conference, Monday, February 21, 2022 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

"This allows the government to use vast new powers and keep the state of emergency going... The Emergencies Act was not necessary to clear the blockades. The government already had all the tools they need under current Canadian law. We will continue to fight this power grab by the Prime Minister and his government," said interim Conservative Leader Candice Bergen in a statement after the vote. 

Immediately following the vote, Bergen moved to table a motion for revocation of the Act, which will have to be debated in the next three sitting days, meaning it'll come up after MPs return from their constituency week on Feb. 28.

Bloc Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet told reporters Monday that he doesn’t believe the extraordinary powers were required to have authorities respond to the weeks-long occupation in Ottawa.

Blanchet said that he is looking forward to digging more into what led the federal government to be in a position where it felt enacting the powers for the first time since they passed in 1988 was required.

The Senate resumed sitting Monday and after agreeing to the structure of their proceedings, will kick off their debate on the motion on Tuesday. Senators too will vote to confirm the powers once all speakers who want to rise and discuss the matter have done so.

Within 60 days of the declaration of emergency being revoked or expiring the government will have to convene an inquiry to study the use of the powers. The report stemming from this work will have to then be presented to Parliament within 360 days.

Noting the Canadian Civil Liberties Association’s decision to take the federal government to court over its historic use of the Act, and the other accountability mechanisms like the coming parliamentary review, Trudeau said there will be “checks and balances” to ensure the actions taken have been within the scope of what’s been required. 

He also suggested there will be future legislation stemming from realizing the systemic gaps in current law that the convoy and its efforts have exposed.

CANADA HAS A CHOICE TO MAKE: PM

The prime minister said that the country now has a choice to make as a society: To choose to keep “reliving these scenes that tear at the values that bind us as Canadians,” or “choose to remember who we are, and the best vision of what Canada can be.”

He said his government will always defend the right to free expression and peaceful assembly, but said what’s transpired in the last four weeks has not been that.

“In a democracy, you can protest, and you can share your opinion at the top of your lungs, you can disagree with elected officials, and you can certainly disagree with me,” Trudeau said.

“But you can’t harass your fellow Canadians who disagree with you. You can’t hold a city hostage. You can’t block a critical trade corridor and deprive people of their jobs. You can’t attack journalists for reporting… What you can do is vote. What you can do is run for office. That’s how change happens in a democracy.”

He also made an appeal to Canadians to try to mend the rifts they may have within their own social circles over politics or vaccinations, and to expand their information sources, saying there’s a lesson for all in what’s transpired in relation to the trucker convoy protests.

“Look, in the heat of the moment, we can all get carried away trying to win an argument. But not every single conversation has to be about winning the argument. Sometimes, it’s more important to just be there for one another. As a country, let’s aim for more decency in our public discourse, not less,” Trudeau said.