'Very, very, very worried': What we learned from Freeland's convoy commission testimony
On the second last day of hearings at the Public Order Emergency Commission, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland took the stand, testifying about her role in sculpting emergency economic measures that came into effect when the federal government invoked the Emergencies Act.
Freeland told the commission about the conversations she was having with top American officials about the serious strain the "Freedom Convoy" border blockades were having on the automotive sector, recalled with some emotion a pivotal call she had with banks, and sought to outline why she felt last winter's protests were "an attack on democracy."
Here are some notable takeaways from Freeland's testimony.
WHITE HOUSE 'VERY, VERY, VERY WORRIED'
The main point Freeland sought to drive home through her testimony was how gravely concerned senior U.S. officials were about the impact the "Freedom Convoy" protests and border blockades were having on cross-border trade and key Canada-U.S. supply chains. Citing the automotive manufacturing sector repeatedly as a core example, Freeland testified that the federal government feared the border shutdowns would have long-term effects on Canadian companies.
During her testimony, Freeland was asked about a Feb. 10 email she wrote to top federal officials following a phone call she had with White House Director of the National Economic Council Brian Deese.
According to Freeland's email, U.S. President Joe Biden’s top economic policy adviser called her and was "very, very, very worried" about the Ambassador Bridge border blockade. "If this is not sorted out in the next 12 hours, all of their north eastern car plants will shut down," Freeland wrote, going on to indicate the pair would be talking every day until it was "sorted out."
Here's what Freeland then told the commission about this interaction.
"What was striking to me about the conversation I had with him… is he is a person who is very hard for Canadians to get a hold of… And so what was really striking to me, was how quickly he got on the phone with me… It was instant. And while in some ways, you know, that was in as a practical matter. That was good. But it gave me a measure of how worried the White House was about this."
"This was so worrying to me, because I could see really for the first time ever the Americans having this amber light flashing in Canada, and this amber light that said to them: 'you know what, the Canadian supply chain could be a vulnerability.' … And that's a problem for us, because there are plenty of Americans, both Democrats and Republicans who would love any excuse to impose more protectionist measures on us," Freeland said.
"I really understood at that point that the danger… it wasn't just the immediate damage. It wasn't just the immediate harm. It wasn't 'oh, you know, this plant loses four days of operation.' The danger was, were we in the process as a country of doing long-term, and possibly irreparable harm to our trading relationship with the United States?"
This conversation with Deese then prompted Freeland the next day, in texts she sent to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Deputy Chief of Staff Brian Clow show, to take the position that: "this can't go on," and "we need to show some federal leadership."
'HEART-STOPPING' CALL WITH BANKERS
Another notable portion of Freeland's testimony centred around a readout of a Feb. 13 call that Freeland had with bank executives soliciting input on what the federal government could do to address the protests. While it wasn't stated in the readout, at this point the government was on the verge of invoking the Emergencies Act.
The readout has the names of the bankers on the call redacted, but here are some examples of what the bankers had to say:
"Canada's reputation is at stake… The big hole in our financial system is these platforms, which are effectively money service businesses that are not being regulated as such."
"If you list them as people subject to sanctions (i.e. as if they are terrorists) we could act swiftly."
"I am very concerned about the banking system being seen as a political weapon of the government. We can't politicize the banks."
"Just spent a lot of time in the U.S. last week, and we were being called a 'joke' by people. I had one investor say 'I wont invest another red cent in your banana republic in Canada.' That adds to an already tough investment perspective… This is a national crisis you need to act immediately."
When recounting this "heart-stopping" conversation before the commission, Freeland appeared to tear up.
"That quote relayed to me, really made me realize I had a duty of stewardship. I have a duty. I had at that moment a very profound duty to Canadians to stand up for them. And I'm surprised that I'm getting emotional, but I really felt it. And I felt like you know, the Canadian economy could seem like this amorphous thing. Investment, it can seem amorphous. EV incentives; amorphous. But when I heard that I realized, I'm the finance minister. I'm the deputy prime minister. I have to protect Canadians. I have to protect their well being, it's being really, really damaged. So yeah, that was a meaningful conversation for me," she said.
CAN ECONOMIC HARM BE AN 'ATTACK ON DEMOCRACY'?
In the same call, according to the notes, Freeland called the protests "an attack on democracy."
"You all need to know, I think thus is indeed a crisis. It is a threat to our democracy and to peace, order and good government. I care about privacy but also care about restoring order in our society. All options are on the table. This is not just a job for Finance… and we will not let this happen again."
Asked by a commission lawyer to explain what she meant by calling the protests an attack on democracy, here's what she said.
"I was responding specifically to one of the CEOs whose bank had acted to freeze an account. Based on—this was prior to the invocation of the Emergencies Act—it was based, as that note shows, on what the bank's anti-money laundering systems detected. And based on that, the bank rightly acted. What was a concern for me and this did shape how we acted, was the banks being blamed for taking this action… And you note the mention of Fox News. The thing you have to remember about Canadian banks is many of them are significant banks in the United States as well. They are big players there and some of them trade under their Canadian names. And so they were in jeopardy not only in Canada, but also in the United States, if they were being seen to be taking a politicized position. I didn't think that was their responsibility. I thought it was the responsibility of the government to make judgments about this."
Her perspective on the protests being an attack on democracy as they were painting Canada as potentially politically unstable were probed further under cross examination by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA).
CCLA lawyer Ewa Krajewska put it to Freeland that economic security wouldn’t trump the right to protest, noting that forms of civil disobedience such as a general strike or the 'Occupy Wall Street' movement, do cause economic harm.
Freeland said that, in her view, the economic harm in those examples would not be comparable to the harm seen in Canada as a result of the "Freedom Convoy."
"Had what was happening in Canada been about I don't know, the fields behind the National Art Gallery being occupied for a long time, and maybe some comparable public park in Windsor being occupied and so on across the country. That would have been entirely legitimate protest. But, that wasn't what was happening," she said.
INSIGHTS INTO MULRONEY AND BEATTY TALKS
Lastly, Freeland's testimony also revealed that she was in contact with former federal Conservative lawmaker Perrin Beatty—who was responsible for the initial drafting of the Emergencies Act back in 1988—and then-minister Brian Mulroney, about the Act.
In a text message dated Feb. 22, Beatty, who is now President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, wrote to Freeland:
"While I'm still working my way through the implications, the financial aspects you announced seem to be the most significant additional measures that the government took under the Act.
"I certainly hope that we'll see an early non-violent end to the blockades, although I am worried, as I know you are.
"There are also lots of long term issues we need to consider once this is over, including whether we need to take other measures that could obviate the need to use extraordinary powers in the Act in the future, and how to repair holes in our political system. I'm particularly concerned about the radicalization of people who would normally be law-abiding and focused on going about their daily lives."
Beatty's comments came one day before the federal government revoked the national public order emergency declaration.
Then, Freeland was shown notes that she took during a call she had with Mulroney, dated Feb. 25.
"Emergencies Act- I brought it into law so I am in favour of it," reads one of Freeland's notations of Mulroney’s comments on the call.
"I am glad I brought in that legislation," reads another.
Asked what recollection she had of this call with Mulroney, Freeland said she believes it was largely a conversation about Russia's invasion of Ukraine one day prior, though she noted Mulroney has been a helpful adviser to her and the Liberal government, dating back to the NAFTA re-negotiations.
IN DEPTH
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Trudeau, key election players to testify at foreign interference hearings. What you need to know
The public hearings portion of the federal inquiry into foreign interference in Canadian elections and democratic institutions are picking back up this week. Here's what you need to know.
Who is supporting, opposing new online harms bill?
Now that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's sweeping online harms legislation is before Parliament, allowing key stakeholders, major platforms, and Canadians with direct personal experience with abuse to dig in and see what's being proposed, reaction is streaming in. CTVNews.ca has rounded up reaction, and here's how Bill C-63 is going over.
As Poilievre sides with Smith on trans restrictions, former Conservative candidate says he's 'playing with fire'
Siding with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on her proposed restrictions on transgender youth, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre confirmed Wednesday that he is against trans and non-binary minors using puberty blockers.
TREND LINE What Nanos' tracking tells us about Canadians' mood, party preference heading into 2024
Heading into a new year, Canadians aren't feeling overly optimistic about the direction the country is heading, with the number of voters indicating negative views about the federal government's performance at the highest in a decade, national tracking from Nanos Research shows.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada, G7 urge 'all parties' to de-escalate in growing Mideast conflict
Canada called for "all parties" to de-escalate rising tensions in the Mideast following an apparent Israeli drone attack against Iran overnight.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
'It was all my savings': Ontario woman loses $15K to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Families to receive Canada Child Benefit payment on Friday
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
Taylor Swift drops 15 new songs on double album, 'The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology'
On Friday, the pop star released her 11th album and at 2 a.m. Eastern, she released "The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology," featuring 15 additional songs.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
DEVELOPING G7 warns of new sanctions against Iran as world reacts to apparent Israeli drone attack
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.
Local Spotlight
UBC football star turning heads in lead up to NFL draft
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
Molly on a mission: N.S. student collecting books about women in sport for school library
Molly Knight, a grade four student in Nova Scotia, noticed her school library did not have many books on female athletes, so she started her own book drive in hopes of changing that.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
Marmot in the city: New resident of North Vancouver's Lower Lonsdale a 'rock star rodent'
When Les Robertson was walking home from the gym in North Vancouver's Lower Lonsdale neighbourhood three weeks ago, he did a double take. Standing near a burrow it had dug in a vacant lot near East 1st Street and St. Georges Avenue was a yellow-bellied marmot.
Relocated seal returns to Greater Victoria after 'astonishing' 204-kilometre trek
A moulting seal who was relocated after drawing daily crowds of onlookers in Greater Victoria has made a surprise return, after what officials described as an 'astonishing' six-day journey.
Ottawa barber shop steps away from Parliament Hill marks 100 years in business
Just steps from Parliament Hill is a barber shop that for the last 100 years has catered to everyone from prime ministers to tourists.
'It was a special game': Edmonton pinball player celebrates high score and shout out from game designer
A high score on a Foo Fighters pinball machine has Edmonton player Dave Formenti on a high.
'How much time do we have?': 'Contamination' in Prairie groundwater identified
A compound used to treat sour gas that's been linked to fertility issues in cattle has been found throughout groundwater in the Prairies, according to a new study.