Liberals have NDP support ... for now
Singh’s party remains lone potential partner to confirm declaration as Tories, Bloc set to oppose
The federal government has no plans to immediately revoke its declaration of a national emergency if police completely clear the occupation of downtown Ottawa this weekend by so-called “Freedom Convoy” protesters.
But that decision now rests ultimately not in the hands of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, but rather with NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh.
Trudeau’s minority government needs the support of at least one of the major opposition parties in a vote next week to endorse its invocation of the Emergencies Act, which gives the government extraordinary and time-limited powers.
The Conservatives and Bloc Québécois have both said they will vote against the government, leaving the NDP as the Liberal minority’s only potential partner. So far, Singh has indicated that his party will support the government action, but that could change as the events of the weekend unfold.
An NDP official speaking on background Friday said the party’s stance remained unchanged, but said New Democrats would be monitoring the situation in Ottawa this weekend and “have stressed that we will be vigilant and pull our support as needed.”
Amid a flurry of criticism and claims that the government had overreacted Monday by invoking the act for the first time in history, and had failed to meet the definition of a “national emergency,” Justice Minister David Lametti said that the occupation and border blockades “have been national in scope.”
He said the government hopes to lift the declaration “as soon as possible,” but pointed to the ongoing situation in Ottawa and the need for vigilance at border crossings and around other critical infrastructure.
“We’ll lift the state of emergency when we can, and as soon as possible, once the situation is secure and we’re sure that we no longer need the tools identified in the Emergencies Act,” Lametti said.
While all major ports of entry remain open for trade and travel, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino warned that “the progress we have made at the borders is not cast in stone.”
He said protesters have attempted to obstruct crossings again, including at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, but so far have been prevented from doing so by police.
“I would simply stress that while we’ve made progress, the blockades are not ended there,” he said. “There is an ongoing and fluid situation and the tools being used under the Emergencies Act have been of great assistance.”
Although the Emergencies Act has been in effect since the government invoked it on Monday, both the House of Commons and Senate need to vote on motions to confirm its activation. If the motion fails in either chamber, the declaration of emergency is immediately revoked.
Both the House and the Senate cancelled their sessions on Friday over security concerns as police began to clear protesters from downtown Ottawa. Debate on the motion was expected to resume Saturday morning in the House, while the Senate is set to meet Monday.
Interim Conservative Leader Candice Bergen tweeted Friday that Trudeau was to blame for the situation in Ottawa, and said that MPs need to return to the House on Saturday “to stop the overreach by this government.”
But the cabinet ministers insisted that tools granted by the Emergencies Act have been of use to law enforcement this week. The act allows, among other things, for the government to direct “qualified individuals” to provide essential services for compensation.
Lametti said this has included tow-truck drivers feeling “covered by the law,” making them willing to help police clear vehicles that had converged on downtown Ottawa. It’s had “a very positive impact, it’s incentivized people across Canada,” he said.
The ability under the act to designate “no-go zones” has also allowed police to more effectively clear protesters, Mendicino said.
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland again noted that the act has allowed for the freezing of bank accounts related to the protests. But she also again declined to provide any details, citing requests from police, although she said she recognized the information “is in the public interest” and hopes to eventually share it.
That said, a lawyer for Ottawa residents who have launched a classaction lawsuit for damages allegedly caused by the protests said the government has been moving too slowly in freezing accounts.
As the Star reported Thursday, the private citizens were also successful in getting a court order to freeze convoy organizers’ bank accounts and digital “wallets,” which are believed to hold more than $1 million in bitcoin and cryptocurrency.