44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 20, 2022 07:00AM
- Feb/20/22 7:33:17 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I think we need to be careful because this debate is not just about the abuse that was committed during the protest. This movement took hold because some truckers were against mandatory vaccination for cross-border truckers and then the situation deteriorated.
I do not want to minimize the movement, but the member said that the use of the Emergencies Act was the result of the government's lack of leadership. I imagine that she agrees that the government could have taken action sooner and used other tools instead of allowing the crisis to escalate and then using this law of last resort.
I would like to hear the member say that this debate is about the health measures and that the situation did not warrant the use of the Emergencies Act.
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- Feb/20/22 9:14:12 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his speech.
Ironically, this morning I received an Instagram notification, which reminded me of what happened exactly two years ago, specifically the rail blockade of—
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- Feb/20/22 9:17:09 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I see that tempers are flaring. I will change my question because I want us to get back to the debate.
We are talking about the Emergencies Act, an act that has never been invoked since it was passed in 1988. There is a reason for that. I think that there are other tools that could have been used before we got to this point, which brings me back to my question.
Two years ago, the Wet’suwet’en were protesting the Coastal GasLink project. It did not take long before the RCMP was sent in. There was a court injunction. Clearly, other tools could have been used. There was no need for the Emergencies Act.
What does my colleague think about that?
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- Feb/20/22 10:34:34 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his speech. I really appreciated it.
He is right. It is deplorable that people's opinions have turned into an issue, an argument among friends and family, and between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated. All of this has clearly exacerbated the divisions in Canadian society.
With all due respect to the member, I know that his party has finally reversed its position and asked the protesters to leave, but I still find it appalling to have seen members of the Conservative Party on social media, waging some kind of disinformation campaign about the motion the member mentioned. They said they were asking for a plan to lift public health measures. Certain Conservative Party members said that they were asking for the health measures to be lifted and that that was what the vote would be on, so they had to tell members to vote in favour of the motion.
Does the member not find that this exacerbated divisions and that it did a great disservice to the cause?
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- Feb/20/22 11:52:15 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, my colleague wondered whether the NDP had lost or changed its convictions, since it took a firm, clear position against the War Measures Act in 1970.
I would say to him that we are critical of people living in echo chambers right now because they only hear what they want to hear.
I feel like that is kind of what is going on with the NDP right now, because they are only focusing on the abusive actions and words of the protesters, and they are forgetting that the debate is about the Emergencies Act. This act of last resort allows for the use of measures that might be unjustifiable under normal circumstances.
Does my colleague not agree that the NDP is endorsing what could become a dangerous precedent?
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