44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 20, 2022 07:00AM
- Feb/20/22 5:37:50 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Manicouagan for her speech.
We both agree that the Prime Minister and the Liberal government let the situation fester. The Prime Minister was missing in action, and therefore this crisis was not resolved as quickly as it should have been.
Will my colleague not admit that in the face of a convoy organized by the far right and radicals who said outright that they wanted to overthrow the elected government and who terrorized, harassed and intimidated the people of downtown Ottawa, there is a crisis situation?
Does she not agree that invoking the act made it possible to establish a perimeter preventing people from entering the downtown, declare that their unjustified presence was illegal, and increase fines and freeze bank accounts?
None of these measures could have been taken without invoking the Emergencies Act, as the acting police chief of Ottawa stated.
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- Feb/20/22 7:06:36 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech.
I am a little surprised by the position taken by the Conservative Party over the past few weeks. The Conservative Party is the party of law and order, yet several Conservative MPs supported a movement that wanted to use force to overthrow a democratically elected government. It says that right on its Facebook page.
Not only is the party of law and order supporting an illegal occupation, but its members are handing out coffee and pizza to people who are here illegally and are terrorizing and harassing Ottawa residents.
Does my colleague not think that his party is divided and is contradicting itself? Either they are in favour of the convoy, or they are against it.
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- Feb/20/22 8:36:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech.
We agree that the situation deteriorated and got way out of hand because of the Prime Minister's inaction.
As for the act itself, is my colleague not reassured by the fact that its application is limited to 30 days, that fundamental freedoms are upheld and that 20 members can call for its revocation and trigger a vote in the House?
The chief of the Ottawa Police Service said that these measures were necessary because they helped end the illegal occupation, including by increasing the fines, preventing people from being inside the perimeter without good reason, and forcing certain tow truck operators to remove the trucks from the streets. The chief of the Ottawa Police Service seems to think it was useful.
Does my colleague not agree with him?
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- Feb/20/22 10:07:25 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to thank and congratulate the Parliamentary Protective Service, the interpreters, who enable us to have this debate, as well as all law enforcement agencies over the past few days.
I have a question for my colleague from Sherbrooke. Why wait three weeks?
People drove thousands of kilometres. We knew they were coming. They wanted to overthrow a democratically elected government if they did not get what they wanted. They even threatened the Prime Minister. They were receiving foreign funding.
Nevertheless, the Liberal government dragged its feet and did nothing, letting the situation escalate before deciding to invoke the Emergencies Act. Is that not an admission of failure by the Liberal government?
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- Feb/20/22 11:23:27 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, we know that the Emergencies Act is reasonable and moderate. It gives parliamentarians the tools they need to do checks. The use of this act is time limited. It will be in effect for 30 days and can be revoked in three days by a vote in the House.
I would like my hon. Liberal colleague to explain why it took so long for the government to act. The people of Ottawa are the ones who have paid the price. This convoy was organized by members of the far right, who were openly declaring that they wanted to overthrow a democratically elected government. This convoy is funded by Donald Trump supporters in the United States.
What were the Liberals doing for three weeks?
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- Feb/20/22 11:38:01 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech.
I want to clarify one thing. No one’s rights and freedoms have been suspended. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms continues to apply while the Emergencies Act is in force.
That said, I would like to know the state of mind of the members of his political party. There is a convoy that came from far away, that announced that it wants to disturb and disrupt our democratic institutions, and that is funded by supporters of Donald Trump. At the same time, his party’s interim leader and his party’s former finance critic are openly supporting these people organized by the far right. They give these people coffee and pizza while they make life miserable for the residents of Ottawa.
How can my colleague explain the actions of some of the key figures in his caucus?
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