44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 20, 2022 07:00AM
- Feb/20/22 9:53:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with my hon. colleague from Newmarket—Aurora.
The right to protest is a fundamental right in this country. It has been used repeatedly in Canada for causes that have helped us grow as a society. Think of women's suffrage, the end of racial segregation, the rights of LGBTQ2+ people, and the process of reconciliation with first nations, Métis and Inuit people.
Unfortunately, we are seeing this right to protest being hijacked by far-right populist movements, jeopardizing the common interest of Canadians, the public order, democracy, the parliamentary process and the people who are duly elected to represent Canadians. This is extremely troubling.
As the media has reported from the beginning of what has become an occupation of Parliament Hill, symbols of hate and conspiracy theories have been unabashedly displayed by protesters in downtown Ottawa for three weeks. The use of these symbols reminds us that freedom of opinion does not allow people to spread hate under the guise of freedom of expression. The individuals promoting this movement still do not seem to understand that. As we speak, downtown Ottawa has been cleared out, but protesters are relocating to other rally points.
The pandemic has been and still is the biggest challenge many Canadians have ever faced. Everyone has experienced different hardships, but the vast majority of us have faced these difficulties with the understanding that following the measures implemented by provincial and federal governments is important. We are all exhausted by this pandemic, which has been dragging on for almost two years. We have all made sacrifices for the good of our families, our friends, our communities and those most in need.
The pandemic has triggered mental health challenges for Canadians, in the form of stress, anxiety, excessive consumption behaviours and violence. There is no question that we want to be done with this deplorable virus, but it is tenacious. Last week, the official opposition cited Denmark as an example of a country that had lifted all of its health restrictions. In recent days, this small country has seen the number of COVID‑19 cases skyrocket and the number of deaths increase drastically. This is why it is important to do things properly for all of us, for our health care workers, our economy and our business owners who do not want to see more shutdowns.
Furthermore, the fact that ideological opposition to the health measures has been expressed by a vocal minority manipulated by external influences in no way justifies tolerating intimidation. It does not give anyone the right to intimidate Ottawa residents, to scare seniors into staying home and not running errands, to forcefully pull masks off people passing by, and to force restaurant owners to stay closed even longer. This occupation even employed techniques that threatened the public order, like flooding the 911 line with calls, depriving Ottawans of their right to safety. All of this is not to mention the economic consequences and the proof of foreign interference in the orchestration of this illegal protest.
I would like to remind all members that the pandemic is unfortunately not over, that the enemy is the virus, and that the best ways to beat it are to get vaccinated, to listen to science and to stand together, as we have done since the beginning, instead of encouraging divisive elements.
For two years, our government has provided unprecedented financial assistance, which helped support Canadians, our businesses and our organizations and get them through these difficult times. However, due to the occupation in Ottawa and elsewhere in Canada, businesses remained closed, people lost their jobs, all sectors were affected and the economic cost has been calculated to be in the millions of dollars. It would be deplorable if the efforts made by the government and the opposition parties to fight the consequences of COVID-19 were to be trampled by a group of protesters wanting to disrupt the democratic process in the House.
When I was in university, our professors constantly reminded us that the legislator does not speak in vain. The Emergencies Act, sponsored by a Conservative minister, was passed in order to be used. The fact that it was never invoked for 34 years is a good thing. Canada is a peaceful country. Its people are resilient and united. This act provides for a rigorous implementation process, which includes consultations with the provinces and territories, orders, several hours of debate, a vote and a review by an all-party committee. It is very different than the War Measures Act. It protects the right to protest within well-defined bounds. The decision to invoke it is not taken lightly and is not up to one person. Before the decision was made, calls were made, consultations were held, and there were meetings with the mayor of Ottawa, the Ottawa police, and the premiers of the provinces and territories.
Over the past few weeks, we have sensed a movement, the rise of something that does not represent who we are. The Emergencies Act gives tools to those on the ground who are experiencing the situation in real time, dealing up close with viciousness, confrontation and vilification. It allows the government to mobilize essential services, it gives the RCMP the ability to act more quickly to enforce local laws, and it provides more power to stop the flow of money. These measures are targeted and temporary.
In fact, the interim Ottawa police chief said that this weekend's operation would not have been possible without the powers of the act. The best example is the tow trucks. When the Ottawa police first requested them, they would not come to tow the parked trucks. With the Emergencies Act in place, they were compelled to comply with the request and join the dismantling operation, for which we are very grateful.
We were very patient. Reasonable and proportionate measures have been taken in co-operation with the provinces and territories to clear the occupation and get the economy moving again. We are sending a clear message to protect our democracy, ensure everyone's safety, and restore confidence in our institutions. At 4 p.m. today, the interim Ottawa police chief said that even though the operation over the last few days has been successful, the city has not returned to normal, and the police measures need to be kept in place in order to prevent protesters from returning.
We respect the right to protest and the rule of law, but we condemn violence and lawlessness. The protesters held their protest, and we heard them. It is now time for them to leave downtown Ottawa.
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- Feb/20/22 10:04:15 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for asking that question in French, and I congratulate him for it.
Canada is a big country, and the situations are different from one place to another. The Emergencies Act contains a rigorous implementation process, as I was saying in my speech, including consultations, which took place.
Another benefit of the act is that it applies on demand, based on need. Some provinces made the request and wanted the act to be invoked. That is the beauty of it, that it can be used where it is needed.
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- Feb/20/22 10:06:27 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, these are obviously extraordinary measures that are allowed under the legislation and give financial institutions the power to conduct investigations, in collaboration with the RCMP.
At this time, 76 personal or business accounts have been blocked. Clearly, the act is being applied within a very limited scope. The most worrisome accounts are being targeted. It is disturbing to know that most of the money paid into the fund to support the protesters came from outside Canada, which is why it is important to investigate.
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- Feb/20/22 10:08:10 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, we have heard that question a number of times in the last few hours of debate.
What I know is that there were attempts. There were meetings, calls and discussions. All kinds of efforts were made to try to make progress. Demands were made, and we responded to those demands. Additional police officers were deployed on three occasions before it got to this point.
I think this is an exceptional situation, and we are responding to it.
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