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Prime Minister Trudeau testifies in emergency law inquiry




Marie Daniel Smith, Canadian Press

Published Sunday, November 20, 2022 at 11:10am EST


The final sprint is underway with the Public Order Emergency Committee, which has already heard more than 60 witnesses over five weeks about the government’s response to last winter’s Freedom Convoy protests.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and seven ministers were tasked with scrutinizing the decision to invoke the state of emergency law this week in response to weeks of demonstrations that have hit downtown Ottawa and blocked several border crossings. Appears before the investigation.

The head of the Canadian Security Intelligence Agency and two others from the spy agency will testify this week.

Those involved in protests organized against the COVID-19 mandate and the Liberal government are also expected to show up by filling seats in the public viewing area of ​​the Library and Archives Canada study in downtown Ottawa. A heavy presence to be expected, especially on the day of Trudeau’s testimony.

Armed with a vast amount of internal documents from multiple police services and all levels of government, the investigation has heard of confusion, disputes, and alleged mismanagement by police leadership leading to law enforcement decisions. did.

On the key question of whether the Trudeau cabinet was right to move forward with the bill, many witnesses said the measures were helpful. However, aside from some of the people closest to Trudeau, few said they had pre-recommended Trudeau’s far-reaching authority.

Trudeau national security adviser Jody Thomas testified last week that officials had a broader interpretation of what constitutes a “national security threat” than what is outlined in the CSIS law definition. Questions are sure to arise after it is suggested that it depends on the ability to do Even if she argues that both laws need to be modernized to reflect how threats have evolved, which emergency laws rely on.

But now that it’s time to get to the heart of the matter, how much do decision makers really say?

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly on the matter. Their testimony, however, will be subject to the same limitations that lawyers have already encountered during their investigations.

Last week, investigative commissioner Paul Rouleau revealed that the commission’s attorneys had reached an agreement with the federal government about what could be raised during testimony.

He said “input” to ministers could be made public, including advice from non-ministers and information put before them. However, discussions between ministers and statements made by individual ministers are still considered classified material.

Cabinet documents, private e-mails and text messages, and normally classified information reports have all been submitted as evidence, but many have been for cabinet secrets, attorney-client privilege, or for national security reasons. It has been extensively edited from.

Let’s take a look at who’s been called to testify this week, in the order they’re expected to show up:

— David Vigneault, CSIS Director. Michel Tessier, Deputy Director of Operations, CSIS. Marie-Hélène Chayer, Executive Director of the Integrated Terrorism Assessment Center within CSIS: The three are expected to attend the panel and discuss the assessment produced by CSIS. agency.

— Bill Blair, Minister of Emergency Preparedness: Former Toronto Police Chief has made an assessment of the police decisions made when the “Freedom Convoy” was deployed and an apparent relationship with former Ottawa Police Chief Peter Srolley and officials. You may be asked about disagreements. Alberta Government.

— Marco Mendicino: As Minister of Public Security, his portfolio includes partnerships with CSIS, RCMP and Canadian Border Services Agency. He will face questions about his suggestion earlier this year that police called for the emergency law but later did not. You may be asked about a sentence you proposed a media strategy for.

— Dominic LeBlanc, Minister for Intergovernmental Affairs: His file governs federal relations with provinces, but he is concerned with how Ottawa will respond to Canada-U.S. border closures in Ontario and Alberta. Testimony suggests that last winter so far hasn’t always been smooth because of the lack of air.

— David Lametti, Minister of Justice: As Federal Attorney General, Lametti’s answers may be further limited by attorney-client privileges. Earlier this year, he cited that legal issue many times in prefacing his response to a parliamentary committee investigating the state of emergency.

— Defense Minister Anita Anand: Alberta has asked the Canadian military for help in handling a blockade in the border town of Coutts, but a handwritten note taken by the government says the Canadian military is using the emergency law. was specifically excluded from Trudeau’s plans for Staff in discussion with the prime minister before the invocation.

— Omar Alghabra, Minister of Transport: He is likely to be questioned about the economic cost of border closures, a key item of inquiry for transport officials who turned up last week. Transport Canada estimates that the protests cost him $3.9 billion in trading activity.

— Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Finance and Deputy Chancellor: In addition to questions arising from her senior position in the Cabinet, Freeland said that under emergency laws that allow financial institutions to freeze bank accounts, You will certainly be asked about the economic regulations that have been implemented. of the demonstrator.

— Katie Telford, Trudeau’s chief of staff. Lieutenant Brian Crowe. John Brodhead, Director of Policy at the Prime Minister’s Office: Trudeau’s senior staff will appear on the panel, discussing the advice Trudeau received leading up to the decision and how his office holds information. Face the question. Things were progressing.

— Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: His much-anticipated testimony concludes six weeks of hearings before the Commission. He is ultimately responsible for the use of emergency law and is the country’s leading expert on why decisions are made.



Prime Minister Trudeau testifies in emergency law inquiry

Source link Prime Minister Trudeau testifies in emergency law inquiry

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