Emergency Act: What documents will the Liberals provide to the judge?

Government House Leader Mark Holland answered questions Tuesday about what information the Liberals would provide to a judge assigned to conduct an independent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the use of the Emergency Act after truckers ’protests against on sanitary measures.

Although the government said Judge Paul Rouleau of the Court of Appeal of Ontario would have extensive access to classified documents, it did not specify whether it would include access to confidential documents held by Cabinet Trudeau. .

This has led to questions and frustration from civil liberties organizations and opposition parties who fear that the inquiry will have no access to key documents regarding closed discussions and decisions of ministers.

Mr. Holland said the government will provide as much information as possible for Canadians to have a perfectly clear picture, to the point where it is not detrimental to national security.

We have two conflicting interestshe told reporters before a scheduled Cabinet meeting in the West Block of parliament.

” The most important thing we can do is make sure the public has all the information they need to clearly see why decisions were made and how they were made. But we also know that we must protect national security. These are things that are hard to balance. “

A reminder of the situation in the Winnipeg laboratory

Liberal and opposition parties have previously quarreled over transparency and national security, including the government’s refusal to provide documents on the expulsion of two scientists from Canada’s top security laboratory.

Little is known to the public about the dismissal of scientists Xiangguo Qiu and Keding Cheng, who were escorted out of the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg in July 2019 and then fired in January 2021.

In December, Mr Holland proposed creating a special cross-party committee to review the documents, with a panel of three former senior justices deciding what could be made public without compromising national security.

But Conservatives rejected the proposal, pointing out that in the previous parliamentary session, Canada’s Public Health Agency had ignored several orders from a Commons committee and the House itself to produce unedited documents. . .

However, Mr. Holland pointed to his previous proposal as well as the government’s offer to ask Parliament’s select intelligence committee to review confidential documents about the Winnipeg lab, as possible solutions to concerns about Security Measures. Act. emergency.

Where there are disputes, I specifically cite the example of Winnipeg labs, we responded by creating a different model that allowed for greater access and greater consideration of these points when able -one, he said Explain. So let’s continue to be rational and rational about it.

Holland’s reference to the dispute in the Winnipeg lab disagreed with Conservative emergency preparedness critic Dane Lloyd, who accused the Liberals of hide behind legal tools and called for the production of Cabinet documents.

If the Liberals are suggesting they are [ont l’intention] to treat this investigation like Winnipeg lab documents, it indicates the Liberals ’intent to hide the truth from Canadians.argument of Mr. Lloyd.

To be clear, what Mr. Holland suggests when he refers to the situation in the Winnipeg lab is to ignore two committee orders and two House of Commons orders for producing Winnipeg lab documents, all with reasonable safeguards. to protect our national securityHe added.

60 days has expired

The Liberal government used the Emergency Act for the first time in history on Feb. 14, giving extraordinary temporary power to police to evacuate protesters and asking banks to freeze the accounts of some of those involved.

The interim power means protesters and their supporters could face fines of up to $ 5,000 or five years in prison.

The Emergency Act requires the government to open an investigation within 60 days of his dismissal to review the circumstances that led to his declaration and the steps taken to address them.

Monday is the last day the government can launch an investigation under the law. Justice Rouleau must provide a final report in English and French to the federal government before February 20, 2023.

While many people are involved in freedom convoy They said they were there to demand an end to all restrictions on COVID-19, some, including many of the more vocal organizers, who also wanted to overthrow the Liberal government.

For most of February, Parliament Hill and the streets around it were filled with people and trucks carrying signs and flags with posted expletives directed at Justin Trudeau.

The protests have had a big impact on Ottawa residents and downtown businesses. Officials described a state of anarchybecause the regulations were not enforced by the police for three weeks and the sound of car horns rang at all hours of the day and night.

Bleach investigation?

However, some provincial premieres have spoken out against what they say is the federal government’s excessive power, saying the police already have all the authority they need to evict the protesters.

The Auditor General of the City of Ottawa also launched an analysis of the local response and several groups, including the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, have filed lawsuits in Federal Court challenging the government’s use of the Act in emergency measures. .

Another convoy, it was aboard a motorcycle, is scheduled to arrive in Ottawa next weekend.

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association has raised concerns that the government wants to limit the investigation to the protesters ’actions, not to its own decision -making.

The Conservatives echoed this, accusing the government of trying to turn white investigation.