.IvisonJ: A 'serene' Justin Trudeau fails to justify using the Emergencies Act via nationalpost
The prime minister’s appearance at the Public Order Emergency Commission offered a fascinating insight into the mindset of the man making the decision. He pronounced himself “absolutely serene” and confident that he did the right thing.The NP Comment newsletter from columnist Colby Cosh and NP Comment editors tackles the important topics with boldness, verve and wit. Get NP Platformed delivered to your inbox weekdays by 4 p.m. ET.
“It was an unpleasant situation — very bad headlines,” Trudeau told commission counsel, Shantona Chaudhury. The prime minister complained to then-Ottawa mayor, Jim Watson, that Ford was “hiding” for political reasons.Article content The Liberals have been cagey on this point — Justice Minister David Lametti in his testimony wouldn’t even confirm such an opinion exists, citing solicitor-client privilege. The Commissioner, Justice Paul Rouleau, wondered how he is supposed to assess the government’s use of the act without access to the legal opinion.
When pressed on the nature of the threats in this case, Trudeau cited “the weaponization of vehicles,” “the use of children as human shields,” the presence of weapons at the Coutts, Alta., border crossing and the theft of guns from a truck in Peterborough, Ont., which police feared may be heading for Ottawa.
A lawyer for OPS made the case that the plan presented on the 13th was the one that succeeded on the 18th, a concession Trudeau refused to make, presumably because doing so would have undermined his contention that the Emergencies Act was a game-changer. “I took in the weight of the decision and reflected briefly on the reassurance it gave me that the entire system, the Clerk, Canada’s top public servant, and an impartial, professional public service were making the recommendation.”
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