Evidence of meeting #10 for Declaration of Emergency in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was police.
A video is available from Parliament.
9:10 p.m.
NDP
The Joint Chair NDP Matthew Green
As the minister responsible for emergency preparedness, what responsibility do you take for the unpreparedness for a mass movement protest in the nation's capital?
9:10 p.m.
Liberal
Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON
I would point out that Chief Sloley is accountable to his police services board and through the—
9:10 p.m.
NDP
The Joint Chair NDP Matthew Green
As the minister responsible for emergency preparedness, ostensibly, you would have protocols in place for blockades on major ports of entry and for the nation's capital.
What responsibility do you take for the lack of preparedness leading to the events that occurred during the occupation?
9:15 p.m.
Liberal
Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON
What we saw is that they didn't set up on federal land. They went to a municipal land. I think they were exploiting—
9:15 p.m.
NDP
The Joint Chair NDP Matthew Green
Wouldn't you appoint protocols for the country as the minister responsible for emergency preparedness under anti-terrorism protocols or all of the other things that came after Bill C-51? Are you saying that within your mandate letters, it is not your responsibility to be prepared for and to have a national plan for a state of emergency?
9:15 p.m.
Liberal
Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON
There is, but not—this was not a terrorist event. To be very clear, Mr. Green, this was not a terrorist event. This was an illegal blockade—
9:15 p.m.
Liberal
Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON
It was a criminal offence. In many of those places, it is the responsibility of the police of jurisdiction and we support them.
9:15 p.m.
NDP
The Joint Chair NDP Matthew Green
Didn't it meet the threshold for your responsibility? It wouldn't meet the threshold for it being under your responsibility as an emergency. Is that what you're stating today, on the record?
9:15 p.m.
Liberal
Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON
It evolved into a situation that constituted an emergency. It wasn't an emergency in its initial days. It was an enormously challenging and difficult public order problem for the police of jurisdiction here in Ottawa.
9:15 p.m.
Liberal
Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON
As it manifested itself at borders, it became a more significant—
9:15 p.m.
Liberal
Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON
It elevated to the level of...it elevated at our borders to an issue of a national security threat and a threat against critical infrastructure.
9:15 p.m.
NDP
9:15 p.m.
Senator, Ontario, C
I'm going to jump right into it, because you made a statement that it allowed for the use of RCMP officers and other officers from other services, but there is another alternative that we can swear them in as.
I'm sure you have been involved in the swearing in of RCMP officers for G8 and G20 events. Here on every Canada Day, I think we swear in 700 or 800 RCMP officers so that they can perform the same duties as a municipal police officer.
Is that correct?
9:15 p.m.
Liberal
Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON
Yes. It takes time, Senator. That was the challenge. It takes time, and we were trying to facilitate a quick response for the needs of the city of Ottawa and the jurisdiction.
9:15 p.m.
Senator, Ontario, C
That's perfect. Thanks for that. I didn't want to leave it out there that there was only one option.
Can you tell us, in your 37 years of policing, give or take a couple of years, have you ever seen any event like this? You policed in Toronto, the biggest city in the country. Have you ever seen anything like this?
9:15 p.m.
Liberal
Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON
I've policed an awful lot of protests in my life, Vernon. I was the public order commander in Toronto for about nine years. Of course, I was the police chief there for 10 years. I also helped in other jurisdictions in public order events.
I think there were some very unique challenges in the circumstances that arose here. I've never seen a situation where trucks were used in this way, to essentially create a blockade or a fortress that made the movement of people.... Moving people around in a protest is a relatively straightforward activity. It's difficult at times, but it's doable. Those trucks made it particularly challenging.
The targeted actions that were taking place at our border clearly intended to cause maximum harm to Canadians and the Canadian economy, and it represented a significant challenge because of the jurisdictions that were overlapping and conflicting.
9:15 p.m.
Senator, Ontario, C
Quickly, we had legislation come from the other place into the Senate with regard to protests in relation to health officials, nurses and hospitals. There was consideration given in our legal committee to adding something to make it illegal to use vehicles to participate in those protests.
Is it time for us to pass legislation in this country to make it illegal to use vehicles in those protests?
9:15 p.m.
Liberal
Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON
I think it's a very important conversation we should have here in Parliament. There are a number of considerations that need to be fulsomely examined.
Certainly, the use of vehicles was complicated in these circumstances. We also have to give consideration to taking the steps that are necessary—this is part of my responsibility—to ensure that the critical infrastructure, including manufacturing in those essential trade corridors, has the necessary authorities that can be used to protect them.