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.
9:15 p.m.
Claude Carignan
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Minister, Senator White was just talking about the RCMP's plans to remove the barriers. On February 12, 2022, the Ottawa Police Service released the following notice:
All available officers were deployed last night. We have a plan to end this unlawful occupation and await the necessary reinforcements to do so.
On February 12, 2022, the Ottawa Police Service said that it had a plan.
Were you informed of this plan?
9:20 p.m.
Liberal
Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON
We were from open sources. I of course read the media and watch the TV as everyone else does, but I had not seen the particulars of a plan, and, frankly, the situation that existed here in Ottawa and in other places in Canada required more than just more people. It required the ability to deal with some very difficult issues that they were confronted with.
9:20 p.m.
Claude Carignan
A plan was also needed.
9:20 p.m.
Claude Carignan
You didn't speak to representatives of the Ottawa Police Service for information about their plan.
Is that right?
9:20 p.m.
Liberal
Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON
Again, Senator, respectfully, that is an operational activity of the police of jurisdiction, and it's not appropriate for me to engage in any....on that.
9:20 p.m.
Claude Carignan
Did you know that the Ottawa Police Service towed some vehicles and trucks on February 10, 2022?
9:20 p.m.
Liberal
9:20 p.m.
Claude Carignan
No, I mean trucks.
9:20 p.m.
Liberal
9:20 p.m.
Claude Carignan
Are you aware that the Ottawa Police Service towed some trucks on February 10, 2022?
9:20 p.m.
Claude Carignan
Okay.
So you didn't speak to representatives of the Ottawa Police Service about their plan. On February 12, 2022, they said they had a plan. On February 10, 2022, it had been possible to tow some trucks. On February 13, 2022, the blockade at the Ambassador Bridge was dismantled, vehicles were towed away and the bridge was reopened. On February 13, 2022, at 8:30 a.m., there was a cabinet meeting and cabinet concluded that there was no option other than invoking the Emergencies Act to put an end to the occupation.
9:20 p.m.
Liberal
Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON
To be very clear, the blockade at the Ambassador Bridge, for example, took seven days to clear, and there were strong indications and evidence that it was the intention of the blockaders to return to that bridge and other bridges.
We weren't going to play whack-a-mole with this, because if it was going to take seven days to clear, the hourly impact, economic and personal, for Canadians of those blockades was enormous and significant, and we wanted to make sure that we ended that threat conclusively and forever.
9:20 p.m.
Claude Carignan
My understanding is that you did not know there was a plan, you didn't receive a notice from the police, and you were informed about their plan. From high up in your tower, you decided that the Emergencies Act had to be invoked.
Is that correct?
9:20 p.m.
Liberal
Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON
Senator, to be very clear, I was aware of the work that the police were doing, but I was not briefed on their plan nor should I be.
9:20 p.m.
Claude Carignan
Who was it?
We get the impression that members of cabinet don't speak to one another. No one was informed by the police that they had a plan and that they could tow the vehicles. It looks like cabinet was completely disconnected from reality.
9:20 p.m.
Liberal
Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON
Senator, to be very clear, your characterization is incorrect. The police did not at any time tell me that they were prepared to resolve this effectively and that they had the tools to do so.
9:20 p.m.
The Joint Chair Hon. Gwen Boniface
Minister, I'm sorry, but I have to cut you off there.
We have six speakers. We have one minute each. We'll start with Mr. Motz.
9:20 p.m.
Conservative
Glen Motz Conservative Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Minister, the protest in Coutts, Alberta, was resolved the day before the Emergencies Act was invoked. Police in Coutts addressed the situations there without the measures provided in the Emergencies Act. Further, we know that the blockade at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor was also cleared by law enforcement prior to the invoking of the Emergencies Act.
Given what we know already, was invoking the Emergencies Act truly justifiable given the threshold that has to be met, that it can be used only if no other law in Canada will suffice?
9:20 p.m.
Liberal
Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON
Thanks for the question.
The resolution in Coutts coincided with the culmination of a police investigation involving the seizure of firearms and a number of people involved in a very serious series of events that resulted in charges now before the court.
We also had indicated that we were taking action and, I think, probably rational people took the advice and left that jurisdiction. Mr. Motz, to be clear, the dismantling of the blockade in Coutts did not end the threat in Alberta or anywhere else in Canada. These blockaders made very clear their intention to continue to disrupt our border.
9:20 p.m.
The Joint Chair Hon. Gwen Boniface
Minister, thank you. I'm going to have to cut you off there. I apologize again.
Mr. Virani, you have the floor.
9:20 p.m.
Liberal
Arif Virani Liberal Parkdale—High Park, ON
Thank you, Minister.
I have four really quick questions.
With respect to something Mr. Fortin raised, isn't it correct that with the invocation of the Emergencies Act, as you indicated, the mere fact of having invoked these powers was incentive for some people to leave the illegal blockade; thus, that reduced the size and number of blockaders, which then made eventual clearing easier because there were fewer people to clear out?