Evidence of meeting #16 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.
9:35 p.m.
A voice
[Inaudible—Editor].
9:35 p.m.
Bloc
The Joint Chair Bloc Rhéal Fortin
You're saying that you never saw signs of this lack of confidence.
My question is straightforward. Who told you that the officers no longer had confidence in him?
9:35 p.m.
Mayor, City of Ottawa
It was the chair of the board when she came to see me to indicate that the chief was stepping down.
9:35 p.m.
Bloc
The Joint Chair Bloc Rhéal Fortin
Mr. Green, I'll retake the chair and give you the floor for three minutes.
9:35 p.m.
NDP
The Joint Chair NDP Matthew Green
It's somewhat of a revelation for me, Mr. Chair, in the scope of our work, to find out that the federal government said it was a non-starter to use aid to civil power. Part of our job is to find out whether or not they had existing legislation in place, powers in place, at the different levels of government in order to resolve this without invoking the act.
Mr. Kanellakos, can you just explain or give me a timeline, of roughly, in your recollection, when that was raised and what their rationale on the response was?
9:35 p.m.
City Manager, City of Ottawa
I don't recall when it was, because I don't have it in front of me. It would have been around the second weekend, I would imagine, of the protests. It was in that area.
There were some councillors who were interested in pursuing that. They were frustrated. I raised the issue to see if it was even going to be a possibility. It wasn't a long discussion. It was exactly as I said it.
9:35 p.m.
NDP
The Joint Chair NDP Matthew Green
Would that have been a written request? Is that something that you sent in writing?
9:35 p.m.
NDP
The Joint Chair NDP Matthew Green
Okay. Fair enough.
I will note that in the affidavit you submitted to the commission, you stated on page 17, chapter 4, second paragraph, the following:
The City requested Police resources and inquired what the various levels of government could do in light of existing legislation to put pressure on the protesters. The City asked the province, in particular the Deputy Minister of Transportation, whether there was anything that could be done in regard to the truckers' insurance or Commercial Vehicle Operator's Registration (CVOR) certificates, but the province was not prepared to do anything in this respect.
These were your words in the affidavit. Did the province provide any explanation of why they weren't prepared to act under that existing legislation?
9:40 p.m.
NDP
The Joint Chair NDP Matthew Green
This is again, I think, another significant point for our committee.
Were there other areas at either the provincial level or the federal level that you pursued, sir, verbally or in writing, that would have used existing legislation to bring this to a resolution?
9:40 p.m.
City Manager, City of Ottawa
We weren't specific about the things they could pursue. We were asking what tools they would have available in existing legislation or regulations that could help us.
9:40 p.m.
NDP
The Joint Chair NDP Matthew Green
But in your opinion.... I mean, you've listed in your affidavit those two things, the insurance and the commercial vehicle operator's registration. Those to me seem very obvious. Is it your opinion, or would you agree with me, that if the provincial authorities had put pressure under that ministry, under the threat of losing their licence, this thing could have been wrapped up within the first week?
9:40 p.m.
City Manager, City of Ottawa
I can't speculate that it would be, but it would have helped.
9:40 p.m.
NDP
The Joint Chair NDP Matthew Green
It definitely would have helped.
Are those the only two things that you put requests in...as well as the aid to civil power?
9:40 p.m.
City Manager, City of Ottawa
We also asked them for anything else they could do—
9:40 p.m.
City Manager, City of Ottawa
The province came back with nothing. The federal government didn't have jurisdiction over local trucking, so they couldn't do anything.
9:40 p.m.
Bloc
The Joint Chair Bloc Rhéal Fortin
Thank you, Mr. Green.
Senator Carignan, you have the floor for three minutes.
9:40 p.m.
Senator, Quebec (Mille Isles), C
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Does anyone here know Larry Brookson?