I know, just as everyone knows, that there are laws granting police forces powers to ensure and restore public safety. I can assure you those powers were ineffective in restoring public safety in the situation in question. That's why we decided to invoke the Emergencies Act. You should've seen the situation on Wellington Street and at the border. The act wasn't invoked based solely on the government's opinion.
On April 26th, 2022. See this statement in context.