Evidence of meeting #9 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 laws.
A video is available from Parliament.
8:10 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
My understanding is that there is a misunderstanding of the minister's words. The minister was—
8:10 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
—alluding to the fact that police were consulted and were—not just in the case of the RCMP but other police—indicating, as was discussed in the prior session, that their powers were not effective and they, therefore, asked for more powers.
8:10 p.m.
Conservative
Glen Motz Conservative Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB
That's fair enough.
You indicated during your introduction that you led some of those consultations with the RCMP, with the OPP, with Ottawa and others. Did you brief the minister on those consultations?
8:10 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Yes, and in some cases, he was involved.
8:10 p.m.
Conservative
Glen Motz Conservative Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB
Okay, he was there. Can you provide copies of the notes taken in those consultations?
8:10 p.m.
Conservative
Glen Motz Conservative Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB
Thank you.
Do you have briefing notes separate from the conversations with law enforcement? You said you met with the City of Ottawa officials separately from police. Do you have those as well?
8:10 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
I personally have no notes, but we have records of consultations that we undertook in conversation.
8:15 p.m.
Conservative
Glen Motz Conservative Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB
Thank you. I appreciate that.
In your recollection, do you recall if there was ever any information given to the minister as fact that was later proven to be untrue, which may have influenced his decision to invoke the Emergencies Act?
8:15 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Which may have been untrue...?
8:15 p.m.
Conservative
Glen Motz Conservative Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB
No, which was proven later to be untrue, that maybe influenced his decision to invoke the Emergencies Act.
8:15 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Not to my knowledge.
June 7th, 2022 / 8:15 p.m.
Conservative
Glen Motz Conservative Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB
Okay, because he was at committee early on and was still talking like the arson in the apartment building was tied to the protest and the Ottawa Police have made it very clear that it was not. That's one of the instances I'm referring to.
Whose decision was it, ultimately, Mr. Stewart, that the threshold between peaceful protest and a state of emergency was met?
8:15 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Who was responsible for that?
8:15 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
The cabinet.
8:15 p.m.
Conservative
Glen Motz Conservative Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB
The cabinet was. Obviously they got advice from somebody.
8:15 p.m.
Conservative
Glen Motz Conservative Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB
Would that have been the consultations with law enforcement, or would that have been from other officials?
8:15 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
It was a whole range of sources, but included the ones you mentioned.
8:15 p.m.
Conservative
Glen Motz Conservative Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB
Okay. Obviously the information you relied upon, those documents, will be made available to this committee?
8:15 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Issues of cabinet confidence are subject to the determination of the Prime Minister so I can't provide a view on that at this time.
8:15 p.m.
Conservative
Glen Motz Conservative Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB
Fair enough. Of course, they can be provided. The redactions are a different story. Thank you.
You indicate that at the cabinet table, there were obviously officials, government officials there. Were there law enforcement officials there besides Commissioner Lucki?
8:15 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Again, it would be a cabinet confidence, I believe, to discuss who was in the room.