Debates of Feb. 21st, 2022

Justice

[Bill Blair, Liberal, President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, the integrated command team, which is composed of the Ottawa Police Service, the OPP and the RCMP, has been clear and unequivocal. The authorities that have been provided to them under the Emergencies Act have been essential to the progress they have made in getting the situation under control. We have also heard from the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, which is all the chiefs, the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police and even the Canadian Police Association, representing the rank and file. All have been clear and unequivocal that these measures were essential and have been helping them restore order in this country.

Public Safety

[Bonita Zarrillo, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Speaker, while some MPs are claiming that the threats are now over, Canadians are still living with the impacts of the ongoing convoy crisis. In B.C., the Pacific Highway crossing had to be pre-emptively closed this weekend, blocking commuters, essential workers and goods. The RCMP arrested 16 people, while other unlawful activity could not be addressed on the spot due to lack of resources.

After weeks of failed leadership from the government, will the minister assure Canadians that it is now acting with the urgency needed?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for highlighting one of the ongoing risks we face, which is the threat to our borders and our trade corridors. They are so critically important to keeping Canadians at work and our economy rolling. That is why we continue to listen very carefully to the advice we are getting from our police services, which say that the Emergencies Act was instrumental in addressing the blockades at ports of entry and continues to be instrumental in preventing them.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, what happened in Coutts, Alberta, is unprecedented. The Conservatives are downplaying the severity of what is happening and are pretending that the threat is over.

There was a plot to murder RCMP officers by dangerous extremists. Millions of dollars are still coming in from foreign sources to fund these hate groups—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Deputy Speaker, Chris d'Entremont]

Order. I have the volume as far up as I can, and I am not hearing the question. Let us keep it to a relative roar when members are asking a question.

The member for Edmonton Strathcona.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, what happened in Coutts, Alberta, is unprecedented. The Conservatives in the House are downplaying the severity of what is happening and are pretending that the threat is over.

There was a plot to murder RCMP officers by dangerous extremists. Millions of dollars are still coming in from foreign sources to fund these hate groups. When will the government bring forward legislation to halt all—

[The Deputy Speaker, Chris d'Entremont]

The hon. minister.

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, I share the concerns of my hon. colleague around the severity of the charges that were laid in Coutts, including conspiracy to commit murder. Of course, hon. colleagues will recognize that it would be inappropriate for us to comment on ongoing matters that are now before the courts. I also share the member's concern around the rhetoric and extremism that we have seen not only in Alberta but right across the country, which has motivated some of the individuals.

We need to be vigilant about that. We need to be sure that we deal with those threats. That is one of the reasons the Emergencies Act is there to help protect the health and safety of Canadians.

[Tim Louis, Liberal, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the last three weeks have been extraordinarily difficult for the people of Ottawa, with major roads blocked, noise at all hours of the night and people threatened and intimidated in their own communities. Despite the severe economic impacts of the last two years, downtown businesses were forced to shut their doors yet again. This past weekend, we saw police execute a coordinated plan that finally removed demonstrators and their vehicles from Ottawa streets. This only came after the federal government invoked the Emergencies Act for the very first time in our nation's history.

Can the Minister of Emergency Preparedness explain to the House why the act was needed to bring the situation to an end?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, the actions of the illegal blockaders at our critical infrastructure, at central trade corridors and even here on the streets of our nation's capital were causing great and lasting harm to our country, to our economy and to our citizens. This was clearly and unequivocally an emergency that required extraordinary measures to restore the rule of law, to protect public safety and to protect Canadian interests and infrastructure.

I want to lend my voice to my government in a word of thanks to our law enforcement officials, who did the job we needed them to do and have protected our interests.

[Warren Steinley, Conservative, Regina—Lewvan, SK]

Mr. Speaker, we are at a point in time in Canadian history that I never thought we would reach. Canadians in the nation's capital are seeing fences put up around the streets and police checkstops at every intersection, and some Canadians are mistakenly having their bank accounts frozen. Tonight, in this chamber, every single member of Parliament will have to rise and say if they agree that this is a Canada they want for their kids and grandchildren.

My question is for the Prime Minister. How did he convince the federal NDP to sell out the core beliefs of Jack Layton and Tommy Douglas?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the member that all of the powers being used under the Emergencies Act are being used in a manner that is very proportional, measured and respectful of the charter, including protections around due process and the right to be protected from unreasonable search and seizure.

We are always reassessing the need for the Emergencies Act. We are listening very carefully to the advice we are receiving from law enforcement. I want to assure the member and all members of the chamber that we will absolutely retreat from the Emergencies Act as soon as we can.

[Warren Steinley, Conservative, Regina—Lewvan, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the minister does not get it. Canadians do not trust him and his government.

We have a historic vote this evening. The Liberals have desperately tried to justify the Prime Minister's power grab and overreach. We see the leader of the NDP bending over backwards to prop up the most corrupt government in Canadian history.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[Warren Steinley, Conservative, Regina—Lewvan, SK]

To the Prime Minister, on top of the—

[The Deputy Speaker, Chris d'Entremont]

I heard the word “corrupt”. Maybe the member can rephrase.

The hon. member for Regina—Lewvan.

[Warren Steinley, Conservative, Regina—Lewvan, SK]

We have seen the NDP leader back up the most scandalous government we have seen throughout the history of our country.

To the Prime Minister, on top of the cost of our freedom in his new Liberal emergency state, when will we see the celebration of the Liberal's official coalition with the NDP, with the swearing in of a minister? Perhaps next—

[The Deputy Speaker, Chris d'Entremont]

The hon. minister.

[Bill Blair, Liberal, President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, what we have seen is another reversal: A party that once tried to characterize itself as a party of law and order has now abandoned all pretext of supporting law and order in this country.

We have heard unequivocally from the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, from the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, from the police rank and file and from the police commanders who are restoring peace and order to our city that these measures are necessary and appropriate. Frankly, we are used to the flip-flops, but this one is extraordinary.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the trucks outside are gone. The protests are over. There are no more blockades. However, the Prime Minister is still determined to punish those involved under the Emergencies Act, where there is no due process to protect the innocent. Worse yet, he does this with the NDP's support.

When did the Prime Minister lose all respect for the charter and when did the NDP lose their way?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, as my hon. colleague has now heard on several occasions, the tools we are using under the Emergencies Act are very practical, very targeted and very measured. We are talking about designating secure zones. We are talking about choking off illegal funds that could be used to aid and abet the illegal blockades. We are talking about rapidly deploying the RCMP so that we can restore public safety here in Ottawa. It is all of these things.

The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police has supported this. The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police has supported it. The Canadian Police Association, which is for the rank and file of police and frontline responders day in and day out, supports the Emergencies Act.

When will the party of law and order actually support the opinions of the law and order?

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

Mr. Speaker, this party does not support the Charter of Rights. It also does not seem to understand that continued use of the Emergencies Act for the Prime Minister's political purposes will only further divide Canadians. Former NDP MP Svend Robinson said that a very dangerous precedent is being set.

Why has the Prime Minister not rescinded these emergency powers today?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, the short answer is because we are listening to law enforcement, who have given us a very considered view that threats remain to our communities here in Ottawa and to the neighbourhoods here in Ottawa, which have for far too long been under siege. We are listening to law enforcement about the threats that remain at our borders, where trade corridors and supply chains are vital to the Canadian economy and to keeping Canadians at work. That is why we continue to use the Emergencies Act, but we are doing it in a responsible, measured way, consistent with the charter. We will sunset the Emergencies Act as soon as we can.

Foreign Affairs

[Christine Normandin, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, tensions are escalating again between Russia and Ukraine. Armed conflict is imminent.

Let us look at the evidence. Even though no Russian soldier has set foot in Ukraine yet, the country is already under attack. For weeks, the Government of Canada has been claiming it will impose harsh sanctions against Russia in the event of an invasion. The attack has started, and Ukraine needs support from its allies now, not once it is too late.

Will the government immediately issue preventive sanctions to dissuade Moscow from taking action?