Mr. Speaker, I agree wholeheartedly with those fundamental freedoms. I just do not believe the government is being authentic in its desire to protect them.
The parliamentary secretary wanted to weave a narrative in talking about the use of the Emergencies Act involving COVID measures and the nature of the convoy, but I would note that even if all of that were accepted in the same way by everyone, which is not true in Canada, that does not mean that the use of the Emergencies Act was legitimate. I would refer to lawyer Paul Champ, who was and still is a very strong critic of the convoy. He is a lawyer representing a proposed class action against the convoy. He said, “I fully agree that the Emergencies Act is a dangerous tool that was not required.”
The condemnation of the federal government's track record on civil liberties has come from the left and from the right. It has come from multiple faith groups. It has come from people who would identify as traditionally Liberal. Therefore, why do these groups, in the parliamentary secretary's eyes, not take her and her government seriously on this?