More like a rigged game and stage craft.
The story so far:
The Public Order Emergency Commission’s public hearings into the federal government’s use of the Emergencies Act last winter kicked off on Oct. 13 with introductory remarks from various parties who have been granted standing in the proceedings, allowing all sides to essentially make their opening arguments. ...
"Saskatchewan's position is that the federal government had already determined that a nationwide emergency would be declared, before the First Ministers call on February 14. The call was not so much about consulting as it was about telling… The government is concerned that residents' rights may have been unnecessarily infringed by these measures," said Michael Morris, one of the lawyers representing the Saskatchewan government.
"Alberta believes it is important to share with Canadians the facts about how Alberta was able to effectively deal with the international border blockade in Coutts, Alta., prior to the invocation of the federal Emergencies Act. Alberta's evidence will show that the existing law enforcement tools that were already in place were completely sufficient and they were successfully used… None of the powers that were created under the federal Emergencies Act were necessary, nor were any of them used in Alberta," said Mandy England, one of the lawyers representing the Alberta government. ...
"For 34 years the Emergencies Act was never used. The public order emergency of 2022 was a historic first, but now that the glass has been broken on the act, it can be used again. The act was used by this government against individuals protesting vaccine mandates. But, a future government of a different political stripe could use the act in response to protests against pipelines or climate change. When the commission asks hard questions about the act's use in 2022, the commission must also focus on the act's potential misuse in the future and protect the right to protest parliamentary democracy and federalism. What the commission says matters not just to Canada, but globally where the use of emergency powers is on the rise. The world will be watching our work," said Canadian Constitution Foundation representative co-council Sujit Choudhry.
The arguments:
Just the finance minister and deputy PM exaggerating the economic cost of border blockages *ninefold* to a Parliamentary commitee, no big deal. https://t.co/fdG5jFwI2q
— Aaron Wudrick 🇨🇦 (@awudrick) October 14, 2022
Yes, about that:
According to a Department of Transport memo, total trade in 2021 averaged about $390 million per day, meaning Freeland’s figure would only be true if the total number was divided by the number of days, which is not representative of the actual funds lost due to the six days of closures in 2022.
The extreme end of predictions about funds that could have been lost was based on a scenario wherein the automotive sector would shut down, which it did not.
Even in the extreme hypothetical case with a complete automotive sector shutdown, losses would total $161 million per day, less than half the figure cited by Freeland.
Freeland repeatedly appealed to economic closures due to protests as a reason to enact the Emergencies Act, which under her purview as finance minister, included the freezing of bank accounts belonging to protesters without a court order.
“What we are facing today is a threat to our democratic institutions, to our economy and to peace, order and good government in Canada,” said Freeland at the time. “This is unacceptable. It cannot stand and it will not stand.”
When Freeland was asked by Senator Claude Carignan during a June 14 testimony at the Special Joint Committee on the Declaration of Emergency, “Do you have figures when it comes to giving us data on the economic impact?” She replied, “I have many figures in my head,” but failed to provide a concrete answer.
**
Despite the highly publicized blockades at Ontario’s Ambassador Bridge and Coutts crossing in Alberta, cross-border trade in Ontario and Alberta was up 16 per cent in February, compared to the same month last year, according to data from Statistics Canada.
And while some businesses were impacted by the blockades, the trade figures also raise questions about the government’s use of the Emergencies Act – a decision, in part, justified by “threats to (Canada’s) economic security” brought about by the blockades.
**
In one email, a convoy organizer inquired to a hotel about booking rooms for 10,000 to 15,000 people for at least 30 days, and up to 90 days.
**
The RCMP falsely claimed on Feb. 14—the same day cabinet invoked the Emergencies Act—that Freedom Convoy protesters gathered outside Ottawa’s Parliament buildings were armed, internal documents show. Ottawa Police Service (OPS) interim chief Steve Bell later confirmed no weapons were found among protesters.
“Intelligence information also suggests that convoy protesters are beginning to weaponize themselves,” read an RCMP briefing note sent to cabinet deputy ministers titled “Truckers Convoy And Protective Services,” obtained by Blacklock’s Reporter.
“Officers are constantly monitoring the shift in behaviour and will respond accordingly,” it continued.
The briefing note’s timestamp was dated 12:59 p.m. on Feb. 14. Four hours later, the Liberal government invoked the Emergencies Act, granting police authority to use extraordinary force in clearing protesters from Ottawa’s downtown core.
The RCMP briefing note also said that around 250 uniformed officers were outside Parliament and approximately 350 officers were being “deployed daily in support of our protective mandate.”
Cabinet revoked the Emergencies Act on Feb. 23, just nine days after it came into force.
On Feb. 16, while the act was still in force, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino told reporters that Freedom Convoy protesters were committing potentially “deadly” crimes.
“Dangerous criminal activity occurring away from the TV cameras and social media posts was real and organized,” he said, according to Blacklock’s Reporter.
A Toronto Star article published on March 19 cited an anonymous police source claiming that some Freedom Convoy protesters had loaded shotguns in their trunks.
Five days later, Bell contradicted this report while testifying before the House of Commons public safety committee on March 24.
“Were weapons found? Were loaded firearms found, yes or no?” asked Conservative MP Dane Lloyd while questioning Bell over whether the allegations in the article were true.
“No, not relating to any charges to this point,” Bell responded.
Lloyd also asked if cabinet would’ve been informed if police had found loaded firearms amongst the protesters.
“They would have been immediately aware if you had found firearms, correct?” Lloyd said.
“There would have been public notifications made,” Bell replied.
Internal documents from the public safety department’s Government Operations Centre (GOC) dated Feb. 14, also obtained by Blacklock’s Reporter, characterized the Freedom Convoy as a peaceful protest having little impact on federal operations.
“Approximately 10 people on Parliament Hill and approximately 100 on the surrounding streets,” read the GOC’s daily security update released the same day cabinet invoked the Emergencies Act.
“No concerns at this time,” said an assessment by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service included in the report.
Former police chief Peter Sloly was scared for nothing.
An Ottawa New Democrat councillor who petitioned cabinet to take steps against the Freedom Convoy testified she was terrified of truckers but acknowledged seeing no acts of violence. “I wrote to the Prime Minister begging for resources,” said Catherine McKenney, a mayoralty candidate: “I didn’t personally witness any acts of violence. I was told about them.’**
A CSIS memo described those waving offensive flags as only being a “very small” portion of the crowd.
“The Canadian flag was the most prevalent flag on display in the crowd, likely reflecting participants’ belief they are patriotic Canadians standing up for their democratic rights,” said the secret memo, first reported by Blacklock’s Reporter.
“A small number of flags (both purchased and self-created) reflected racist and bigoted world views. The presence of these flags however is not unique to this event and are often seen at anti-lockdown events across the country,” wrote CSIS in a secret memo titled Freedom Convoy 2022: The Imagery and Significance of Flags.
The memo suggests CSIS agents examined the social media activity of convoy protesters to determine whether they espoused extremist politics.
The memo does not specifically describe any protester carrying a bona fide Nazi flag, but says some protesters “added a swastika to their flag, not necessarily to self-identify as Nazis but to imply the prime minister and federal government are acting like Nazis by imposing public health mandates.”
“The convoy is part of the broader anti-public health restrictions movement,” said the February 2 memo. “As with any movement only a small fringe element supports the use of violence or might be willing to engage in it.”
“The service is unaware of the presence of ideologically-motivated extremist groups at this weekend’s protests,” the memo states. “Freedom of expression is constitutionally protected in Canada.”
More:
The Freedom Convoy was the culmination of a “mass protest movement” against pandemic mandates and lockdowns, a convoy inquiry lawyer said yesterday. Counsel at the Public Order Emergency Commission counted more than 140 major demonstrations and legal challenges nationwide leading to the truckers’ blockade outside Parliament: “Just stick to the facts, the raw facts.”**
And now, the residents of Ottawa, the only ones who claim that the convoy destroyed their mental well-being (as deliciously described here):
Now Zexi Li says someone backed his truck into her.
— Ezra Levant 🍁🚛 (@ezralevant) October 14, 2022
Then she said he "sort of" backed into her.
Well did he or didn't he?
Now she's saying he "aggressively opened his door".
Three versions in three minutes.#liar
This Zexi Li:
**
Listening to Emergencies Act Inquiry - the lead plaintiff just admitted that Ottawa resident wanted to "fight back" & that some residents "might have gotten some cartons of eggs" and used them against the truckers. So there was violence - just from angry Ottawa resident. Noted.
— Viva Frei (@thevivafrei) October 14, 2022
So, no one knows who was consulted or when?
Who was running things?:
City manager Steve Kanellakos said in the statement that he wasn’t sure if the protective service was consulted on the plan.
Kanellakos said he believed that a superintendent of the Parliamentary Protective Service reached out to Ottawa police, and that the security force “expressed concern” with the street being “turned into a parking lot of 200-plus trucks.”
Public servants are covering for their cowardly boss.
The convoy could have ended in a day if the coward agreed to meet with ONE delegate.
But no.
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