Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau Friday said he is confident he “made the right choice” in invoking historic emergency powers earlier this year to stop Freedom Convoy protests against Canada’s COVID-19 mandate.
Trudeau defended his actions in testimony before a commission tasked with investigating his use of emergency laws to end the trucker protests. Ottawa, the capital of Canada, is gridlocked For the week of January and February. The prime minister said he had no choice but to invoke emergency powers on February 14 after he deemed a plan presented by the police to end the week-long protests inadequate.
“It’s not like they just wanted to listen. They wanted to obey,” Trudeau said of the protesters. According to Reuters. “I am absolutely, absolutely serene and confident that I made the right choice to agree to the call.”
trudeau Call for emergency legislation In the capital city of Ottawa during the February Freedom Convoy protests for the first time in Canadian history. In doing so, he gave the federal government temporary authority to freeze the bank accounts of truckers and others protesting against the COVID-19 vaccine mandate and other pandemic-related restrictions and to support the convoy.
Emergency powers were lifted on 23 February.
Canadian religious leaders have called for the country to allow euthanasia for the mentally ill
A Freedom Convoy protester holds a “Hold the Line” sign during a dance in Ottawa, Canada.
(Fox News Digital/Lisa Bennathan)
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau testifies before the Public Order Emergencies Commission public inquiry on November 25, 2022 in Ottawa. The commission heard Trudeau speak in defense of the rarely used wartime measure, which was called for to remove trucker-led protests in February 2022, weeks after it brought Ottawa to a standstill and disrupted trade.
(Dave Chan/AFP via Getty Images)
Trudeau’s move was Highly controversial, and civil liberties advocates questioned whether his extreme response to the protest situation was necessary. Lawyers for Convoy and others said Trudeau ignored a plan drawn up by Ottawa police and argued emergency powers were unnecessary to end the protests, according to Reuters.
As required by law, an independent inquiry was constituted to investigate the actions of the Prime Minister and submit a report. Canadian Government Details of his findings. The report is due by February 20, 2023. Trudeau was the final witness called to testify.
During his testimony, the prime minister said the protests presented a serious threat of violence and he accused local police of a plan that was “not even among the most liberal plans” to deal with blocked streets, Reuters reported. ..
Additional evidence and documents obtained during the investigation revealed this US officials pressured the Canadian government To stop protests and lift blockades at US and Canadian border crossings.
XI confronts Trudeau at G-20, says private conversation ‘leaked’ to media: ‘Not appropriate’
White House Economic Adviser Brian Dies.
(Reuters/Kevin Lamarck)
“They are very, very, very worried,” Canadian Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland wrote in an email to her staff after a Feb. 10 phone call with White House National Economic Council Director Brian Deese. The politician said.
“If this is not resolved within the next 12 hours, all of their Northeast car plants will be closed,” Freeland added in his email.
Canada’s Trudeau Bans Handgun Sales, Transfers Saying ‘Fewer Guns Mean Safer Communities’
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg The same day Canadian Transport Minister Omar al-Ghabra contacted Dees Freeland, according to the report, and pressed Buttigieg for a “plan to resolve” border blockades.
Alghabra told the commission that Buttigieg initiated the “unusual” call.
Click here to get the Fox News app
White House aides also reportedly contacted Trudeau’s staff ahead of a Feb. 11 phone call between the prime minister and President Biden.
In that call, Trudeau informed the president that his government plans to end the protests and blockade.
Fox News’ Daniel Wallace contributed to this report.
