Less than a day before PM Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act, a national security advisor told him there was potential for a breakthrough in discussions with Ottawa protestors through conventional means.
In recently released meeting minutes that covered the exchange, it was revealed that Trudeau was told by National Security and Intelligence Advisor Jody Thomas “that law enforcement gains have been important and that there was potential for a breakthrough in Ottawa.”
Thomas added that the threat of extremism remained “stable and unchanged.” FINTRAC has also stated that the Freedom Convoy posed no violent extremist threat.
Moreover, Trudeau was aware that police had already removed the most significant border blockade at this time, further lessening any justification for invoking the Act.
Nonetheless, the following day, Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act, which led to protesters being clubbed and pepper sprayed by police, dissidents’ bank accounts being frozen, and one grandmother being trampled by police on horses.
The Emergencies Act is only supposed to be used in the most extreme circumstance when police need assistance because national security is at risk.
Since its implementation, Trudeau and co. have been scrambling to justify their usage of the Act. This latest development delivers yet another blow to this required criteria — one of many dominos that have fallen.
When implemented, Trudeau stated that he needed to do it because the protests posed an economic threat and a security threat of “serious violence,” but this statement by Thomas to Trudeau seems to contradict that.
Moreover, after Ottawa Police said they never asked for the Emergencies Act, Safety Minister Marco Mendicino was called out for claiming otherwise.
Indeed, Mendicino insisted for months that law enforcement requested the Emergencies Act be used.
Subsequently, Conservative frontrunner Pierre Poilievre called for Mendicino to resign over lying in the House of Commons about the incident.
Mendicino hasn’t resigned, nor has Trudeau — but this is the latest card to drop in what appears a house on the brink of collapsing.
