A judicial inquiry into the Liberal's use of the Emergencies Act will get access to secret Cabinet papers on the incident, says Blacklock's Reporter..The Rouleau Commission called it an “exceptional step” in unravelling why the Liberals invoked the Emergencies Act against Freedom Convoy truckers protesting vaccine mandates..“This exceptional step recognizes the fundamental importance of the Public Order Emergency Commission’s work and how critical these documents are in inquiring into why the government declared a public order emergency,” counsel for the Commission said in a statement. .“I am committed to ensuring the inquiry will be fair and open,” Justice Paul Rouleau, head of the inquiry, said in a statement..Hearings must proceed “in a timely and orderly way,” he said..Hearings will begin after Labour Day with a final report due February 6..“This means the Commission will have to complete its hearings and fact-finding process by the end of October,” wrote staff..Emergency orders enforced from last February 14–23 saw police declare any suspicious gathering an “illegal assembly” and freeze bank and credit union accounts owned by suspected Freedom Convoy sympathizers. A total $7.8 million worth of deposits were frozen. Some 230 protesters were arrested, typically on charges of mischief..Cabinet to date has claimed it invoked the Emergencies Act at the request of police, a statement contradicted by the RCMP and two Ottawa police chiefs. Cabinet also said it acted on suspicions the Freedom Convoy was largely foreign-funded — a claim disproved by organizers of crowdfunding sites..A total of 39 applicants, including critics of the Liberal's declaration of a national emergency, were granted standing at the Rouleau Commission..“I may grant standing to persons who I am satisfied have a ‘substantial and direct interest in the subject matter of the inquiry,’” wrote Rouleau..The Canadian Civil Liberties Association and lawyers for Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta were granted standing. Alberta is already an intervenor in a legal challenge pending in Federal Court..Others granted standing at the Rouleau Commission included Tamara Lich of Medicine Hat, and nine other Freedom Convoy leaders..“Organizers had a key role in the events that led to the declaration of the emergency,” wrote the judge..Standing was also granted to the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, Canadian Constitution Foundation, the City of Ottawa, its police department and former chief Peter Sloly, the City of Windsor, Criminal Lawyers’ Association, Insurance Bureau of Canada, National Crowdfunding and Fintech Association, National Police Federation representing unionized RCMP members, and the Ontario Provincial Police..The Commission rejected requests for standing by some 20 individual police officers, protesters and Ottawa residents as well as the Conservative Party of Canada..“It is not clear to me how its interest differs from that of the public generally, and I am not satisfied the Conservative Party has a direct or substantial interest in those matters.”
A judicial inquiry into the Liberal's use of the Emergencies Act will get access to secret Cabinet papers on the incident, says Blacklock's Reporter..The Rouleau Commission called it an “exceptional step” in unravelling why the Liberals invoked the Emergencies Act against Freedom Convoy truckers protesting vaccine mandates..“This exceptional step recognizes the fundamental importance of the Public Order Emergency Commission’s work and how critical these documents are in inquiring into why the government declared a public order emergency,” counsel for the Commission said in a statement. .“I am committed to ensuring the inquiry will be fair and open,” Justice Paul Rouleau, head of the inquiry, said in a statement..Hearings must proceed “in a timely and orderly way,” he said..Hearings will begin after Labour Day with a final report due February 6..“This means the Commission will have to complete its hearings and fact-finding process by the end of October,” wrote staff..Emergency orders enforced from last February 14–23 saw police declare any suspicious gathering an “illegal assembly” and freeze bank and credit union accounts owned by suspected Freedom Convoy sympathizers. A total $7.8 million worth of deposits were frozen. Some 230 protesters were arrested, typically on charges of mischief..Cabinet to date has claimed it invoked the Emergencies Act at the request of police, a statement contradicted by the RCMP and two Ottawa police chiefs. Cabinet also said it acted on suspicions the Freedom Convoy was largely foreign-funded — a claim disproved by organizers of crowdfunding sites..A total of 39 applicants, including critics of the Liberal's declaration of a national emergency, were granted standing at the Rouleau Commission..“I may grant standing to persons who I am satisfied have a ‘substantial and direct interest in the subject matter of the inquiry,’” wrote Rouleau..The Canadian Civil Liberties Association and lawyers for Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta were granted standing. Alberta is already an intervenor in a legal challenge pending in Federal Court..Others granted standing at the Rouleau Commission included Tamara Lich of Medicine Hat, and nine other Freedom Convoy leaders..“Organizers had a key role in the events that led to the declaration of the emergency,” wrote the judge..Standing was also granted to the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, Canadian Constitution Foundation, the City of Ottawa, its police department and former chief Peter Sloly, the City of Windsor, Criminal Lawyers’ Association, Insurance Bureau of Canada, National Crowdfunding and Fintech Association, National Police Federation representing unionized RCMP members, and the Ontario Provincial Police..The Commission rejected requests for standing by some 20 individual police officers, protesters and Ottawa residents as well as the Conservative Party of Canada..“It is not clear to me how its interest differs from that of the public generally, and I am not satisfied the Conservative Party has a direct or substantial interest in those matters.”
