02.15.2022 06:03 AM

Emergency

I support the Prime Minister.

Do you? Comments are open.

48 Comments

  1. Nez1 says:

    Somewhat reluctantly, yes. Truckload of guns at Coutts cements it. Can hardly wait for far right bleats of “false flag” and other such Trumpist conspiracy crap. Sigh….

  2. Tony Miller says:

    As do I, though I wish he had done this about a week ago. Those who tut-tut over this are likely sitting comfortably in their living rooms, while the good people of Ottawa put up with a horde of man-babies who have been empowered by a string of ineffective law enforcement groups and various levels of government. I’m not sure what needle needed to be threaded here to gain approval from the Tories. But let’s tick some boxes on the WE ARE TERRIBLE AT OUR JOBS Bingo Card: First, the Ottawa police, who’s staggering incompetence beggars belief. Tickets? Milk and cookies? What on earth were they thinking? Next, Premier Doug Ford only got off his snowmobile when it was clear that the economy was about to tank, so he was on-brand with being about 2 weeks late for everything. And Trudeau finally stepped up to the mike. Again, about 10 days late. Beyond the sickening display of these “truckers”, I am most disheartened by what passes as opposition in Ottawa. The Tories had an opportunity to behave like adults and went “Nah..nope. We’re the law and order party…but not these laws and not this order”. The NDP did their usual “We support this but we would have been sooooo much better. Have you seen my Tik-Tok?” And lastly, Trudeau has looked tired, and as if he wants to be done with the job. Only Freeland looked good, as if she had the answer about 15 days ago and wasn’t allowed to implement it. Cut off the money, take away the insurance, freeze the bank accounts and send this mob back to their mommy’s basements.

    • Lyndon Dunkley says:

      “Cut off the money, take away the insurance, freeze the bank accounts and send this mob back to their mommy’s basements.”

      Left leaning folks with a prior inclination to support protests are shocked when a group they don’t support use these same techniques more effectively then they could ever imagine for their own pet causes. Then when they really look at all the normalcy putting their lives and livelihoods on the line for the a cause they believe in, it puts their usual “hashtag advocacy” in the proper impotent context it deserves.

      Then the authoritarianism and name calling is all you have left.

      • The Doctor says:

        With all due respect, your point is essentially whataboutism. I’ve been seeing a lot of that. I just don’t see that as an intellectually robust or valid refutation of anything.

        To be intellectually honest or consistent, you object to law-breaking no matter who is doing it. I object to law-breaking by left-wing and right-wing people in equal measure. How about you?

        • Lyndon Dunkley says:

          I am generally anti-protest but my position is not informed by the protesters’ possession of a permit issued by the entity they have chosen to protest.

          That however was not the question proposed by our host. In regards to the measures taken yesterday by Trudeau, I find it fascinating what some people are willing to accept for these particular protesters.

          I disagree with pipeline protests (I’m an old Calgarian, what can I say) but I would never support freezing the protesters bank accounts, stealing their assets or limiting their mobility.

          • Lyndon,

            I’m with you on the bank accounts. That type of authoritarian measure should solely be reserved for entities that pose a serious threat to the actual rule of governance and there must be prima facie proof of same before the fact. This, by and large, is nothing more than political authoritarianism posing as a national security measure. In other words, in the same mould as regards personal bank accounts as the worst measures that came out of 9-11-01. An outright assault on individual liberty. Pretext is absolutely no excuse to permit such a measure in a real democracy.

  3. Sean says:

    I support the competent bureaucrats and lawyers who instructed the fake, racist, sexist, corrupt, fraud Prime Minister to rubber stamp their plans.

  4. PJH says:

    This card carrying Conservative Party member does…..100%, and I have told my Conservative MP the same. My only question is…..what took the PM so long?

    If M. Poilievre, the man who gave the “Freedom Convoy ” moral support from the get go, wins the leadership of my party, so endeth my relationship with the Conservative Party of Canada.

    M. Poilievre has been rather quiet of late…..I wonder why that would be? #Coutts

    • Pedant says:

      If you’re leaving the party because Poilievre was sympathetic to a working class protest, and you think it’s okay to freeze the meagre assets of those same working class people, it’s probably for the best. Canadian politics are realigning, with the Liberals now the party of the rich and well-connected and the Conservatives the party of the working class. Guess which group did spectacularly well from the Trudeau/Bank of Canada overreach and which group did horribly?

      • The Doctor says:

        Did horribly? Most of the CERB benefits did not go to rich people or professionals. They went to people who lost their jobs.

        And these protestors appear to be quite well fed and on being interviewed, they’re not out of jobs or money. We’re not talking urchins in rags here. These are people who have spent way too much time online consuming misinformation, hate and conspiracy theories.

        • Pedant says:

          You’re confusing the poor with the working class. Unless you were very low income, the CERB cheques did not come close to covering it, and many working class people remain in highly precarious employment to this day, largely thanks to the uncertainty of continued mandates and threat of lockdowns. During this period, the government and Bank of Canada went nuclear on QE, exacerbating inflation and igniting a massive housing bubble (over and above the pre-Covid bubble) which primarily benefited older, wealthier people to the detriment of younger, working class people. The government is now raising immigration targets in the middle of a housing crisis which benefits…again….older, wealthy Canadians. Of course this comes after years of Liberal attacks on working class jobs in the energy sector.

          The government cannot demonize and “other” such a large segment of the population, telling them they hold unacceptable views, without blowback.

          • The Doctor says:

            Look, I’m not about to defend all of the government’s spending or the Bank of Canada’s actions. I didn’t vote for these clowns, for one thing.

            But I think your class-based assertions are questionable. I agree that certain members of the working class (e.g., those in certain front-line occupations, meat packing plants etc.) were very adversely affected. But so were lots of small business owners and entrepreneurs, who are not conventionally considered to be working class.

            Furthermore, you seem to be suggesting or implying that support for lockdowns or other anti-covid measures can neatly be divvied up according to social class or income. I don’t know if I’ve seen any concrete evidence of that. Have you? Is there polling data showing massive support for anti-covid measures among some “elite” (however defined), whereas the proletariat (however defined) is massively opposed?

            If so, please share. If you have no such evidence, then I remain skeptical.

            It seems to me based on the articles and interviews I’ve read that the protestors skewed somewhat rural, very white, often very religious, and were an “extremely online” bunch who were obviously marinating in online hard-right propaganda and rhetoric and in many cases, whackjob conspiracy theories. They remind me a lot of the US people who attended Trump rallies and showed up at the US Capitol on January 6th. Often lonely, impressionable, and because of covid spending WAY too much time online — but understandably, very much seeking some sense of shared community and purpose.

          • Pedant says:

            A laughably caricature-ish view of the freedom protesters but par for the course for someone in the Toronto bubble. But by all means keep insulting them.

            No I haven’t seen polls breaking down support for the truckers by income level, net worth, or occupation. I suspect the polling firms are deliberately avoiding that question. But I HAVE seen it broken down by age (Ipsos), and 18-34 are most supportive by far. There is one politician currently courting these two groups (youth, and working class). He’s skating to where the puck is going.

          • The Doctor says:

            Toronto bubble? Huh? I was born and raised in Calgary, live in Western Canada and have voted PC or Conservative in every federal election in my lifetime. Jesus Christ, get a grip.

    • PJH,

      Please take it from someone who’s been there. Wait and see who wins and how TheTruckers’MonumentalDisasterTM ultimately pans out. This is where Poilièvre will have to show better judgment going forward. If he wins and hasn’t sufficiently evolved, hands sitting might become a necessary option for me but I won’t do anyone a favour by leaving the party. The CPC is stuck with me. LOL.

      • (Not that they actually give a shit one way or the other.)

        • PJH says:

          Haha…no one would miss my parting, either, I’m afraid….

          I suspect M. Poilievre will win the leadership, and I suspect the party as a result will be defeated ….One only has to look at M. Poilievre’s mug to be turned off (attractive wife notwithstanding)

          Perhaps thats what the party needs…..a sound thrashing at the polls to realize(finally) that the Refoorm element does not have to keys to victory.

          • PJH,

            Well, if the membership is roughly 70% Reform-Alliance, then we’ve got a tall order to win. People were so sick of the Liberals that Martin got to be the scapegoat for Sponsorship. That’s what finally put Harper on the map. What’s on the map to put US in power????? Oh, exactly.

  5. Lorne says:

    Sorry, I don’t agree with this. Trudeau went from doing nothing, avoiding anything but stirring the pot to the nuclear option. It shows what a lack of leadership get you.
    All along the restrictions were to allow time to get enough people vaccinated to reach herd immunity. First 70 then 75 and then 80% were the magic numbers to reach the goal. Trudeau is triple vaxxed and he got covid. I am triple vaxxed and have abided by the rules and restrictions. There appears to be no end in sight. If there is Trudeau could have laid out the plan going forward instead of fanning the flames.
    Hopefully this is his swan song. I can’t imagine him being at the controls in a real crisis.

    • Lorne says:

      If anyone wonders why the truckers still protest, they need to look no further than Trudeau’s continual musing about requiring vaccination for inter-provincial travel by truckers. (I have no idea how this could be implemented).

      It is another example of fanning the flames instead of dousing the fire.

      Think he would never implement it? He just invoked the Emergencies Act. I cannot believe the Cabinet went along with his arrogance on this.

      • Andy Kaut says:

        I just don’t understand how this situation meets any of the criteria for enacting the War Measures equivalent. We haven’t seen any real violence, nobody has died, nobody kidnapped. There’s a lot of freaky people doing anti-establishment things, yes. They’re thumbing their noses at the Man.

        Shut down businesses and send us home while you’re surfing in Tofino, no prob, Bob.

        But inconvenience the ruling class where they go to argue about which member among them is most Sus and deserves to be cast out? Fuck no, let’s hang ’em all?

        I just don’t get it.

  6. Davide says:

    Did Mr Trudeau let this situation fester for two weeks hoping for a January 6th type of event to occur, so he could quash it and ride it to a majority government in the next election?

    What if the truckers simply go home and slow down their work?

    “Too sick to work today, I have Covid.”
    “Truck is broken, I am waiting on parts.”

    Trudeau missed his daddies “Just watch me moment” and as usual bumbled his way through a crisis doing nothing until it was too late.

    Remember kids, you can illegally protest, gather during lockdowns, get the prime minister of the country to take a knee, pull down statues and burn churches if your cause is deemed worthy by the Left.

  7. Robert White says:

    Let’s break this down into constituent parts of the Gestalt whole that is the Emergency.

    This Emergency is a result of Prime Minister Blackface Feminist-in-Chief Trudeau not having the skill set necessary to lead this great country and its citizens without invocation of special federal powers to do so.

    In brief, PM Blackface needs to take a walk in the snow ASAP because he is no longer appreciated by Canadians writ large, and nobody listens to his speech pathology that emanates out of his atrophied central nervous system.

    If Canadians want to mollycoddle the trustfund Aristocrat just because he has ‘nice hair’ it would appear that we have a legitimate National Emergency that could be construed as a National Security Threat.

    I’m super tired of PM Blackface, and I honestly don’t think he has the business accumen or geopolitical intelligence to continue serving Canadians in a capacity of leadership given that nobody listens to his screed anymore knowing that Freeland is really the adult in the room who is actually in charge of governance.

    Freeland is a classic Neoliberal control freak which is likely the reason Canadians are experiencing this current fallout & decoupling surrounding our commons of politics & economics.

    Trudeau has to go immediately!!!!!

    RW

    • RKJ says:

      Thanks Robert. As well, might add Mr. Blackface likes talking about the “root causes” of various social ills. He is the primary cause of this current demonstration (which has morphed beyond Canadian transporter border crossing vaccine requirements). His resignation would be a great beginning towards solving this problem (has he ever taken personal responsibility for any of his failures?).

      Regarding Freeland, she was quoted on the radio news, suggesting (if I heard correctly) that Canadians report associates involved with the demonstrations – almost as if she was holding a bullwhip and wearing studded gloves, leather pants and jackboots.

  8. EsterhazyWasALoser says:

    It’s time. The “truckers” have had their day, they need to haul ass out of town.

  9. Leo Fleming says:

    As the invocation of this does not meet the requirements as defined in the law, then this is completely lawless. I’m certain that he’ll get away with it, and courts won’t even look at it. But let’s not pretend that existing laws and measures could not have been brought to bear to achieve the same results. As far as I’m concerned, Trudeau can’t be going on about people acting outside the law, when he is doing the exact same thing. Either laws mean something, or it’s anarchy and chaos. What this comes down to is Trudeau is a fool and he doesn’t know what else to do, so “We are the government, comply”. It only shows that the protesters are in the right.

    You may peacefully protest until it gets out of hand and the authorities don’t know what to do. And then because we don’t know what to do, let’s recklessly and illegitimately invoke the Emergencies Act. I have never in my life been to a protest, but I’m tempted to make a “F*ck Trudeau, piece of shit” sign and find the nearest one.

  10. Ron Benn says:

    Let’s break down the time line to better understand what was behind the decision to declare a State of Emergency in Ontario, and the invoking of the Emergency Measures Act at a federal level.

    1. Convoy declares are week in advance of arriving in Ottawa their intention to occupy the city until … well let’s leave it at a kaleidescope of untils.

    2. Convoy arrives and sets up camp just as it said it would, with the added benefit of the Ottawa Police Service acting as a concierge service.

    3. PM Trudeau dismisses the members of the convoy as a fringe group of racists and misogynists.

    4. Premier Doug Ford states that the City of Ottawa has the necessary authorities under existing laws to take back control of the city centre.

    5. About a week and a half later, other convoy types block the Ambassador Bridge, between Windsor and Detroit. That this disrupts US business interests in addition to Canadian business interests is a new development.

    6. US President Joe Biden, acting as a high school principal, calls Justin Trudeau, who has been behaving like the president of the student council, and explains what that the consequences of failing to get this under control will be dire.

    7. PM Trudeau and Premier Doug Ford take meaningful action.

    The key is that it took a call from a foreign nation to get the leaders in Canada to do what was necessary. Absent that call from Joe Biden, we are left to wonder whether anything would have been done by the federal and provincial governments.

    • Fred J Pertanson says:

      Agree, except for point 7. Doug / Windsor mayor did all the heavy lifting on the Ambassador bridge. JT did nothing.

      • Ron Benn says:

        Fred, I agree with your point re who cleaned up the mess in Windsor. The federal government’s decision to invoke the Emergency Act took place when the Ambassador Bridge blockade was in the “sweeping up the mess after everyone has left the party” mode.

  11. Wayne says:

    So the governments answer to a protest over government overreach (what truly is about) is more government overreach. And people are happy about it. This is sickening

    • The Doctor says:

      You don’t think the protestors overreached a bit? Blaring air horns 24/7 to deprive innocent people of sleep? Urinating and defecating on peoples’ lawns? Deliberately causing significant and material economic damage to Canada and its largest trading partner? Stocking up weapons caches? Stating overtly that they wanted to overthrow the government?

      I wouldn’t say restraint was their watchword.

      • Andy Kaut says:

        On the contrary. Stating government overthrow is the natural reaction to 2 successive minority governments coupled with increasing government power. A lot of people didn’t vote for the current leader, and if you continue silencing vast swaths of the populace, this is what happens.

        Especially if you call them names, and maybe ask (in French, but before too long they found translators) whether they even belong in society because they beat their wives.

        Can the sole blame for this escalation fall anywhere but at the feet of an unwilling-to-bend hamfisted (and, as we’ve now shown) highly unnecessary or at least ineffective government attack on The Regular Thing?

        We’ve watched people die and done nothing. They’ve been overdosing for 2 years in higher numbers than Covid deaths. They’ve been staying in abusive relationships, they’ve been crying themselves to sleep because they can’t go back to grade 3. They’ve been expressing this new nihilism through Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria. And all the Wokes, all the elites, have run the full gamut of defense/offence- trivializing concerns while demonizing outward appearances, marginalizing through invective, accusing instead of remaining quiet.

        Everyone is fed up. Just some of us know that our lives are still pretty decent compared to other places in the world that don’t have it so good. So we keep our heads down, and before too long, it happens again. The pandemic adversely affects another bunch of folks that just want to get on with their lives.

        If Trudeau hadn’t have politicized this 2 fucking years ago, maybe the whirlwind wouldn’t have built to its current fury.

  12. whyshouldIsellyourwheat says:

    What is happening in Ottawa doesn’t fall into any of the categories for which the Emergencies Act is limited to?

    I think many people will be surprised to learn that the money they have in the bank really isn’t theirs, and can be seized arbitrarily without court warrant or without being charged with a crime.

    The normal police powers are more than sufficient to deal with this crisis. The problem is that they police are refusing to play their part in civil disobedience “theatre”, and to go out an make arrests in Ottawa, like they did in Windsor and Coutts.

    So no, I don’t support it.

    • The Doctor says:

      I think there’s a bit more to it than that in Ottawa. There is some mighty weird and disturbing stuff coming out re the Ottawa Police, the Chief, and his resignation on the one hand; and the connections between some of the core Ottawa protest organizers and law enforcement and the military on the other.

      This is all screaming out for an official inquiry, and I think we’ll all know a lot more about this when the dust settles on all that. But obviously a massive intelligence and policing failure.

      • Andy Kaut says:

        Oh, and inquiries don’t work. We’re still waiting for a reason as to why Portapicque guy was issued a $500k gov’t payout before he went on a state-sponsored killing spree. That was 3 years ago, wasn’t it?

        Nm. It’s so far down the Memory Hole that you’ll never see it again.

  13. Westguy says:

    Agree with it or not, it is just another example of how Trudeau treated this protest differently than previously disruptive protests. He’d better hope the next extended disruptive protest isn’t anything where his virtue signalling requires him to empathize with the protesters.
    Trudeau has set another precedent, another example of differential treatment. It will be remembered by those who oppose him and “nothingburgered” by those who support him. But so has the media, for that matter.
    I find it interesting that there was far more focus on the outlier individuals this time than in previous protests, because you can’t tell me there were no people with “unacceptable views” in previous demonstrations.
    Also, the focus by the media and government about foreign funding support. It’s interesting to me as a westerner that the notion of foreign influence in domestic policy is such a serious concern now but when Kenney suggested that foreign money was funding anti-pipeline activities, that was roundly dismissed and ridiculed right from the outset (even before anyone looked into it). That little comparison is not lost on anyone in Alberta or Saskatchewan, by the way.
    There are already numerous comparisons about how Trudeau responded to previous protests (Kneeling with BLM, calling church arsons “understandable”, etc) and his characterization of this one. He’s already the most divisive PM in Canadian history, invoking the act will just add more straw to the pile.

  14. PJH says:

    The Rt Hon Robert Stanfield came from a very well to do family……but he had empathy for the ordinary working person in spades. Far more than M. Poilievre in fact…But there are two things that the Rt. Hon Robert Stanfield had that M. Poilievre will never have…gravitas and class……
    Elect M. Poilievre leader and watch the Conservative Party of Canada fall into a death spiral…..

    • Pedant says:

      Yes and Robert Stanfield lost three times again.

      But you keep thinking that the answer is another left-wing party with policies identical to the Liberals but who simply call themselves Conservatives. O’Toole ran the most left wing campaign for any ostensibly right of centre party since the esteemed Stanfield…and still was accused of a hidden agenda by TruAnon scum and lost. Conservative politicians can become Liberal clones all day but the Liberal voters will not vote anything but Liberal.

      Elitist comments like yours about Poilievre will only propel his popularity with the working class. Arrogant, wealthy people overestimate how numerous they are.

      • PJH says:

        The idea is not to have a party that apes the Liberals….but a moderate right of centre party that doesnt actively scare voters away with the “hot button” issues,(Scheer) or inconsistent messaging(O’Toole)…Its true Mr. Stanfield lost three elections, the first to Trudeaumania, but came very close to winning the second, and lost the last one by campaigning on wage and price controls( which were needed)…A certain PET, who mocked Mr. Stanfield at the time with “Zap you frozen” , brought them in himself months later.

        If you dont appeal to moderate voters in Ontario and Quebec, you have no chance of forming govt in this country…..ever…..Even Mr. Harper knew that.

        Middle class voters,( the ones who actually get out and vote), will always go for the moderate voice. M. Poilievre has proven time and time again(including his recent comments on the “Freedom Convoy”) that he is anything but that. Result?…certain electoral defeat if M. Poilievre leads the Conservative Party into the next Federal election.

        For the record, I live off a small HEU pension from my years as an LPN…..Not quite “no pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of”….but a very long ways away from “wealthy”…..

  15. Warren,

    At first blush, I was inclined to be 100% in favour. But I don’t like and feel it’s unacceptable in a democracy to freeze individual bank accounts without the highest threshold of just cause. This should only be done on a narrow, case by case basis and never writ large.

    If you want a nightmare of an anti-libertarian attack, just look at the vast overreach of 9-11-01 laws in different countries. A massive attack on freedom. And just wait for the other shoe to drop when they use this precedent (EA) to bring in a Canadian FedCoin and then surveil all our bank accounts without the slightest justification. This is way beyond dangerous and arbitrary. And sadly, the courts will rubber stamp it in a New York minute.

    • Andy Kaut says:

      This has taught us nothing, the entire deal, save for how easy it is to turn Orwellian from post-modern. Once you buy (and therefore control) the media with a couple lumpsums, you can control everything you want to. Not overtly, but rather by asking questions. I mean, do we EVEN tolerate these people any more?

      After all, quid est veritas?

  16. Gilbert says:

    The EMA was originally the War Measures Act. It was enacted during WW1, WW2 and the FLQ Crisis. I don’t think it applies to the current situation.

    I doubt Pierre Trudeau would have taken this step to deal with the protests. Who can prove that none of the swastikas, confederate flags and weapons were planted? Everyone knows that governments aren’t always honest. In this case, we have a weak leader using the EMA to appear strong. If he had the best interests of the nation at heart, he’d take his brother’s advice and resign.

    • Gilbert,

      Of course, in theory, planting of evidence is a remote possibility but not very likely. That’s like the person who told me that it was probably the police who brought fire starter bricks and taped the doors shut of the building. Well, hello, not bloody likely. When I heard that one, I thought man, get mental health help and quickly.

  17. Miles Lunn says:

    Yes I do. That has gone on way too long and causing way too much damage. Also emergencies act has lots of checks and balances and in fact is very limited and restrained so doesn’t allow abuse of power which is a good thing. Based on threat out there, it is perfectly justifiable and not overkill

  18. Robert White says:

    The Second Law of Thermodynamics is Trudeau’s undoing in so far as Entropy cares not for Trudeau’s Closed-Looped Totalitarianism run amok with unscientific non-evidence based unilateral lopsided dogmatism framed as a universal mandate that is obviously political & partisan.

    As closed-looped systems are always information starved & therefore limited via containment of ideology we evidence the very Entropy that degrades that system over time resulting in collapse of confidence of political leadership & parties.

    Liberal closed-looped systems of ideology always exclude opposition via groupthink until opposition finds a way around the closed-looped thought processes of Liberal partisans which is always lofty & tone deaf relative to the working class they systematically ignore YoY in Parliament.

    Parliament is about elite ideology as opposed to reality of the working class of Canada. More often than not Parliament is focused on the elite wants & desires of the corporate shareholders as opposed to working class stakeholders.

    The Speaker of the House of Commons authoritatively governs the Parliamentary precinct as fiduciary, but even he fails to understand structural inflation relative to the working class Canadians that have not been supported with precinct budgets approximating $6 billion CDN over the next five year accounting period in a milieu of systemic hyperinflation for Canadian consumers whereby housing costs have risen approximately 24% in the last year alone.

    Parliament is tone deaf to their planned market crash that is manifesting now as we broach Q2 2022. Freeland & Trudeau both know that Finance Canada has no plan forward but to sit by and watch all commodities hyperinflate into a system wide Six Sigma crash of global finance.

    The politicization of structural hyperinflation is Liberal Party policy forward. The poor must not be counted lest the rich are revealed as arbiters throughout Parliament.

    The Speaker of the House of Commons makes the same money as PM Blackface Feminist-in-Chief.

    It’s a big club, but we ain’t in it.

    RW

  19. Joseph says:

    I’m reminded of an old saying that why go to the trouble of milking a cow, when you get free milk.

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