“This is a black spot in Canadian history,” Dean France said of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision to invoke the Emergency Act on Feb. 14, just a day after the deal between the city and the truckers was made public. “History will show that it was a total overreaction.” Since late January, protesters have rallied against the pandemic restrictions and blocked access to the neighborhood and major arteries around Parliament Hill, blocking roads with trucks and other vehicles. The activation of the act gave authorities sweeping temporary powers, including the ability to freeze protesters’ bank accounts and credit cards and forcing tow truck companies to help them remove the vehicles. Participating in any event deemed an illegal assembly, such as the Ottawa convoy protest, also became illegal. WATCHES | The government had to wait, says French:
Government’s use of emergency law a ‘black spot’ in Canada’s history, convoy ombudsman says
Dean French, who led negotiations between Ottawa’s mayor and the leaders of the procession, says the government should have waited to see if protesters cleared residential areas after reaching a deal before invoking emergency law. “History will show that it was a total overreaction” Last week, unsealed minutes of a cabinet meeting revealed that Trudeau took the unprecedented step of invoking the act just a day after his national security adviser told him of a possible “pass” in the crisis. The office of the Minister of Public Security he said later the minutes referred to negotiations conducted by the city that were “ultimately unsuccessful” after being “rejected” by many associated with the convoy. The government considered the outcome of those negotiations “as a factor in the decision to invoke the emergency law,” the minister’s office added.
Met the organizers for pizza
French, who resigned from his job as Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s chief of staff in 2019 after a controversy over patronage appointments, said dozens of trucks began moving through residential areas when he invoked the emergency law. “Why didn’t Trudeau’s cabinet wait until Sunday night [Feb. 13] say, ‘[Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson], a very reliable, respected mayor, has a deal. Let’s wait two or three days to see if this peaceful resolution works. If it’s not real, then let’s put the hammer down,” French told Power & Politics host Vassy Kapelos on Wednesday. French said he reached out to Watson to help resolve the convoy crisis in Ottawa on Feb. 10. By Feb. 11, he said, he was meeting in person with Lich and several other pizza convoy organizers at a downtown Ottawa hotel. “We had the deal done that night, basically,” French said. According to a February 12 letter from Watson to Lich, the agreement called for all protest trucks to be removed within 72 hours from residential areas and from the parking lot of a baseball field. They were to move to Wellington Street just south of Parliament Hill. If there was “clear evidence” that the convoy began moving away from neighborhoods before noon on Feb. 14, Watson would have met with Leach, the mayor wrote. In a reply letter sent on the same dayLich told Watson that the Freedom Convoy board had agreed to his request to “reduce pressure on residents and businesses” and concentrate the vehicles around Parliament Hill. “We will be working hard over the next 24 hours to get purchase from truckers,” Lich wrote. “We hope to start repositioning our trucks on Monday.” Attorney Keith Wilson, who represents Lich in her non-criminal cases, told the CBC a note by Lich and other convoy organizers, he said was distributed to hundreds of convoy participants that day to tell them about the new strategy. “We need to reposition our trucks so that we don’t give the Prime Minister the excuse that he is desperate to use force and seize our trucks,” the note said. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, flanked by cabinet members, announces the deployment of the Emergency Situations Act on February 14, in Ottawa. (The Canadian Press) Forcing trucking companies to help impound protest vehicles – one of the expanded powers allowed by invoking the Emergency Act – was mentioned as an option in cabinet minutes as early as February 12, a day before the cabinet heard about the potential breakthrough. RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki told a parliamentary committee earlier this year that the emergency powers were useful in dislodging protesters who had entrenched themselves on the streets of Ottawa for weeks, and there were times the RCMP would have used those powers earlier if the act had been invoked earlier. Details of the deal were announced hours before a cabinet meeting where Trudeau and assembled ministers were briefed on the “discovery,” France said. “It was pretty clear,” he said of the deal. “I’m surprised the wording from the prime minister’s security adviser and the cabinet wasn’t a little more direct: ‘The mayor has a deal.’ WATCHES | The Power Panel discusses the use of emergency law:
The Power Panel discusses the use of emergency law
Panelists in Power – Charelle Evelyn, Brian Gallant, Tim Powers and Kathleen Monk discuss the Liberal government’s use of the Emergency Act.
Mixed signals
Some of the trucks — not all — were moved off residential streets after the deal was announced, and Lich’s Twitter account cast doubt on whether a deal had actually been done. (Twitter) Kapelos also pointed out that another key figure in the convoy, Pat King, denounced the deal and that some protesters interviewed after the deal said publicly that they would not back down. “Yes, it took some walking and some clearing,” French said, adding that he “would love to know” how many trucks had been moved according to the Ottawa Police Service. “I think that’s the key question,” French said of the public inquiry that will begin Sept. 19 to look into the Trudeau government’s reasons for taking emergency action. Watson’s office confirmed this week that the mayor never met with Lich. The mayor declined to comment on the reported “discovery,” citing his scheduled appearance at the inquest. A full list of witnesses will be released closer to the start of the investigation, a spokesman for the Public Order Emergency Committee said. In a tweet last week criticizing the Trudeau government for invoking the Emergency Act in doing so, Wilson said the agreement between the city and the parade organizers was signed on February 12. Negotiated agrt btw the truckers & City was signed on Saturday. Logistics mtg held @ city hall Sunday pm. with police/city. Trucks started moving Monday morning, and more moved Tuesday. Despite this Trudeau invoked the Emergency Act. I was there and did the negotiations. https://t.co/jggTN4pf0O —@ikwilson In an emailed statement, Wilson said the Feb. 13 tweet from Lich’s account suggesting there was no deal was “poorly worded.” He also pointed to a publication that said the plan would go ahead. (Twitter) The trucks started moving the next morning “but miscommunication between several police agencies resulted in the trucks getting stuck as they moved,” Wilson said. More trucks are expected to move in the next two days as well. But Wilson said that by Feb. 16 — two days after the state of emergency law went into effect and a day when police began moving around notices to protesters telling them to leave downtown Ottawa — he was told that the federal government and the new police chief were suspending the agreement and no more trucks would be allowed to move into Wellington or out of the city. Freedom Convoy lawyer Keith Wilson speaks during a press conference as in Ottawa on February 3. Escort organizer Tamara Lich is on the far right. (Blair Gable/Reuters) Other unsealed court documents — which come from the Canadian Civil Liberties Association that sued the federal government over its use of the act — hint at police communication issues during the occupation. “There appears to be a lack of a plan in Ottawa, with the Chief of the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) yet to approve the plan developed with the RCMP and OPP,” said minutes of the Feb. 12 cabinet meeting and others members of the government’s Incident Response Team. “During [meeting]confirmation received that the OPS Chief of Police has accepted the plan.’ Later in the meeting, it was noted that there continued to be “challenges working with the Integrated Planning Team in Ottawa around communication and decisively the Chief of OPS”. Peter Slowley resigned as Ottawa police chief on February 15, the day after the act was invoked and amid claims that came into conflict with members of the OPP and RCMP tasked with supporting the city’s law enforcement efforts during the crisis. The Ottawa Police Service declined to comment on the minutes and Wilson’s allegations about the police communication, citing the upcoming public inquiry. “While the Ottawa Police Service has not yet received information confirming that it will be provided an opportunity to attend the public hearing, we intend to fully cooperate with the public inquiry and, if given the option, will appear before the Emergency Public Hearing Class Committee,” said a police spokesman.
title: “Negotiator Behind Freedom Convoy Deal Says Ottawa Was Too Quick To Use Emergency Powers Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-19” author: “James Xiong”
“This is a black spot in Canadian history,” Dean France said of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision to invoke the Emergency Act on Feb. 14, just a day after the deal between the city and the truckers was made public. “History will show that it was a total overreaction.” Since late January, protesters have rallied against the pandemic restrictions and blocked access to the neighborhood and major arteries around Parliament Hill, blocking roads with trucks and other vehicles. The activation of the act gave authorities sweeping temporary powers, including the ability to freeze protesters’ bank accounts and credit cards and forcing tow truck companies to help them remove the vehicles. Participating in any event deemed an illegal assembly, such as the Ottawa convoy protest, also became illegal. WATCHES | The government had to wait, says French:
Government’s use of emergency law a ‘black spot’ in Canada’s history, convoy ombudsman says
Dean French, who led negotiations between Ottawa’s mayor and the leaders of the procession, says the government should have waited to see if protesters cleared residential areas after reaching a deal before invoking emergency law. “History will show that it was a total overreaction” Last week, unsealed minutes of a cabinet meeting revealed that Trudeau took the unprecedented step of invoking the act just a day after his national security adviser told him of a possible “pass” in the crisis. The office of the Minister of Public Security he said later the minutes referred to negotiations conducted by the city that were “ultimately unsuccessful” after being “rejected” by many associated with the convoy. The government considered the outcome of those negotiations “as a factor in the decision to invoke the emergency law,” the minister’s office added.
Met the organizers for pizza
French, who resigned from his job as Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s chief of staff in 2019 after a controversy over patronage appointments, said dozens of trucks began moving through residential areas when he invoked the emergency law. “Why didn’t Trudeau’s cabinet wait until Sunday night [Feb. 13] say, ‘[Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson], a very reliable, respected mayor, has a deal. Let’s wait two or three days to see if this peaceful resolution works. If it’s not real, then let’s put the hammer down,” French told Power & Politics host Vassy Kapelos on Wednesday. French said he reached out to Watson to help resolve the convoy crisis in Ottawa on Feb. 10. By Feb. 11, he said, he was meeting in person with Lich and several other pizza convoy organizers at a downtown Ottawa hotel. “We had the deal done that night, basically,” French said. According to a February 12 letter from Watson to Lich, the agreement called for all protest trucks to be removed within 72 hours from residential areas and from the parking lot of a baseball field. They were to move to Wellington Street just south of Parliament Hill. If there was “clear evidence” that the convoy began moving away from neighborhoods before noon on Feb. 14, Watson would have met with Leach, the mayor wrote. In a reply letter sent on the same dayLich told Watson that the Freedom Convoy board had agreed to his request to “reduce pressure on residents and businesses” and concentrate the vehicles around Parliament Hill. “We will be working hard over the next 24 hours to get purchase from truckers,” Lich wrote. “We hope to start repositioning our trucks on Monday.” Attorney Keith Wilson, who represents Lich in her non-criminal cases, told the CBC a note by Lich and other convoy organizers, he said was distributed to hundreds of convoy participants that day to tell them about the new strategy. “We need to reposition our trucks so that we don’t give the Prime Minister the excuse that he is desperate to use force and seize our trucks,” the note said. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, flanked by cabinet members, announces the deployment of the Emergency Situations Act on February 14, in Ottawa. (The Canadian Press) Forcing trucking companies to help impound protest vehicles – one of the expanded powers allowed by invoking the Emergency Act – was mentioned as an option in cabinet minutes as early as February 12, a day before the cabinet heard about the potential breakthrough. RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki told a parliamentary committee earlier this year that the emergency powers were useful in dislodging protesters who had entrenched themselves on the streets of Ottawa for weeks, and there were times the RCMP would have used those powers earlier if the act had been invoked earlier. Details of the deal were announced hours before a cabinet meeting where Trudeau and assembled ministers were briefed on the “discovery,” France said. “It was pretty clear,” he said of the deal. “I’m surprised the wording from the prime minister’s security adviser and the cabinet wasn’t a little more direct: ‘The mayor has a deal.’ WATCHES | The Power Panel discusses the use of emergency law:
The Power Panel discusses the use of emergency law
Panelists in Power – Charelle Evelyn, Brian Gallant, Tim Powers and Kathleen Monk discuss the Liberal government’s use of the Emergency Act.
Mixed signals
Some of the trucks — not all — were moved off residential streets after the deal was announced, and Lich’s Twitter account cast doubt on whether a deal had actually been done. (Twitter) Kapelos also pointed out that another key figure in the convoy, Pat King, denounced the deal and that some protesters interviewed after the deal said publicly that they would not back down. “Yes, it took some walking and some clearing,” French said, adding that he “would love to know” how many trucks had been moved according to the Ottawa Police Service. “I think that’s the key question,” French said of the public inquiry that will begin Sept. 19 to look into the Trudeau government’s reasons for taking emergency action. Watson’s office confirmed this week that the mayor never met with Lich. The mayor declined to comment on the reported “discovery,” citing his scheduled appearance at the inquest. A full list of witnesses will be released closer to the start of the investigation, a spokesman for the Public Order Emergency Committee said. In a tweet last week criticizing the Trudeau government for invoking the Emergency Act in doing so, Wilson said the agreement between the city and the parade organizers was signed on February 12. Negotiated agrt btw the truckers & City was signed on Saturday. Logistics mtg held @ city hall Sunday pm. with police/city. Trucks started moving Monday morning, and more moved Tuesday. Despite this Trudeau invoked the Emergency Act. I was there and did the negotiations. https://t.co/jggTN4pf0O —@ikwilson In an emailed statement, Wilson said the Feb. 13 tweet from Lich’s account suggesting there was no deal was “poorly worded.” He also pointed to a publication that said the plan would go ahead. (Twitter) The trucks started moving the next morning “but miscommunication between several police agencies resulted in the trucks getting stuck as they moved,” Wilson said. More trucks are expected to move in the next two days as well. But Wilson said that by Feb. 16 — two days after the state of emergency law went into effect and a day when police began moving around notices to protesters telling them to leave downtown Ottawa — he was told that the federal government and the new police chief were suspending the agreement and no more trucks would be allowed to move into Wellington or out of the city. Freedom Convoy lawyer Keith Wilson speaks during a press conference as in Ottawa on February 3. Escort organizer Tamara Lich is on the far right. (Blair Gable/Reuters) Other unsealed court documents — which come from the Canadian Civil Liberties Association that sued the federal government over its use of the act — hint at police communication issues during the occupation. “There appears to be a lack of a plan in Ottawa, with the Chief of the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) yet to approve the plan developed with the RCMP and OPP,” said minutes of the Feb. 12 cabinet meeting and others members of the government’s Incident Response Team. “During [meeting]confirmation received that the OPS Chief of Police has accepted the plan.’ Later in the meeting, it was noted that there continued to be “challenges working with the Integrated Planning Team in Ottawa around communication and decisively the Chief of OPS”. Peter Slowley resigned as Ottawa police chief on February 15, the day after the act was invoked and amid claims that came into conflict with members of the OPP and RCMP tasked with supporting the city’s law enforcement efforts during the crisis. The Ottawa Police Service declined to comment on the minutes and Wilson’s allegations about the police communication, citing the upcoming public inquiry. “While the Ottawa Police Service has not yet received information confirming that it will be provided an opportunity to attend the public hearing, we intend to fully cooperate with the public inquiry and, if given the option, will appear before the Emergency Public Hearing Class Committee,” said a police spokesman.
title: “Negotiator Behind Freedom Convoy Deal Says Ottawa Was Too Quick To Use Emergency Powers Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-05” author: “Isabel Mccrary”
“This is a black spot in Canadian history,” Dean France said of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision to invoke the Emergency Act on Feb. 14, just a day after the deal between the city and the truckers was made public. “History will show that it was a total overreaction.” Since late January, protesters have rallied against the pandemic restrictions and blocked access to the neighborhood and major arteries around Parliament Hill, blocking roads with trucks and other vehicles. The activation of the act gave authorities sweeping temporary powers, including the ability to freeze protesters’ bank accounts and credit cards and forcing tow truck companies to help them remove the vehicles. Participating in any event deemed an illegal assembly, such as the Ottawa convoy protest, also became illegal. WATCHES | The government had to wait, says French:
Government’s use of emergency law a ‘black spot’ in Canada’s history, convoy ombudsman says
Dean French, who led negotiations between Ottawa’s mayor and the leaders of the procession, says the government should have waited to see if protesters cleared residential areas after reaching a deal before invoking emergency law. “History will show that it was a total overreaction” Last week, unsealed minutes of a cabinet meeting revealed that Trudeau took the unprecedented step of invoking the act just a day after his national security adviser told him of a possible “pass” in the crisis. The office of the Minister of Public Security he said later the minutes referred to negotiations conducted by the city that were “ultimately unsuccessful” after being “rejected” by many associated with the convoy. The government considered the outcome of those negotiations “as a factor in the decision to invoke the emergency law,” the minister’s office added.
Met the organizers for pizza
French, who resigned from his job as Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s chief of staff in 2019 after a controversy over patronage appointments, said dozens of trucks began moving through residential areas when he invoked the emergency law. “Why didn’t Trudeau’s cabinet wait until Sunday night [Feb. 13] say, ‘[Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson], a very reliable, respected mayor, has a deal. Let’s wait two or three days to see if this peaceful resolution works. If it’s not real, then let’s put the hammer down,” French told Power & Politics host Vassy Kapelos on Wednesday. French said he reached out to Watson to help resolve the convoy crisis in Ottawa on Feb. 10. By Feb. 11, he said, he was meeting in person with Lich and several other pizza convoy organizers at a downtown Ottawa hotel. “We had the deal done that night, basically,” French said. According to a February 12 letter from Watson to Lich, the agreement called for all protest trucks to be removed within 72 hours from residential areas and from the parking lot of a baseball field. They were to move to Wellington Street just south of Parliament Hill. If there was “clear evidence” that the convoy began moving away from neighborhoods before noon on Feb. 14, Watson would have met with Leach, the mayor wrote. In a reply letter sent on the same dayLich told Watson that the Freedom Convoy board had agreed to his request to “reduce pressure on residents and businesses” and concentrate the vehicles around Parliament Hill. “We will be working hard over the next 24 hours to get purchase from truckers,” Lich wrote. “We hope to start repositioning our trucks on Monday.” Attorney Keith Wilson, who represents Lich in her non-criminal cases, told the CBC a note by Lich and other convoy organizers, he said was distributed to hundreds of convoy participants that day to tell them about the new strategy. “We need to reposition our trucks so that we don’t give the Prime Minister the excuse that he is desperate to use force and seize our trucks,” the note said. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, flanked by cabinet members, announces the deployment of the Emergency Situations Act on February 14, in Ottawa. (The Canadian Press) Forcing trucking companies to help impound protest vehicles – one of the expanded powers allowed by invoking the Emergency Act – was mentioned as an option in cabinet minutes as early as February 12, a day before the cabinet heard about the potential breakthrough. RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki told a parliamentary committee earlier this year that the emergency powers were useful in dislodging protesters who had entrenched themselves on the streets of Ottawa for weeks, and there were times the RCMP would have used those powers earlier if the act had been invoked earlier. Details of the deal were announced hours before a cabinet meeting where Trudeau and assembled ministers were briefed on the “discovery,” France said. “It was pretty clear,” he said of the deal. “I’m surprised the wording from the prime minister’s security adviser and the cabinet wasn’t a little more direct: ‘The mayor has a deal.’ WATCHES | The Power Panel discusses the use of emergency law:
The Power Panel discusses the use of emergency law
Panelists in Power – Charelle Evelyn, Brian Gallant, Tim Powers and Kathleen Monk discuss the Liberal government’s use of the Emergency Act.
Mixed signals
Some of the trucks — not all — were moved off residential streets after the deal was announced, and Lich’s Twitter account cast doubt on whether a deal had actually been done. (Twitter) Kapelos also pointed out that another key figure in the convoy, Pat King, denounced the deal and that some protesters interviewed after the deal said publicly that they would not back down. “Yes, it took some walking and some clearing,” French said, adding that he “would love to know” how many trucks had been moved according to the Ottawa Police Service. “I think that’s the key question,” French said of the public inquiry that will begin Sept. 19 to look into the Trudeau government’s reasons for taking emergency action. Watson’s office confirmed this week that the mayor never met with Lich. The mayor declined to comment on the reported “discovery,” citing his scheduled appearance at the inquest. A full list of witnesses will be released closer to the start of the investigation, a spokesman for the Public Order Emergency Committee said. In a tweet last week criticizing the Trudeau government for invoking the Emergency Act in doing so, Wilson said the agreement between the city and the parade organizers was signed on February 12. Negotiated agrt btw the truckers & City was signed on Saturday. Logistics mtg held @ city hall Sunday pm. with police/city. Trucks started moving Monday morning, and more moved Tuesday. Despite this Trudeau invoked the Emergency Act. I was there and did the negotiations. https://t.co/jggTN4pf0O —@ikwilson In an emailed statement, Wilson said the Feb. 13 tweet from Lich’s account suggesting there was no deal was “poorly worded.” He also pointed to a publication that said the plan would go ahead. (Twitter) The trucks started moving the next morning “but miscommunication between several police agencies resulted in the trucks getting stuck as they moved,” Wilson said. More trucks are expected to move in the next two days as well. But Wilson said that by Feb. 16 — two days after the state of emergency law went into effect and a day when police began moving around notices to protesters telling them to leave downtown Ottawa — he was told that the federal government and the new police chief were suspending the agreement and no more trucks would be allowed to move into Wellington or out of the city. Freedom Convoy lawyer Keith Wilson speaks during a press conference as in Ottawa on February 3. Escort organizer Tamara Lich is on the far right. (Blair Gable/Reuters) Other unsealed court documents — which come from the Canadian Civil Liberties Association that sued the federal government over its use of the act — hint at police communication issues during the occupation. “There appears to be a lack of a plan in Ottawa, with the Chief of the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) yet to approve the plan developed with the RCMP and OPP,” said minutes of the Feb. 12 cabinet meeting and others members of the government’s Incident Response Team. “During [meeting]confirmation received that the OPS Chief of Police has accepted the plan.’ Later in the meeting, it was noted that there continued to be “challenges working with the Integrated Planning Team in Ottawa around communication and decisively the Chief of OPS”. Peter Slowley resigned as Ottawa police chief on February 15, the day after the act was invoked and amid claims that came into conflict with members of the OPP and RCMP tasked with supporting the city’s law enforcement efforts during the crisis. The Ottawa Police Service declined to comment on the minutes and Wilson’s allegations about the police communication, citing the upcoming public inquiry. “While the Ottawa Police Service has not yet received information confirming that it will be provided an opportunity to attend the public hearing, we intend to fully cooperate with the public inquiry and, if given the option, will appear before the Emergency Public Hearing Class Committee,” said a police spokesman.
title: “Negotiator Behind Freedom Convoy Deal Says Ottawa Was Too Quick To Use Emergency Powers Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-03” author: “William Matas”
“This is a black spot in Canadian history,” Dean France said of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision to invoke the Emergency Act on Feb. 14, just a day after the deal between the city and the truckers was made public. “History will show that it was a total overreaction.” Since late January, protesters have rallied against the pandemic restrictions and blocked access to the neighborhood and major arteries around Parliament Hill, blocking roads with trucks and other vehicles. The activation of the act gave authorities sweeping temporary powers, including the ability to freeze protesters’ bank accounts and credit cards and forcing tow truck companies to help them remove the vehicles. Participating in any event deemed an illegal assembly, such as the Ottawa convoy protest, also became illegal. WATCHES | The government had to wait, says French:
Government’s use of emergency law a ‘black spot’ in Canada’s history, convoy ombudsman says
Dean French, who led negotiations between Ottawa’s mayor and the leaders of the procession, says the government should have waited to see if protesters cleared residential areas after reaching a deal before invoking emergency law. “History will show that it was a total overreaction” Last week, unsealed minutes of a cabinet meeting revealed that Trudeau took the unprecedented step of invoking the act just a day after his national security adviser told him of a possible “pass” in the crisis. The office of the Minister of Public Security he said later the minutes referred to negotiations conducted by the city that were “ultimately unsuccessful” after being “rejected” by many associated with the convoy. The government considered the outcome of those negotiations “as a factor in the decision to invoke the emergency law,” the minister’s office added.
Met the organizers for pizza
French, who resigned from his job as Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s chief of staff in 2019 after a controversy over patronage appointments, said dozens of trucks began moving through residential areas when he invoked the emergency law. “Why didn’t Trudeau’s cabinet wait until Sunday night [Feb. 13] say, ‘[Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson], a very reliable, respected mayor, has a deal. Let’s wait two or three days to see if this peaceful resolution works. If it’s not real, then let’s put the hammer down,” French told Power & Politics host Vassy Kapelos on Wednesday. French said he reached out to Watson to help resolve the convoy crisis in Ottawa on Feb. 10. By Feb. 11, he said, he was meeting in person with Lich and several other pizza convoy organizers at a downtown Ottawa hotel. “We had the deal done that night, basically,” French said. According to a February 12 letter from Watson to Lich, the agreement called for all protest trucks to be removed within 72 hours from residential areas and from the parking lot of a baseball field. They were to move to Wellington Street just south of Parliament Hill. If there was “clear evidence” that the convoy began moving away from neighborhoods before noon on Feb. 14, Watson would have met with Leach, the mayor wrote. In a reply letter sent on the same dayLich told Watson that the Freedom Convoy board had agreed to his request to “reduce pressure on residents and businesses” and concentrate the vehicles around Parliament Hill. “We will be working hard over the next 24 hours to get purchase from truckers,” Lich wrote. “We hope to start repositioning our trucks on Monday.” Attorney Keith Wilson, who represents Lich in her non-criminal cases, told the CBC a note by Lich and other convoy organizers, he said was distributed to hundreds of convoy participants that day to tell them about the new strategy. “We need to reposition our trucks so that we don’t give the Prime Minister the excuse that he is desperate to use force and seize our trucks,” the note said. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, flanked by cabinet members, announces the deployment of the Emergency Situations Act on February 14, in Ottawa. (The Canadian Press) Forcing trucking companies to help impound protest vehicles – one of the expanded powers allowed by invoking the Emergency Act – was mentioned as an option in cabinet minutes as early as February 12, a day before the cabinet heard about the potential breakthrough. RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki told a parliamentary committee earlier this year that the emergency powers were useful in dislodging protesters who had entrenched themselves on the streets of Ottawa for weeks, and there were times the RCMP would have used those powers earlier if the act had been invoked earlier. Details of the deal were announced hours before a cabinet meeting where Trudeau and assembled ministers were briefed on the “discovery,” France said. “It was pretty clear,” he said of the deal. “I’m surprised the wording from the prime minister’s security adviser and the cabinet wasn’t a little more direct: ‘The mayor has a deal.’ WATCHES | The Power Panel discusses the use of emergency law:
The Power Panel discusses the use of emergency law
Panelists in Power – Charelle Evelyn, Brian Gallant, Tim Powers and Kathleen Monk discuss the Liberal government’s use of the Emergency Act.
Mixed signals
Some of the trucks — not all — were moved off residential streets after the deal was announced, and Lich’s Twitter account cast doubt on whether a deal had actually been done. (Twitter) Kapelos also pointed out that another key figure in the convoy, Pat King, denounced the deal and that some protesters interviewed after the deal said publicly that they would not back down. “Yes, it took some walking and some clearing,” French said, adding that he “would love to know” how many trucks had been moved according to the Ottawa Police Service. “I think that’s the key question,” French said of the public inquiry that will begin Sept. 19 to look into the Trudeau government’s reasons for taking emergency action. Watson’s office confirmed this week that the mayor never met with Lich. The mayor declined to comment on the reported “discovery,” citing his scheduled appearance at the inquest. A full list of witnesses will be released closer to the start of the investigation, a spokesman for the Public Order Emergency Committee said. In a tweet last week criticizing the Trudeau government for invoking the Emergency Act in doing so, Wilson said the agreement between the city and the parade organizers was signed on February 12. Negotiated agrt btw the truckers & City was signed on Saturday. Logistics mtg held @ city hall Sunday pm. with police/city. Trucks started moving Monday morning, and more moved Tuesday. Despite this Trudeau invoked the Emergency Act. I was there and did the negotiations. https://t.co/jggTN4pf0O —@ikwilson In an emailed statement, Wilson said the Feb. 13 tweet from Lich’s account suggesting there was no deal was “poorly worded.” He also pointed to a publication that said the plan would go ahead. (Twitter) The trucks started moving the next morning “but miscommunication between several police agencies resulted in the trucks getting stuck as they moved,” Wilson said. More trucks are expected to move in the next two days as well. But Wilson said that by Feb. 16 — two days after the state of emergency law went into effect and a day when police began moving around notices to protesters telling them to leave downtown Ottawa — he was told that the federal government and the new police chief were suspending the agreement and no more trucks would be allowed to move into Wellington or out of the city. Freedom Convoy lawyer Keith Wilson speaks during a press conference as in Ottawa on February 3. Escort organizer Tamara Lich is on the far right. (Blair Gable/Reuters) Other unsealed court documents — which come from the Canadian Civil Liberties Association that sued the federal government over its use of the act — hint at police communication issues during the occupation. “There appears to be a lack of a plan in Ottawa, with the Chief of the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) yet to approve the plan developed with the RCMP and OPP,” said minutes of the Feb. 12 cabinet meeting and others members of the government’s Incident Response Team. “During [meeting]confirmation received that the OPS Chief of Police has accepted the plan.’ Later in the meeting, it was noted that there continued to be “challenges working with the Integrated Planning Team in Ottawa around communication and decisively the Chief of OPS”. Peter Slowley resigned as Ottawa police chief on February 15, the day after the act was invoked and amid claims that came into conflict with members of the OPP and RCMP tasked with supporting the city’s law enforcement efforts during the crisis. The Ottawa Police Service declined to comment on the minutes and Wilson’s allegations about the police communication, citing the upcoming public inquiry. “While the Ottawa Police Service has not yet received information confirming that it will be provided an opportunity to attend the public hearing, we intend to fully cooperate with the public inquiry and, if given the option, will appear before the Emergency Public Hearing Class Committee,” said a police spokesman.
title: “Negotiator Behind Freedom Convoy Deal Says Ottawa Was Too Quick To Use Emergency Powers Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-27” author: “Tara Espino”
“This is a black spot in Canadian history,” Dean France said of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision to invoke the Emergency Act on Feb. 14, just a day after the deal between the city and the truckers was made public. “History will show that it was a total overreaction.” Since late January, protesters have rallied against the pandemic restrictions and blocked access to the neighborhood and major arteries around Parliament Hill, blocking roads with trucks and other vehicles. The activation of the act gave authorities sweeping temporary powers, including the ability to freeze protesters’ bank accounts and credit cards and forcing tow truck companies to help them remove the vehicles. Participating in any event deemed an illegal assembly, such as the Ottawa convoy protest, also became illegal. WATCHES | The government had to wait, says French:
Government’s use of emergency law a ‘black spot’ in Canada’s history, convoy ombudsman says
Dean French, who led negotiations between Ottawa’s mayor and the leaders of the procession, says the government should have waited to see if protesters cleared residential areas after reaching a deal before invoking emergency law. “History will show that it was a total overreaction” Last week, unsealed minutes of a cabinet meeting revealed that Trudeau took the unprecedented step of invoking the act just a day after his national security adviser told him of a possible “pass” in the crisis. The office of the Minister of Public Security he said later the minutes referred to negotiations conducted by the city that were “ultimately unsuccessful” after being “rejected” by many associated with the convoy. The government considered the outcome of those negotiations “as a factor in the decision to invoke the emergency law,” the minister’s office added.
Met the organizers for pizza
French, who resigned from his job as Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s chief of staff in 2019 after a controversy over patronage appointments, said dozens of trucks began moving through residential areas when he invoked the emergency law. “Why didn’t Trudeau’s cabinet wait until Sunday night [Feb. 13] say, ‘[Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson], a very reliable, respected mayor, has a deal. Let’s wait two or three days to see if this peaceful resolution works. If it’s not real, then let’s put the hammer down,” French told Power & Politics host Vassy Kapelos on Wednesday. French said he reached out to Watson to help resolve the convoy crisis in Ottawa on Feb. 10. By Feb. 11, he said, he was meeting in person with Lich and several other pizza convoy organizers at a downtown Ottawa hotel. “We had the deal done that night, basically,” French said. According to a February 12 letter from Watson to Lich, the agreement called for all protest trucks to be removed within 72 hours from residential areas and from the parking lot of a baseball field. They were to move to Wellington Street just south of Parliament Hill. If there was “clear evidence” that the convoy began moving away from neighborhoods before noon on Feb. 14, Watson would have met with Leach, the mayor wrote. In a reply letter sent on the same dayLich told Watson that the Freedom Convoy board had agreed to his request to “reduce pressure on residents and businesses” and concentrate the vehicles around Parliament Hill. “We will be working hard over the next 24 hours to get purchase from truckers,” Lich wrote. “We hope to start repositioning our trucks on Monday.” Attorney Keith Wilson, who represents Lich in her non-criminal cases, told the CBC a note by Lich and other convoy organizers, he said was distributed to hundreds of convoy participants that day to tell them about the new strategy. “We need to reposition our trucks so that we don’t give the Prime Minister the excuse that he is desperate to use force and seize our trucks,” the note said. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, flanked by cabinet members, announces the deployment of the Emergency Situations Act on February 14, in Ottawa. (The Canadian Press) Forcing trucking companies to help impound protest vehicles – one of the expanded powers allowed by invoking the Emergency Act – was mentioned as an option in cabinet minutes as early as February 12, a day before the cabinet heard about the potential breakthrough. RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki told a parliamentary committee earlier this year that the emergency powers were useful in dislodging protesters who had entrenched themselves on the streets of Ottawa for weeks, and there were times the RCMP would have used those powers earlier if the act had been invoked earlier. Details of the deal were announced hours before a cabinet meeting where Trudeau and assembled ministers were briefed on the “discovery,” France said. “It was pretty clear,” he said of the deal. “I’m surprised the wording from the prime minister’s security adviser and the cabinet wasn’t a little more direct: ‘The mayor has a deal.’ WATCHES | The Power Panel discusses the use of emergency law:
The Power Panel discusses the use of emergency law
Panelists in Power – Charelle Evelyn, Brian Gallant, Tim Powers and Kathleen Monk discuss the Liberal government’s use of the Emergency Act.
Mixed signals
Some of the trucks — not all — were moved off residential streets after the deal was announced, and Lich’s Twitter account cast doubt on whether a deal had actually been done. (Twitter) Kapelos also pointed out that another key figure in the convoy, Pat King, denounced the deal and that some protesters interviewed after the deal said publicly that they would not back down. “Yes, it took some walking and some clearing,” French said, adding that he “would love to know” how many trucks had been moved according to the Ottawa Police Service. “I think that’s the key question,” French said of the public inquiry that will begin Sept. 19 to look into the Trudeau government’s reasons for taking emergency action. Watson’s office confirmed this week that the mayor never met with Lich. The mayor declined to comment on the reported “discovery,” citing his scheduled appearance at the inquest. A full list of witnesses will be released closer to the start of the investigation, a spokesman for the Public Order Emergency Committee said. In a tweet last week criticizing the Trudeau government for invoking the Emergency Act in doing so, Wilson said the agreement between the city and the parade organizers was signed on February 12. Negotiated agrt btw the truckers & City was signed on Saturday. Logistics mtg held @ city hall Sunday pm. with police/city. Trucks started moving Monday morning, and more moved Tuesday. Despite this Trudeau invoked the Emergency Act. I was there and did the negotiations. https://t.co/jggTN4pf0O —@ikwilson In an emailed statement, Wilson said the Feb. 13 tweet from Lich’s account suggesting there was no deal was “poorly worded.” He also pointed to a publication that said the plan would go ahead. (Twitter) The trucks started moving the next morning “but miscommunication between several police agencies resulted in the trucks getting stuck as they moved,” Wilson said. More trucks are expected to move in the next two days as well. But Wilson said that by Feb. 16 — two days after the state of emergency law went into effect and a day when police began moving around notices to protesters telling them to leave downtown Ottawa — he was told that the federal government and the new police chief were suspending the agreement and no more trucks would be allowed to move into Wellington or out of the city. Freedom Convoy lawyer Keith Wilson speaks during a press conference as in Ottawa on February 3. Escort organizer Tamara Lich is on the far right. (Blair Gable/Reuters) Other unsealed court documents — which come from the Canadian Civil Liberties Association that sued the federal government over its use of the act — hint at police communication issues during the occupation. “There appears to be a lack of a plan in Ottawa, with the Chief of the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) yet to approve the plan developed with the RCMP and OPP,” said minutes of the Feb. 12 cabinet meeting and others members of the government’s Incident Response Team. “During [meeting]confirmation received that the OPS Chief of Police has accepted the plan.’ Later in the meeting, it was noted that there continued to be “challenges working with the Integrated Planning Team in Ottawa around communication and decisively the Chief of OPS”. Peter Slowley resigned as Ottawa police chief on February 15, the day after the act was invoked and amid claims that came into conflict with members of the OPP and RCMP tasked with supporting the city’s law enforcement efforts during the crisis. The Ottawa Police Service declined to comment on the minutes and Wilson’s allegations about the police communication, citing the upcoming public inquiry. “While the Ottawa Police Service has not yet received information confirming that it will be provided an opportunity to attend the public hearing, we intend to fully cooperate with the public inquiry and, if given the option, will appear before the Emergency Public Hearing Class Committee,” said a police spokesman.
