By Canadian Press

Commission probing use of Emergencies Act for 2022 trucker protests granted extension

Jan 31, 2023 | 1:46 PM

OTTAWA — The commission investigating the federal government’s use of the Emergencies Act to quell the trucker protests last winter in Ottawa has asked for more time to complete its report.

A government source, who was granted anonymity to discuss matters not yet public, says the order-in-council establishing the Public Order Emergency Commission will be modified to change the Feb. 6 deadline to submit its report to the government.

The source, however, says the commission will abide by the deadline imposed by the Emergencies Act, which requires the report to be submitted to Parliament — and released to the public — within 360 days of the emergency declaration being revoked.

That deadline is Feb. 20.

Headed by Justice Paul Rouleau, the commission is investigating the federal Liberal government’s use of the Emergencies Act last winter to end the “Freedom Convoy” protests that gridlocked downtown Ottawa for more than three weeks.

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The government invoked the law on Feb. 14, 2022, which granted extraordinary powers to police and governments to limit the protesters’ right to assembly and freeze their bank accounts in the hopes of clearing the demonstrations and preventing protesters from returning.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2023.

The Canadian Press