(Ottawa) Bringing children or teenagers to an unlawful assembly will be prohibited. Nor will they have the right to be nearby. This measure is part of one of the two regulations adopted on Tuesday to clarify the scope of the decree which proclaims the state of emergency.
Posted at 7:05 p.m.
Updated at 7:30 p.m.
The two regulations, one on emergency measures and the other on economic emergency measures, had not been made public at the time of this writing. Senior officials, however, gave some guidance during a media briefing on Tuesday afternoon.
It will henceforth be prohibited to organize public gatherings which could harm the movement and safety of people and goods, disrupt trade or impede the operation of essential infrastructure. This measure will also apply to those who support these gatherings.
It will also be prohibited to travel to Canada to support these illegal gatherings, as will it be prohibited to bring equipment or fuel to participants.
Protesters will no longer be able to block traffic around an airport, as they tried to do last week in Ottawa by driving slowly in a truck in the area. These measures will also apply to ports, stations, utilities and electricity facilities, trade corridors, hospitals and border crossings.
The asset freeze will apply to all funds held in any type of account at a financial institution and to digital assets such as cryptocurrency. These institutions will be able to proceed after obtaining information from the police without fear of legal proceedings.
“Ottawa has lost control over Ottawa”
Earlier in the day, the decree proclaiming a state of emergency “in the whole country” was published. At first glance, it does not exclude Quebec or any other recalcitrant province. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had said the day before at a press conference that these measures would be “geographically targeted”. The Order in Council gives the Royal Canadian Mounted Police the power to enforce municipal and provincial laws.
The Conservatives accused the Prime Minister of adding fuel to the fire after he hesitated to act.
There are situations that have improved without having to use the Emergency Measures Act. It happened in Ontario, it happened in Alberta and it could have happened here in Ottawa.
Deputy Gérard Deltell, during question period
“Ottawa has lost control over Ottawa,” summed up the leader of the Bloc Québécois, Yves-François Blanchet.
“Is the Prime Minister shopping for his moment just watch me by imposing a law in Quebec against Quebec? “, he asked a little later, quoting the famous sentence of Trudeau senior before invoking the War Measures Act during the October crisis.
This Emergency Measures Act applies against the illegal barricades, the illegal occupations which happen to arise here and there throughout the country.
Justin Trudeau
“It is a response that is responsible, that is proportionate, that is limited both in time and in its geographic application, and that is still protecting the values and freedoms within the Charter of Rights and freedoms,” he continued.
He later clarified that he was not going to “impose measures anywhere in the country where they are not needed” in response to a question from the leader of the New Democratic Party, Jagmeet Singh, on its application in Quebec. .
Groping
Since this is the first time that the government has invoked the Emergency Measures Act since its adoption in 1988, it swims in uncharted waters and struggles to answer journalists’ questions. In all likelihood, the proclamation of the state of emergency came into effect on Monday. The government now has seven sitting days to present a motion in the House of Commons and the Senate, which brings it to the first week of March. If this motion is not passed by both Houses, the state of emergency will be revoked. In the meantime, the decreed measures will apply.
“I believe we have enough support to pass it, so the biggest challenge is to get as much support from Parliament as possible,” said the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Mark Holland. The Trudeau government being a minority, it needs the support of at least one other party to pass the motion. The NDP leader had already indicated the day before that his party would vote in favor.
In the Senate, it could be more difficult. “When we look at the framework provided for in the law, the government must exhaust its means,” argued Conservative Senator Claude Carignan in an interview.
They were able to unblock the Ambassador Bridge with the police, so why wouldn’t they be able to do that in Ottawa?
Conservative Senator Claude Carignan
Mr. Carignan announced his support Tuesday for Pierre Poilievre in the race for the leadership of the Conservative Party. Mr. Poilievre has supported the Ottawa protesters since they arrived in the capital.
One question remains: how will the authorities manage to enforce these emergency measures until the vote, since the Ottawa police have failed to enforce the law and municipal regulations since the start of “freedom convoy” 19 days ago?