The Federal Court determined Alberta can intervene in legal challenges to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s use of the Emergencies Act..Four legal challenges were launched nationally against the powers the federal government seized when it enacted the Emergencies Act on Valentine's Day to crush peaceful Freedom Convoy protests held in Ottawa and Alberta..The Trudeau government revoked the internationally condemned tactic nine days later — but not after a chilling precedent was set by Liberals who showed contempt for the rights and freedoms of Canadians..Premier Jason Kenney’s United Conservative Party (UCP) advised the Federal Court of its participation in the constitutional issues raised by the Trudeau government’s power grab. Alberta filed a request for a judicial review..The UCP maintains the federal government violated provincial jurisdiction under Canada’s Constitution and that blockades at the Sweetgrass-Coutts (Alta.) and Windsor Canada-U.S. border crossings, set up to support Freedom Convoy, had been resolved prior to the Emergencies Act..“We will protect our province from the dangerous precedent set by the federal government in pointlessly invoking the Emergencies Act,” said Kenney in a statement Friday..“Their decision to invoke the act violated the constitutionally guaranteed rights of Albertans, and all Canadians. It is our duty to do everything we can to protect Albertans’ freedoms and liberties from this kind of breach.”.“No government should have the power to seize a person’s property or withhold access to their assets without due process of the law.”.Trudeau arbitrarily authorized the seizure of vehicles; heavy fines; and the arrest and incarceration of organizers of the protesters encamped on Parliament Hill for nearly a month. .GoFundMe stopped payments to the Freedom Convoy. About $10M from 120,000 donors was raised..Under the Emergencies Act, Trudeau dictated — without a court order — banks were required to freeze accounts of individuals and corporations who supported the protests. Between 200-300 bank accounts with $8 million were frozen..Worried Canadians rushed to withdraw their funds..The Alberta government’s attempt to intervene now is “too little too late,” said Independent Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA Drew Barnes..“Unlike tens of thousands of Albertans who effectively moved some of their money from banks during Trudeau’s misguided crackdown, Kenney was again invisible and silent when it comes to standing up to Ottawa and Justin when it mattered,” said Barnes..“Now that the urgency has past, Kenney is just conducting more virtue signally. This is similar to how the NDP does politics.”.The Freedom Convoy protests were launched by truckers who opposed COVID-19 mandates preventing the unvaccinated from crossing the Canada-U.S. border. .They were supported by hundreds of thousands of Canadians who joined in and cheered them on as they rolled down highways to Ottawa from all points in Canada..The protest only took a violent turn when Trudeau granted police temporary emergency powers. A massive joint-operation police force in battle gear, armed with batons and tear gas, moved in to end the protest..Widespread media reports about protesters being armed, violent bigots and far-right extremist groups proved to be false..But Trudeau punished them anyway..In the statement issued Friday, Alberta’s Minister of Justice and Solicitor General Tyler Shandro said the province will “continue to stand up for Albertans.”.Alberta will be involved in all constitutionally and non-constitutionally issues headed to court..Independent Central Peace-Notley MLA Todd Loewen hopes Kenney will follow through with challenging the federal government and supporting greater legislative oversight on public health orders issued in Alberta..“Myself and in fact the vast majority of Albertans, have been asking for Kenney to get tough with Ottawa. Unfortunately, he stops at words. Hopefully we’ll finally see some real action here,” said Loewen..“It’s interesting that Kenney finds Trudeau’s actions offensive, when he had no problem implementing multiple Public Health State of Emergencies without going to the legislature.”.“Presently I have Bill 202 which would, among other things, allow for the review and/or appeal of multiple Public Health State of Emergencies in the legislature. If Kenney feels this strongly about this federal issue, he should support my Bill 202 and quit the procedural delays he’s been using in the legislature to delay or kill it.”.Loewen tabled the Private Members Bill 202, the Public Health (Transparency and Accountability) Amendment Act in the legislature in March..The bill will guarantee a full debate and vote before extending any public health state of emergency..Kenney’s authoritarian handling of the pandemic is one reason UCP members are in the process of voting to determine if he stays on as leader..The voting deadline for his leadership review is May 11. Results will be announced May. 18..And while the UCP points a finger at Trudeau for his appalling treatment of the truckers, it forgets that it came under fire for its reaction to them on home turf..Just as Trudeau refused to meet with the truckers in Ottawa, Kenney refused to meet with truckers protesting at the 18-day Coutts border blockade in February..He also ducked out the back door after a meeting in February when about 200 people, mostly truckers, waited to speak with him in Nobleford, a small Alberta community deep in the southwest part of the province...Publicly, Kenney always maintained Alberta law enforcement could deal with the road blockades at Coutts..But in February, Global News revealed that Global Affairs Minister Ric McIver appealed to Ottawa for help to dismantle the Coutts blockade..In a letter to Public Safety Minister Marc Mendicino and Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair, McIvor requested police personnel and equipment to help remove the blockade..Meanwhile, during the first Conservative Party’s leadership debate in Ottawa Thursday, candidates Pierre Poilievre, Leslyn Lewis, and Roman Baber sparred over who most strongly defended the trucker convoy. .Baber was the first to champion their rights and freedoms..Slobodian is the Senior Manitoba Columnist for the Western Standard.lslobodian@westernstandardonline.com
The Federal Court determined Alberta can intervene in legal challenges to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s use of the Emergencies Act..Four legal challenges were launched nationally against the powers the federal government seized when it enacted the Emergencies Act on Valentine's Day to crush peaceful Freedom Convoy protests held in Ottawa and Alberta..The Trudeau government revoked the internationally condemned tactic nine days later — but not after a chilling precedent was set by Liberals who showed contempt for the rights and freedoms of Canadians..Premier Jason Kenney’s United Conservative Party (UCP) advised the Federal Court of its participation in the constitutional issues raised by the Trudeau government’s power grab. Alberta filed a request for a judicial review..The UCP maintains the federal government violated provincial jurisdiction under Canada’s Constitution and that blockades at the Sweetgrass-Coutts (Alta.) and Windsor Canada-U.S. border crossings, set up to support Freedom Convoy, had been resolved prior to the Emergencies Act..“We will protect our province from the dangerous precedent set by the federal government in pointlessly invoking the Emergencies Act,” said Kenney in a statement Friday..“Their decision to invoke the act violated the constitutionally guaranteed rights of Albertans, and all Canadians. It is our duty to do everything we can to protect Albertans’ freedoms and liberties from this kind of breach.”.“No government should have the power to seize a person’s property or withhold access to their assets without due process of the law.”.Trudeau arbitrarily authorized the seizure of vehicles; heavy fines; and the arrest and incarceration of organizers of the protesters encamped on Parliament Hill for nearly a month. .GoFundMe stopped payments to the Freedom Convoy. About $10M from 120,000 donors was raised..Under the Emergencies Act, Trudeau dictated — without a court order — banks were required to freeze accounts of individuals and corporations who supported the protests. Between 200-300 bank accounts with $8 million were frozen..Worried Canadians rushed to withdraw their funds..The Alberta government’s attempt to intervene now is “too little too late,” said Independent Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA Drew Barnes..“Unlike tens of thousands of Albertans who effectively moved some of their money from banks during Trudeau’s misguided crackdown, Kenney was again invisible and silent when it comes to standing up to Ottawa and Justin when it mattered,” said Barnes..“Now that the urgency has past, Kenney is just conducting more virtue signally. This is similar to how the NDP does politics.”.The Freedom Convoy protests were launched by truckers who opposed COVID-19 mandates preventing the unvaccinated from crossing the Canada-U.S. border. .They were supported by hundreds of thousands of Canadians who joined in and cheered them on as they rolled down highways to Ottawa from all points in Canada..The protest only took a violent turn when Trudeau granted police temporary emergency powers. A massive joint-operation police force in battle gear, armed with batons and tear gas, moved in to end the protest..Widespread media reports about protesters being armed, violent bigots and far-right extremist groups proved to be false..But Trudeau punished them anyway..In the statement issued Friday, Alberta’s Minister of Justice and Solicitor General Tyler Shandro said the province will “continue to stand up for Albertans.”.Alberta will be involved in all constitutionally and non-constitutionally issues headed to court..Independent Central Peace-Notley MLA Todd Loewen hopes Kenney will follow through with challenging the federal government and supporting greater legislative oversight on public health orders issued in Alberta..“Myself and in fact the vast majority of Albertans, have been asking for Kenney to get tough with Ottawa. Unfortunately, he stops at words. Hopefully we’ll finally see some real action here,” said Loewen..“It’s interesting that Kenney finds Trudeau’s actions offensive, when he had no problem implementing multiple Public Health State of Emergencies without going to the legislature.”.“Presently I have Bill 202 which would, among other things, allow for the review and/or appeal of multiple Public Health State of Emergencies in the legislature. If Kenney feels this strongly about this federal issue, he should support my Bill 202 and quit the procedural delays he’s been using in the legislature to delay or kill it.”.Loewen tabled the Private Members Bill 202, the Public Health (Transparency and Accountability) Amendment Act in the legislature in March..The bill will guarantee a full debate and vote before extending any public health state of emergency..Kenney’s authoritarian handling of the pandemic is one reason UCP members are in the process of voting to determine if he stays on as leader..The voting deadline for his leadership review is May 11. Results will be announced May. 18..And while the UCP points a finger at Trudeau for his appalling treatment of the truckers, it forgets that it came under fire for its reaction to them on home turf..Just as Trudeau refused to meet with the truckers in Ottawa, Kenney refused to meet with truckers protesting at the 18-day Coutts border blockade in February..He also ducked out the back door after a meeting in February when about 200 people, mostly truckers, waited to speak with him in Nobleford, a small Alberta community deep in the southwest part of the province...Publicly, Kenney always maintained Alberta law enforcement could deal with the road blockades at Coutts..But in February, Global News revealed that Global Affairs Minister Ric McIver appealed to Ottawa for help to dismantle the Coutts blockade..In a letter to Public Safety Minister Marc Mendicino and Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair, McIvor requested police personnel and equipment to help remove the blockade..Meanwhile, during the first Conservative Party’s leadership debate in Ottawa Thursday, candidates Pierre Poilievre, Leslyn Lewis, and Roman Baber sparred over who most strongly defended the trucker convoy. .Baber was the first to champion their rights and freedoms..Slobodian is the Senior Manitoba Columnist for the Western Standard.lslobodian@westernstandardonline.com
