The Canadian Civil Liberties Association, the Canadian Constitution Foundation, and the Ottawa Coalition of Residents and Businesses have requested the Public Order Emergency Commission (POEC) call Ontario Premier Doug Ford and former Ontario solicitor general Sylvia Jones as witnesses. .“Premier Ford held office during the Ottawa protests; Minster Jones was Solicitor General of Ontario at that time, and her responsibilities included the Ontario Provincial Police,” said the groups in a letter to POEC commissioner Paul Rouleau. .The groups said they are making this request through Rule 36. Rule 36 states “Parties may also propose witnesses or experts to be called to support, challenge, comment upon or supplement the Overview Reports in ways that are likely to significantly contribute to an understanding of the issues relevant to this Inquiry.” .The overview report does not include many details about meetings involving senior federal, provincial, and municipal officials regarding potential responses to the Freedom Convoy. This information has been provided through testimonies from Ottawa city manager Steve Kanellakos, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson, and his chief of staff Serge Arpin. .Their testimonies documented numerous attempts to persuade Ford and Jones into joining these talks, their refusal to participate, and the frustration federal and municipal officials had over them declining. .Watson said the Ontario government should have participated in these talks. If it had, he said provincial policing resources might have been provided sooner to Ottawa. .“That evidence also describe the apparent position of Prime Minister Trudeau that Mayor Watson should seek provincial resources before requesting further federal support,” said the groups. .“If Premier Ford and Minister Jones were to testify, we expect to ask them questions about the above matters, including (but not limited to) the Premier’s powers under Ontario’s Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.” .The POEC studying Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoking the Emergencies Act kicked off on Oct. 13. .READ MORE: Inquiry into the Emergencies Act kicks off in Ottawa.The hearings will see various cabinet ministers, Ottawa city officials, police officers, and Freedom Convoy organizers testify over the next six weeks..The aim of these hearings is to determine whether or not Trudeau was justified in invoking the Emergencies Act (War Measures Act) for the first time in Canadian history to respond to the Freedom Convoy.
