Parliament’s Special Joint Committee on the Declaration of Emergency entered its 18th month of deliberations with no deadline in sight for a final report about the Freedom Convoy, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. .“It was agreed that the committee suspend its work,” said the Special Joint Committee in a memo. .MPs complained they were waiting to see all records in the two official languages. They voted to wait for translation of thousands of pages of documents compiled by the Public Order Emergency Commission, which finished its work in February. .The committee was mandated to investigate cabinet’s justification for invoking the Emergencies Act against the Freedom Convoy in 2022. It has met 25 times to date without reaching any conclusion. .“It became obvious the Liberal members of the committee were not prepared to permit the release of any government documents,” said Conservative MP Larry Brock (Brantford-Brant, ON). .Bloc Quebecois MP Rheal Fortin (Riviere-du-Nord, QC) said it needed complete documents. .“If they can’t be complete there should be an explanation,” said Fortin. .Liberal MPs and senators on the committee voted six to five to block the release of uncensored documents about the Freedom Convoy in October. .READ MORE: Committee votes against revealing records of federal action against Freedom Convoy.“We don’t have to discuss it further,” said Fortin. .The committee ordered Public Safety Canada and other federal agencies to surrender all security assessments and legal opinions the federal government relied upon in concluding the Freedom Convoy threatened public order..Progressive Senate Group Sen. Peter Harder (Ontario) said he thinks “we should be realistic as to what our expectations ought to be.” .“Those documents by definition are secure and classified,” said Harder. .Liberal MP Yasir Naqvi (Ottawa Centre) said the committee was “talking about a lot of documents.” Justice Minister and Attorney General Arif Virani said he would consider this move unsuitable and unadvisable. .Conservative MP Glen Motz (Medicine Hat-Cardston, AB) argued people were entitled to see uncensored records explaining why cabinet invoked the Emergencies Act. .“We can certainly ask for unredacted documents,” said Motz.
