Claims the Liberal government needed emergency powers to save lives during a 2021 strike at the Port of Montréal were fabricated, Access To Information records show. Then Labour Minister Filomena Tassi claimed the strike was a matter of “life and death,” but documents show the main issue was spoiled fruit..Tassi yesterday would not comment on the disclosures. Records showed the federal government knowingly exaggerated the impact of a brief strike to justify back-to-work legislation..According to Blacklock’s Reporter, parliament last April 30 passed Bill C-29, An Act To Provide For Resumption And Continuation Of Operations At The Port Of Montréal. The bill ended a legal five-day strike by longshoremen under the threat of $100,000 a day fines..“This is literally a matter of life and death,” Tassi said at the time, adding: “If medical products and life-saving medical devices do not get to hospitals and patients in a timely manner the health of Canadians is at stake.”.“We know there are ships currently with COVID-19 related products, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment that now cannot get through,” said Tassi. “The impacts are vast and deep.”.Longshoremen’s Local 375 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees offered to ship all medical supplies at the time. Disclosures show the “life and death” claim was false..In a confidential March 12, 2021 letter to the government, t.he Port of Montréal said COVID supplies delayed by the strike consisted of a few containers of masks and syringes. None contained vaccines..The actual number of masks and syringes was withheld by the Port “due to the confidentiality required,” wrote the CEO. The labour department did not investigate..“Due to the confidentiality required by Montréal Port Authority clients and users we cannot disclose the destination or intended use of these items,” wrote Martin Imbleau, CEO of the Port Authority. “However we have sufficient information to know these products contribute to the vaccination effort now underway. We feel it is our duty to apprise you.”.The labour department in an April 26 memo counted only five containers of Covid-related products that were stranded by the longshoremen’s strike. More worrisome was shipments of spoiled fruit, wrote staff..“Current disruptions are creating challenges for Canadians to access key commodities including fresh produce,” said the memo Backgrounder On The Cumulative Impact Of A Work Stoppage At The Port Of Montréal. Most containers shipped through the port carried food and forest products, wrote staff..The strike diverted freighters and container ships to Halifax, Saint John and Hamilton with a week’s delay in delivery. “The most concerning problem is reputational damage that the strike has on Canada’s image as a reliable trading partner,” said the memo..“If major Canadian ports are not viewed as reliable it will become more difficult to attract private investment,” wrote labour department staff..Opponents of the back-to-work bill had challenged the Liberal government’s claim the longshoremen’s strike put lives at risk. “These aren’t essential services,” Senator Frances Lankin (Ont.) said at the time. “There are other ports.”.“We were repeatedly told we have to pass this legislation because of the COVID situation,” said Senator Michael MacDonald (N.S.): “This is a false flag. Covid fearmongering is not a valid or compelling argument.”.Tassi was personally pressed to intervene by lobbyists with the European Union Chamber of Commerce in Canada, the Italian Chamber of Commerce of Ontario and Medtech Canada Ltd. of Etobicoke, Ont., a trade group representing medical suppliers..“Re-routing these products via Halifax is possible but will entail a one to two week delay,” Brian Lewis, CEO of Medtech, wrote in a Feb. 26, 2021 letter to the labour minister..Matthew Horwood is the Parliamentary Bureau Chief of the Western Standard.mhorwood@westernstandard.news.Twitter.com/@Matt_HorwoodWS
