Cabinet had to bring “the full power of the federal government” against the Freedom Convoy, says the head of the federal public service. Janice Charette, the $343,000-a year clerk of the Privy Council, wrote in a secret memo that the protest threatened Canada's “social cohesion” and “national unity.”.“We have to leave no stone unturned,” Charette testified at the Public Order Emergency Commission. “We have to make sure we are looking at every power, duty, every authority we have, every resource we have, to make sure we are bringing the full power of the federal government and its resources.”.“All hands on deck, no idea too crazy, let’s look at absolutely everything,” said Charette. “Let’s look at every law we have.”.According to Blacklock's Reporter, cabinet last Feb. 14 declared a national emergency to clear the blockade outside Parliament. The action was taken despite the the RCMP, Ontario Provincial Police and Canadian Security Intelligence Service claiming there was no evidence protesters were armed or violent..Cabinet in invoking the Emergencies Act claimed the convoy represented a “threat or use of serious violence against persons or property for the purpose of achieving a political, religious or ideological objective within Canada.”.“I was the advisor here,” testified Clerk Charette. Cabinet “is the decision maker,” she added. “The word ‘threat’ here I think is used in many different ways.”.“We had evidence through both what was being said, and online, of incredibly violent rhetoric, of hate speech, anti-Semitic, anti-gay, transphobic, misogynistic, death threats, death threats to elected officials, to senior officials,” said Charette..Hurtful social media comments did not justify invoking the Act, said the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. “The government acted outside the law,” the Association said in a statement. “National emergencies that authorize extraordinary powers cannot be in the eye of the beholder.”.“There was no national emergency within the meaning of the law,” said the Association, which challenged the emergency powers in Federal Court. “This is profoundly disturbing.”.Clerk Charette in a confidential Feb. 14 memo to the Prime Minister acknowledged there was “no current evidence” the Freedom Convoy was an extremist group, but nonetheless threatened national security. “Disturbance and public unrest is being felt across the country,” said the memo Invoking The Emergencies Act To End Nationwide Protests And Blockades..The protest may “lead to irremediable harms including to social cohesion, national unity and Canada’s international reputation,” read Charette’s memo. “In the Privy Council Office’s view this fits within the statutory parameters defining threats to the security of Canada though this conclusion may be vulnerable to challenge.”
