Juno News - February 16, 2022


Is Trudeau's invoking the emergencies act to save his own political career？


Episode Stats

Length

5 minutes

Words per Minute

152.89772

Word Count

897

Sentence Count

68


Summary


Transcript

00:00:00.000 It's clear the Prime Minister has more of a political emergency on his hands than a national emergency.
00:00:08.000 The borders at Coutts, Surrey, Windsor and Emerson have all been cleared.
00:00:12.000 There are no more blockades at any borders.
00:00:15.000 Trucks are still here downtown in Ottawa and they need to move.
00:00:19.000 But in light of the rapidly changing landscape, can the Prime Minister tell us
00:00:23.000 where is the serious threat of violence to Canadians for ideological purposes,
00:00:29.000 which is the threshold that needs to be met for the Emergencies Act.
00:00:34.000 The Right Honourable Prime Minister.
00:00:37.000 Mr. Speaker, the invocation of the Emergencies Act is not something to be done lightly.
00:00:42.000 It is not something to be done as a first resort or even a second resort.
00:00:45.000 But it was necessary to be done to give local law enforcement across the country
00:00:51.000 the tools to handle these illegal blockades to be able to ensure restoration of order
00:00:58.000 to make sure that Canadians, whether they're losing shifts or seeing supplies delayed on the way through the borders,
00:01:05.000 be able to get back to their daily lives.
00:01:08.000 This is a decision we took and, of course, Parliament is going to have an opportunity to debate it.
00:01:13.000 The Leader of the Opposition.
00:01:15.000 Mr. Speaker, the law is clear.
00:01:18.000 Any limitations to Canadians' fundamental freedoms must be justified and must meet a legal criteria.
00:01:25.000 Experts across the country have said these requirements have not been met.
00:01:29.000 The Prime Minister hasn't given Canadians a clear reason why he's invoking the Emergencies Act.
00:01:34.000 In fact, things are de-escalating as we speak.
00:01:38.000 So why is the Prime Minister using this hammer on Canadians?
00:01:43.000 Isn't it true he's doing it just to save his own political skin?
00:01:48.000 The Right Honourable Prime Minister.
00:01:51.000 Mr. Speaker, over the past few weeks, Canadians have been suffering,
00:01:56.000 whether it's because of border crossings, whether it's because of illegal blockades in their neighbourhoods.
00:02:03.000 This is something that required extra tools that we have put in law enforcement's hands.
00:02:10.000 Now, of course, law enforcement, local law enforcement of jurisdiction,
00:02:14.000 can use these tools or not as they are available.
00:02:17.000 But the threshold was met for the Emergencies Act.
00:02:21.000 And now, across the country,
00:02:23.000 police of jurisdiction have the tools necessary to keep people safe.
00:02:28.000 The Honourable Leader of the Opposition.
00:02:32.000 Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister calls people he disagrees with racists, misogynists.
00:02:37.000 He spent the last month wedging, dividing, stigmatizing and traumatizing Canadians.
00:02:43.000 I understand the Prime Minister admires basic dictatorships,
00:02:47.000 but let's remind the Prime Minister this is Canada.
00:02:50.000 This is not a dictatorship.
00:02:52.000 The Prime Minister is actually pouring gasoline on embers.
00:02:58.000 Isn't it true the Prime Minister is doing this for one reason and one reason alone?
00:03:04.000 It's to save his own political career.
00:03:07.000 The Right Honourable Prime Minister.
00:03:12.000 The Conservatives simply can't have it both ways.
00:03:15.000 They spent weeks complaining that we weren't doing enough to restore order in this country.
00:03:20.000 And now, will we move forward to give people the tools they need?
00:03:24.000 I'm going to have to interrupt the Right Honourable Prime Minister.
00:03:29.000 You know, I've been getting emails from people who are watching us at home,
00:03:33.000 and they're pretty ashamed of their Parliament because of the shouting that goes on.
00:03:36.000 One person brought something up.
00:03:38.000 They said, well, all the shouting happens at the beginning.
00:03:41.000 Why not start with the end questions?
00:03:43.000 If this continues at the beginning, I'm going to the last question, turn my list upside down, and we'll start at the end.
00:03:49.000 The Honourable Prime Minister, please continue.
00:03:52.000 Mr. Speaker, Conservatives can't have it both ways.
00:03:56.000 They spent the first few weeks of this challenge and illegal blockades saying that the government needed to act and take responsibility.
00:04:04.000 And then when we finally move forward in a responsible way, when the time was right to bring in the Emergencies Act,
00:04:11.000 they're now complaining that we've done too much.
00:04:14.000 At the same time and throughout, Mr. Speaker, they continue to stand with and support and cheer on these illegal blockades.
00:04:21.000 Mr. Speaker, they're the ones playing politics.
00:04:25.000 The Honourable Leader of the Opposition.
00:04:27.000 The man who wore blackface more times than he can remember, took a terrorist with him to a trip on India, gave Omar Khadar $10 million.
00:04:36.000 We're not going to stop talking to our constituents just because the Prime Minister disagrees with him.
00:04:42.000 Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister says he's following science when it comes to mandates,
00:04:48.000 but that's not what Canada's top doctors are saying.
00:04:51.000 It's time to end the mandates and the restrictions.
00:04:54.000 The Prime Minister is ignoring the science.
00:04:57.000 There is a mental health crisis in this country and continued lockdowns and mandates, keeping Canadians separated, are making it worse.
00:05:05.000 So will the Prime Minister commit to Canadians? He'll follow the sign.
00:05:09.000 The Prime Minister.
00:05:10.000 Mr. Speaker, the invocation of the Emergencies Act is something that is extremely serious and that we have taken extremely seriously.
00:05:21.000 It followed specific steps that were taken.
00:05:25.000 It will continue in this House.
00:05:27.000 It followed consultation with the Premiers.
00:05:29.000 And it gives the tools in a proportionate and responsible way to the officers of jurisdiction to be able to end these illegal blockades.
00:05:39.000 This will be a moment that will be studied in the history books.
00:05:42.000 And what people will see is that the Conservatives never stop playing personal partisan politics.