00:00:00.240Bonjour, Mr. Prime Minister. My name is Eva Cipiuk. I'm one of the lawyers representing Freedom Corp and the protesters who were here in Ottawa in January and February of 2022.
00:00:13.580I want to first talk to you about the events that led up to the invocation of the Emergencies Act.
00:00:19.760You would agree with me that the Emergencies Act was invoked on Valentine's Day, Monday, February 14th, correct?
00:00:27.580And you are aware that this commission has received evidence from the police and other witnesses that on Monday, February 14th, the Ambassador Bridge was reopened, as was Coutts.
00:00:39.860All the borders were reopened, correct?
00:00:43.500Yes, and there was concern that more locations were going to be closed. Coutts didn't open until Tuesday.
00:00:54.060Okay, well, we'll review the record for that.
00:00:56.160On the Sunday night, February 13th, there was an IRG meeting, and you were there, and in fact, you were the chair of that meeting. Is that correct?
00:01:05.800And at the IRG meeting, you were advised that there was a breakthrough agreement between the Mayor of Ottawa and the convoy organizers to move trucks out of the downtown residential areas. Isn't that correct?
00:01:17.660Uh, that is not how I remember it, no.
00:01:19.660Okay, well, I can advise you that at the inquiry, it was confirmed by the documents your officials filed here, and by witnesses, namely Jody Thomas, she confirmed that at that IRG meeting, you were briefed that there was an agreement with the Mayor.
00:01:47.800Well, Tamara Leach, who's present here in this room, signed a letter.
00:01:51.180It was made publicly available on the news on Sunday, February 13th, and you were advised of that agreement at the IRG meeting.
00:02:03.340And we were also advised that that agreement wasn't holding and that many of the convoy had decried it as fake news and not actually an agreement that they would abide by.
00:02:16.080And you learned that on Twitter, is that correct?
00:02:17.780No, we learned that at the IRG meeting.
00:02:28.300And now you should be aware that this commission has also received evidence from city officials and others that the next day, on Monday the 14th, over 100 protest vehicles had moved out of the downtown residential areas.
00:02:42.840Under the Mayor's agreement, prior to your 4.30 p.m. announcement invoking the Emergencies Act, is that right?
00:02:52.120I can't speak to that, but I'm sure others have or will.
00:02:55.620And you are aware of the evidence before this commission from police officials and others who testified that the efforts by the truckers to further vacate the downtown residential areas under the Mayor's deal were blocked by the police on both Tuesday and Wednesday, February 15th and 16th.
00:03:19.160My understanding was the police were allowing anyone who wanted to leave to leave.
00:03:24.360Would you agree with me that it would have been a far better outcome if you and your colleagues would have allowed the de-escalation agreement with the Mayor to be completed and there would have been no need to invoke the extraordinary powers of the Emergencies Act, including the significant and violent police actions and freezing Canadians' bank accounts?
00:03:48.160If I could interrupt, Commissioner, it's Brian Gover on behalf of the Government of Canada.
00:03:54.080The agreement was to move the protesters to Wellington.
00:03:58.240My friend is misstating the evidence in my submission.
00:04:43.960If you had allowed the de-escalation agreement, in other words, moving trucks outside and other protest vehicles outside of the downtown area, there would be no need to invoke the Emergency Act.
00:04:58.900Mr. Commissioner, I object again because characterizing this as a de-escalation agreement, uh, in my submission as a misnomer, this was a, an agreement that didn't hold, but it was to move vehicles from residential areas to Wellington Street.
00:05:16.620Well, I'll, I'll let the question stand.
00:05:19.480I think it's a question of interpretation.
00:05:51.240Mr. Prime Minister, I would like to read to you an excerpt from three of the many statements that Canadians prepared for this commission, Canadians who supported the convoy and explained why.
00:06:01.980And I would like, I would ask the registrar to bring up document ID HRF four zeros one six six zero.
00:06:13.580If you could turn to page 274, please.
00:06:21.240And while that comes up, I'll just start reading the statement.
00:06:31.240Elizabeth Klapik provided a statement about how the government's COVID mandates and lockdowns disrupted her life.
00:06:40.160Starting at paragraph three, she said, the truckers and the Canadians who lined the roads, overpasses and highways restored the hope that I had almost lost.
00:06:49.860These patriotic Canadians told me that I am not alone, that I matter.
00:06:55.940I will never forget the hope and pride I felt watching these amazing truckers driving along Canadian highways, crowded with patriotic flag, Canadians flying, patriotic.
00:07:07.760I will never forget the tears I shed as I regained that almost lost hope, that love for my home and native land, that love for my fellow Canadians.
00:07:27.640At page 235, Ottawa resident Karen Hanna, who obtained a sociology degree from Ottawa University, starting at paragraph five, stated,
00:07:42.880For months, the leader of our country publicly shamed people like me and my husband, our own family members turned on us, blamed us, and some even told us we don't deserve health care.
00:07:58.700Paragraph 17, one of my most emotional moments was dancing on Rideau Street beside a local man.
00:08:45.280I am begging you to please listen, hear my heart, feel my pain, and help work towards the true North strong and free that we were promised.
00:08:57.700My husband, an Army veteran who now has PTSD, and not from anything he has seen or done in the forces, but from what our own government has done.