The House of Commons officially passed a motion to approve the extraordinary and temporary measures in the Emergencies Act, which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked last week to end the “Freedom Convoy” blockades in Ottawa and at several border crossings.
Haldimand-Norfolk MP Leslyn Lewis opposed the motion, and spoke on the matter over the weekend.
She believes words were being twisted to ensure the public would endorse this act.
Lewis then continued to put the blame of the protest on the PM’s shoulders.
The motion passed 185-to-151, with the New Democrats voting in favour alongside the minority Liberal government.
The measures will be kept in place until mid-March at the latest.
Here full comments can be found below.
Invoking the Emergencies Act – Debate Speech – Feb. 19, 2022
Today I debated the Emergencies Act in the House. Invoking it, without exhausting existing legal options, threatens to bring our democracy into disrepute. We cannot be ruled by emergency decree, nor can we abide the misuse of executive powers to suppress those with opposing views.
Posted by Dr. Leslyn Lewis on Saturday, February 19, 2022