The Freedom Convoy “felt” violent though it was not technically violent, interim Ottawa Police Chief Steve Bell yesterday testified at a judicial inquiry. Bell under cross-examination by the protesters’ lawyer acknowledged his repeated reference to the “violence” of the convoy was not meant literally: “So the violence they ‘felt,’ not actual violence, is that what you’re saying?”
February 14 photographs by the mayor’s office showing quiet downtown Ottawa streets have been submitted in evidence at the Freedom Convoy inquiry. The photos were taken hours before cabinet invoked the Emergencies Act on claims that streets were “completely lawless.”
Lawyers are petitioning to have Catherine Tait, CEO of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, testify on inflammatory Freedom Convoy news coverage cited by cabinet as justification for invoking the Emergencies Act. “The biggest source of misinformation was the corporate press,” the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms said in a statement.
The Commons science committee yesterday recommended taxpayers consider covering tuition for foreign students. Foreigners currently pay full cost for college and university education: “Canada must attract and retain individuals who come to study and conduct research.”
A federal anti-trust agency yesterday said it would undertake a review of lack of competition in the grocery trade. The Competition Bureau review comes nine years after the same agency approved mega-mergers that lessened competition: “Many Canadians buy groceries from retail chains operated by one of three companies.”
A police commander testifying at the Freedom Convoy inquiry said emergency powers were never needed to tow vehicles outside Parliament. The sworn testimony directly contradicted claims by Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino: “Did the police in Ottawa end up needing the Emergencies Act to tow vehicles?” “No.”
The Department of Veterans Affairs ought to be ashamed of itself for making ex-military wait years to review disability benefit claims, the Commons public accounts committee was told. Auditors said two-year waits are commonplace with some claims spending a decade under review: “Do you not have some shame?”
Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez says he had no idea his department paid $133,822 to an anti-Semite who fantasized on Twitter about shooting Jews. Rodriguez testified at the Commons heritage committee he was also unaware department staff spent weeks reviewing complaints over the funding: “Are you telling us then all of this took place in your ministry without you being aware of it?”
New “clean fuel” regulations will cost Canadian workers more than $1,200 a year on average, says research commissioned by the advocacy group Canadians for Affordable Energy. The Clean Fuel Standard mandates greater use of ethanol: “It is simply another tax grab that will only make life more unaffordable.”
A federal ban on legal handgun sales will not reduce gun crime, police have told the Commons public safety committee. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked a cabinet order to outlaw sales effective November 9: “We can expect those wanting to acquire guns will find alternatives including increased incidences of smuggling.”
A Liberal committee majority last night voted to conceal records detailing federal action against the Freedom Convoy. MPs and Liberal-appointed senators on the Special Joint Committee on the Declaration of Emergency voted 6 to 5 to block the release of uncensored documents: “We’re talking about a lot of documents.”
GoFundMe denies seizing Freedom Convoy donations. Lawyers in a submission to the Public Order Emergency Commission said rumours the crowdfunding site failed to promptly refund contributions were a misunderstanding: “GoFundMe employees experienced a flood of violent and threatening messages including death threats.”
The Commons government operations committee yesterday voted unanimously to examine all contracts for the ArriveCan app. The vote came moments after parliamentary secretary Pam Damoff told the Commons she resented any suggestion the $54 million app was a boondoggle: “Who got rich?”
Inflation is now almost entirely made in Canada, Mark Carney yesterday told the Senate banking committee. The former Bank of Canada governor, now a Liberal fundraiser, said the rising cost of living is “principally a domestic story.”
Fisheries groups yesterday complained to the Senate that Atlantic seals eat too many fish. The Department of Fisheries has rejected a seal cull as unjustified: “Evidence has been published about needing a 65 percent reduction in the seal herd.”
