Commission Heard From More Than 9,000 Canadians About Emergencies Act Invocation

People gather on Parliament Hill as the trucker convoy protesting COVID-19 mandates and restrictions stages demonstrations in Ottawa on Jan. 29, 2022. (Jonathan Ren/The Epoch Times)

Over 9,000 Canadians submitted input to the inquiry into the use of the Emergencies Act to end the Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa earlier this year, and on Nov. 23, the commission will make a presentation on the public submissions process and a summary of the results, a spokesperson says.

“Public interest in the Commission’s work has been very high,” Michael Tansey, a spokesperson for the Public Order Emergency Commission (POEC), said in an email to The Epoch Times.

“Our website has received over 916,000 page views from 134,000 unique viewers. More than 60,000 unique viewers have watched the hearings on-line through our website.”

The Commission opened for public submissions on Aug. 18 and closed the window to submit on Oct. 31.

Individuals “shared their views and experiences on all aspects of the Commission’s mandate, including the circumstances that led to the declaration of a public order emergency and the measures taken for dealing with the declared emergency in February 2022.,” according to the POEC website.

Commission Can Only ‘Make Recommendations’

The inquiry had a budget of $18.8 million according to Blacklocks Reporter, and a final report must be presented to cabinet by Feb. 6, 2023.

Testimony this week included appearances by cabinet ministers including Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, Attorney General David Lametti, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

POEC Commissioner Paul Rouleau said in an Aug. 18 news release that the Commission wanted “contributions from all members of the public on their experiences, views, observations and ideas in order to fully appreciate how these matters affected Canadians.”

The commission sought public input on the appropriateness or effectiveness of the measures taken to respond to the declared emergency, any changes that the Commission should recommend to the Emergencies Act, and any further areas for study or review. The commission’s decision is not binding, and does not result in criminal or civil liability.

Adam Blake-Gallipeau, a lawyer with The Democracy Fund, which has standing to participate in the inquiry, said in a Nov. 9 broadcast that POEC is not a legal proceeding and can only “make recommendations.” These are published in the commission’s report, he said, and “are not binding on government, but can lead to changes in law or policy.”

The commission was established by the Governor in Council on April 25, 2022, to conduct an independent public inquiry as required by the Emergencies Act, following the declaration of a public order emergency by the Liberal government on Feb. 14.

“The aim of public inquiries is broad, to promote transparency and accountability with respect to matters of enduring significance to the public,” Blake-Gallipeau said.

“They provide an opportunity for people who are directly involved to tell their stories, to shed light on the events that in this case led to the declaration of the public order emergency.”