To Win Public Confidence in Emergencies Act Inquiry, Transparency Is Vital, Says the Law’s Creator

To Win Public Confidence in Emergencies Act Inquiry, Transparency Is Vital, Says the Law’s Creator
Police, including riot control officers and an armoured vehicle, take action to clear away Freedom Convoy protesters from downtown Ottawa on Feb. 19, 2022. The Canadian Press/Justin Tang
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Former defence minister Perrin Beatty, who drafted the Emergencies Act in the 1980s to replace the controversial War Measures Act, says transparency is crucial in the government’s inquiry into the invocation of emergency powers earlier this year.

The inquiry may be able to make its conclusions without interfering with cabinet confidence, but it will be up to the Liberal government to be transparent enough to convince Canadians that the measures were needed, Beatty said in a recent interview with The Canadian Press.