Canada PM Trudeau invokes Emergency Powers to Quell Truckers' Protest
Canada PM Trudeau has invoked Emergency Act for the first time in 50 years.
On Monday, Canada PM Trudeau said that rarely used Emergency Act will be activated in the country. It is for the first time in 50 years that Emergency Act will be activated in Canada to enable the federal government with extra powers to deal with ongoing truckers protest. The emergency powers include cutting off financing, to end protests that have shut some border crossings and paralyzed parts of the capital.
As reported by Reuters, PM Trudeau said in a news conference, "The blockades are harming our economy and endangering public safety. We cannot and will not allow illegal and dangerous activities to continue. Despite their best efforts, it is now clear that there are serious challenges to law enforcement`s ability to effectively enforce the law."
The Emergency Act
The 1988 Emergencies Act enables the federal government with additional powers to override the provinces and authorize special temporary measures for ensuring safety and security during national emergencies. This act has been used only once before in peacetime, in 1970, by Trudeau's father, former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.
Trudeau stated that the measures would be "geographically specific and targeted only to where they are needed and time limited.
Statement by the Finance Minister
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said, "all crowdfunding programs and payment providers they use must register with Canada's anti-money laundering agency, FINTRAC, and report suspicious activities effective immediately. We are making these changes because we know that these platforms are being used to support illegal blockades and illegal activity which is damaging the Canadian economy", quoted as saying by Reuters.
