Barnes reiterates support for protesters

By COLLIN GALLANT on February 15, 2022.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant

Medicine Hat MLA Drew Barnes is maintaining his support for a group of protesters blocking the Coutts Border crossing, and called a federal move to bring an end to similar demonstrations, “a massive overreach” of authority.

On Monday, the RCMP made arrests and seized guns at Coutts, while at other major sites across the country, police stepped up action on the weekend.

Barnes, who visited a solidarity encampment at nearby Milk River on the weekend, sent out a message of support on social media.

He told the News on Monday that “everything I’ve seen is peaceful and respectful,” and said, “Cypress-Medicine Hatters are appalled by the Liberal Government.”

“The Emergency Act wasn’t meant to deal with protesters, which is why we haven’t seen it used in the past protests on infrastructure,” said Barnes, an independent MLA and harsh critique of the government.

“It’s a massive overreach. After 23 months of inept handling from federal and provincial governments, there’s still no clear information about mandates ending.”

Ottawa’s decision created furious debate Monday with convoy supporters decrying the move that allows cabinet to expedite actions to curtail the emergency for a period of 30 days.

Others argued that after three weeks of a clogged city centre in Ottawa and strained border points, action was required.

The measure does not suspend the Charter or Bill of Rights, would last for 30 days, must be put to a vote in the Commons within seven days and requires a Commons oversight committee to be created.

The federal NDP stated they would support the minority Liberal government.

Under the 34-year-old act, Ottawa could assume local or provincial authority, though Prime Minster Justin Trudeau said provisions are “tools of when and where necessary ” to allow local police to bring in RCMP resources to bear in operations.

“It’s not automatically direct intervention by the federal police or federal government,” he told an afternoon press conference.

Premier Jason Kenney said it’s unlikely Alberta will take part while addressing the latter on social media after a morning conference call between the premiers and the prime minister.

“We have all the legal tools and operational resources required to maintain order,” he wrote, citing overnight action at Coutts as proof. “The Act would add no relevant additional powers or resources.”

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe also opposed the federal measure, but in a hardening of his position for a first time called on blockades to end. Kenney, Alberta cabinet ministers and Brooks-Medicine Hat MLA Michaela Frey have also called for highway stoppages to end, often citing Alberta’s re-opening plan announced last week.

“Ideally the premiers who say they have the situation in hand will be able to continue,” Trudeau in French said through a translator at the press conference.

Alberta RCMP announced Monday morning they seized 13 rifles, handguns and body armour from a “militant cell” of 11 protesters within the Coutts blockade after serving a search warrant, but the main protest camp remained in place to begin a third week.

Local police in Windsor, Ont. along with RCMP officers cleared protesters from the Ambassador Bridge – the busiest land border in Canada – on Sunday, while police in Ottawa are still working to contain and remove an encampment on streets surrounding Parliament Hill.

The federal government will add crowdfunding websites to financial institutions required to report suspicious monetary activity or funds directed to illegal actions.

Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner MP Glen Motz was unavailable for comment late Monday as the Commons were in session.

The Conservative Party lost a non-binding vote in the Commons calling on the government to release a schedule for lifting restrictions – a central theme among the protesters.

Interim Leader Candice Bergen told reporters that Trudeau had the power to “lift mandates,” which would have broken up protesters, and the Emergency Act was not necessary.

24
-23