Prime Minister Justin Trudeau testified Friday before the Public Order Emergencies Commission (POEC) about the invocation of the Emergencies Act in response to the “Freedom Convoy” back in Feb. 2022, and said that the act was “in the back of our minds” early on during the protests but it was only “seriously” considered later on. He went on to say that during a meeting with the Incident Response Group the night before the act was invoked, there had been “consensus” around the table. He said there was “no question about it,” and no one around the table raised concerns about using the act in response to the “Freedom Convoy.” The prime minister also said he had not made up his mind on invoking the act until paperwork to sign off on the decision, and a recommendation by the Clerk of the Privy Council to do so had been made. He said the fact the Clerk had recommended it, as well as considerations of what might have happened if he did not invoke the act, were factors in his final decision. The COVID-19 federal mandates also were raised during the testimony when questioned by lawyers representing Freedom Corp., with Trudeau saying he relied on health officials, scientists and experts to make these decisions to protect Canadians. He went on to deny he had called the unvaccinated “names,” rather, he said he highlighted differences between those hesitant to get vaccinated “for any range of reasons” from people who “deliberately spread misinformation.”
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