MOUNTAIN VIEW COUNTY - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is using the implementation of the Emergencies Act to “distort and manipulate our democracy to benefit himself,” says Earl Dreeshen, the Conservative member of Parliament for the Red Deer-Mountain View riding.
Originally scheduled to address the House of Commons during the Emergencies Act debate on Friday, Dreeshen was not able to speak after MPs cancelled debate that day due to police action to clear blockades in Ottawa. He was then re-scheduled to speak on Sunday evening, but that was also cancelled.
"This is such a massive disappointment," Dreeshen said in press release. He called the cancellations "another example of Trudeau's gross mismanagement directly affecting Canadians and their right to be heard in the House of Commons."
Instead he has issued the release, outlining his views and comments on the legislation.
“My Conservative colleagues have spoken brilliantly on the dangers of invoking this act and their arguments are mine,” he said. “We stand together in our grave concern about this government overreach fuelled by a lack of leadership. But despite the fact that we are united behind this, not being able to bring the stories and voices of my constituents to this debate is a huge blow. It is incredulous that our prime minister can continue to distort and manipulate our democracy to benefit himself.”
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Prime Minister Trudeau says the Emergencies Act is needed to maintain critical infrastructure and to target funding of illegal blockades; MP Dreeshen says it is not needed and should be repealed immediately.
The debate over vaccination mandates has created deep divisions in the country, something that will not be addressed with the Emergencies Act, Dreeshen said.
“We have a prime minister who is doing nothing except treating the symptoms of a divided country with excessive power. He is missing ample opportunities to provide Canadians with an immunity to hatred and disunity,” he said.
“Invoking the Emergencies Act reveals a prime minister attempting to step back into the frame and show he is in charge. All this after rejecting numerous opportunities to listen and try and resolve this differently. We cannot set a precedent that allows poor planning and gross incompetence by our government to be rewarded with the deployment of such extreme powers.
“The losses under these mandates will have a lasting and detrimental effect on Canadians. The loss of life. The loss of finances. The loss of employment. The loss of homes. We have experienced the loss of education. The loss of companionship. The loss of friends and families. The loss of community. The decline of our mental health. The loss we have experienced has been staggering, and I want to know, why?”
The federal government says vaccine mandates, including those covering truckers crossing international borders, are needed to help stem COVID-19.
Opponents of the mandates must be allowed to peacefully and legally protest going forward, he said.
“It is important to remember the events happening in Ottawa and throughout our country are incredibly multifaceted. Ignoring this does damage to both the cause and the path forward. Peaceful protests are an essential part of our democracy," he said.
“Prolonged blockades of infrastructure are against the law but the government invoking the Emergencies Act is wrong. Police checks, shutting down Parliament, freezing bank accounts with no due process, sending the full force of the state to crush protesters, this is not Canada.
“There is a never before seen fear and division among Canadians. This is not a partisan talking point, this is the reality of the Canada we now live in. Outrage colours every single interaction we see. It has reached a point where voters no longer care that we hear them and are standing for them. They feel ignored and forgotten and are fighting on every front. As Conservatives, we have been unable to pass any of our pro-Canadian legislation due to the reckless voting power held by the Liberals backed by the NDP.”
Prime Minister Trudeau told the House of Commons that invoking the Emergencies Act has the support of most of Canadians.
“Conservative Party members can stand with people who wave swastikas,” said Trudeau. “They can stand with people who wave the Confederate flag. We will choose to stand with Canadians who deserve to be able to get to their jobs, to be able to get their lives back. These illegal protests need to stop, and they will.”
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