(File photo/paNOW News)

By paNOW Staff

EMERGENCIES ACT

‘Power grab’: MP Hoback responds to invoking of Emergencies Act

Feb 14, 2022 | 6:00 PM

Prince Albert’s Member of Parliament is not happy with the prime minister and the Liberal Party after a vote in the House of Commons and an announcement from Trudeau on Monday.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau officially invoked the Emergencies Act, becoming the first to do so since the legislation replaced the War Measures Act in 1988. The last time that act was invoked was by Pierre Elliot Trudeau during the FLQ Crisis in 1970.

The act gives the government temporary powers to deal with the anti-mandate demonstrations, including barring people from gathering or travelling to certain locations, to protect national security, public order, and public welfare.

“Here in our capital city, families, small businesses have been enduring illegal obstruction of their neighbourhoods,” said Trudeau. “Occupying streets, harassing people, breaking the law. This is not a peaceful protest.”

The move, however, does not have the support of some premiers, including Saskatchewan’s Scott Moe who took to social media to express his thoughts.

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Moe said the act should only be invoked to provinces who request it and that police already have the tools to deal with the demonstrations.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney and Quebec Premier Francois Legault were also not in favour of implementing the Emergencies Act.

Closer to home, Prince Albert Conservative MP Randy Hoback said the prime minister did not have to make this extraordinary move.

“It doesn’t really have the justification for this to come into play, so why the PM felt the urgency of the need to do that is still beyond me other than just a power grab, which is really, really dangerous.”

Hoback added that policies introduced by the federal government when it comes to COVID rules have only divided and segregated Canadians.

“Which is totally wrong. So now he has to go to extreme measures in order to try to maintain some sort of sense of stability.”

Before Trudeau’s announcement, MPs were in the House of Commons voting on a Conservative motion that would require the government to put forward a road map to remove restrictions, similar to what Saskatchewan and Alberta have done.

The motion was defeated by a vote of 185 to 151.

Despite the outcome of the vote, Hoback said the Conservatives will continue to push the government to come up with a plan to eventually remove mandates and restrictions.

“We’ll keep looking for other options and other venues and avenues to move forward, to get these mandates removed. That’s our goal. But if the NDP keeps supporting the Liberals it makes it really tough to make headway.”

–With files from 650 CKOM and The Canadian Press

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panews@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow