By Canadian Press

Tories want Marco Mendicino to resign over Emergencies Act remarks

Jun 14, 2022 | 2:08 PM

OTTAWA — The federal Conservatives say the public safety minister has lost credibility over his comments about the decision to invoke the Emergencies Act, and they’re calling for him to resign.

Marco Mendicino has been under scrutiny since he told a House of Commons special committee that police asked for the government to invoke the Emergencies Act as the “Freedom Convoy” gripped downtown Ottawa in February.

Since then, the RCMP and Ottawa police have said they did not ask for the act to be used, and the deputy minister for public safety told the same committee that Mendicino’s words were misunderstood.

Mendicino has been trying to clarify his comments, saying the government consulted with police about what powers they needed to end the blockades, and the Emergencies Act was the only way to give them those powers.

He says the government “will never apologize for doing what is necessary” to end the protests and called for the Official Opposition to apologize for supporting the convoy.

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The special committee exploring the decision to invoke the act is meeting again tonight and will hear from Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 14, 2022.

The Canadian Press