PM Trudeau, cabinet ministers to testify at Emergencies Act inquiry this week

In the final week of the Emergencies Act inquiry, PM Justin Trudeau, Defence Minister Anita Anand, and other cabinet ministers are set to appear at the inquiry in relation to the government invoking the Emergencies Act, which had never been used before.

Ever since invoking the act last winter, PM Trudeau has repeatedly backed the decision to do so citing it as a “measure of last resort.”

While Trudeau is set to testify on Friday, David Vigneault, the director of the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service, alongside other CSI officials, is scheduled to testify on Monday.

Justice Minister David Lametti, Defence Minister Anita Anand, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra, and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland are all scheduled to make an appearance before the Public Order Emergency Commission inquiry sometime this week alongside Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc.

The Emergencies Act is a statute passed by the Parliament of Canada in 1988 which authorizes the Government of Canada to take extraordinary temporary measures to respond to public welfare emergencies, public order emergencies, international emergencies and war emergencies.

After wrapping up the hearing on Friday, the inquiry is scheduled to host roundtables and hear from experts during the policy phase.