Frank Caputo did not feel the Emergencies Act was necessary (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Chad Klassen

EMERGENCIES ACT

MP Caputo felt there were tools outside Emergencies Act to break up protests

Feb 22, 2022 | 5:05 PM

KAMLOOPS — The protests carried on for three weeks, garnering worldwide attention that put a stain on Canada’s image.

When the trucker convoy first arrived in Ottawa and then expanded to border crossings, Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo MP Frank Caputo condemned the racist language and didn’t condone other violence that ensued around the protests.

“You have a lawful right to protest. You do not have the right to protest in a way that breaks the law,” said the former Crown prosecutor.

On Monday, Parliament debated the Emergencies Act, and with the help of the NDP, the Liberals got it passed 185-151.

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However, the Conservative Caputo did not feel the Emergencies Act, which he read over multiple times, was warranted in this situation.

“The legislation requires it to be a matter of national security and national concern, and when I looked at the situation I thought to myself, ‘Well this is certainly a priority in Ottawa. Citizens can’t get to work, and I understood people’s complaints from the noise,’ but when I looked at the national element I didn’t feel that was met,” said Caputo.

Caputo felt there were other tools the government, both the Ontario government and federal government, could’ve used before the Emergencies Act.

“The province declared a state of emergency in Ontario, as did the City of Ottawa, but the Criminal Code enpowers the police to arrest, it empowers the police to search and seize those vehicles — both incidental to arrest or through a warrant,” he said. “As well arresting people for causing a disturbance or mischief.”

TRU political expert Robert Hanlon says there were missteps at all levels of government to allow the protest to grow the way it did. He agrees more could’ve been done before implementing the Emergencies Act.

“There are other laws on the books. There’s the Securities Act. There are ways the federal government could’ve mobilized law enforcement and RCMP to go to Ottawa, so there is stuff that could’ve been done,” said Hanlon. “The question is: Why those steps were not taken properly at first?”

Hanlon says all levels of government were ill-prepared, despite knowing the trucker convoy was coming.

“I would say it’s an embarrassment for governments,” he said. “There’s probably going to need to be a Commission set up to try and understand what actually happened here and why they were not able to move so quick.”

Meanwhile, Caputo says when he returns on Parliament Hill on Monday, the Emergencies Act and its relevance then will be debated once again.