"This is a fiasco": Kenney still wants to take Ottawa to court over Emergencies Act

Feb 23 2022, 11:41 pm

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney plans to move ahead with his court challenge to the invocation of the Emergencies Act last week.

Kenney made the comments during a sitting at the Alberta legislature.

“This has been a grave and shameful mistake,” Kenney said, adding that the NDP “gave away their soul” as the principle voice of civil liberties when it came to voting yes with the Liberal government in passing the Emergencies Act.

“I understand and sympathize for the people whose lives have been turned upside down over the past two years,” added Kenney.

“We have a large number of our fellow citizens who are deeply frustrated, and they have every right.”

Kenney added that Trudeau “lit the fuse” when he announced the vaccine mandate for truckers.

“Was this a national emergency? I would argue no,” said Kenney, pointing to the few border crossings across Canada that had protests and Ottawa.

“Are we seriously going to say a few dozen trucks parked on Ottawa streets was a threat to Canadian sovereignty,” he added. “This is a fiasco. This is a shameful moment in our country’s history.”

Kenney also took to Twitter Wednesday to double down on the judicial review of the act.

On Wednesday afternoon, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the federal government was ending the Emergencies Act due to demonstrations no longer being an emergency.

The declaration was invoked on February 14 after weeks of blockades and protests. It authorized the government to take “special temporary measures to ensure safety and security during national emergencies.”

Laine MitchellLaine Mitchell

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