OTTAWA - Provincial officials in Saskatchewan and Alberta got a Valentine’s Day surprise from the prime minister this year when he called to say he was considering invoking the Emergencies Act, a public inquiry heard Thursday. “None of the powers that were created under the federal Emergencies Act were necessary, nor were any of them used in Alberta to resolve the Coutts blockade,” she said. Robert MacKinnon, representing Justice Canada, said the Emergencies Act was “reasonable and necessary” given the circumstances across the country. “There was no reasonable and probable grounds to invoke the Emergencies Act and the government exceeded their jurisdiction, both constitutionally and legislatively, in doing so,” said Brendan Miller. Both the public inquiry and the parliamentary committee, which continues its work, are required under the Emergencies Act.

Source: CBC News October 13, 2022 15:16 UTC