An Okanagan politician is welcoming Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision on Wednesday afternoon to end the recently-invoked Emergencies Act.
The legislation, invoked on Feb. 14 and passed by parliament on Feb. 21, was in response to protest blockades in Ottawa and at select border crossings.
Trudeau’s decision to trigger the never-used-before Act triggered division across the nation, with vigorous support on both sides of the issue.
But on Wednesday, the Prime Minister cancelled the Act, stating, “we’re ready to confirm that the situation is no longer an emergency.”
In Monday’s vote, 185 MPs voted for the Act, with 151 voting against it. The Liberals and NDP voted for the motion, with the Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois voting no.
In an interview with Global News, Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola MP Dan Albas supported Trudeau’s decision to revoke the Act.
“I’m happy to see the Prime Minister realize that there is no justification for continuing to have the Emergencies Act in place,” said Albas.
“The order that they did was a public emergency, and the Act is very clear that it has a very high threshold when it’s invoked. And clearly, it is no longer necessary and should be removed.”
Albas said he spoke during Monday’s vote, “and I called upon the government to revoke the Act then. So I’m just glad to see that the government has come to its senses.
“In this case, the Prime Minister has said the emergency no longer exists, and therefore those powers should not be given to the government. I’ve always said this should not be a partisan issue; this is about whether or not the government is justified in having these extraordinary powers.”