Inquiry Into Trudeau's Use of Emergencies Act to end Freedom Convoy Begins

A national inquiry into the federal government’s use of the Emergencies Act to bring an end to the “Freedom Convoy” trucker protests and blockades has been launched.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has named Paul S. Rouleau to lead the independent “Public Order Emergency Commission,” which will be ongoing for the better part of the next year.

Rouleau, a long-time judge, will have to present his final report, including key findings and “lessons learned,” to both the House of Commons and Senate in both official languages, by Feb. 20, 2023. He’s expected to weigh in on the “appropriateness and effectiveness” of the measures taken by the government in its invocation of the Emergencies Act.

The commissioner will be examining:

• the “evolution and goals” of the protests, the organizers, and participants;

• the role domestic and foreign funding, including crowdsourcing, played;

• the use of social media and impact of sources of misinformation and disinformation;

• the economic and international impact of the blockades; and

• the “efforts of police and other responders” in the lead up to and following the declaration of an emergency.

In a statement, Rouleau said he’s looking forward to beginning the inquiry, and says he’ll have more information on how the commission will function “in the near future.”

"I am committed to ensuring that the process is as open and transparent as possible, recognizing the tight timelines for reporting imposed by the Emergencies Act,” he said.