MP Carol Hughes says implementing the Emergencies Act is a 'sobering event in Canadian history'

The MP for Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing, Carol Hughes, issued a statement regarding the Emergencies Act, and the decision to revoke it.

She stated that the act had done its job, but that the use of it was an acknowledgement of failed leadership.

Please see her full statement, included below.

With today’s announcement that the Emergencies Act has been officially repealed, Carol Hughes, MP for Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing, believes that the act has done its job.

“The NDP’s decision to support the use of the Emergencies Act was not a step that was taken lightly,” said Hughes. “As I’ve said from the beginning, the fact that the Emergencies Act even needed to be considered is an acknowledgement of failed leadership which allowed things to escalate unchecked since the beginning. It is a symptom of a system that has failed to uphold even the most basic laws and the implementation of the act will be a sobering event in Canadian history”

Due to the ongoing freedom convoy siege in Ottawa, the Emergencies Act was issued on Feb. 15 under the measure of a 30-day public order emergency that could be amended or revoked according to the stability or instability of the occupation. The NDP had been clear from the beginning that the act should be revoked as soon as it was no longer needed. The decision to revoke the act comes as law enforcement officials advised the government earlier today that they believe they now have the powers needed to deal with any remaining threats. As a result of this information, NDP leader, Jagmeet Singh, advised the prime minister that the Emergencies Act should be revoked.

“The Emergencies Act was meant only to assist local and provincial law enforcement to reach beyond their borders for assistance, which was a repeated request from Ottawa Police Services to contain the situation,” said Hughes. “They didn’t have the resources to deal with an occupation of this magnitude. It is truly unfortunate that it took the Emergencies Act to clear out the illegal convoy occupation”

“Now that it has been revoked, it is imperative that a full public inquiry be initiated to ensure that we get clarity on how we got to the point where it was necessary, and to determine the level of foreign influence that led to the city being occupied for over 25 days.”