Commissioner Paul Rouleau speaks to media after tabling his #POEC report. We are told he will not take questions. #cdnpoli
Rouleau's report should be online shortly--it found "with reluctance" that government met threshold for invoking #EmergenciesAct , noted policing failures as well provincial Ontario gov't's absence in engagement. #cdnpoli
That all being said, Rouleau does have an exhaustive list of recommendations for range of bodies spanning federal gov't, national and local police, security agencies, provincial, territorial gov'ts.
Among them: he wants the #emergenciesact to be revised so it has a clearer definition of public order emergency.
Wants federal gov't to be obliged to submit all relevant documents to a future such commission, without any redactions whatsoever. No exceptions.
Wants better coordination over intelligence sharing, jurisdictional agreements between different police forces.
Wants a future commissioner to have the power to decide over claims of privilege in withholding/redacting info--without referring to judges.
Wants in the future more flexibility for commissioners to have more time to produce a report: up to six months more if they so choose. (Note that his report is 2000 pages long).
Wants the federal government, within a year of another report's tabling, to respond to recommendations, say which ones it accepts or which it rejects, and why. (which would suggest no such provision currently exists in #EmergenciesAct ).
"I do not come to this conclusion easily," Rouleau says after explaining he thinks threshold for #EmergenciesAct has been reached.
He says he admits that other reasonable and informed people could come to a different conclusion than him.
Rouleau says it is "regrettable" that Cabinet had to invoke the Act. Cites series of "policing failures," "situation that spun out of control."
Rouleau says better prep, coordination between different police forces, gov'ts could have likely avoided the need to invoke #EmergenciesAct
Rouleau says he hopes his recos go some way toward addressing the systemic issues he analyzed.
Rouleau says "members of the public should recognize that the act contains significant safeguards."
Says though #EmergenciesAct is often compared to the War Measurements Act it replaced, it's quite different.
Points out there's the #POEC provision + the fact the law can be contested before the courts.
I tried asking/ "Commissioner how could reasonable people have come to a different conclusion than you did?" at the end of Commissioner Paul Rouleau's prepared remarks on his #EmergenciesAct report. He said "enjoy the report," and left the room. #POEC
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Waiting on news conference w/ Minister Champagne to ask questions about this following @Rogers outage last week. He says he directed it and other telecomm giants to reach agreements on emergency roaming, mutual assistance + comms protocol. And says @CRTCeng also to investigate.
@FP_Champagne starts with an apology for being late, says for an hour he spoke to heads of Rogers, Telus, Bell, Videotron, Shaw and East Link.
Champagne says he expressed frustration of Canadians, small biz, emergency services. "This was unacceptable, full stop." Says focus of calls was on resilency over networks across Canada.
Interim chief Steve Bell says they've made important progress today.
Bell says they've advised protesters repeatedly about leaving, and backed up warnings with safe tactics. Says "at every step, they've faced a barrage of resistance, shoving and vitriol," of his officers. Says batons and helmets added this morning as a safety measure.
Couldn't quite catch that part on camera, but as these three rigs went down O'Connor Street leaving the Parliamentary Precinct, there were both scattered cheers and a gent using, well, a single finger to say goodbye. #cdnpoli#protestconvoy
I'm just trying to go grocery shopping! But another pickup leaving if you can see the flag there on the pickup. 'Freedom!' the driver chanted to a pedestrian nearby. He replied with another expression that started with the f word. #protestconvoy
Crush of pedestrians moving south on Metcalfe as wind picks up. But also some headed north toward it.
One of the #protestconvoy's main organizers, Tamara Lich, arguably its most famous face, will be in court tomorrow morning Saturday at 9:30 a.m. She was arrested yesterday night and faces a charge of counselling to commit mischief. #cdnpoli
Meanwhile, as reported by colleague @NicoleatCBC earlier, one of the other organizers, Chris Barber, was released under bail. His conditions: he has 24 hours to leave Ottawa....(cont'd)
And must leave the province of Ontario by midnight, Wednesday. He cannot support the convoy in any way other than paying for gas for other members of #ProtestConvoy vacating the city. Barber is back in court March 1st (cont'd)
Deputy Chief Bell informing Ottawa residents extra officers in place only for as long as the #protestconvoy is still present. "If you want to leave on your own terms, now is the time to do it," he says to protesters. #cdnpoli#ProtestConvoy
That warmup tent by the National War Memorial is still there in the background (the red spot).
A truck driver holds court with sympathetic protesters next to the Senate of Canada. A couple of chants calling him a hero from the crowd. #cdnpoli#protestconvoy