Howard Lutnick, Trump's pick to oversee his trade agenda as commerce secretary, tells his confirmation hearing that he prefers across-the-board tariffs to targeted tariffs. Says other countries treat the US "horribly" on trade, tariffs are a way to create reciprocity. (If Lutnick is truly guided by this, it *should* be good news for Canada, which has a balanced trade relationship with the US -- outside of huge US imports of discounted Canadian oil, which lowers gas prices for Americans)

A very significant conclusion of the Emergencies Act inquiry: Justice Rouleau finds it was reasonable for the government to believe freezing bank accounts "was necessary to prevent the protests from being financially sustained over the long term" Rouleau: "By encouraging protesters to leave without having to resort to force, [freezing accounts] sought to achieve an end to the unlawful protests that did not place the physical well-being of protesters or others at risk. It was a proportionate response to the situation"

Michael Sabia, the top public servant in the finance department, is testifying this morning at the Emergencies Act inquiry alongside two other officials. In his opening statement he focused particularly on trade issues between Canada and the US, particularly on auto manufacturing Sabia said the US had already been making moves that could cut Canada out of the electric vehicle supply chain. So the border blockades came at an especially bad time, raising concerns in the US about Canada's reliability as a trade partner.

Trudeau announces he's invoking the Emergencies Act. Says it will be time limited, geographically targeted, reasonable and proportionate. Trudeau specifically mentions towing as something that may be directed as an essential service under the legislation

Convoyers have put up a tent at the war memorial now. Police on site trying to negotiate its removal. A resident walks by with his dog, angrily asks one officer why they haven’t taken it down yet: “This isn’t a campground” The consistent pattern over the past 3 weeks has been that every time police give the convoyers an inch, they take a mile. And park semis on it.

There seems to be quite a few examples this morning of Ottawa residents blocking convoy vehicles by just standing in front of them.

https://twitter.com/trishchang/status/1492875344243740673

Another one in a different location:

https://twitter.com/bikeviewca/status/1492875167109980162

Okay, so police have made substantial progress at Bank and Laurier. One side had been fully blocked in by semis and other trucks, but it’s clear around here right now. Police tweeted earlier they got 10 trucks to leave this area (unclear where they went.) Bank is clear of semis south of Laurier now. This is a big change. One lane all along Bank had been blockaded for the past two weeks. A full kitchen had been set up in one spot.

Prime Minister Trudeau now speaking in the House of Commons on the protest/occupation/siege in Canada's capital. Trudeau starts by making the case that we had a fall election in which Canadians had a choice on how to manage Covid, and they chose the path of vaccine mandates.