Public Order Emergency Commission – November 24, 2022

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland testifies as public hearings of the Public Order Emergency Commission continue in Ottawa. The commission is also hearing from senior members in the Prime Minister's Office. Katie Telford, Justin Trudeau's chief of staff, testifies alongside Brian Clow, deputy chief of staff, and John Brodhead, director of policy. In addition, the commission hears testimony from Kenneth Weatherill, the inspector general of policing for Ontario.

Led by Paul Rouleau, the commission is studying the federal government’s use of the Emergencies Act in February 2022 to declare a public order emergency. The declaration of emergency came in response to protests, at a number of Canada–U.S. border crossings and in downtown Ottawa, opposing the government’s COVID-19 public-health measures. The Emergencies Act requires an inquiry to be held following any declaration of emergency, with the mandate of examining both the circumstances of the declaration and the measures taken under it.

Please note: Video with ASL sign language interpretation is available at https://publicorderemergencycommission.ca/