🔴LIVE UPDATES Day 5: Public Order Emergency Commission investigates Trudeau's use of Emergencies Act
Follow along for updates from the fifth day of the Emergencies Act inquiry as it happens.
The public inquiry investigating Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's decision to invoke the Emergencies Act began on Oct. 13. As part of the government's obligations following the invocation of the Act, a commission must be convened within 60 days and its subsequent report must be tabled in Parliament within 360 days after the Act is revoked.
This inquiry, deemed the Public Order Emergency Commission, was announced by Trudeau on April 25 after the Emergencies Act was revoked on February 23. The mandate delivered from the prime minister tasks the commission with handling the examination and assessment of the basis for the Trudeau government's decision to use the Emergencies Act, the circumstances leading up to the invocation and whether this was an appropriate and effective measure chosen by the government to address the Freedom Convoy.
A review of the legislative policy and regulatory framework will also be part of the commissions duties, which could feature potential amendments to the Emergencies Act. The full order in council relating to the Public Order Emergency Commission can be read here.
Sheila Gunn Reid and David Menzies are live tweeting the hearing today as it happens. Watch above, or follow along below:
This morning counselor Diane Deans is testifying before the public order emergency commission in Ottawa.
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 19, 2022
She was previously head of police oversight body and was removed one day after the new police chief was hired without competition to replace Slolyhttps://t.co/U1EMcvCgXO
Deans is testifying to an email she sent to former Chief Sloly on Jan 25. She was concerned about the size of the convoy and the amount of money that the convoy had raised. "It was different"
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 19, 2022
Deans says Sloly did not share intel. But she says Sloly didn't tell her anything that would make her think convoy would be anything other than a protest that would come and go.
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 19, 2022
But I am seeing an email that details risk assessment, finance tracking and comms with organizers.
Deans says Sloly did not share intel. But she says Sloly didn't tell her anything that would make her think convoy would be anything other than a protest that would come and go.
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 19, 2022
But I am seeing a doc that details risk assessment, finance tracking and comms with organizers.
According to police board meeting minute notes, the police had a surge and contain strategy for the convoy by Feb 5.
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 19, 2022
Deans says she was looking for more detail, and the next day Sloly gave her a list of more resource requirements, including officers and other civilians needed
Deans says her understanding of the surge and contain strategy was to bring the convoy to an end. She says it was "methodical" to end "certain installations"
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 19, 2022
Deans says there was some "creative math" around how many police, including those from outside forces (OPP/RCMP). She says it was hard to get a grasp on how many people were working at any one given time.
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 19, 2022
There were reports there were more police from outside forces than were actually there. calls it creative accounting. Says RCMP were attending to federal properties and not convoy matters
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 19, 2022
Sylvia Jones, ON Solicitor General, walked back a claim of 1500 OPP deployed to Ottawa
Deans says Chief Sloly called the criminal code "archaic" as a way to deal with the convoy.
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 19, 2022
Deans, however, doesn't recall what the remedy for that issue would be.
Deans wanted the army to come into Ottawa?
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 19, 2022
Deans' meeting notes from Feb 6 with her, Sloly and Watson re: efforts to clear out Coventry.
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 19, 2022
"operation not going well"
She says stems from lack of resources for police.
She suspects the Freedom Convoy had more information about the police operation than they should have
(did she think the police were leaking operational plans to the convoy?)
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 19, 2022
Deans wanted to pass new bylaws to deal with the convoy. Asked for a "top three bylaws"
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 19, 2022
Except we heard testimony yesterday that bylaw officers were told to not ticket and tow convoy-related vehicles in the red zone and to leave that enforcement to the police.
oh, now Deans says that bringing in new bylaws would have made it look like they (Ottawa City Council) were doing something to end the protests. So passing news laws was about making THEM look good to the public. Not about anything tangible.
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) October 19, 2022
Now testifying at Emergency Commission is Diane Deans, Ottawa city councillor & former chair of the city’s police board.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Ex-Chief Peter Sloly stated that 1,800 officers would be needed to enforce laws and bylaws during trucker convoy.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Ottawa Police Service said their requests were not being received or heard. Deans says she was aware of that but not that Mayor Watson was reluctant to sign the letter.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans asked if she was made aware that a different policing process should’ve been followed. She says no.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans approved 400 RCMP officers to be embedded in OPS and that they’d be fully deployable. She says they “wouldn’t have been helpful to us” unless they were embedded with OPS.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
RCMP were given the power to enforce municipal bylaws.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans says was never told that RCMP officers were assigned to OPS but on standby. She says there was “confusion and creative accounting.”
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Minutes from OPS Feb 11 public meeting. Chief Sloly indicated progress was being made [re: subjecting demonstrators to higher penalties] but a key issue was resources. Deans says this was not communicated to the board.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Threats to Deans and staff: “They were extremely aggressive.” OPS offered Deans security; she turned down the offer. Some threats included “murder.” A young staffer was “so triggered” she was given time off work.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans did not know what commitments were made “from the police to police level.”
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans asked if she recalls anything about possibly invoking additional measures. She says can’t recall. She says it wasn’t about people protesting but about the effect on the daily lives of people.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Feb 11 meeting minutes: board expressed concern that it did not seem as though the Service was being provided with the resources requested.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Police services deployed to Ottawa for truck demonstration: Durham, London, Peel, York, Cornwall, Kingston, OPP, RCMP
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans asked how many resources available to OPS? She says does not have “that number off the top of my head.”
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans: “frustrating” that the Toronto Police Board was getting more information that the Ottawa Police Board from OPS. “We weren’t getting the whole story… my patience was running a little thin.”
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans said they were “getting little snippets but not the full plan.”
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Was any formal direction to Chief Sloly ever achieved? Deans says “not sure.”
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Was any formal direction to Chief Sloly ever achieved? Deans says “not sure.”
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans says Chief Sloly couldn’t share all the details of the OPS plan because “element of surprise is very important… but I felt we needed more [information].”
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans: “I was increasingly becoming concerned there was no plan to bring this to a peaceful end.”
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans says she was doing “wellness checks” on Chief Sloly. She was concerned about Sloly. “He was our coach if you will.”
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Did the board adopt any policies pertaining to the freedom convoy? Deans: “Not that I specifically recall.”
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans re: Sloly: “Suspension is a big hammer in the middle of a crisis… I was focussed on working together, being in the same boat… to bring this thing to a peaceful end… we weren’t working together… when people aren’t working together you don’t get the best results.”
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans: OPP “took more of a leadership role.”
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Re: OPS Feb 15 meeting pertaining to Chief Sloly’s resignation. Deans says: “He is a human being under intense stress.”
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans says: “A lot of people in this city want your head.” Sloly, she says, said: “Cut me a cheque.”
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans says Members of council were going to ask Chief Sloly to tender his resignation in a public forum. She says she was against that and that it would have been tantamount to “constructive dismissal.” She says Sloly was already under enough stress.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans says she was concerned about “insurrection” within the ranks of the OPS. “He did not have enough support from within” the OPS.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans says CBC was planning a “very damning” report on Sloly. Accusations about Sloly included “Yelling at people, a tyrannical dictator.”
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans says: Inside OPS there was “a bit of an insurrection going on.” Plan was to “use the crisis” to further the insurrection. Deans phoned Sloly, asking if he still wants the city to “cut him a cheque.” She says Sloly said “he’s not going anywhere…”
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans: “Next morning gentlemen [Sloly] said he wants to leave.”
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans says because of upcoming CBC story, there were concerns about Sloly. Board concluded it did not have the power to terminate Sloly but could suspend him.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans says there were concerns about Sloly due to an anonymous complaint and a complaint from an inspector.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans says Sloly “could get very excited… did not deny he had raised his voice… was very stressful.” Board did not declare it had “not lost faith in Chief Sloly.”
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Allegation was that Deans would not sign a contract with the new chief without Mayor’s approval. Deans says this was not the case; that a contract was to be signed that afternoon. Says the mayor was on the phone to the colleagues of Deans to unseat her as the board chairman.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans: “With all due respect to the mayor the board and the chair of the board was in a better position” to hire a new chief.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans asked why disclosure not released until this morning re: taped discussion with Mayor Watson. Deans says she’s a “technological midget.”
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans asked if she noticed any change in OPS after Sloly’s resignation. She says yes.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans now being cross examined by Rebecca Jones, counsel for ex-chief Sloly.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Jones says at the time Sloly was hired, the OPS was facing challenges within the community, especially racialized members of the community. Also, there was low morale at OPS, especially racialized members of the OPS.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Jones says Chief Sloly had an op-ed published regarding the stopping of a black motorist.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans says she believes “in the right to protest.”
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans agrees with Jones that there was no loss of life or injury during the protest.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Jones say situational support and indicated that certain people were not leaving. Deans says she was not provided with any intelligence reports. Jones says Deans knows that intelligence reports are not shared with the board.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Jones notes that OPP intelligence report reveals that goal of the convoy is “unrealistic” re: demonstrators’ demands that the government rescind all COVID -19 restrictions.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Commission is now in recess for 1 hour.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
The commission has reconvened.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Rebecca Jones, Sloly’s lawyer, continues to cross examine Diane Deans, Ottawa City Councillor and former chair of the city’s police board.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Jones: “you and the board wanted more information. You will agree it was highly volatile.”
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans: “Yes.”
Jones: “You didn’t get the full plan as you would put it.” Deans agrees.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Jones says the board had a “history of leaks.”
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans says she would “read the riot act” to board members who would leak police information.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Jones: “In terms of your evidence about the plan, I take it you were not concerned about the appropriateness of the plan?”
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans agrees, but reiterated they wanted more information about the plan.
Jones: “You were signing memorandums of understanding [with other police forces] before the convoy arrived in Ottawa?Deans says yes.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans says Sloly kept asking for more resources but she was unclear about the nature of resources.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Jones: “We all know he [Sloly] was right.”
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Jones: “A week before his resignation, you called him [Sloly] about a ‘wellness check’?”
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans said they had multiple conversations.
Deans says when Sloly said “cut me a cheque” that might’ve been “off the cuff.”
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans says there “were problems in the senior command” at OPS. She says she was concerned for Sloly especially with the CBC report coming out.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans: “I thought it was going to be a tough few days.”
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
OPS board meeting Feb 15. Sloly resigns. Deputy Chief Bell states he would’ve not done anything differently had he been in charge.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Jones: “Would you agree in would be unfair to lay blame solely on Chief Sloly?”
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans: “A lot of blame to go around.”
Representative for Concerned Citizens Thanksgiving Ottawa now questioning Diane Deans.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans: “I don’t believe I was aware of a contingency plan.”
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Q: were you concerned that the OPP was being mid-deployed? Deans says they information was not shared with the board.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans recalls “a lot of tension”during Black Lives Matter protests. She asked Mayor Watson for his personal cellphone number. He allegedly said he doesn’t answer the phone.
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
Deans admits to having mayoralty aspirations. But says at times of crisis everyone has to “row in the same direction.”
— David Menzies (@TheMenzoid) October 19, 2022
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