Former Alberta premier Jason Kenney accused the federal government of leaving provinces “holding the bag” to clear “Freedom Convoy” protesters who blockaded a border crossing in southern Alberta, a public inquiry has learned.
Documents released Tuesday by the inquiry looking into the government’s decision to invoke the Emergencies Act last winter include text messages between three federal cabinet ministers, including Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc.
In messages that LeBlanc told his cabinet colleagues he had received from Kenney, the then-premier accused Ottawa of not caring about the Canada-U.S. border closure in Coutts, Alta., and complained about the federal decision to decline Alberta’s request for military equipment that could help remove protest vehicles….