Commentary
Assuming Justice Paul Rouleau takes his role seriously as the commissioner of a public inquiry into the use of the Emergencies Act earlier this year, it is going to be difficult for the government to justify its actions.
The Emergencies Act is the most powerful piece of legislation the federal government has. Through the invocation of the act, civil liberties of citizens can be suspended in response to an emergency. Exercising such power can never be taken lightly. That is why the modellers of the act built a clause into the legislation requiring an independent inquiry to be held within 60 days of the use of the act. This inquiry could cause a lot of trouble for the Liberal party and the NDP alike, as the leaders of both parties acted together to invoke the act….