Justice of the Ontario Court of Appeals Paul Rouleau ruled Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was right to invoke emergency powers during the “Freedom Convoy” trucker protests.
Rouleau led the independent public inquiry into Trudeau’s decision to invoke the Emergencies Act against the trucker protests, according to Global News. The federal government met the “very high threshold” for using the Emergencies Act because the trucker convoy was a “singular moment in history,” Rouleau said in a 2,000 page report. (RELATED: Protesters Scream Profanities At Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau)
“After careful reflection, I have concluded that the very high threshold required for the invocation of the Act was met.”
– Commissioner Paul Rouleau, speaking after release of Public Order Emergency Commission’s report on federal govt’s use of Emergencies Act.#cdnpoli | #POEC pic.twitter.com/9M3yIQdBb4
— CPAC (@CPAC_TV) February 17, 2023
“I have concluded that in this case, the very high threshold for invocation was met. I have done so with reluctance. The state should generally be able to respond to circumstances of urgency without the use of emergency powers,” Rouleau stated.
“It is only in rare instances, when the state cannot otherwise fulfill its fundamental obligation to ensure the safety and security of people and property, that resort to emergency measures will be found to be appropriate,” he added.
Rouleau has reportedly donated to the Liberal Party since the 1990s, according to public records reviewed by The Counter Signal. He worked for former Liberal Prime Minister John Turner in 1984, according to the the CBC.
The Freedom Convoy gained international attention for protesting Trudeau’s covid vaccine mandates across Canada, leading to an extended standoff with police in Ottawa, Canada, in February 2022. Canadian authorities cracked down on the trucker protest by freezing their bank accounts and arresting lead organizers following Trudeau’s use of the Emergencies Act.