Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland accused of being evasive during committee appearance on Ottawa’s use of Emergencies Act? Say it isn’t so!!
Conservative, Bloc Québécois and NDP MPs all expressed strong frustration throughout Ms. Freeland’s 1½-hour appearance. The opposition parties frequently asked the minister straight forward and simple questions to provide economic data or advice from the public service that justified the government’s decision to invoke the Act.
The minister instead, using the Liberal schoolyard tactic of ‘I know you are but what am I?’ referenced the strong concerns expressed at the time by Canadian business leaders. Ms. Freeland said border blockades by protesters opposed to pandemic restrictions earlier this year risked causing permanent harm to Canada’s integrated trading relationship with the United States.
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Freeland was challenged in her numbers by Conservative MP Glen Motz who pointed to Statistics Canada data that showed while trade dropped at the blockaded border crossings it rose elsewhere offsetting the damage.
“Although disruptive and inappropriate, and illegal, the blockades of the borders did not have the economic impact that you’re suggesting,” Motz said.
Motz asked if the government had simply invented the economic damage to justify their response.
“Did anyone in government instruct public servants to conjure up an economic narrative to support its decision to invoke the Emergencies act?”
Freeland replied “no.”
apple.news
Chrystia Freeland — the highest-ranking minister yet to appear before the special committee investigating the government’s unprecedented use of emergency powers — would not share specific data that would have been available at the time the Act was invoked, which would have shown the protests were damaging the national economy.
apple.news
…& if Chrystia Freeland says, “Let me be clear…” or “Let me be perfectly clear…” you know there’s a Doozy of a completely non-related statement to a question coming from her. It’s her tell….
Conservative, Bloc Québécois and NDP MPs all expressed strong frustration throughout Ms. Freeland’s 1½-hour appearance. The opposition parties frequently asked the minister straight forward and simple questions to provide economic data or advice from the public service that justified the government’s decision to invoke the Act.
The minister instead, using the Liberal schoolyard tactic of ‘I know you are but what am I?’ referenced the strong concerns expressed at the time by Canadian business leaders. Ms. Freeland said border blockades by protesters opposed to pandemic restrictions earlier this year risked causing permanent harm to Canada’s integrated trading relationship with the United States.
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland accused of being evasive during committee appearance on Ottawa’s use of Emergencies Act — The Globe and Mail
‘It’s to the point of almost being contemptible,’ NDP MP Matthew Green says of the Finance Minister’s appearance
“Although disruptive and inappropriate, and illegal, the blockades of the borders did not have the economic impact that you’re suggesting,” Motz said.
Motz asked if the government had simply invented the economic damage to justify their response.
“Did anyone in government instruct public servants to conjure up an economic narrative to support its decision to invoke the Emergencies act?”
Freeland replied “no.”
Freeland testifies that Freedom Convoy was doing serious economic damage — National Post
'The world's confidence in Canada as an investment destination was being undermined,' Freeland told the committee investigating the use of the Emergencies Act
Freeland says Canada's economic reputation was at risk, prompting Emergencies Act — Global News
The deputy prime minister and finance minister would not share specific data that would have been available at the time the Act was invoked showing damage to the economy.
