Two Conservative Leadership Candidates Call for Mendicino to Step Down Over Emergencies Act Claims

Conservative leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre (C) gestures toward Jean Charest (2nd L) as Roman Baber (L), Scott Aitchison (2nd R) and Leslyn Lewis look on during a leadership debate at the Canada Strong and Free Network conference in Ottawa on May 5, 2022. The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld

Two Conservative Party leadership candidates have called for Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino to either resign or be fired over his controversial comments that the Emergencies Act was invoked based on the advice of law enforcement.

“It’s crystal clear that the Minister made false statements in the House of Commons,” said Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre in a June 9 statement.

“And it wasn’t just about something trivial. He wanted to give Trudeau cover to invoke the Emergencies Act, freeze people’s bank accounts, and trample on civil liberties.”

Poilievre said whether Mendicino made a mistake or provided inaccurate information in saying advice was received from law enforcement, “he can’t keep this important job.”

Leadership contender Roman Baber, a former independent Ontario MPP, said Mendicino should be fired over the issue.

“Everything Justin Trudeau and Marco Mendicino said about the Ottawa protest was false. Marco also notably failed to deny the false CBC News suggestion [regarding] foreign collusion. It’s time to #FireMarco!” he tweeted on June 10.

Mendicino stated on multiple occasions in the House of Commons or before parliamentary committees that the invocation of the Emergencies Act was done based on the advice of law enforcement or police.

The RCMP commissioner and the current and former Ottawa police chiefs have all testified that they didn’t advise for or request the use of the act.

Mendicino’s deputy minister Rob Stewart said at committee this week that Mendicino’s remarks had been “misunderstood.”

“I believe that the intention that he was trying to express was that law enforcement asked for the tools that were contained in the Emergencies Act,” Stewart said on June 7 while testifying before the Special Joint Committee on the Declaration of Emergency.

On June 8, Mendicino echoed his deputy, saying law enforcement had requested certain tools to clear the protests and blockades.

“So, in the course of those discussions [with law enforcement], it was understood by all that you needed to invoke the act to give the police the powers that were necessary to fill in the gaps,” he said.

Mendicino said the act provided the power to compel towing companies to remove vehicles, which was not available under available laws. That authority is contained within Section 129 of the Criminal Code.

Mendicino made similar comments in an interview with the Toronto Star published on June 9.

“Everybody knew that at the time, as we were asking law enforcement what powers do you need, that in granting them that could only be accomplished through the invocation of the Emergencies Act,” he reportedly said.

Mendicino told the Star it’s “appalling” the way Conservatives “continue to distort the record for partisan purposes.”