Parliamentary Committee Votes Against Disclosing Unredacted Documents on Feds’ Actions Against Freedom Convoy

Police move in to clear downtown Ottawa near Parliament Hill of protesters after weeks of demonstrations on Feb. 19, 2022. The Canadian Press/Cole Burston

A special joint parliamentary committee has voted to block the release of uncensored documents that detail the federal government’s rationale for invoking the Emergencies Act against the Freedom Convoy.

Sponsored by Bloc Québécois MP Rhéal Fortin, the motion that federal agencies “be required to provide the committee with unredacted versions of those documents” was defeated in a 6–5 vote, with Liberal MPs and Liberal-appointed senators voting against it on the night of Oct. 20.

The Special Joint Committee on the Declaration of Emergency was created to review the “exercise of powers and the performance of duties and functions pursuant to a declaration of emergency” after the federal government invoked the Emergencies Act on Feb. 14, using it as a means to quash the protests against COVID-19 mandates and restrictions by truckers and their supporters in Ottawa and across the country.

As first reported by Blacklock’s Reporter, Fortin wanted the committee to have full access to the uncensored records.

“I think the motion speaks for itself. We need complete documents, and if they can’t be complete, there should be an explanation,” said Fortin prior to the vote.

On May 31, the committee requested that “all security assessments and legal opinions which the government relied upon” in deciding that the Freedom Convoy constituted a “national emergency” be provided.

‘Hundreds of Redacted Pages’

Public Safety Canada subsequently released the documents but had “hundreds” of pages related to the security measures censored.

“I was trying to read the documents we received from the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, but there are hundreds of redacted pages,” Fortin told the committee on Oct. 6.

“What are we to make of that?” he asked. “I don’t know what information is being hidden or why it is being hidden, but this seems unacceptable to me.”

In the meeting on Oct. 20, Liberal-appointed Sen. Peter Harder said legislators were unrealistic in asking for the classified versions.

“I think we should be realistic as to what our expectations ought to be,” Harder said. “I think it is unusual and perhaps a step too far to ask officials to come with unredacted documents.”

“Those documents are by definition secure and classified. I have no objection to having them come and speak to the redaction but I can’t imagine that they would come and table unredacted documents and I doubt they would be coming here to say, ‘We made a mistake’ with respect to the redactions and are prepared to provide a greater unredaction,” he added.

Liberal MP Yasir Naqvi said, “We’re talking about a lot of documents.”

Fortin’s motion was amended to remove providing the committee with unredacted documents. Instead, it will invite officials to appear before the committee.

‘We Can Certainly Ask’

Liberal MP Arif Virani said there is a difference in requiring officials to appear in person and explain about the unredacted records versus them bringing the documents along with them to the committee meeting.

“To arrive with unredacted portions being provided to the committee is not something that I would deem to be suitable or advisable,” Virani said.

Conservative MP Glen Motz argued that the committee has the right to see the uncensored version. “We can certainly ask for unredacted documents. That’s certainly the expectation this committee had.”

NDP MP Matthew Green told the committee that their efforts to review the government’s actions seemed to be stonewalled.

“It has been very difficult to get cooperative witnesses at this committee to be able to provide us with substantive answers and documents and many things this committee has been trying to get,” Green said.

Peter Wilson contributed to this report.