Discussions

Another enlightening poll released today on opinions on measures (chart below).  
 
Question being:  
"For at least the next year, it's a good idea to require people to get vaccinated against Covid unless they have a valid medical exemption to avoid another major outbreak."  
 
63% of Canadians answered 'yes' versus 37% 'no.'  
In Manitoba and Saskatchewan interestingly we had the second-highest 'yes' in any region at 71% versus just 29% 'no.'  
 
Take every poll in isolation if you will, but the more you start to see common elements across polls the more you start to be able to really paint a picture. Again underscores that if in fact the whole foundation of this is that some people want measures already scheduled to be gone within a few weeks to be gone even sooner, those people are just not even near majority to be able to go from opinion to making that kind of demand in contradiction with what various province's individual public health officials and decision-makers are assessing.  

Updated chart, noticed an error in the main chart pic.twitter.com/zjC1OkbK3r

— David Coletto (@DavidColetto) February 14, 2022

Emergencies Act.  
Allows specifically targeted measures that show a way to a non-violent end to something that about 3/4 of Canadians appear to say has made its point and needs to move on. Sad that it’s necessary, absolutely.  

This writeup from midweek last week really gave a real look into the situation on the ground in Ottawa, the state of policing what's taking place, the support that's needed and why. 

There’s a lot of rhetoric going around right now that’s spreading a lot of false information about what the Emergencies Act is, what it isn’t, what criteria had to be met for invoking and how it will be used in what’s going on in Ottawa. I’d highly recommend the link below for depth understanding on those and more points:  
https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6351504

Public Safety Minister quote from the article at the link below speaks to what I think many had increasingly suspected over these past couple weeks:  
 
“There have been those who have tried to characterize these illegal blockades about vaccines and mandates and fatigue with the pandemic”….. “That is not what is driving this movement right now. What is driving this movement is a very small, organized group that is driven by an ideology to overthrow the government.”  
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/02/15/canada-emergency-action-freedom-convoy-00009242  
 
Story on 11 arrests and charges at the Coutts crossing. Among were four charged with conspiracy to commit murder, the alleged target im not sure was made clear. Facebook page for one of the three with that charge is publicly viewable. Absolute mess of Covid/Vaccine/government conspiracy theory after conspiracy theory.  
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/coutts-protest-charges-laid-court-appearance-bail-1.6352482  
 
This on the same day this story is published on this guy being in Ottawa with some like-minds:  
https://www.antihate.ca/jeremy_raging_dissident_mackenzie_arrested_waving_handgun_local_business  
 
Social media is a scary place today. A mess of people (or bots or troll farms)  trying to claim high ground for protesters while overlooking everything else that's going on, people who clearly already had a disdain for the PM using the invoking of the Emergency Act to stir up division with misinformation, people trying to advance ridiculous conspiracy theories relating to firearms , even a pair of MPs from Saskatchewan and Alberta sharing conspiracy theories.  
 
Its very possible that a lot who have been supporting this hadnt considered that what the Public Safety Minister said today was a possibility. It’s clear that this is a very serious situation and no matter what one feels about the PM or their own personal political leanings, I hope there’s a lot of reflecting going on in this country in terms of what a person supports and what that means for the Canada they want live in now and after future elections no matter who is democraticly chosen to govern.

Story at the link below outlines more details on measures that are in place.

From the link, prohibited are:
 
- bringing children under the age of 18 to participate in trucker convoy protests;
- travelling to or from a protest site with the intention of taking part or offering support like supplying fuel;
- travelling to Canada as a foreign national with the intention of participating in convoy protests;
- taking part in so-called slow-rolling by motorists intent on impeding the free flow of traffic; and
- crowdfunding sites have to register with a federal financial oversight body if they are in possession or control of any funds associated with the convoy.
- Officials are also designating areas such as airports, ports, truck depots, hospitals, trade corridors, and international crossings as protected.

All Police accross the country are able to enforce, not just RCMP. 

Full link:
https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/work-begins-now-feds-outline-next-steps-rationale-for-emergencies-act-1.5782380

And I won't post all of the series of tweets, but clicking on the one below takes to a handful of posts documenting satellite encampments just outside of Ottawa:

So I'm in Ottawa right now. I spent my afternoon riding shotgun with @pdmcleod, checking out some of the occupiers' satellite encampments, outside the city of Ottawa itself. A few thoughts:

— Justin Ling (@Justin_Ling) February 15, 2022

Seeing some folks asking why the Ottawa police aren’t doing more to stop the truckers. If you’re wondering, here’s a quick explanation:

— Sunil Sarwal (@SunilSarwal) February 6, 2022

Let's talk about this moment, and why Trudeau invoking the Emergencies Act is a mistake. A thread.

It's because the convoy isn't the enemy in and of itself -- it's a symptom. It's the vomiting caused by a different, more important health issue infecting our body politic.

— Nora Loreto (@NoLore) February 15, 2022

Unfortunately not as far-fetched as it might’ve seemed a few weeks ago. Emotional hot-button  images of police/children/veterans at Windsor were widely shared in certain circles and can assume that if this progresses to a sort of raid that the images will be red meat for like-minded social media globally. 
 
This series of tweets from someone with expertise in extremism who was right in Ottawa and observed the mix of what (and who) is in the city makes the case that this is an internationally funded effort to destabilize Canada:  
 

LONGuD83EuDDF5- The &quot:Freedom&quot: Convoy asserts they aren&#39:t racist, challenging people to come see for themselves, so I mustered all the middle-aged white woman energy I could and got my former extremist self down to Queen&#39:s Park to check it out. These are my thoughts and observations: /1

&mdash: Elizabeth Moore (@onemooreliz) February 13, 2022

 
 
It’s serious enough that I personally immediately question anyone who only focuses on and emphasizes the “party” atmosphere or the idea that this is about a few truckers fighting against vaccine mandates without also speaking to and making their feelings known on the extreme elements that are clearly also present. This is past the point of pretending that those elements aren’t at the very least hitching a ride on this and using as a platform, past the point of assuming that they exist only in isolation, past the point of pretending what’s going on can’t be a real threat to what we know about Canada, past the point of pretending that those who are there with less than bad intentions aren’t in effect providing a sort of cover for the bad and past the point where one looks the other way from the bad because they see some other elements of this that they relate to.  
 
I hope gov further comes out and speaks to these extreme elements and what’s known about the state in Ottawa. I’m sure it’s a delicate balance in what can be said publicly during active efforts to confront, but this looks to be a battle on the information front as much as anything else. I have a high level of trust that the Emergency Act wouldn’t have been brought into play without serious justification and that it will be used for a very limited time to confront this specific threat, but there are some out there seeding conspiracy theories around its invocation and so the more facts the better in confronting those instances.

Had enough after seeing the farce in parliament today where the opposition party would ask a question and then just heckle the whole time through it so couldn’t even hear the answer. Had to at least let Larry M know what I think….  
 
* * * * *  
 
 
Larry,  
 
As someone that's voted for you in the past, I wanted to let you know that I've never been more disappointed in the representation I'm seeing from you and party this month in Ottawa at such a key juncture for this country. The wheels seem to have come off and devolved into a USA-style partisan fight where participants in your party have lost sight of the cross-section of Canadians they represent in the gamesmanship of trying to score points for party and political base against the “opponent.” People in this riding and country who democratically elect you to serve our needs deserve better.  
 
Specifically, your blanket statement last week that "the people of Brandon-Souris want these peaceful protests to continue" appeared to be yourself speaking on behalf of your personal opinion or party, most definitely not the totality of Brandon-Souris where at best people are split on the topic (you might be aware that most recent polls have support for the convoy/protesters at 20-22% in Canada and that 71% in Manitoba and Saskatchewan said in a recent poll by research firm Abacus that it's a good idea to require people to get vaccinated to avoid another major outbreak).  
 
There are many that continue to claim that what we're seeing in Ottawa right now is tied to the ending of all mandates. With almost all provinces (with the advice of their medical experts) making it clear that all mandates will end in the weeks ahead, it's confusing to me why we are seeing all of this division in the name of mandates ending a few weeks sooner than that and forcing provinces to take risks that their own medical experts are obviously not advising them to do. Because of that, many question if that’s the reason for the protest at all. If in fact this is about mandates and mandates will soon end, perhaps there is opportunity for someone in your party to broker an understanding that ensures protesters are operating with knowledge of how close we likely are to the other side of Omicron.  
 
Many Canadians including many in Brandon-Souris have serious concerns about the situation in Ottawa and what it appears to have the potential to devolve into. Perhaps you havent had a chance to observe for yourself, but an expert in extremism has detailed at the link below which I would strongly encourage you to read below the series of observations and opinions that leads her to conclude that this is an "internationally funded effort to destabilize Canada and put the safety of many at risk." and to say that "For the first time ever, I'm really scared"  

LONGuD83EuDDF5- The "Freedom" Convoy asserts they aren't racist, challenging people to come see for themselves, so I mustered all the middle-aged white woman energy I could and got my former extremist self down to Queen's Park to check it out. These are my thoughts and observations: /1

— Elizabeth Moore (@onemooreliz) February 13, 2022

 
 
It should be clear to most following this daily that there is an extreme component to what is taking place, perhaps no better on display than at the link below with one individual who is viewed by many participating as a leadership figure (regardless of if he is officially recognized as one) making the statement below:  
(-Link removed because I don’t want to be part of spreading it, but basically he’s aggressively trying to get Police to turn away from their sworn responsibilities-)  
 
I’ll be frank, if there is a change in government via what is described above as opposed to a democratic election this will not be a country I can live and raise a family in. I highly doubt I’m alone in that sentiment.  
 
Furthermore, watching parliament today and all of the heckling that goes on while the Prime Minister is talking (despite countless warnings from the speaker) is an absolute embarrassment in our democracy and I sincerely hope you aren't taking part. If the job of the opposition is to ask questions, the job of the opposition is to also give Canadians a chance to hear the answers to those questions.  
 
As our member of parliament, my first priority right know is wanting to know what you are doing to play a part in ensuring that the extreme element does not destabilize our country and democracy. If you don't feel that powers of the Emergency Act are necessary, please be publicly clear what steps you feel are realistically possible to de-escalate that extreme element and ensure that what we're seeing doesn't have the intent to destabalize Canada. Right now it's almost like you and prominent figures in the party are pretending that this extreme element doesn't exist (or worse, know that it does but have chosen to not acknowledge it).... either of which leads to a very dangerous approach as opposition during this serious situation.  
 
I understand and fully respect the role that opposition has to play in parliament. In that role, please rise above any political party ambitions or personal dislike for the PM and ask a variety of questions that people in your riding would want to know the answers to and not just your political base. Namely, what's being done to address the extreme and hateful elements that are using this as a platform.  
 
Please do better.  
Thank you.  
 
* * * * * *

I don’t know if I’d describe Rex M as a PM praiser. Seems to have been more with the T.Carlson-ish/Pedersen-ish crowd with most stuff I’ve seen shared over these last few years. Did a Google of "Rex Murphy Trudeau" and those first eight articles at least are most definitely not praise. Not a journalist's job to praise, but when recent body of work is that slanted it does paint a sort of picture. 

but again, if this is about mandates it's about your provincial officials and the medically-informed public health guidance they base decisions on as much as for at least some this does seem to have been a PM thing from the start. 

Just days before opposing the federal Emergencies Act being used at the Emerson border blockade, Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson privately urged PM Justin Trudeau to exert “national leadership, that only you and the federal government can provide” https://t.co/QAff1MHMRA #wfp pic.twitter.com/5a6FDu85Jf

— Dylan Robertson (@withfilesfrom) February 16, 2022

NEW: Maru Public Opinion poll:
66% support Trudeau invoking Emergencies Act
82% say 3-week Ottawa protest gone on too long
67% say clear them out
71% say Canada’s handling of it an international embarrassment
54% blame politicians
56% say premiers caved by lifting restrictions

— Robert Benzie (@robertbenzie) February 17, 2022

Debate in House of Commons today on the Emergencies Act invocation.  
Noticeable change in tune from Bergen and Conservatives, who are now saying that it's time for the trucks to move, that all want a peaceful end but making the case that the Emergencies Act is not necessary (I still haven't seen an solution presented that would respect public health and have movement be voluntary, but I won't pretend to have seen the whole thing if anyone else has). Still trying to weave that message amongst trying to pin what's happened on Trudeau, trucker mandate and a disappointing number of high-school-level plucked-from-Twitter digs at both Trudeau and Singh/parties. Seem to be trying best to pin the actions of the Emergencies act as being an action on all Canadians and their bank accounts as opposed to the small few who have been financing what's taking place.

Thankfully there's so far at least been a reduction in heckling and some responding to the speaker each time he asks for it to stop.  A person with a bit of motivation has some opportunity to follow this one if they have the stomach for some of the partisanship.... 
House of Commons live streams at the link below:  
https://parlvu.parl.gc.ca/Harmony

Story today that sheds more light on the extreme element within and how that threat has been tracked going back to late January. Becoming increasingly clearer by the day that anyone still pretending that the response to this involves only some peaceful truckers protesting a vaccine mandate is ignoring the full picture of what authorities and gov are dealing with...  
 
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/17/ottawa-protests-anti-terror-agency-warned-violent-extremists