Useful — but necessary? Unpacking the use of the Emergencies Act

Guests: Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, Ottawa City Councillor Diane Deans, the former chair of the Ottawa Police Services Board.

This week on It’s Political, we unpack the federal government’s use of the Emergencies Act, the never-before-used legislation that was invoked to bring an end to the so-called Freedom Convoy’s occupation of Ottawa.

First, we’ll look at the occupation through the eyes of longtime Ottawa City Councillor Diane Deans. Deans was chair of the Ottawa Police Services Board while the force struggled to get resources and restore order, a crisis that eventually led to the departures of chief of police, Peter Sloly, and Deans herself.

Then, we sit down with Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino to discuss the act's use, whether or not it was necessary, and if it was a political answer to a policing problem.