By a vote of 185 to 151, the Canadian Parliament voted to approve Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s motion to invoke the Emergencies Act. The vote is chilling given the fact that the protest has ended and the roads have been cleared. Nevertheless, the Trudeau government still wants to wield the excessive and unnecessary powers claimed under the Act. The vote shows how easily many drift into more and more draconian measures against their political opponents.

As we discussed earlier, Trudeau has never explained why he required such emergency powers to clear the roads and end the protest. Cities and provinces already have ample powers to clear roads and end unlawful protests. That raised concerns that Trudeau was using the protest as a pretext as he attacked those opposing his powers as supporting Nazis.

Since almost half of the House of Commons opposed his powers, it is absurd to demonize critics as those who “stand with people who wave swastikas, they can stand with people who wave the Confederate flag.” Canadian civil liberties groups have opposed Trudeau’s use of these powers. Yet, Trudeau has relied on a largely supportive media in using such powers despite the chilling implications for free speech and associational rights…..

continue reading professor Turley by clicking Canadian Parliament Votes To Extend Trudeau’s Emergency Powers . . . After the Protest Has Ended — JONATHAN TURLEY