The Trudeau government will continue to possess extraordinary powers through the Emergencies Act after a vote in the House of Commons on Monday night.
With the support of the NDP, the Liberals’ motion for confirmation of the declaration of emergency passed, while the Bloc Quebecois and Conservatives voted against it.
Passage came after police made almost 200 arrests and towed over 100 vehicles from downtown Ottawa, ending a three-week-long protest over government mandates because of the pandemic.
Last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau enacted the Emergencies Act in response to anti-COVID-19 mandate movements, which included blockades that gridlocked Ottawa and halted the flow of traffic at several border crossings.
The measures remain in place until mid-March at the latest, though the Senate will also need to approve them.
Ahead of the vote, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh said his party would “reluctantly” support the government’s use of the Emergencies Act.
“But I also want to be clear, we are prepared, and we have advised the Prime Minister that we are prepared to pull our support and to trigger a vote on the Emergencies Act as soon as we believe it is no longer necessary,” Singh said.
During the debate, members of the NDP echoed this sentiment and emphasized that the situation only reached this point due to failure at all levels of government.
At a news conference on Monday, Trudeau continued to state invoking the act was necessary.
“Law enforcement agencies relied on it to set up secured areas in downtown Ottawa and at border crossings. It prevented foreign money from continuing to fund illegal blockades, and it’s making sure our borders remain open,” Trudeau said.
