Abby Deshman, Director of Criminal Justice for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association made the following statement:
We are deeply disappointed the government chose to make tonight’s vote a matter of confidence. This morning, we asked the government to hold revoke the emergency declaration and barring that, to at minimum commit to a free vote in Parliament.
Instead the government made it a confidence matter and we have seen numerous government MPs express both publicly and in confidence to us that they would vote against the emergency declaration if given a chance.
Let’s be clear: there is no legal justification for using the emergencies act. The broad powers the government has granted to police curtail Charter rights across the country. This risk of abuse is high. The emergency declaration should be immediately revoked.
About the Canadian Civil Liberties Association
The CCLA is an independent, non-profit organization with supporters from across the country. Founded in 1964, the CCLA is a national human rights organization committed to defending the rights, dignity, safety, and freedoms of all people in Canada.
For the Media
For further comments, please contact us at media@ccla.org.
