OTTAWA — A public inquiry is hearing that Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson and the prime minister accused Ontario Premier Doug Ford of avoiding involvement in the response to the “Freedom Convoy” for political reasons.
Watson is testifying today at the Public Order Emergency Commission, which is exploring the federal government’s decision to invoke the Emergencies Act for the first time last February.
Watson says he was impatient with the amount of time it took to get more police officers sent to the city to quell the protests.
According to a transcript and summary of a Feb. 8 phone call with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Watson expressed frustration that Ford wasn’t helping, and said the solicitor general was being “disingenuous” about the number of Ontario Provincial Police officers who were responding.
Trudeau replied by accusing Ford of “hiding from his responsibility” for political reasons.
Watson also says all three levels of government and police did not respond quickly enough to end the protests.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 18, 2022.
The Canadian Press
