After their refusal to answer questions from the Rouleau Commission, the premier of Ontario, Doug Ford, and his deputy premier, Sylvia Jones, also declined the invitation to explain themselves to federal parliamentarians.
“Unfortunately, they will not be able to attend and respectfully decline the invitation, as they will be participating in the business of the provincial legislature and government,” reads a letter signed by the attorney. Principal of the Ontario Cabinet Office.
The letter states that Premier Doug Ford, his Minister of Health and former Solicitor General, Sylvia Jones, as well as the Attorney General of Ontario, Doug Downey, have been invited to appear before the parliamentary committee examining the use of federal emergency measures last February.
These ministers were invited to testify before the elected officials and senators of the committee on November 17. This is a process of the federal parliament, distinct from the Rouleau Commission on the state of emergency, which hears in parallel many actors of the crisis caused by the demonstrations of the Freedom Convoy.
This anti-sanitation movement occupied the streets of Ottawa for three weeks this winter, prompting the first invocation of the Emergencies Act in more than 30 years of existence.
A police case, according to Ford
On Tuesday, the Premier of Ontario announced that he was appealing to the courts to avoid having to answer questions from Judge Paul Rouleau about his handling of the Freedom Convoy demonstration. The Commission on the state of emergency had first invited the Premier of Ontario, then subpoenaed him to appear on Tuesday, to force him to appear within the framework of its public hearings, currently in progress.
In the chamber this week, the Prime Minister refused to end his legal appeal and repeatedly defended himself from testifying before the Rouleau Commission. Questioned by the interim leader of the Liberal Party of Ontario, John Fraser, Doug Ford insisted that it was a federal inquiry.
“I don’t direct the municipal police or the provincial police,” replied the premier to the provincial deputy for Ottawa South.
Sylvia Jones, for her part, was not in the room to answer questions from the opposition at the start of the week since she has COVID.