(Ottawa) Newly leaked text messages show how the federal government was planning its communications strategy even before the “freedom convoy” protesters arrived in Ottawa in late January.
Updated yesterday at 5:43 p.m.
Messages exchanged between a close adviser to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the press secretary to the Minister of Public Safety, Marco Mendicino, were published by the commission of inquiry into the federal government’s use of the Measures Act emergency.
In this January 24 exchange – days before the protesters arrived – Prime Minister’s adviser Mary-Liz Power writes that Mr. Mendicino’s office is considering asking the minister to grant media interviews on “some of the extreme elements” of the convoy. The adviser felt that this would be a great opportunity for Ottawa to add its touch to the picture that was then painted of truckers converging on the capital.
Mme Power suggests that a message similar to that used after the assault on the Capitol in Washington a year earlier, on January 6, 2021, should be used.
She indicated that Minister Mendicino could talk about how the speech of some organizers of the convoy was concerning and should be taken seriously. But she also warns that the Minister of Public Safety should not give the impression that the federal government is giving directions to the police.
Mr. Mendicino’s press secretary at the time, Alex Cohen, replied that the minister wanted to wait a day or two, because there was a risk that if the federal government was too virulent, we could “do take out the nutcases”.
On January 26, two days before the arrival of the convoy in Ottawa, Mr. Trudeau denounced the “marginal” opinions of people who supported the demonstrations.
“The small marginal minority of people who are heading to Ottawa are expressing unacceptable opinions, which do not represent the opinions of Canadians who have been there for each other, who know that following the science and protecting each other is the best way to continue to guarantee our freedoms, our rights, our values as a country, ”said Mr. Trudeau on Wednesday before the arrival of the demonstrators in Ottawa for the weekend.
Those comments helped galvanize protesters, according to police intelligence reports: Being part of this “marginal minority” that Mr. Trudeau spoke of quickly became a point of pride for protesters in Ottawa.
The activities of the “Freedom Convoy” officially began near Parliament Hill on Saturday, January 29.
The Trudeau government invoked the Emergencies Act on February 14, arguing that the emergency law’s temporary and extraordinary powers were needed to end nearly three weeks of noisy protests in downtown Ottawa. and blockages at border crossings.
The Commission on the state of emergency is responsible for determining whether the government was justified in resorting to this exceptional law, which has never been used since its adoption in 1988. The commission, chaired by Judge Paul Rouleau, holds public hearings in Ottawa until November 25.