Canada Truckers' Rights Override Individual Right to Peace

-

Truckers knew the sheer size of rigs will make it impossible 
for the government to take action. Ottawa was under siege.

Canada: On 28 January 2022, truckers who called themselves ‘Freedom Convoy’ parked their rigs around government buildings, bringing Ottawa the capital city to a halt, for a month. They even made a make-shift kindergarten, which led to the Prime Minister’s appeal to remove kids. Truckers were protesting COVID-19 requirements such as being vaccinated. They also blocked key border points joining Canada and U.S. Convoy leaders like Pat King were detained, got bail and faced multiple federal charges. Groups supporting truckers set up blockades in other parts of the country.

Solution?

The federal government invoked the Emergencies Act in February 2022, to remove truckers from Ottawa. Towards the end of that year, there was a public inquiry from October to November about it. Was the government right or wrong in seeing the truckers’ blockade as a national emergency?

February 17, 2023:  In his final report, the inquiry commissioner, Justice Paul Rouleau said the government was justified in using the Emergencies Act.

January 23, 2024: In a case brought by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, Justice Richard Mosley ruled that the government’s use of the Act was unreasonable. Deputy Prime Minister of Canada Chrystia Freeland, says the government will appeal.

Truckers have uncorked the champagne obviously, but people of Ottawa and Canada in general are wondering about their own rights. Do truckers’ right to protest, override their right to a peaceful life? Canadian and American businesses are inter-twined because of goods that go in and out through borders. Do truckers’ rights override that?

Nonqaba waka Msimang

Executive Blogger

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Elections And Political Bullies

-
Image
Forget democracy.   It should be called political bullying. We are watching it in the prelude to the Canadian election on the 19 th of October, 2015.   Americans have also started their political bullying for the looming presidential election next year. So many trees wasted on books about democracy.   Some countries have big budgets for invading other countries ‘ to defend democracy’ but it is seldom practised in campaigning for elections.   Calling opponents names and printing flyers attacking each other is behaviour that will not be tolerated in kindergarten, but it is all legal, in campaigning.   It is irritating and such a let-down to the whole notion of democracy.   Grown-up men and women behaving like Grade One kids. It is also misleading because many voters believe it is real hatred.   Don’t let that fool you.   These politicians play golf together, attend the same dinner parties, eat and drink at the same social events, share jokes and cut deals in parliament.   They
Read more

Comfort Food As Regret Food

-
Image
Chicken curry. Comfort food is good for the soul, which usually bleeds in winter from icy roads, bad drivers that want to annihilate pedestrians, frozen fingers and toes that take a sabbatical.   What happened to my toes?   I thought I was wearing special socks for boots? We therefore have a right to comfort food which throws doctors’ orders out of the window and has no loyalty to calories.   No calculator on the table, thanks very much.   Piece of bread 5 calories, half a banana 10 calories, sugar-free cheesecake 2,000 calories.   Ah! Ah!  We only live once. Naw!   Comfort food is old school food with its compulsory second helping.   It involves licking fingers and giving a big sigh, about the good life, which is shelter, food, love and debt.   The problem is the zip.   The jeans remind you that comfort food can also be called you will regret food .   Home sweet home is even sweeter in winter after surviving blowing snow and bumper to bumper traffic. What is more welcoming th
Read more

No Air Miles

-
Image
I don’t have Air Miles.   I’m considering putting that on a T-Shirt because I cannot go to the drugstore (chemist) or coffee shop without the cashier asking me if I have air miles. We waited for about two minutes the other day, while this guy looked for his Air Miles card in his overweight wallet.   For what?   For a few points. I don’t have air miles because Mathematics is a foreign language.   I was never good in numbers. That is why I squashed the idea of being an investment banker very early in life.   I understand you can invest in cornfields before the soil is turned up or pork bellies even before a baby pig is born. That is how I view air miles, investing in tomorrow or the unknown.   I’m the dumb one.   Some people understand this air miles’ thing so well, I overheard one customer saying: I can even convert my points into cash. Points and air miles are the same thing in Canada and the U.S.   Drugstores or clothing stores even give you a card to collect point
Read more