Ottawa, ON – The Hon. Pierre Poilievre, Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and the Official Opposition, released the following statement: 

“Today, in a landmark victory for the freedoms of Canadians, the Federal Court ruled that Trudeau broke the highest law in the land by invoking the Emergencies Act, finding that Trudeau’s decision to use the Act directly violated Canadians’ most essential rights to freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression.

“On top of this, the Federal Court found that the use of the Act was not consistent with the law and ‘the reasons provided for the decision to declare a public order emergency do not satisfy the requirements of the Emergencies Act and that certain of the temporary measures adopted to deal with the protests infringed provisions of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.’ Trudeau must now answer for his reckless abandonment of the law and the most basic freedoms of all Canadians.

“The decision to invoke the Emergencies Act was unnecessary from the start. Trudeau caused this crisis by dividing people. He proceeded to violate Charter rights to illegally suppress Canadian citizens. Since then, the Trudeau Government has desperately tried to defend their actions, lying to the public, saying that the police asked the Government to invoke the Act – something the RCMP and the Ottawa Police have both denied. A Poilievre Government will ensure the Emergencies Act can never be used again to silence political opposition.

“Common sense Conservatives will protect the Charter rights of Canadians, and as Prime Minister, I will unite our country and our people for hope and freedom.”