00:00We're entering the third week of illegal blockades that have been disrupting the lives of too many Canadians.
00:07Here in our capital city, families and small businesses have been enduring illegal obstruction of their neighborhoods.
00:15Occupying streets, harassing people, breaking the law.
00:20This is not a peaceful protest.
00:23At the borders, in different parts of the country, the blockades are harming our economy
00:29and endangering public safety.
00:32Critical supply chains have been disrupted.
00:36This is hurting workers who rely on these jobs to feed their families.
00:42Yesterday, the Ambassador Bridge was reopened between Windsor and Detroit.
00:47Our team and I have been working with Ontario and the city of Windsor around the clock.
00:52I want to thank the officers on the ground, including the RCMP, who played an active role.
00:59We now have a responsibility to make sure that the bridge stays open.
01:05With each illegal blockade, local law enforcement agencies have been acting to keep the peace within their jurisdiction.
01:14Despite their best efforts, it is now clear that there are serious challenges to law enforcement's ability to effectively enforce the law.
01:26On Friday, Ontario invoked a state of emergency to respond to the blockades.
01:31This was the responsible and necessary thing to do.
01:37Today, to continue building on these efforts, the federal government is ready to use more tools at its disposal to get the situation fully under control.
01:50After discussing with cabinet and caucus, after consultation with premiers from all provinces and territories,
02:01after speaking with opposition leaders,
02:05the federal government has invoked the Emergencies Act
02:10to supplement provincial and territorial capacity to address the blockades and occupations.
02:18I want to be very clear.
02:21The scope of these measures will be time-limited, geographically targeted,
02:28as well as reasonable and proportionate to the threats they are meant to address.
02:35The Emergencies Act will be used to strengthen and support law enforcement agencies at all levels across the country.
02:45This is about keeping Canadians safe, protecting people's jobs, and restoring confidence in our institutions.
02:55We're not using the Emergencies Act to call in the military.
02:59We're not suspending fundamental rights or overriding the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
03:06We are not limiting people's freedom of speech.
03:10We are not limiting freedom of peaceful assembly.
03:14We are not preventing people from exercising their right to protest legally.
03:19We are reinforcing the principles, values, and institutions that keep all Canadians free.
03:31The Emergencies Act is not something that's been used ever, but it exists for a reason.
03:41Invoking the Emergencies Act is never the first thing a government should do, nor even the second.
03:47The Act is to be used sparingly and as a last resort.
03:55Right now, the situation requires additional tools not held by any other federal, provincial, or territorial law.
04:06Today, in these circumstances, it is now clear that responsible leadership requires us to do this.
04:16These measures must be and will be compliant with our Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
04:24Indeed, the Emergencies Act was created in the late 80s to flow from and uphold the Charter.
04:33We'll always defend the rights of Canadians to peaceful assembly and to freedom of expression.
04:39But these blockades are illegal, and if you're still participating, the time to go home is now.
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