By Elizabeth Marshall ——Bio and Archives--November 23, 2022
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“The RCMP believed that the crisis was essentially a criminal matter, to be solved by good, careful, patient police work. That was how, in the end, James Cross was liberated, and it might have saved Laporte's life. Instead, the government, or at least the Prime Minister and his close Cabinet associates from Quebec (who in every instance of debate in Cabinet proved to be the hawks), disingenuously citing an exaggerated threat they knew to be false, chose to perform a coup de theatre, a striking demonstration of the power of the federal government and the futility of violent resistance to it. From a liberal standpoint, the October Crisis offers a salutary warning about how the state can lie and use pretexts to aggrandize its power and crush opposition… ”… Yet the historical precedents are double-edged. If they suggest a capacity for repressive and illiberal actions in the name of national security, it is also the case that the long-term result of both of these crises was to strengthen liberal democracy and the protection of civil liberties, as a direct consequence of revulsion generated by repressive and unaccountable state actions. This too is part of the historical background to the present crisis. Canadians have learned from experience about the consequences of overreaction….”Whether the Inquiry brings forward a ruling in favour of the government, or not, the use of the Emergencies Act will always be an overreaction, the same as it was during the FLQ/October Crisis. The Criminal Code of Canada has a multitude of sections which could have been used – none of which implement such extremist’s measures. Whether Canadians agree or not with its implementation, all Canadians should be concerned that their own civil liberties will be so readily dismissed with a philosophy of “Just Watch Me.” The bar had been set for the implementation of the War Measures/Emergencies Act – the use of it on February 14, 2022 did not meet that bar.
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• Non-Partisan Advocate
• Director of Research Ontario Landowners Association
• Author – “Property Rights 101: An Introduction”
• Board Member/Secretary – Canadian Justice Review Board
• Legal Research – Green and Associates Law Offices, etc.,
• Legislative Researcher – MPs, MPPs, Municipal Councilors,
• President All Rights Research Ltd.,
I am not a lawyer and do not give legal advice. Any information relayed is for informational purposes only. Please contact a lawyer.