“The use of the Emergencies Act was unprecedented, and Canadians rightly have many questions about how the government let the situation get to a point where that became necessary. Failures in leadership from several levels of government during the convoy crisis all contributed to the hardship Canadians endured. While governments argued over jurisdictions, people were abandoned. Canadians were abandoned because governments did not take the threat of this convoy seriously and took too long to act.
Canadians expect a thorough inquiry into the use of the Emergencies act and New Democrats support its broad mandate. However, the Liberals are doing everything possible to protect themselves from being held accountable for their delayed response to the illegal occupation. By claiming cabinet confidence, the Liberals are shielding themselves from scrutiny and this cannot be the government’s approach to the inquiry. Canadians deserve much better.
Despite promises that processing would be completed in 10 days, more than 130 Palestinian students accepted into Canadian universities remain trapped in extreme delay, with some losing their admissions or risking their lives while waiting.
I issued an open letter calling on Ministers Lena Diab and Gary Anandasangaree to immediately address this crisis. The government must apply existing flexibility rules for biometrics in Gaza, conduct a second review of rejected applications relying on generic refusal reasons, and establish a dedicated mechanism to ensure fair, individualized, and timely decisions.
