Former Alberta premier Jason Kenney accused the federal government of abandoning provinces to clear the “Freedom Convoy” protesters who blocked a border crossing in southern Alberta, a public inquiry has heard .
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Documents released by the inquiry probing the government’s decision to invoke the Emergency Act last winter include text messages between Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Transport Minister Omar Alghabra, which show a conversation that LeBlanc and Kenney apparently had, convey.
In the messages, LeBlanc says Kenney told him Ottawa left the provinces “with the bag on enforcement” and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government did not grant Alberta’s request for military equipment such as tow trucks to remove protest vehicles.
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In an apparent reference to Trudeau, Kenney wrote, “Your guy really cracked the pooch,” and called the vaccine mandate for truckers “stupid political theater.”
Kenney went on to say that labeling protesters as Nazis “didn’t exactly help” and said he was unable to find tow trucks to remove protesters – whom he called “crazy” – due to concerns that some were making death threats.
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The blockade in Coutts, Alta., forced the closure of the highway and border crossing before it was lifted on Feb. 14, when RCMP seized weapons and charged four men with conspiracy to commit murder.
© 2022 The Canadian Press
