91原创 Advance Times runs a new weekly feature, call it 鈥淎t Your Service.鈥�

It鈥檚 another forum in which to put questions to our local politicians about key issues facing our community and its residents.

Using a basic question-and-answer format, elected officials will be asked one question at a time and given the opportunity to respond (to a maximum of 250 words) on that said issue.

Alternating between elected groups, 91原创 City and 91原创 Township councils, 91原创 school board, 91原创 MLAs, and 91原创 MPs each have a chance to participate.

The answers provided will be published in their entirety online each Sunday.

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RECENT 鈥� AT YOUR SERVICE: Federal clean energy efforts lauded by MP

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QUESTION

Both 91原创 MPs were asked the same question: Should the government revamp the Emergencies Act in the wake of the Ottawa convoy occupation?

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ANSWERS

MP John Aldag

A. Earlier this year, illegal blockades caused havoc in our capital and across Canada 鈥� including here in the Lower Mainland.

In Ottawa, residents felt unsafe in their own neighbourhoods. Extremely loud honking was heard, 24/7.

Elected officials were threatened.

People were out of work when businesses closed and children 鈥� including young cancer patients 鈥� couldn鈥檛 get treatment. Symbols of hate were displayed, while white supremacist rhetoric was amplified by convoy organizers.

Across the country, blockades hurt Canadians.

Closed borders forced plants to close and workers to be laid off in Ontario, while ranchers in Alberta couldn鈥檛 get cattle to market.

Only minutes from our community, the Pacific Highway Border Crossing was blocked. This severed B.C.鈥檚 most important link to the United States and meant that toddlers at the Creative Kids Learning Centre 鈥� just trying to nap or play 鈥� faced non-stop honking and screaming.

With the impact mounting, we invoked the Emergencies Act to restore public safety.

Blockades in Ottawa were cleared without any serious injuries and crossings reopened.

Significantly, an attempt to re-block the Pacific Highway was thwarted using tools from the Act.

A public inquiry is underway, and we look forward to seeing its conclusions. We invoked the Emergencies Act to keep Canadians safe 鈥� and it worked.

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MP Tako van Popta

A. The Government of Canada does not need to revamp the Emergencies Act, it needs to respect it.

On Feb. 14, 2022, in response to protestors setting up camp in downtown Ottawa, the Liberal government invoked the Emergencies Act for the first time in over 50 years.

In 1970 it was invoked in response to the October Crisis, when two people had been kidnapped 鈥� one later found murdered 鈥� and the Front de liberation du Quebec threatened more havoc if their demands for a free Quebec were not met.

The trucker convoy of 2022, on the other hand, was a disparate group of individuals whose common goal was that the government should lift COVID-related vaccine and travel mandates.

Law enforcement and legal experts, including CSIS and the RCMP, testified at the public inquiry into the use of the Emergencies Act that there was no threat to the 鈥渟ecurity of Canada鈥� as defined in the law, and that police had not yet exhausted their resources.

Despite that, the government chose to follow a broader understanding of a threat to the security of Canada and invoked the Act anyway.

Simply put, this government wishes to adapt laws to suit its objectives 鈥� to rationalize their actions for political purposes.

What protection do Canadians鈥� rights and freedoms have if we allow any government, present or future, to avoid accountability by changing the rules?

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UP NEXT

Next week鈥檚 91原创 Citiy councillors are being asked: What is the city doing to stay within budget given high inflation and rising interest rates?

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Watch for their answers online Sunday.

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PAST COVERAGE

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AT YOUR SERVICE: Education should trump rules for vaccination of health-care workers, suggest MLAs

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AT YOUR SERVICE: Political stripes aside, MLAs agree heat dome was tragic and action required

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AT YOUR SERVICE: Is pay parking in the City a viable consideration?

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AT YOUR SERVICE: Monitoring student transport not good use of school district resources 鈥� trustees

AT YOUR SERVICE: Liberal caucus floats all-party committee in reaction to emergencies

AT YOUR SERVICE: 91原创 MPs address issue of rising food costs

AT YOUR SERVICE: Inflation inevitably hits City taxpayers in the pocketbook

AT YOUR SERVICE: Future of Aldergrove core up for debate

AT YOUR SERVICE: Trees and more greenspace at root of climate change solutions

AT YOUR SERVICE: Inflation inevitably hits City taxpayers in the pocketbook

AT YOUR SERVICE: Councillors differ on future of SkyTrain beyond 91原创 City

AT YOUR SERVICE: Bigger schools not necessarily solution to rising land costs

AT YOUR SERVICE: High gas prices of concern for MLAs of both stripes

AT YOUR SERVICE: Military readiness for climate disasters must be ensured 鈥� says one MP; other says army only one piece of bigger puzzle

AT YOUR SERVICE: Empty homes can be safety concern, but not huge concern in City

AT YOUR SERVICE: Most of council content with current pothole repairs

AT YOUR SERVICE: Survey gives school district tools for staff recruitment, retention

AT YOUR SERVICE: Liberal MLAs call for overhaul to B.C.鈥檚 student funding model

AT YOUR SERVICE: Canada must continue its support of Ukraine, MPs

AT YOUR SERVICE: Best use of industrial land paramount to 91原创 City councillors

AT YOUR SERVICE: More ALR land needs to be used for farming: Most of council

AT YOUR SERVICE: 91原创 is attractive to school staff, but given rapid growth trustees agree more must be done

AT YOUR SERVICE: Local MLAs agree more must be done to make life affordable in B.C.

AT YOUR SERVICE: Federal parties working on multiple fronts to end hate crimes

AT YOUR SERVICE: 91原创 City ponders cannabis retail policy

AT YOUR SERVICE 鈥� Most on council say parks and rec plans address future growth

AT YOUR SERVICE: School district moves forward on reconciliation efforts with Indigenous partners

AT YOUR SERVICE: MLAs agree diking upgrades needed, divided on if enough is being done

AT YOUR SERVICE: Local MPs disagree on whether 2 billion trees can be planted by 2030

AT YOUR SERVICE: In light of SkyTrain coming, 91原创 City embarks on parking study

AT YOUR SERVICE: 91原创 Township should consider schools for future cooling centres

AT YOUR SERVICE: Despite challenges, trustees affirm 91原创 is ready to accept more refugee students as need arises

AT YOUR SERVICE: Opposition MLAs critical of NDP鈥檚 affordable housing record

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