<strong>Explained: Why has Canada declared a rare national emergency?</strong>
Last week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, for the first time in history, invoked the Emergencies Act of 1988, in a bid to put an end to the ongoing anti-vaccine mandate protests happening all across Canada. This, in turn, had blocked parts of the capital city Ottawa, bringing work to a standstill. Earlier, almost half a century ago, Trudeau’s father and the then Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau had imposed a similar act called War Measures Act during a terrorism crisis in the city of Quebec. Let us explore what this national emergency means.
What is the current state of crisis in Canada?
In mid-January, a convoy of trucks (now being called as ‘Freedom Convoy’) travelled from eastern parts of Canada to its capital city as a means to protest against a COVID-19 vaccine mandate imposed by the Canadian government. The mandate said that unvaccinated Canadian truckers going to the USA would have to quarantine once they get back to the Canadian soil. As the protests took a bigger shape, certain conversative groups and others dissatisfied with Trudeau and his government joined the protest, giving it a national recognition. On 29th January, a few hundred trucks reached Ottawa and stationed near the Prime Minister’s office, blocking a major operational highway.
How will this protest affect Canada’s economy?
The trade relation between USA and Canada is globally impactful. In fact, Canada happens to be the largest export destination of American manufactured products and the third largest supplier of imported products to the USA. Out of this, two-thirds of the trade happens by road. That is why, if truckers refuse to ferry goods between Canada and USA, Canada’s economy will heavily suffer.
How is the rare national emergency going to change the current scenario?
The 30-day-long rare emergency imposed by the Canadian government led by Prime Minister Trudeau is the government’s way to take things in their own hands to put a permanent stop to these protests. To ensure this, the government has already frozen the bank accounts of protesters, banned public assembly, restricted travel inside Canada, seized trucks and other vehicles used in the blockades, banned any kind of demonstrations that “go beyond lawful protests,” banned all kinds of protests in Ottawa, all Canadian borders and airports and last but not the least has brought crowdfunding platforms under terror-finance oversight. However, the Prime Minister has given his word that none of the fundamental rights of the Canadians will be hampered, nor will there be any armed intervention.