The leaders of some Canadian provinces pushed back against prime minister Justin Trudeau’s decision to invoke emergency powers as anti-vaccine mandate protests continue to grip the nation’s capital.
Trudeau said he would invoke the Emergencies Act, which would allow the federal government to prohibit public assembly and travel.
The move comes after a weeklong blockade at the Ambassador Bridge — an important trade route that links Windsor, Ontario, with Detroit, Michigan — was brought to an end on Sunday.
The premiers of Quebec, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba voiced opposition to Trudeau’s proposal ahead of his address to the nation later on Monday.
“I was very clear: we do not want a federal state of emergency on the territory of Quebec,” premier François Legault said.
“Now is not the time to put oil on the fire,” Legault added. “I can understand that after more than two weeks, the federal government and the Ontario government want to put an end to this blockade, which has nearly become a siege. But we do not have these problems in Quebec.”
Jason Kenney, Alberta’s premier, said he told Trudeau that invoking emergency powers “could make the situation even more complicated”.
“We would prefer that the Emergencies Act not be invoked, but if it is we would very much prefer that it not be applied to Alberta,” Kenney said during a press conference.
Read more on Trudeau’s decision here