Canadian finance minister Chrystia Freeland on Monday announced that the Canadian government is undertaking strict financial measures under the Emergencies Act to block financing aiding the Freedom Convoy protests in Ottawa.
Under the new measures, the government can authorise Canadian banks to freeze accounts suspected of funding the blockades and suspend insurance on vehicles which are participating in the protests which are going on for the last 16 days.
“We are making these changes because we know that these platforms are being used to support illegal blockades and illegal activity which is damaging the Canadian economy,” news agency Reuters quoted her as saying.
The move earned condemnation from several quarters including the Canadian Civil Liberties Association who in a tweet thread highlighted that Trudeau’s invocation of the Emergencies Act does not meet the standard. “Governments regularly deal with difficult situations, and do so using powers granted to them by democratically elected representatives. Emergency legislation should not be normalised. It threatens our democracy and our civil liberties,” it tweeted, highlighting that it can be invoked only when a situation arises which ‘seriously threatens the ability of the Government of Canada to preserve the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of Canada.’
The move was also criticised by premiers in Alberta, Quebec, Manitoba and Saskatchewan provinces, with only Ontario premier Doug Ford supporting the move. The Emergencies Act can only be invoked after it is approved by the Canadian Parliament. The New Democrat party will extend support to Trudeau’s Liberal minority government to facilitate its passage.
‘No Suspicious Fundings’
A Canadian court earlier last week banned the Christian crowdfunding website GiveSendGo from funding the Freedom Convoy protests. The website said that it will not adhere to the court ruling. Earlier, crowdfunding website GoFundMe blocked donations to the group. GoFundMe said that it will refund the donors.
The Toronto-Dominion Bank last week also froze two accounts which received $1.1 million for funding the protests.
Despite the funding, the Canadian financial intelligence agency Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) told Canadian news agency CTV that there has not been a spike in “suspicious” transaction reporting. The FINTRAC facilitates detection, prevention and helps in deterring money laundering and stopping terror financing activities in Canada. Barry MacKillop, the deputy director of FINTRAC, told the Canadian parliament’s House public safety and national security committee about his findings last week. Under the emergency measures, the crowdfunding platforms and payment services providers related to them, including crypto, will have to register with the FINTRAC, according to a report by Blockworks which covers news related to cryptocurrency.
Indian citizens in Canada have been urged to contact the office of the High Commissioner of India in Ottawa. People familiar with the developments said that Indians in Canada are well warned and safe and only few calls were received on the helpline number shared by the office of the High Commissioner of India in Ottawa.
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