More Freedom Convoy fallout
by George J. Dance
Remember Freedom Convoy 2022? The trucker's protest against vaccine and other Covid mandate that had the attention of the world a month ago? The Convoy's 15 days of fame are over, but the movement and its aftershocks will live on. Here on the blog, I have been chronicling the protest movement since the trucks left B.C., but I am still finding new information to add. Here is a new fact, which sheds light on the history and no doubt will affect future history as well.
First, the context. The Convoy begun its protest/"occupation" on Jan. 28. The Liberal government of Justin Trudeau refused to meet with them or talk to them. So on the following Thursday, Feb. 3, the Convoy organizers took their case to the public, holding a press conference at which they set out one condition for ending their Ottawa protest:
"We are calling on all levels of government in Canada to end all COVIDmandates and restrictions," said convoy co-organizer Tamara Lich. "We will continue our protest until we see a clear plan for their elimination."
Here is the new information, which I have never seen in the mainstream media. (I'm sure it was reported, but given no prominence.) On February 14, the Conservative Party moved in the House of Commons to have the government present 'a 2 week plan for the end of COVID-19 mandates and restrictions' – precisely what the Convoy had asked for. The Conservatives, the Bloc, and one Liberal voted for the motion; but the other Liberals, along with the NDP and Greens, did not, and the motion failed.
Here's how that new fact affects past history. Passing the motion would have made it possible to end the protest / occupation, without violence and in a more timely manner. Had the Trudeau government been interested in doing either, it would have passed the motion and then told the Convoy to leave, which they probably would have. But it is clear that Trudeau's government had no interest in that – Trudeau's policy, in the words of the one Liberal to vote for the motion, has been "to wedge, to divide and to stigmatize." So, the same day he had the Conservative motion voted down, he invoked the Emergencies Act to solve the problem with violence instead.
How that Conservative motion affects future history is less clear. But it looks as though the Conservative Party, after two years of pandemic acquiescence, is finally criticizing Covid mandates and restrictions. One can question whether they would end all Covid restrictions – we are, after all, talking about the party of Doug Ford and Jason Kenney – but they may realize that they at least have to campaign for ending them. Otherwise, if they go back to their previous acquiescence, they risk bleeding support to Maxime Bernier and the People's Party.
Meanwhile, at least one poll has found that a majority of Canadians want Covid restrictions ended, and another found that a majority of young adults aged 18-54 supported the Freedom Convoy itself. The truckers' "small fringe minority" views may in fact end up prevailing. At the very least, the question of whether it makes sense (either scientifically or ethically) to try to control an infectious virus by controlling the citizens' movements may finally become a topic of real debate in this country.
Liberal and NDP parties join together to reject Conservative motion that would have prompted end of COVID-19 mandates | Fairview Post - Breanna Driedger:
February 21, 2022 - "On Feb. 14, the House of Commons completed a vote on a motion put forth by the Conservatives ordering the Liberal Party to send out a 2 week plan for the end of COVID-19 mandates and restrictions. The motion was turned down, resulting in 151 yeas and 185 nays. The Liberal and NDP parties united in [opposition for] this vote.... Member of Parliament (MP) Arnold Viersen of Peace River — Westlock said, 'I’m not really certain why they didn’t support it [the motion]. We thought it was a significant out.'
"Bloc Québécois and one Liberal MP, Joel Lightbound, also voted for the motion. The motion demanded a plan (released by Mar. 4 as stated by Viersen) to end mandates and restrictions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
"'[It was a] pretty reasonable demand. And we thought that the government should be able to do that, given the fact that they’ve been dealing with this for over two years,' Viersen said. 'We’ve been frustrated with the fact that the goalposts continue to keep moving. First [the government said that we needed] two weeks to flatten the curve. [Then, they said at least 70% of people have] got to get vaccinated. Now, we’re at over 90% of folks being vaccinated and we still are under lockdown measures and they’re bringing in new mandates with the trucker mandate.'
"Viersen said that the Conservatives wanted the government to clarify objectives and thresholds that would end mandates, stating '[to] make that a firm thing instead of changing it as we go along.... They [the mandates] don’t have to end immediately. The trucker mandate, we think that one doesn’t have to be in place at all,' said Viersen. 'The truckers have survived for two years crossing the border safely. But the other mandates, we’d like to see them go.'"
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