Nye unntakslover i Canada sidestiller innsamlede midler med terrorfinansiering

Canada innførte natt til tirsdag føderale unntakslover for å stoppe bølgen av protester som pågår i landet. Unntaksbestemmelsene er blant annet ment å strupe pengestøtten til de som aksjonerer. Visestatsminister og finansminister Chrystia Freeland sidestiller innsamlingene til aksjonistene med hvitvasking og terrorfinansiering.

We are broadening the scope of Canada’s anti-money laundering and terrorist financing rules so that they cover Crowd Funding Platforms and the payment service providers they use. (VoiceOnline)

I klartekst betyr dette at Truckere som deltar i aksjonene risikerer levebrødet, ved at de kan få sine oppsparte midler beslaglagt i henhold til unntaksbestemmelsene:

This is about following the money. This is about stopping the financing of these illegal blockades. We are today serving notice: if your truck is being used in these protests, your corporate accounts will be frozen. pic.twitter.com/AJ73zdDMy5

— Chrystia Freeland (@cafreeland) February 15, 2022

Kritikk

Bruken av unntaksbestemmelser kritiseres fra flere hold.

En av Canadas største aviser, Toronto Star, kaller bruken av unntaksbestemmelsene for en ‘sjokkerende innrømmelse av fiasko’.

‘Protests and blockades could and should already have been resolved by good intelligence, smart planning, and effective coordination among police forces.’ (Toronto Star)

Jusprofessor Phil Boyle mener vedtaket om å gå etter pengene er en riktig strategi, men tror også det vil komme flere søksmål i kjølvannet av unntaksbestemmelsene. Han undres også over at det for første gang er innført føderale unntaksbestemmelser på toppen av lokale unntaksbestemmelser, slik som i Ontario.

«I wonder, how does this Federal emergencies order square with the (Ontario) provincial emergencies order that was just ordered on Friday? I don’t think we’ve ever been in a situation where both the provincial and the federal government have, at the same time, invoked extraordinary emergency measures.» (Reuters)

Flere delstater, blant dem olje- og gasstaten fremfor noen, Alberta, er uenige i bruken av unntakslovene:

ALBERTA PREMIER JASON KENNEY

«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,» Kenny told a media briefing.

MANITOBA PREMIER HEATHER STEFANSON

«In my view, the sweeping effects and signals associated with the never-before-used Emergencies Act are not constructive here in Manitoba, where caution must be taken against overreach and unintended negative consequences. While the situation is very different in Ontario, this ultimate federal legislation should only be considered on a measured and proportional basis, in locations where it is truly needed,» Stefanson told reporters.

SASKATCHEWAN PREMIER SCOTT MOE

«The illegal blockades must end, but police already have sufficient tools to enforce the law and clear the blockades, as they did over the weekend in Windsor. Therefore, Saskatchewan does not support the Trudeau government invoking the Emergencies Act. If the federal government does proceed with this measure, I would hope it would only be invoked in provinces that request it, as the legislation allows,» Moe told reporters. (Reuters)

Statsministeren i den fransktalende provinsen Quebec, Francois Legault, mener unntakslovene vil øke polariseringen i landet.

Legault told reporters that imposing the act risks putting «oil on the fire» by further polarizing the population and argued that local police in the mostly-French speaking province have the situation under control.»

«I was very clear with the Prime Minister, that the federal emergency act must not apply in Quebec. I think we don’t need it. I think that at this moment it would not help the social climate. There’s a lot of pressure right now and I think we have to be careful. So it’s about time we put all Quebecers together. But I can understand that enough is enough in Ottawa. You can protest but you cannot do what they are doing since two weeks.» (Reuters)

Invoking the Emergencies Act is a shocking admission of failure (Toronto Star)

Reactions to Canada’s Trudeau invoking Emergencies Act to end protests (Reuters)

Les også:

https://www.document.no/2022/02/15/trudeau-eskalerer-konflikten-aktiverer-untakslover/