Chrystia Freeland says Canada was a 'powder keg' at time of convoy

Canada’s Finance Minister described the ‘Freedom Convoy’ blockades at various border locations and the occupation in Ottawa earlier this year as a ‘powder keg’, while noting the nation’s reputation as a trading partner with the United States was at stake.

Chrystia Freeland, who testified Thursday, is the most senior figure to appear before the Public Order Emergency Commission tasked with looking into the federal government’s use of the Emergency Act that ultimately led to the end of the protests in February.

“I really didn’t want anyone who was part of the blockades and occupation to be hurt,” Freeland told the commission. “Another thing that was very much in my mind was the possibility of violent conflict between people doing the blockading and occupying, and other Canadians who were very angry about it.”

Freeland testified that she felt Canada was “… sort of a powder keg and that you could have a violent physical confrontation at any point.”

Other than the threat of violence, she also testified about the dangers to Canada’s economy and its reputation with the United States. Documents submitted to the commission reveal one U.S. investor CEO labelling Canada ‘…a banana republic’, with the suggestion the nation was deteriorating into an unstable financial state.

Freeland was hearing those concerns from the U.S. in the context of existing serious economic challenges including supply-chain problems due to the ongoing COVID pandemic, fears about the U.S. excluding Canada from electric-vehicle incentives, and the then threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“What I was really worried about, that as this goes on, every single hour more damage is done to American confidence in us as a trading partner, and more damage is done to us as an investment destination,” Freeland told the commission. “Witness the ‘banana republic' comment.”

Throughout the hearings, civil liberty advocates as well a protester groups have argued the federal government’s first ever use of the Emergency Act was political overreach and not necessary.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to testify Friday.