OTTAWA — Conservative senators speaking in a heated debate about the Emergencies Act are accusing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of stoking the flames of division.
Marc Gold, the government’s representative in the Senate, is facing a barrage of questions about whether the act is necessary now that protests outside Parliament and border blockades have ended.
Conservative Sen. Leo Housakos accuses Trudeau of not speaking xjmtzywto protesters but speaking down to them and characterizing them as Nazis.
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Some protesters were seen flying swastika and Confederate flags and some organizers have been known to promote racist conspiracy theories online.
But Housakos is criticizing the prime minister for labelling Tory MPs who have not condemned the protests as supporting people who wave swastikas.
Housakos also questions provisions in the Emergencies Act that allow banks to freeze protesters’ accounts, saying a court order is needed even to freeze the bank account of a member of the mafia.
Gold is staunchly defending the prime minister and says he does not recognize the Tory senator’s characterization of Trudeau’s actions and comments.
He says the Emergencies Act is justified because of the gravity of the protests, adding that everyone could resolve to listen more and listen better.
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The Senate of Canada building and Senate Chamber are pictured in Ottawa on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019. (CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick)
