William Watson: Ideology gets a bad rap
You may recall the federal government’s invocation of the Emergencies Act. About a year and a half ago it was, in news-time. Editorial reaction around the world, including in outlets international investors read, was generally negative.
The Economist was especially disapproving: “The truckers have every right to express their disagreement. A wise government would listen to them and respond politely, taking their complaints seriously and patiently explaining why COVID restrictions, though onerous, are necessary for the time being … The police already have ample powers to quell disorder. Yet on February 14th Mr. Trudeau invoked emergency powers under a 34-year-old law that had never been used before. It would allow the government to declare protests illegal and freeze the bank accounts of protesters without a court order.”
