B.C. public safety minister Mike Farnworth said the province is supportive of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s potential decision to use the Emergencies Act to disperse the truck convoy protesters that have disrupted Ottawa and Canadian border crossings.
Farnworth, however, noted that the support is for dealing with disruptions in the “eastern part” of Canada, noting that the protests and blockages in B.C. - such as the one over the weekend at the Pacific Highway crossing in Surrey – have largely been peaceful.
“The premier... met with the prime minister this morning,” Farnworth said. “The prime minister has indicated he will be making a statement at 1:30 p.m. our time. British Columbia’s view is that if the federal government feels it needs emergency powers to deal with the situation... we are supportive of the measures he feels he needs to deal with the situation back East.
“We have seen a number of protests in different parts of the province,” he added. “By and large, most of the protests have been lawful, and police have been out in force... We’ve also made it clear... that if additional resources and authority that’s needed, then we would absolutely consider them.”
Farnworth was speaking this morning about ICBC’s launch on online insurance renewal programs in B.C. on May 1 and the elimination of the decal stickers verification program. When asked if the province can revoke the licence and/or insurance of truckers who use their vehicles in an illegal protest, the minister said the potential to revoke is always there if a vehicle were to be used for illegal activity.
“That’s where the police come in, in terms of the investigations they are doing - and the charges that may potentially flow from these investigations,” he said.
