Senate could humiliate Trudeau by voting against emergency measures

Image: Senate Photo Gallery

Eight of Canada’s ten Premiers have now said they don’t support Prime Minster Trudeau invoking the Emergencies Act to deal with the truckers Freedom Convoy.

Only Ontario Premier Ford and the Premier Andrew Furey of Newfoundland support Trudeau’s actions. And they represent only represent 15 million of Canada’s 38 million people.

The day Trudeau announced the use of these extreme measures, Ford told the media Trudeau should use any powers necessary to stop these peaceful Canada wide protests. This was despite the fact that the Ontario Provincial Police had successfully cleared Windsor’s Ambassador Bridge the day before, without Trudeau’s Emergency Powers.

Furey’s support is personal. He comes from a Liberal family and his father is now Speaker of the Senate and was appointed to the Senate by former Liberal Prime Minister Jean Chretien.

Under Canadian law Trudeau must now introduce a Resolution into the House of Commons and into the Canadian Senate within 7 days of his announcement and his Resolution must then be supported by both.

Because the NDP fully supports Trudeau against working class truckers and if Trudeau gets the votes of all or most of the Liberal Members of Parliament he will win that vote.

But the Senate is a different matter. Ontario and Newfoundland have only 30 of the 105 Senators. The big question is will the other 75 Senators support their Premiers and the people of their provinces or will they vote with Trudeau?

Trudeau knows he needs Senate approval to use of these unprecedented actions against peaceful Canadian citizens and is counting on Senator Furey to line up support from the other 5 Newfoundland Senators and others but that may not be enough.  Ford might not be able to deliver all of Ontario’s 24 senators.

The Senate has often been called the chamber of “sober second thought” as it was first called by John A. Macdonald, Canada’s first prime minister.  Will they serve that function or will they simply rubber stamp whatever Trudeau wants?

If a simple majority of Senators vote against Trudeau, that will stop him in his tracks. 53 senators from outside of Ontario or Newfoundland can stop these measures, which would undoubtedly be a significant humiliation for Trudeau.