The Hon. the Speaker: Senator Yussuff, your time has expired, but there is at least one senator who wishes to ask a question. Are you asking for five more minutes to answer a question?

Hon. Éric Forest: Would Senator Plett take another question?

[English]

Senator Yussuff: Until we know for certain, we’ve been asked to consider if we support the government in regard to the invocation of the act. We don’t have another question before us right now. Until the House leader tells us something different, I guess we’re still voting on the motion.

Hon. Dennis Glen Patterson: I’d like to ask if Senator Mercer would please take a question.

Senator Mercer: Yes, sure.

The Hon. the Speaker: Is leave granted, honourable senators?

Some Hon. Senators: Hear, hear!

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

(Motion withdrawn.)

(At 4:24 p.m., pursuant to the orders adopted by the Senate on November 25, 2021 and February 21, 2022, the Senate adjourned until 2 p.m., tomorrow.)

Senator Forest: Basically, I’m trying to determine what measures should have been taken. In my view, if there are several idiots, perhaps we should have taken a different approach with the people who are actually dangerous. Do you think we should have taken a different approach with the two types of people who may have infiltrated the convoy, Senator Plett?

[English]

Hon. Mary Coyle: Will Senator Tannas take a question?

Hon. Brent Cotter: Would the honourable senator take a question?

Senator Ataullahjan: Senator Plett, we heard on the floor of this chamber that if someone feels that their account was wrongfully frozen, they could always go to court. I don’t know if you can answer this question, but how easy would it be to go to court for a layman who doesn’t have an understanding of his rights, who doesn’t know what options are available for him and who might not have the means? What do I say to someone who calls me and asks, as a racialized person or someone who has a racialized name and might not have that great a command of the English language? Do I tell them to go to court?

I don’t know if you have the answer, because I didn’t have an answer.

Senator Plett: Absolutely.

[Translation]

Senator Carignan: Senator Plett, I asked Senator Gold a question this week about the 2021 Democracy Index. I pointed out that Canada had dropped seven spots in a single year and that we are now in twelfth place on the index on global democracy. The indicators used to compile the democracy index include the functioning of government, political participation, political culture and civil liberties.

The invocation of the Emergencies Act gives the government exceptional power to limit people’s rights and freedoms and freeze their bank accounts without a court order. Are you worried that the use of the act will make Canada drop at least another five spots in 2022 and that we will end up among the lowest-ranking countries on the democracy index?

[English]

Hon. Brent Cotter: Will Senator Tannas take one more question?

Senator Yussuff: Gladly.

Senator Carignan: Leader, I’m hearing comments in this debate that make my hair stand on end.

Have we completely forgotten that we live in a society governed by the rule of law? Have we completely forgotten that there are principles enshrined in our Constitution that include investigative powers and law enforcement services that conduct investigations? Have we forgotten that, for time immemorial, criminal groups, like the Hells Angels and others that launder money and traffic drugs, have been trying to infiltrate other groups? These are groups that regularly operate under the cover of other activities with the objective of laundering money or controlling the black market, for example. This is quite common. This is how it’s always been, and it’s unlikely to change. You don’t use the Emergencies Act because a small group has been infiltrated by the Hells Angels. We have the Constitution, and we have the investigative powers. We don’t need emergency measures to do this. Is this a symptom of COVID-19?

[English]

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

Senator Gold: Colleagues, first I want to thank all honourable senators for the thoughtful contributions that have been made during this important debate. I’m rising on behalf of the Government of Canada to announce in this chamber that the government has revoked the Emergencies Act in accordance with section 22 of the act.