Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Deputy Premier Sylvia Jones have been noticeably absent at Queen’s Park Tuesday at some point after they have been summoned to testify on the Emergencies Act inquiry.
The two politicians have been requested to look as witnesses after Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Ford of shirking his tasks through the weeks-long occupation of downtown Ottawa and blockade on the Canada-U.S. border crossings.
However, fee legal professionals stated each Ford and Jones refused a number of requests to look on the inquiry voluntarily.
During the inquiry, Watson recounted that Ford “felt it was a waste of time” to take part in conferences between all ranges of presidency.
The Ministry of the Attorney General has stated the federal government could be combating the summons as it’s “inconsistent with the members’ parliamentary privilege.”
The chairs the place Ford and Jones sit within the legislature have been empty Tuesday morning as Members of Provincial Parliament took their alternative to name them out for combating the summons.
“People in Ottawa have a lot of questions,” MPP Joel harden informed reporters after Question Period.
“They have to justify running and hiding and not facing the music.”
Government House Leader Paul Calandra, who responded to inquiries throughout Question Period in Ford’s place, stated the inquiry is a “policing matter and not a political matter.”
“This is a federal law commission, which is looking into the federal government’s invocation of the federal emergencies act,” he stated. “Now, we are providing assistance to the commission by submitting key cabinet documents and of course, ensuring that witnesses are available.”
However Liberal Leader John Fraser criticized the federal government’s response, saying the premier wants to simply present up and clarify what occurred.
“If I was him, I would be ashamed of not having taken action,” Fraser stated. “We’re calling him out. He should testify there, or at the very least, give some explanation somewhere, somehow as to why he didn’t do what he needed to do at that very critical moment.”
Fraser added that each one different ranges of presidency are collaborating within the inquiry, together with the prime minister and mayor of Ottawa.
“You had a part to play in it and you are responsible for what you didn’t do or did. It’s that simple.”