Governments weren’t always working in tandem during ‘Freedom Convoy’: Trudeau

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says there were times during the “Freedom Convoy” protests last winter that the three levels of government were not working together as well as they could.

But he says what’s important is that in the end, everyone came together to end the occupation of downtown Ottawa.

A transcript released Tuesday of a phone call between Trudeau and Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson shows that Trudeau accused Ontario Premier Doug Ford of “hiding from his responsibility” to help with the convoy for political reasons.

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The document was presented as evidence submitted to the public order emergency commission, which is examining the federal government’s decision to invoke the Emergencies Act on Feb. 14.

Correspondence presented to the inquiry shows city and federal officials felt Ford’s government was absent from meetings called to deal with the demonstrators who were refusing to leave the streets around Parliament Hill.

Earlier this week, Ford said he supported Trudeau’s use of the Emergencies Act, and that they stood shoulder to shoulder.