麻豆影视

Skip to main content

Freeland says some protesters' accounts have been frozen, more to come

Share

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says financial service providers have already frozen accounts of certain individuals associated with the trucker convoy blockades and protests.

Freeland said that while the government is choosing not to provide more detail about the number of the accounts suspended, 鈥渁ction is being taken [and] is going to increase鈥 in the coming days.

Ottawa gave new powers to financial institutions, through invoking the Emergencies Act on Monday, to freeze or suspend an account of an individual or business affiliated with the blockades without a court order.

The government is also directing financial service providers to temporarily stop providing services to either personal or corporate accounts that they suspect are being used to further the 鈥渋llegal blockades.鈥

鈥淚 do particularly want people who are participating in illegal blockades and illegal occupation to know these measures are real. They are being used. They will have an impact,鈥 Freeland said.

Freeland delivered the update alongside Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino and Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair on Thursday.

As part of the suite of financial measures, crowdfunding platforms must also now comply with Canada鈥檚 financial reporting rules under the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC).

This means that in order for a company such as GiveSendGo, which is the current hosting platform for the convoy鈥檚 fundraising campaign, to operate in Canada, they are obliged to flag suspicious and large transactions, .

The Freedom Convoy has raised more than US$9.5 million on the website.

Freeland said she鈥檚 meeting frequently with the heads of Canada鈥檚 major banks, with the director of FINTRAC, and with the commissioner of the RCMP to discuss next steps.

鈥淚t gives me no pleasure to impose any of these measures. In fact we do so with great sorrow but do not doubt our determination to act, to defend our democracy, to defend our economy, and to restore peace,鈥 she said.

鈥淭he consequences are real and they will bite.鈥

Asked what safeguards are in place to ensure the right people are being targeted, Freeland said those involved are seized with this concern.

鈥淭hat is something that we, law enforcement, and the financial service providers have been working on very, very carefully. And that鈥檚 why I say the use of financial tools is actually going to increase in the coming days because it was important for us to be sure that safeguards were in place,鈥 she said.

In terms of information-sharing between law enforcement and banks, the deputy prime minister said the names of both individuals and entities, as well as crypto wallets, have been shared by the RCMP with financial institutions.

Parliamentarians鈥 debate of the Emergencies Act kicked off Thursday morning, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau noting it was a needed step, and that existing laws wouldn鈥檛 have been able to rectify the issue.

The Conservative Party has said the move is a 鈥減ower grab鈥 by the Liberals, specifically taking issue with the financial measures introduced.

Interim Conservative Leader Candice Bergen said on Thursday that the government鈥檚 declaration isn鈥檛 consistent with fundamental freedoms.

鈥淭he government should not have the power to close the bank accounts of Canadians on a whim. The prime minister is doing this to save his own political skin, but this is not a game. It comes at a cost to Canadians' rights and freedoms,鈥 she said.

Justice Minister David Lametti responded that all measures applied would be compliant with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

鈥淎ny and all of our government action will be subject to the charter, and it is my job as attorney general to ensure this. I take that responsibility incredibly seriously. There is, therefore, a further check in the parliamentary oversight process as well,鈥 he said.

Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner wrote a letter to the privacy commissioner on Thursday citing concerns about the potential risks the Act might pose to personal privacy.

鈥淚 continue to call for an immediate peaceful resolution to this ongoing situation in our country. Bust Justin Trudeau cannot take unprecedented powers without scrutiny. Canadians have the right to privacy, and I am concerned about what potential risks such a move poses. I am also concerned about the precedent this sets for the future,鈥 the letter reads.

She calls on the government to 鈥渋mmediately鈥 disclose whether it has consulted with the commissioner about the Act and take any concerns that the commissioner raises 鈥渟eriously.鈥

IN DEPTH

Opinion

opinion

opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Why brain aging can vary dramatically between people

Researchers are uncovering deeper insights into how the human brain ages and what factors may be tied to healthier cognitive aging, including exercising, avoiding tobacco, speaking a second language or even playing a musical instrument.

The union representing some 1,200 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal has overwhelmingly rejected a deal with their employers association.

A man who was critically injured in a police-involved shooting in Hamilton late Sunday afternoon has died in hospital, says the province鈥檚 police watchdog.

Local Spotlight

For the second year in a row, the 鈥楪ift-a-Family鈥 campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts 鈥 not for themselves, but for those in need.

A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.

Stay Connected