COVID-19: Canada's Federal Emergencies Act

PUBLISHED: 03/26/2020

The Emergencies Act was brought in in 1988 to replace the previous War Measures Act. It would give the federal government sweeping powers over the provinces if they become overwhelmed when dealing with a major crisis. Every province in Canada has declared a State of Emergency in its jurisdiction as the Covid 19 virus continues to spread. But is it enough?

To many, this would classify as a public welfare emergency. The Prime Minister is in constant contact with the provincial premiers regarding the pandemic and whether the Emergencies Act is required. The government has said it would only use the legislation when all other avenues are exhausted. While the Emergencies Act has broad sweeping powers, not everyone believes it’s needed.

Coming up on the Unpublished Cafe, we will take a look at the impact of the Act on the economy, which has been shaken to its core.

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GUESTS:

Amir Attaran

https://commonlaw.uottawa.ca/en/people/attaran-amir

Robyn Gibbard

https://www.conferenceboard.ca/topics/economics/staff/robyn_gibbard.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

Cara Zwibel

https://ccla.org/staff-and-board/

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