The Scoop

(WATCH) Canada Moves To Make Asset Freezing Under Emergencies Act Permanent (VIDEO)

By • February 21, 2022 3:46 pm

The asset freezing provision of Canada’s Emergencies Act, which was used to target supporters of the Freedom Convoy rallies, has now been made permanent.

The government threatened to suspend the bank accounts of protestors and anybody who gave money to them in order to stop what the Trudeau administration referred to as “illegal blockades.”

Banks are obligated to freeze accounts without a court order under the Emergencies Act, and all crowdfunding platforms and payment providers are required to send information to FINTRAC (Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada).

Many of the ‘temporary’ restrictions adopted to cope with the demonstrators (after they had been branded as violent extremists) will now become permanent, according to Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland.

“We used all the tools that we had prior to the invocation of the Emergencies Act and we determined we needed some additional tools,” Freeland said.

“Some of those tools we will be putting forward measures to put those tools permanently in place. The authorities of FINTRAC, I believe, do need to be expanded to cover crowdsourcing platforms and payment platforms,” she continued.

The Scoop previously reported on Freeland’s announcement of the emergency act last week:

Canadian government leaders have vowed to continue to freeze bank accounts or cryptocurrency wallets of truckers protesting vaccine mandates. The government will even suspend the auto insurance of the protestors with their power vested in the government during this so-called “national emergency.”

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said Monday, “This is about following the money. This is about stopping the financing of these illegal blockades.”

She continued, “We are today serving notice if your truck is being used in these illegal blockades, your corporate accounts will be frozen. The insurance on your vehicle will be suspended.”

Freeland mocked the protest, adding, “Send your semi-trailers home. The Canadian economy needs them to be doing legitimate work, not to be illegally making us all poorer.”

Under the fresh emergency orders, practically every financial system in Canada must audit their customers to ensure they are not involved in the protest. If they find anyone involved, they must freeze the individual’s accounts and report the person to the RCMP or Canadian intelligence services.

Stay tuned to The Scoop for any updates.

Paul Aubert


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