Ontario's Liberal Leader thinks it's time Premier Doug Ford used Bill 68 to bring about a resolution to the ongoing protests in Ottawa, Windsor, and now on Hwy. 402 in Lambton County.
On Thursday morning, the Ontario Provincial Police closed the highway east of Sarnia just as a convoy of farm vehicles headed for the Blue Water Bridge.
Under Bill 68, the Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act, the government can seize assets used during an illegal act and use the proceeds to refund municipalities for policing costs. The Liberals also want the province to sue protest organizers and use that money to support businesses and workers who have lost money because of the demonstrations.
Steven Del Duca, travelling to Windsor to meet with business owners, said Ford could have used the legislation weeks ago when protesters became entrenched in downtown Ottawa.
"Every one of our Crown Prosecutors in this province has the ability to say 'if you're going to use property in the commission of a serious crime, and property can mean a truck, you can have that property seized and forfeited to the government," he said. "Two weeks ago, Doug Ford could have said, 'look, we've got Bill 68 on the books. We passed it. We're going make sure the people of Ottawa, or the people of Windsor, are not on the hook for escalating policing costs.'"
I’m so grateful to Ted and all the Teds who move the goods our families and economies rely on.
Doug Ford needs to stop coddling extremists and step up to stop the endangering of our supply chain, so Ottawans, auto workers and truckers like Ted can have their lives back. #ONpoli https://t.co/C9jmkrinqE— Andrea Horwath (@AndreaHorwath) February 10, 2022
Instead, Del Duca accused Ford of coddling protesters. Both he and NDP Leader Andrea Horwath to stop "coddling" protesters.
Horwath has also proposed seizing the commercial licences of truckers participating in the Freedom Convoy
Ford skipped the first 2 meetings of the tri-lateral table where Ontario should be working with the federal government and Ottawa to end the occupation.
Now his PCs claim they don't have the power to impose consequences like revoking licenses.They do. Here's the law. #ONpoli pic.twitter.com/sxZBVNSBkx
— Andrea Horwath (@AndreaHorwath) February 9, 2022
"Doug Ford actually went on the radio and said, 'God bless the protesters, and I understand their frustration,'" said Del Duca. "It encourages them to believe they can get away with more than just peaceful protest."
When the blockade at the Ambassador Bridge started on Monday, many truckers entering Canada headed for the Blue Water Bridge. Now that entry point appears to be in question.
"Between Windsor and Sarnia, between Blue Water and Ambassador, we're talking about a billion dollars a day in economic activity that will be blocked," he said. "From grocery stores to auto parts to health products."
Asked about his visit with restaurant and small business owners in Ottawa on Wednesday, Del Duca described the devastation many feel.
"A couple of the restaurant owners literally broke down," he said.
Some have disputed how the protest has impacted residents in downtown Ottawa. They describe the atmosphere as "festive." Del Duca said what he saw was disturbing, and no one he spoke to suggested it was "peaceful."
"Nobody described it to me as a festival-like atmosphere," he insisted. "It is an illegal occupation. It has gone on way too long. We are a province and a country of laws. Peaceful protest is one thing, but this has moved well beyond that, and I would say the same thing about what's happening in Windsor."