Mr Ford and Deputy Prime Minister Sylvia Jones were called to give evidence to the Public Order Emergency Committee after refusing voluntary invitations to take the stand. The Ontario government contested the subpoena and argued that parliamentary privilege meant the premier and Ms. Jones could not be compelled to testify. In a written ruling released on Monday, Judge Simon Fothergill found that while the subpoenas issued to Mr Ford and Ms Jones were valid, they could not be enforced due to parliamentary privilege. “As long as the Legislative Assembly of Ontario remains in session and the applicants continue to resist the subpoenas by invoking parliamentary privilege, the Commission cannot take steps to compel their attendance and to compel them to testify,” Justice Fodergill wrote. The inquiry examines the circumstances that led the federal government to take the unprecedented step of invoking the Emergency Act to end the anti-government, anti-vaccine blockades that have blockaded Ottawa and closed several border crossings. More to come.
