The Public Order Emergency Committee hears testimony Tuesday from Public Safety Minister Marco Medicino. As Rouleau was about to announce the usual lunch break, Brendan Miller, an attorney for Freedom Corp., interrupted to say he was speaking with Alexander Cohen, Mendicino’s communications director, who Miller said was in the hearing room. “It has very relevant information about the investigation, the circumstances and the invocation of the Emergency Act,” Miller said. Miller claimed Cohen has unheard evidence of “disinformation” about a text message exchange that was key “to building the narrative about the protesters in Ottawa that they are extremists,” including some with “Nazi symbolism.” Commissioner Paul Rouleau talks with Freedom Corp. counsel Brendan Miller before asking security to remove the attorney Tuesday. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)
Rouleau calls security
Miller then asked Rouleau to allow Cohen, who is not on the commission’s witness list, to testify after Medicino. “I’m not going to do it verbally right now,” Rouleau replied “Well, sir, we are given 15 minutes to cross-examine, produce relevant material evidence, and we have relevant and material witnesses here. The Government of Canada has without legal authority deleted all these statements of these officials and suppressed records,” argued a visibly frustrated Miller. Rouleau responded that the committee needed to stick to a schedule and asked Miller to come to an agreement with the committee’s counsel during the recess. “Sir, the program is not as important as learning the truth,” Miller replied. “There’s no question that we want to get to the truth, but you know what, it’s a very complicated issue and it’s not just about what you want,” Rouleau said. After the break, Rouleau advised Miller that any request to add a witness must be in writing. The two had a brief exchange before Rouleau called another timeout. “I’ll be back in five minutes if security can deal with the lawyer,” he said.
Corrected documents
Miller then left the hearing room. Outside, he stopped to speak to reporters, where he again complained about some of the redacted documents presented as evidence before the committee. “They have deleted these documents claiming they are irrelevant or subject to cabinet confidence, despite the fact that the law is very clear and unequivocally clear that cabinet confidence does not apply to civil servants,” he said. “The Government of Canada has continuously, and every day, thrown hundreds of documents at the parties and the parties are frustrated. It’s not just me. They’ve tried to turn this whole process into an inquiry into his failures [former Ottawa police] chief Slowly opposed to invoking emergency law.’ Miller then exited the building with entourage organizer Tamara Lich. This was not the first time Rouleau and Miller have clashed during hearings, including a related exchange on Monday. When the hearings resumed, Rouleau told attorney Keith Wilson, who also appeared as a witness before the committee, that counsel for the march organizers would have an opportunity to cross-examine Mendicino after the lunch break.
