In a press release, the Public Order Emergency Committee said its work is being postponed because its chairman, former Judge Paul S. Rouleau, “has advised that he must undergo surgery to address a health issue that arose very recently “. “I want to assure Canadians of my commitment to completing the commission’s work in a timely manner,” Rouleau said in the statement. “The staff of the Commission, with the cooperation of all parties, [have] has made significant progress in recent weeks in receiving and reviewing documents, conducting interviews and preparing for the start of public hearings. “While it will be impossible for me to begin the hearings as originally planned due to my surgery, the committee remains focused on meeting the statutory schedule. I thank all concerned for their understanding of these circumstances beyond my control. “ The commission was formed to assess the government’s unprecedented decision to invoke the law in response to the so-called Freedom Convoy protest in February. The formation of a committee to investigate the decision is required by law. The investigation was originally scheduled to begin on September 19 and run through October 28. It is now expected to complete its public hearings on November 25. The commission is expected to hear from members of municipal, provincial and federal government, as well as the public and law enforcement officials. The committee’s final report must be tabled in both the House of Commons and the Senate by February 20, 2023.
