Trudeau gov't to respond to 'Freedom Convoy' commission findings; here's a refresher on the recommendations

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to respond to the Emergencies Act commission's recommendations in six months. That deadline is Friday, so here's a refresher on commissioner Rouleau's calls for change.

When the Public Order Emergency Commission released its five-volume report concluding that ultimately the federal government met the threshold for invoking the Emergencies Act, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to present a plan to respond to the report's findings within six months.

The deadline on that pledge, made on Feb. 17, is this Friday.

Commissioner Paul Rouleau—who was tapped to lead what became an expansive probe into Trudeau's use of extraordinary national powers to bring an end to the "Freedom Convoy" protests and blockades—issued 56 recommendations for the federal government to consider.

Rouleau's recommendations were broken down into six categories, and included calls for change across levels of government:

At the time, Trudeau had vowed to heed Rouleau's request to respond within a year of the report, but pressed by reporters he then committed to come forward with a plan to address the recommendations within six months.

"Because of the thoughtful work of the commission, there are lessons for everyone involved," Trudeau said this winter. "We will take seriously what the commissioner concludes and what he proposes."

Rouleau had also asked that in its comprehensive public response, the federal government to identify which recommendations it accepted and which it rejected, and to provide a detailed timeline for implementing the changes that will be made as well as a thorough explanation for why other calls for action were being refused.