QUEBEC OFFER REJECTED Trudeau invokes war act

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32430, 17 October 1970, Page 17

QUEBEC OFFER REJECTED Trudeau invokes war act

(N.Z. Press Association —Copyright)

OTTAWA, October 16.

The Prime Minister (Mr Pierre Trudeau) early today invoked the special War Emergencies Act, suspending all civil liberties in Canada and giving police powers of extraordinary-arrest as the “kidnap crisis” worsened.

The proclamation “concerning a state of apprehended insurrection” was issued at 5.15 a.m. after Quebec separatist kidnappers rejected a new Government ransom offer, N.Z.P.A.-Reuter said. The Quebec Government offered to buy the lives of the two kidnap hostages, the British diplomat, Mr James Cross and the Quebec Labour Minister, Mr Pierre Laporte, by recommending parole for five convicted extremists and set a deadline of 3 a.m. today for an answer.

However, the deadline passed with no known response from the abductors.

As its name implies the act is a declaration of a virtual war situation. In this case Mr Trudeau is apparently making a sweeping attempt to crush the F.L.Q. separatists.

In Montreal, the nation’s largest city, the situation resembled an armed camp. Soldiers mobilised yesterday afternoon by Mr Trudeau were lined up. guns strapped across their chests, in front of police headquarters, expecting trouble with the F.L.Q. The troops, clad in green fatigues and steel helmets as a chill mist fell in the predawn hours, were equipped with automatic weapons and bayonets.

The crisis erupted 12 days ago when the F.L.Q., which wants French-speaking Quebec separated from the Eng-lish-speaking provinces of Canada, abducted the British diplomat, Mr James Cross. It intensified on Saturday when the separatists at Ma-chine-gun point kidnapped the Quebec Labour Minister, Mr Pierre Laporte. Both men were believed still alive in spite of F.L.Q. threats to execute them if the terrorists’ demands for release of 23 prisoners were not met Mr Trudeau’s brief statement issued by his press secretary, Mr Romeo Leblanc, said:

“Following receipt by the Prime Minister of letters from the Prime Minister of Quebec and from the authorities of the city of Montreal at 3 this morning concerning a state of apprehended

insurrection, the governor-in-council at 4 a.m. approved the issuance of a proclamation under the War Measures I Act.

“Pursuant to the powers provided by the Act, a second Order-in-Council was also passed establishing certain regulations considered necessary to deal with the situation.

“The regulations will be ! tabled in the House of Commons by the Prime Minister at its opening at 11 a.m.” The War Measures Act can only be used in time of war, invasion or insurrection. Report of action There was an unconfirmed report, shortly after Mr Trudeau’s statement, that a combined operation of army and police were sweeping through the southern part of Montreal. The Prime Minister also cancelled a well-publicised trip to Russia next Monday. Once the War Measures Act is proclaimed, the Government can, without consulting Parliament, make its own laws concerning arrest, deportation, censorship—anyanything it “deems necessary for the security, defence, peace, order, and welfare of Canada.” It can punish those who break these emergency laws with a maximum combination of $5OOO in fines and five years imprisonment The sentences continue after the emergency is declared ended. No trial, bail or other release is allowed without consent of the Justice Minister. In exchange for Mr Cross and Mr Laporte, the kidnappers had demanded the re-

lease of 23 men convicted or awaiting trial for terrorist acts and plane passage for them and their families to Algeria or Cuba. Mr Robert Lemieux, the Montreal lawyer negotiating with the Quebec Government on behalf of the kidnappers, rejected the offer as “incredible mockery” and washed his hands of the negotiations.

But this was considered a personal reaction, and a communique was awaited from the F.L.Q. After the troops rumbled : in, Mr Lemieux held a news conference and said he had “very serious information” that the police had discovered the whereabouts of the i F.L.Q.’s Chenier cell which was holding Mr Laporte. Mr Lemieux charged that the Government troops would attack and attempt to liberate the two men when they learned the location of the liberation cell, which held Mr Cross hostage. Mr Lemieux said his information had come “from a businessman, who received it from a Cabinet Minister.’The Associated Press reports that the 1960 Bill of Rights says nothing done to a person under the War Measures Act can be considered an infringement of his rights. The Bill of Rights obliges the Government to inform Parliament immediately when it proclaims the Act. Once the proclamation is laid before Parliament, any 10 members of the Commons or Senate can force a debate by requesting its revocation. The request must be debated within four days, and the proclamation can be revoked by a mojority vote.