Security tightened for eight cabinet ministers and Theresa Tam before convoy protest arrived
CBC
The RCMP increased security for eight cabinet ministers and Canada's chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam in the days leading up to the convoy protest's arrival in Ottawa, according to documents tabled by the inquiry examining the government's handling of the protest.
It's not clear from the documents what exactly prompted the heightened security or whether it had anything to do with the convoy protest that arrived in Ottawa several days later.
While the prime minister and the Governor General receive RCMP protection, federal cabinet ministers typically don't — unless the RCMP has reason to believe they face a threat.
A ministerial briefing document dated Jan. 26, 2022 indicates an increase in the protection level for Tam and multiple cabinet ministers: Transport Minister Omar Alghabra, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault, Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair and Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Marc Miller.
Alghabra appears to have faced a heightened risk at the time, although the documents do not say why he may have been targeted.
Tensions were mounting at the time over vaccine mandates for travellers and cross-border truckers. Alghabra also spoke out about being targeted over his Muslim faith in January after then-Ontario MPP Randy Hillier called him a "terrorist" in a tweet.
A week before the briefing note was issued, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet raised questions about Alghabra's previous role with the Canadian Arab Federation prior to being elected to Parliament.
While details were redacted from the briefing note, it indicates that something happened on Jan. 21 that led the RCMP's ministerial liaison team to speak with Alghabra's chief of staff Mike Maka on Jan. 19, and then again on Jan. 24. Maka agreed to share a copy of Alghabra's schedule with the RCMP's Protective Operations Coordination Centre.
"The PoJ [police of jurisdiction] (Peel Regional) has been informed of the situation and are engaged," says the briefing note. "The minister will try to do most meetings from home, but should he have any events, they will ensure to notify the RCMP. They were very appreciative of our efforts."
The briefing note also says that there had been a recent increase in online support for the convoy protest.
"In particular, the RCMP Protective Operations Coordination Centre (POCC) has reported a strong resentment on multiple social media platforms, targeting Prime Minister Trudeau, Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra and politicians in general," says the briefing note. "On January 22, 2022, a total of 15 files were opened in 16 hours."
A January 28 readout of a call written by Mike Jones, chief of staff to Mendicino, and tabled during the convoy inquiry mentions Alghabra: "Level 3. Body guard driver while in Ottawa."
Alghabra's office declined to comment on the documents.
The Jan. 26 briefing note says that while there hadn't been a significant change in the threat environment, there had been an increase during "this extended COVID-19 period" in online posts and e-mails "expressing significant dissatisfaction or threatening in nature."
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