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Trudeau’s Imposition of the WMA in Canada Essay example

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Since the Confederation of Canada until today, the province of Quebec has always wanted become its own nation by separating from Canada. As a result, Canada’s scariest ever terrorist group, the Front de Libération de Quebec (FLQ), wrote the darkest chapter in Canadian history, The October Crisis. To end the terror, Canadian Prime Minister, Trudeau, was forced to invoke the War Measures Act (WMA) during his term in 1970 which was flawed with disapproval and controversy since it was the first time the Act was used during peacetime. However, despite the criticism, his decision to invoke the War Measures Act was reasonable because of the fear presented by the FLQ, the public and governmental demands, and the end result of the October Crisis. …show more content…

The manifesto stated that there are “100,000 revolutionary workers, armed and organized! ” This statement was one of the major factors in the implementation of the WMA. This is because the high number stated by the FLQ caused anxiety in Canadians especially the police as they were uncertain the number was accurate. The chief of the Montreal police, Marcel Saint-Aubin, stated that, the police of Montreal could not handle maintain peace and order in Quebec as well as so investigations regarding the FLQ. He asked for the federal government to interfere and send the military so the police and military can work together. This request from the chief of the Montréal police and the uncertain number of FLQ members is another reason for Trudeau’s implementation. Therefore, the fear caused by the FLQ was terrifying resulting in the WMA.
In 1970, despite the robust disapproval by separatists, civil rights activist and intellectuals , the majority of Canadians was largely supportive of Trudeau’s decision in invoking the WMA. As well as, the provincial and municipal governments of Quebec and Montréal, respectively, requested Prime Minister Trudeau for assistance in this outbreak. On November, 1970, Gallup, a public opinion polling company, surveyed Canadians, asking them, “In general do you approve, or disapprove, the government’s actions in bringing in the War Measures Act to handle the FLQ crises?...” After Gallup conducted the poll, their data shows

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