Carney hire Michael Sabia backed bank freezes for convoy protesters
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Michael Sabia, named by Prime Minister Mark Carney to lead the federal public service, played a key role in having the bank accounts of Freedom Convoy protesters frozen, a report says.
On Wednesday, Sabia was hired as clerk of the Privy Council Office in Ottawa and was also named secretary to Cabinet. He had been president and CEO of Hydro-Quebec since 2023.
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“As Canada’s new government builds the strongest economy in the G7, Mr. Sabia’s leadership will be key to this mission,” said Carney. “Canada’s exemplary public service with Mr. Sabia at the helm will advance nation-building projects.”
The hiring comes three years after Sabia, who was the deputy minister of finance in Justin Trudeau’s government from 2020-23, was instrumental in employing terrorist financing laws to enforce a national freeze of bank accounts held by protesters camped out on Parliament Hill, according to Blacklock’s Reporter.
The use of the Proceeds Of Crime And Terrorist Financing Act by the Trudeau government was ruled unlawful by a federal judge in 2024.
“The scope of the regulations was overbroad in so far as it captured people who simply wanted to join in the protest by standing on Parliament Hill carrying a placard,” wrote Federal Court Justice Richard Mosley.
It is estimated that $7.8 million was frozen in 437 bank and credit union accounts and bitcoin wallets.
Sabia was asked at the Public Order Emergency Commission in November 2022 whether protesters were terrorists or not.
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“People have every right to protest,” he testified. “That’s an important part of our democratic system. There were no easy answers here.”
Freedom Convoy counsel also asked Sabia if he had any information that protesters were terrorists.
“We had no information one way or the other,” replied Sabia.
“You were given no information that these individuals in Ottawa protesting were terrorists?” Miller repeated.
“Well, I am not going to give you a yes or no answer,” replied Sabia.
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