Throughout the pandemic politicians have been callous about policies that cost regular people their jobs
The vaccine mandate on truckers entering Canada is as unnecessary as the risks associated with vaccination are trivial, yet it is a policy we’ve collectively allowed to collapse our politics even further into unseriousness, if that is even possible. The existence of a similar policy implemented by the Biden administration renders this conversation mostly obsolete, but never mind that.
It was all of eight months ago that Justin Trudeau dismissed the idea of mandates on the grounds they are “divisive.” On Wednesday he could only scoff at the hundreds of truckers headed to Ottawa to protest his policies. “The small fringe minority of people who are on their way to Ottawa, who are holding unacceptable views that they are expressing, do not represent the views of Canadians,” Trudeau said.
Throughout the pandemic politicians have been callous about policies that cost regular people their jobs, strained their relationships and kept their kids out of school. Progressive supporters of restrictions routinely shout down those advocating for more freedom as selfish and immoral psychopaths who want to sacrifice the young and old to SARS-CoV-2.
The border mandate could cost upwards of 16,000 people their jobs and could further impede supply chain problems for everyone. But to Trudeau, those protesting these measures are a “small fringe” with “unacceptable views.”
A more generous interpretation of the prime minister’s comments would be that he was alluding to reports that a handful of people taking part in the protests are hoping for a Canadian version of the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol last year, or to those who have expressed racist and antisemitic views. However, it is becoming something of a habit for Trudeau to associate the vaccine hesitant with hate groups.
As with any protest, there will be elements, sometimes truly unsavoury, trying to take advantage of widespread anger. Others, though, may hold merely strange views.
One of the groups organizing “Freedom Convoy 2022” is bringing a memorandum of understanding that it apparently believes will force politicians at all levels of government to end all COVID restrictions. This would supposedly be done by entering into an agreement with the Senate and Governor General who would then be compelled to “resign their lawful positions of authority immediately” if they refuse to go along. At least I think that is what it says.
It is a completely ridiculous proposition that doesn’t merit a response, but it doesn’t necessarily follow that this group intends to be violent. People have the right to publicly express their opinions, no matter how silly.
The convoy organizers do seem to realize they are at risk of being completely dismissed. “This is not about the vaccine, by the way. There’s nobody in here that’ll tell you it’s about vaccines on this entire convoy,” one told the Post Wednesday.
That is certainly an advisable way for the protesters to present their views — anti-mandate, not anti-vaccine — if they want to appear reasonable and appeal to Canadians more broadly.
Unfortunately, at least some in the convoy are happy to promote vaccine conspiracy theories. There are bumper stickers and signs that read “mandatory injections are a global mass murder” and “we are being murdered.” One even reads “No more Auschwitz.”
One of the most pernicious falsehoods of the pandemic is that vaccines are leading to thousands, or millions, of deaths.
When you ask someone why they believe this, they will inevitably point to the U.S. Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System, or VAERS. But this database doesn’t prove mass deaths. What it does is monitor possible or suspected adverse effects following vaccination, but as the website makes clear, “anyone can submit a report to VAERS, including parents and patients.” Health-care workers are required to report any death if it occurred within a certain timeframe of vaccination, but it doesn’t mean those deaths were caused by vaccines.
The database exists so researchers can look for patterns. Some sources twist this data to make it appear as if vaccines are killing people in high numbers when there is no evidence that that is the case. In fact, analysis of deaths reported to VAERS concludes that the rates are lower than what would be consistent for the relevant demographics such as age and sex.
So yes, there are some in the convoy who hold ludicrous, misguided or even offensive views, but such is their right.
Opposing border mandates is, however, far from a silly position to take, and several business organizations have warned that the policy could exacerbate shortages, including for food, or contribute to steep price increases.
A recent CBC story about the trucker mandate led with infectious disease experts who were skeptical that the mandate would accomplish what it sets out to do. “A vaccine requirement for a select group of people I don’t think is highly likely to make a big, huge difference in the short-to-medium term,” the University of Alberta’s Dr. Lynora Saxinger said. “Of course, (truck drivers) could be spreaders of COVID, but so could everyone else right now.”
If this is how the public broadcaster is framing Trudeau’s vaccine policies, the government truly has lost the plot.
The prime minister could have simply expressed his support for the right to protest and reiterated why he thinks the mandates are necessary, but he just can’t help himself from dismissing the unvaccinated and perhaps even the vaccinated who oppose mandates, as “unacceptable.”
National Post
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OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the NDP is caving to political pressure from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre when it comes to their stance on the consumer carbon price.
Trudeau says he believes Jagmeet Singh and the NDP care about the environment, but it’s “increasingly obvious” that they have “no idea” what to do about climate change.
On Thursday, Singh said the NDP is working on a plan that wouldn’t put the burden of fighting climate change on the backs of workers, but wouldn’t say if that plan would include a consumer carbon price.
Singh’s noncommittal position comes as the NDP tries to frame itself as a credible alternative to the Conservatives in the next federal election.
Poilievre responded to that by releasing a video, pointing out that the NDP has voted time and again in favour of the Liberals’ carbon price.
British Columbia Premier David Eby also changed his tune on Thursday, promising that a re-elected NDP government would scrap the long-standing carbon tax and shift the burden to “big polluters,” if the federal government dropped its requirements.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Quebec wants to curb excessive tipping.
Simon Jolin-Barrette, minister responsible for consumer protection, has tabled a bill to force merchants to calculate tips based on the price before tax.
That means on a restaurant bill of $100, suggested tips would be calculated based on $100, not on $114.98 after provincial and federal sales taxes are added.
The bill would also increase the rebate offered to consumers when the price of an item at the cash register is higher than the shelf price, to $15 from $10.
And it would force grocery stores offering a discounted price for several items to clearly list the unit price as well.
Businesses would also have to indicate whether taxes will be added to the price of food products.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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