Things are not looking good either for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau or the Canadian mandates.
Provinces including Alberta and Saskatchewan, are dropping their mandates. Now Quebec, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick have announced that they are also dropping some of the restrictions. It looks like the provinces are moving in the right direction but Justin Trudeau is still refusing delivery on reality.
On Tuesday, Trudeau was upbraided by the conservative leader Candice Bergen (not the actress). “This cannot be a slow and dragged out process simply because of the prime minister’s ego, pride, or denial.” Bergen said. “Canadians are too tired, Canadians need hope. So will the prime minister follow the science, follow the evidence, end the restrictions, end the mandates?” She then called on him to end the mandates. Trudeau was heckled at his response — which was no response.
NEW: Trudeau Is Heckled on Parliament Floor As He Attempts To Respond To Opposition Calls To End The Mandates 1/2… pic.twitter.com/l14agiHMGT
— Covid-1984 (@Orwells_Ghost_) February 8, 2022
Bergen noted that everyone is coming around to the realization that this is the time, including Canada’s chief public health officer Theresa Tam. Tam has said that vaccine passports need to be “re-examined” in all the provinces and “I think the whole concept is, we do need to get back to some normalcy.”
Bergen also noted the words of Joel Lightbound, the Chair of the Quebec Liberal Caucus, who was calling out his own party and fellow liberal Trudeau for how they have approached this. Listen to this — here is a liberal who is refusing to go along and play this game of deeming all these Canadians “racists” or attacking them as Trudeau and some of the other liberals have done.
"I have enough respect for my fellow Canadians not to engage in these easy absurd labels," Quebec Liberal MP @JoelLightbound says the #TruckersForFreedom protesters have legitimate concerns. #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/qj5SRfZ0eA
— True North (@TrueNorthCentre) February 8, 2022
“I have enough respect for my fellow Canadians not to engage in these easy absurd labels,” Lightbound said.
“I can’t help but notice, with regret, that both the tone and the policies of my government changed drastically on the eve and during the last election campaign. From a positive and unifying approach, a decision was made to wedge, to divide, and to stigmatize. I fear that this politicization of the pandemic risks undermining the public’s trust in our public health institutions. This is not a risk we ought to be taking lightly,” he said.
Lightbound called on the government to provide a roadmap for the lifting of restrictions. He also noted that he was not alone in thinking the way he did among the folks in the liberal caucus.
That took some courage to do to call out his own party for being divisive, especially given the likely fury that Trudeau would have in response. Now, Lightbound has followed up those comments by resigning over it, too.
#BREAKING: Quebec Liberal MP, Joel Lightbound has resigned as Quebec Caucus Chair. This comes after he spoke out against, his own governments vaccine mandate.
Lightbound says “Following my press conference this morning, I have decided to resign as chair of the Quebec caucus.” https://t.co/gU4TjZMVdH
— Wyatt Sharpe (@wyattsharpe8) February 8, 2022
Lightbound may have hurt his political future by standing up for his fellow Canadians, but he’s being heard by many.
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