Days after Conservative MP Cathay Wagantall was escorted off Parliament Hill for not showing proof of vaccination, her fellow MPs are calling out the Liberal government for its "unscientific" vaccine mandates.."It's outrageous. It's an attack on democracy. And I think most Canadians would be shocked to learn that a duly-elected member of parliament, who represents over 100,000 Canadians, cannot take their seat in the House Of Commons," said Conservative MP Michael Cooper..Cooper, who participated in the Freedom Convoy demonstrations earlier this year, pointed out the vaccinated and unvaccinated can both spread and become sick from COVID-19. He suggested this makes the scientific rationale for vaccine mandates unclear.."The notion that this is somehow about keeping the parliament precinct safe is bogus. There's no evidence to back that up," he said.."And with respect to the government's vaccine mandates, although they have a few talking points about keeping everyone safe, they have provided no evidence or justification for federal mandates," Cooper said..According to Cooper, the Liberal government's refusal to end vaccine passports means they are "punishing Canadians for refusing to do what this government demands."."It's punitive. And discriminatory. And it's undemocratic," he said..Conservative MP Michael Barrett echoed this sentiment, claiming Prime Minister Justin Trudeau "seems to relish the opportunity to to punish Canadians that disagree with him.".Barrett said when the prime minister called an "unnecessary" election back in October 2021, he decided that vaccines could be used as a wedge issue that would have "low consequences for him."."But the consequences for people that he's punishing are that they can't visit their loved ones, they can't get on a plane, train or ferry, and they can't leave the country," he said..Barrett said Canada's top medical experts have seen fit to remove most public health restrictions and vaccine mandates.."So when we have an elected member of Canada's House of Commons, who's being denied access to their seat based on an ineffective, non-effective and unscientific requirement, it's absolutely unacceptable.".Conservative MP and House Leader John Brassard said Wagantall has "every right to be in the House of Commons." .Brassard said the prime minister has been "playing politics with mandates" since the last election. According to Brassard, the restrictions in the House of Commons are at the direction of the prime minister and he "could end these tomorrow if he wanted to."."[Trudeau] had no problem sitting next to MP Wagantall at last week's Prayer Breakfast, but he won’t sit across the aisle from her in the House. The hypocrisy is astonishing," Brassard said.."We stand with all Canadians who want to go back to work and get back to normal."
Days after Conservative MP Cathay Wagantall was escorted off Parliament Hill for not showing proof of vaccination, her fellow MPs are calling out the Liberal government for its "unscientific" vaccine mandates.."It's outrageous. It's an attack on democracy. And I think most Canadians would be shocked to learn that a duly-elected member of parliament, who represents over 100,000 Canadians, cannot take their seat in the House Of Commons," said Conservative MP Michael Cooper..Cooper, who participated in the Freedom Convoy demonstrations earlier this year, pointed out the vaccinated and unvaccinated can both spread and become sick from COVID-19. He suggested this makes the scientific rationale for vaccine mandates unclear.."The notion that this is somehow about keeping the parliament precinct safe is bogus. There's no evidence to back that up," he said.."And with respect to the government's vaccine mandates, although they have a few talking points about keeping everyone safe, they have provided no evidence or justification for federal mandates," Cooper said..According to Cooper, the Liberal government's refusal to end vaccine passports means they are "punishing Canadians for refusing to do what this government demands."."It's punitive. And discriminatory. And it's undemocratic," he said..Conservative MP Michael Barrett echoed this sentiment, claiming Prime Minister Justin Trudeau "seems to relish the opportunity to to punish Canadians that disagree with him.".Barrett said when the prime minister called an "unnecessary" election back in October 2021, he decided that vaccines could be used as a wedge issue that would have "low consequences for him."."But the consequences for people that he's punishing are that they can't visit their loved ones, they can't get on a plane, train or ferry, and they can't leave the country," he said..Barrett said Canada's top medical experts have seen fit to remove most public health restrictions and vaccine mandates.."So when we have an elected member of Canada's House of Commons, who's being denied access to their seat based on an ineffective, non-effective and unscientific requirement, it's absolutely unacceptable.".Conservative MP and House Leader John Brassard said Wagantall has "every right to be in the House of Commons." .Brassard said the prime minister has been "playing politics with mandates" since the last election. According to Brassard, the restrictions in the House of Commons are at the direction of the prime minister and he "could end these tomorrow if he wanted to."."[Trudeau] had no problem sitting next to MP Wagantall at last week's Prayer Breakfast, but he won’t sit across the aisle from her in the House. The hypocrisy is astonishing," Brassard said.."We stand with all Canadians who want to go back to work and get back to normal."
