Court docs show Trudeau’s vaccine rules for travel based on politics

Article content material

We’ve recognized from the start that Justin Trudeau’s COVID insurance policies had been too usually about political science quite than medical science. Now, because of a lawsuit difficult his demand that anybody travelling by air be vaccinated, we now have the proof.

Article content material

That lawsuit has made public documents, first reported by Rupa Subramanya, which present well being officers had been scrambling to seek out any justification for vaccine mandates for journey earlier than they got here into impact. The paperwork additionally present that the lead physician who authorized using COVID-19 vaccines was not consulted on whether or not such mandates can be efficient.

The Trudeau authorities had been publicly against any form of vaccine mandate for months earlier than their change of stance in August 2021. Trudeau himself had described such insurance policies as “excessive measures that might have actual divisive impacts on group and nation” and had mentioned this isn’t how Canada operates in interviews.

Then simply earlier than the election name on August 15, the Liberals introduced a vaccine mandate for federal employees and anybody who wished to get on a aircraft or prepare to cross the nation.

Article content material

“That is the easiest way to finish the pandemic,” Trudeau’s intergovernmental affairs minister and political fixer Dominic LeBlanc mentioned on the time.

But when requested instantly beneath cross examination if anybody from the prime minister’s workplace, the well being minister’s workplace or the transport minister’s workplace had sought her recommendation on the mandates, Dr. Celia Lourenco, the lady who licensed the vaccines to be used in Canada mentioned no.

Bureaucrats requested for proof and acquired none

It’s not the one stunning piece of testimony to return out of the lawsuit.

Aaron McCrorie, the Affiliate Assistant Deputy Minister, Security and Safety at Transport Canada, was emailing folks at Well being Canada in October 2021, simply weeks earlier than the journey mandate took impact, searching for something to help the coverage.

Article content material

“To the extent that up to date information exist or that there’s clearer proof of the security good thing about vaccination on the customers or different stakeholders of the transportation system, it might be useful to help Transport Canada supporting its measures,” McCrorie wrote.

He adopted up once more days later saying, “want one thing pretty quickly.” The one response he acquired, in accordance with the court docket document, a set of speaking factors on the final advantages of vaccination.

It’s not just like the federal authorities wasn’t research to try to discover a hyperlink between vaccination charges and journey, it’s simply that the information didn’t again up their coverage.

Dr. Lisa Waddell, an epidemiologist on the Public Well being Company of Canada was one of many witnesses. She’s additionally creator of a examine for PHAC which confirmed little transmission on airplanes.

Article content material

RECOMMENDED VIDEO

“A meta-analysis of research from January–June 2020 discovered the chance of being contaminated with SARS-CoV-2 in an airplane cabin was estimated to be 1 case for each 1.7 million vacationers,” the report stated.

Look, I’m an individual who believes in vaccines, I’ve had three pictures primarily in order that I can see my mother and father and go to different members of the family who’re in high-risk inhabitants teams. That mentioned, I firmly consider in bodily autonomy in relation to one thing like taking an injection.

Whereas there are arguments to be made for vaccine mandates for many who are caring for essentially the most weak in hospitals or long-term care properties, there isn’t any sound medical argument to be made for such mandates on normal journey. The Trudeau authorities introduced them in for political causes simply forward of an election.

Whereas they could have suspended them for now, they’ve threatened to convey them again and to up the stakes by rising the variety of required doses. That is improper morally, ethically and as we are able to see from the proof, scientifically.

It’s time for them to drop these mandates all collectively or admit that they solely have interaction in such actions for essentially the most crass political causes.

READ THE FULL COURT DOCUMENTS HERE

Article content material