In both an open letter and in the House of Commons, Conservative interim leader Candice Bergen has told Prime Minister Justin Trudeau she wants a meeting with party leaders to discuss ending COVID-19 restrictions.
“It is time to depoliticize the response to the pandemic,” wrote Bergen in a letter to Trudeau on Monday. “Canadians across the country have come together, made sacrifices and done what is necessary to keep their families safe.”
Bergen said that Canadians were encouraged to hear Canadian chief medical officer of health Theresa Tam say that there has to be a more “sustainable” way of dealing with the pandemic.
Tam recently recommended that all remaining COVID-19 restrictions be “re-examined” with provinces and territories to “get back to some normalcy.”
Tam’s statement, wrote Bergen, is a message of hope that many Canadians have been waiting for.
Bergen added that Canadians are “looking for leaders to provide certainty, hope and a pathway out of the pandemic.” Instead, she accused Trudeau’s comments of being “dismissive about a ‘fringe’ with ‘unacceptable views.’”
Bergen said that the federal party leaders have a responsibility to help Canada.
“It is my sincere hope that we can show leadership by coming together to talk about solutions, to follow the science rather than the politics when it comes to mandates,” she said. “We can deliver a message of hope to the millions of Canadians who are frustrated and want to return to their normal lives.”
During Question Period on Tuesday, Bergen demanded Trudeau provide Canadians with an end date for COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
“Conservatives believe living with COVID means opening up and ending the mandates,” she said. “So will the prime minister follow the science, end the lockdowns and let Canada once again be the true north strong and free?”
Trudeau refused to commit to an end date for restrictions or a meeting with party leaders. Instead, he accused the Conservatives of not following science throughout the pandemic as well as hypocrisy over supporting COVID restrictions in other situations.
“Fortunately, we’ve been working with provincial premiers right across the country to bring in the kinds of restrictions and mandates that have saved Canadians’ lives,” he said. “Unfortunately, we see Conservatives continue to both call an end to the protests from in here and support them out there.”
Liberal MP Joel Lightbound broke rank with Trudeau and spoke out against public health measures on Tuesday.
Lightbound said that he believes the Canadian government has divided people in recent months, particularly on vaccination status.
“I can’t help but notice with regret that both the tone and policies of my government changed drastically on the eve and during the last election campaign,” he said.
Lightbound’s remarks come as a new poll suggests that 44% of Canadians believe that Trudeau along with Canada’s premiers “share the blame for the protest in Ottawa because of their condescending attitude toward Canadians who disagree with vaccine mandates and lockdowns.”
