Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureux praised his government for marginalizing millions of unvaccinated Canadians at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic because they were “far-right” in the House of Commons.
While speaking on an opposition motion regarding the ArriveCAN application fiasco on Tuesday, Lamoureux – who is also the Parliamentary Secretary to the Government House Leader – said, “Thank goodness” that unvaccinated Canadians were prevented from accessing basic services and leaving the country.
Lamoureux made the statement in response to a question by Conservative MP Colin Carrie.
“We look back to arrive scam and how it started in 2021 during the election, and we see it was used to say to Canadians that unvaccinated Canadians were a danger to vaccinated Canadians. It was the demonization of millions of Canadians,” said Carrie.
“The MAGA Conservative far right is coming out. These are the ones who still deny the pandemic. At the end of the day, thank goodness Canadians and the majority of the people in the House saw the value of protecting the health and well-being of Canadians and that the far right was marginalized back then,” responded Lamoureux.
Lamoureux’s comments echoed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who stated in a 2021 interview that unvaccinated Canadians were “extremists” and other derogatory terms.
“They are extremists who don’t believe in science, they’re often misogynists, also often racists. It’s a small group that muscles in, and we have to make a choice in terms of leaders, in terms of the country. Do we tolerate these people?” said Trudeau.
At the height of the pandemic, over six million Canadians were unvaccinated.
In Canada, stringent regulations were enforced regarding federally regulated train and plane travel, mandating proof of vaccination for all passengers, effectively restricting the unvaccinated from leaving the country or travelling.
Simultaneously, the employment landscape witnessed a wave of terminations as unvaccinated workers faced dismissal for non-compliance with vaccine mandates. Across various sectors, employees who refused vaccination found themselves at odds with workplace policies prioritizing public safety.
Furthermore, the implementation of vaccine passport systems became a prominent strategy adopted by several Canadian provinces to separate vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. These systems granted privileges exclusively to those who could provide proof of vaccination, allowing access to amenities such as gyms, restaurants, and events, effectively excluding millions from ordinary activities.
