The compulsory COVID-19 vaccine will cause severe headaches for Conservative leader Erin O’Toole as anyone enters buildings run by the House of Commons in Ottawa.
So far, as Canada crosses the fourth wave of the epidemic, his party refuses to disclose how many of its 118 MPs have been adequately vaccinated against the disease.
The Tories argue that such a requirement to run for parliament violates their individual rights, but has not yet said whether the party will challenge the decision.
At the same time, Conservatives are calling for all 338 federal representatives to be present at the start of the next parliamentary session on November 22.
Mr O’Toole, who suffers from Govt-19 disease, says he personally encourages people to get vaccinated against the disease, but at the same time says he respects personal hygiene choices.
Most federal and provincial political parties are open about the vaccination status of their members, but not all legislatures require elected officials to have a compulsory vaccination against Govt-19.
All MPs in Quebec, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador claim to have been adequately vaccinated.
Most are in Ontario and New Brunswick, with a few exceptions for medical reasons.
In Manitoba, only two MPs did not disclose vaccine status.
In Ottawa, Canada’s Conservative Party’s refusal to release the immunization status of its 118 MPs has angered President Erin O’Dool, as Commons Committee employees, politicians, journalists and others voted in favor of compulsory vaccinations.
No such decision has been made in the Senate, which establishes its own operating rules.
According to a recent census by The Canadian Press, 79 out of 119 people selected confirmed that they had received two doses of the vaccine. For medical reasons, the two confirmed that they had not been vaccinated. One MP said he had been partially vaccinated and the other two refused to disclose their position on policy grounds. The remaining 35 did not respond.