Connect with us

COVID-19

Defence minister stands by military’s vaccine mandate amid months-long review

Published

5 minute read

By Lee Berthiaume in Ottawa

The Liberal government is defending the military’s continued use of a vaccine mandate for Armed Forces members as a condition of employment amid pressure to end the requirement and questions about when a promised “tweak” will finally be unveiled.

The Canadian Armed Forces has required since December that all troops receive two shots of a recognized COVID-19 vaccine or face disciplinary proceedings, including forced removal from the military.

While the vast majority of service members have bared their arms for shots, more than 1,100 have not. More than 400 of those have since hung up their uniforms, either voluntarily or involuntarily, with more on their way out.

The requirement remains in place even though mandates for other federal workers have been suspended. The government announced this week that vaccination requirements for international travellers will also be lifted on Saturday.

It was in this context that Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre this week called on the Liberals to end what he described as the military’s “discriminatory and unscientific vaccine mandate,” though the decision is ultimately up to chief of the defence staff Gen. Wayne Eyre.

On Thursday, Defence Minister Anita Anand voiced support for the mandate as she and other federal ministers briefed Canadians on hurricane recovery efforts in Atlantic Canada.

“It’s a force that must be ready at all times to conduct domestic and international military operations, sometimes in places with limited or no access to specialized medical care, sometimes in very close quarters with their fellow Canadian Armed Forces members,” she said.

“Therefore, the Canadian Armed Forces has a more stringent requirement to enforce health protection measures.”

Anand did note that Eyre is taking a second look at the requirement after the government lifted its mandates for other federal employees. “Pending this review,” she added, “(Eyre)’s directives remain in effect for CAF members until further notice.”

Exactly when that review may be completed remains a mystery, however.

Defence Department spokesman Daniel Le Bouthillier described the review on Thursday as “a complex issue,” with the military having to “balance medical and legal imperatives, ethical considerations, and operational requirements.”

“The CAF will continue to take a measured approach and make a decision when deemed operationally safe to do so.”

The department first reported that the mandate was being re-examined in June, and a draft copy of a revised vaccine policy obtained by the Ottawa Citizen in July suggested vaccine requirements for military personnel would be lifted.

The draft document, which officials said was not approved by Eyre, said military personnel and new recruits would no longer have to attest to their vaccination status.

The document also noted potential legal difficulties ahead to deal with people who were kicked out of the military because of the vaccine mandate, suggesting they could be forced to apply for re-enrolment.

By contrast, other unvaccinated federal public servants were put on leave without pay but allowed to return to their jobs when the mandate was suspended.

However, Eyre indicated in an interview with The Canadian Press last month that a “tweak” was coming in weeks as he tried to find the “sweet spot” between the military’s medical, legal, operational and ethical requirements.

At the same time, he called the mandate necessary to keep the military ready to respond to any emergency, noting that the force was called upon to assist in hospitals and long-term care facilities in Canada, and that many allies and foreign nations still have mandates.

“We need to maintain our operational viability going forward,” he said. “So over the course of the next number of weeks, we will tweak the policy, we’ll put out something amended.”

A number of serving members have unsuccessfully challenged the mandate in court, while some groups and individuals opposed to vaccine mandates, pandemic lockdowns and the Liberal government have used the military’s continued requirement as a rallying point.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 29, 2022.

Storytelling is in our DNA. We provide credible, compelling multimedia storytelling and services in English and French to help captivate your digital, broadcast and print audiences. As Canada’s national news agency for 100 years, we give Canadians an unbiased news source, driven by truth, accuracy and timeliness.

Follow Author

COVID-19

WHO urges countries to sign globalist pandemic treaty by May: ‘A new threat will emerge’

Published on

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

From LifeSiteNews

By Clare Marie Merkowsky

The urge by the WHO for countries to sign onto its ‘Pandemic Accord’ comes after Conservative MP Leslyn Lewis warned provisions contained in the document would give the globalist group unreasonable power over Canadian citizens.

The globalist World Health Organization (WHO) has issued an “urgent” call for countries around the world to sign on to their sovereignty-undermining “Pandemic Accord” by May.   

In a March 20 press release, the WHO called for “accelerated progress” from countries joining their proposed treaty, the Pandemic Accord, which critics such as Conservative MP Leslyn Lewis have warned would give the WHO increased power over Canada in the event of another “pandemic” or other so-called emergencies.

“We call on leaders of all countries to step up their efforts and secure an effective pandemic accord by May,” a joint-letter from high profile political figures read.   

“A new pandemic threat will emerge – and there is no excuse not to be ready for it,” it warned, calling for negotiators “to redouble their efforts” to meet the “imminent deadline” of May 2024. 

The letter also advised countries not to believe the “malicious misinformation campaigning against the WHO.”  

“This global effort is being threatened by misinformation and disinformation,” it claimed. “Among the falsehoods circulating are allegations that the WHO intends to monitor people’s movements through digital passports; that it will take away the national sovereignty of countries; and that it will have the ability to deploy armed troops to enforce mandatory vaccinations and lockdowns.”  

“All of these claims are wholly false and governments must work to disavow them with clear facts,” the letter continued.  

While the WHO claims the accord would not undermine national sovereignty, in January, Lewis revealed that the new International Health Regulations (IHR) contained in the proposal will compromise Canada’s sovereignty by giving the international organization increased power over Canadians.     

“Canada consented to the amendments to the WHO’s International Health Regulations (IHR), which limits Canada’s time to respond to further amendments, despite thousands of Canadians signing a petition expressing their concerns,” she warned.   

Lewis’ January statement followed her October endorsement of a petition demanding the Liberal government under the leadership of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau “urgently” withdraw from the United Nations and its subgroup, the WHO, due to the organizations’ undermining of national “sovereignty” and the “personal autonomy” of citizens.    

It warned that the “secretly negotiated” amendments could “impose unacceptable, intrusive universal surveillance, violating the rights and freedoms guaranteed in the Canadian Bill of Rights and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.”    

Despite nearly 19,000 Canadians signing the petition, the Trudeau government adopted the amendments proposed by the WHO.  

Continue Reading

Censorship Industrial Complex

Elon Musk pledges support to doctor fighting sanctions for opposing COVID vaccine mandate

Published on

Dr. Kulvinder Gill

From LifeSiteNews

By Anthony Murdoch

The Tesla billionaire said X will help Dr. Kulvinder Kaur Gill, an Ontario pediatrician who has been embroiled in a legal battle with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario for her anti-COVID views.

A Canadian physician who became well known for speaking out against draconian COVID mandates in her home province on social media and then was sanctioned by her medical college and forced into costly legal battles, has received the support of billionaire Tesla owner Elon Musk.

Dr. Kulvinder Kaur Gill, an Ontario pediatrician who has been embroiled in a legal battle with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) for her anti-COVID views, last Thursday asked Musk for help.

“As one of the first Canadian MDs to oppose lockdowns on Twitter in 2020 … I’ve been persecuted for four years solely due to my tweets. Please help a fellow Canadian! ~$300k in court-ordered costs due in four days,” Gill wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on March 21.

Gill included an image of a screenshot from an August 2023 X post from Musk in which he vowed to support anyone facing hardships from anything they said on X and were then censored or attacked for it.

“If you were unfairly treated by your employer due to posting or liking something on this platform, we will fund your legal bill. No limit. Please let us know,” Musk wrote in August 2023.

A short while after Gill’s Thursday post, Musk replied, writing, “We will help.”

Gill thanked Musk after his post, writing, “Thank you @elonmusk@X! Welcome to #TeamHumanity I hope your team reaches out very soon.”

Gill’s X post also linked to a recent interview she had with Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who created the Great Barrington Declaration, about her ordeal with the CPSO.

“I was starting to read about the devastating, catastrophic harms of the actual lockdowns. All of this compelled me to speak out in the summer of 2020 about everything that was being ignored, both in the media’s coverage and in the daily conversations that Canadians were having. I didn’t anticipate the response that I received,” Gill said.

Gill is a specialist practicing in the Greater Toronto area, and has extensive experience and training in “pediatrics, and allergy and clinical immunology, including scientific research in microbiology, virology and vaccinology.”

Last September, disciplinary proceedings against her were withdrawn by the CPSO. However, last year, Gill was ordered to pay $1 million in legal costs after her libel suit was struck down, and she has now been told she must pay ordered to pay $300,000 by the end of March.

The CPSO began disciplinary investigations against Gill in August 2020, with The Democracy Fund (TDF) noting she was the target of “an online campaign by other doctors, media and members of the public to generate complaints against her.”

Gill has a large following on X (formerly Twitter) and since mid-2020 has been active on the platform criticizing COVID mandates. She was one of the few Canadian doctors who spoke out strongly against the COVID dictates early on and would take to X regularly to share her views.

Due to Gill’s social media posts, she has faced continued investigations as well as disciplinary actions by the CPSO. There have also been public complaints made against her, which the CPSO investigated.

The Democracy Fund has full details of those proceedings against Gill.

In late 2020, she took legal action against a group of some 23 doctors, academics, reporters and even the former president of the Ontario Medical Association, who she claimed had allegedly damaged her reputation as a “medical professional for unfairly attacking her anti-lockdown stance.”

Physician confirms Musk’s offer to her all set to go

On March 24, X News posted that X it “is proud to help defend Dr. Kulvinder Kaur Gill against the government-supported efforts to cancel her speech.”

Musk also wrote to Gill that he is in full “support of your right to speak.”

On the same day, Gill confirmed that X reached out to her “directly” about their offer to help her appeal her three CPSO cautions relating to her 2020 tweets.

“@elonmusk’s @X contacted me directly confirming Elon’s commitment to pay remainder of campaign to reach $300K AND Elon has committed to assisting my appeal of 3 CPSO cautions, for my 2020 tweets opposing lockdowns, to the very end (ONCA & SCC if needed). May Waheguru bless you,” she wrote.

Gill also launched a fundraiser of her own to help her pay her legal costs. Thus far, Gill has raised close to $200,000 of her $300,000 goal.

Many Canadian doctors who spoke out against COVID mandates and the experimental mRNA injections have been censured by their medical boards.

In an interview with LifeSiteNews at its annual general meeting in July 2023 near Toronto, canceled doctors Mary O’ConnorMark Trozzi, Chris Shoemaker, and Byram Bridle were asked to state their messages to the medical community regarding how they have had to fight censure because they have opinions contrary to the COVID mainstream narrative.

Continue Reading

Trending

X