The caucus of the Conservative Party of BC joined about 50 people rallying outside the provincial legislature Thursday calling on B.C. to end its vaccination mandate for health care workers.
The rally took place a day after BC Conservative House Leader Bruce Banman called on the provincial government to fire provincial health officer Bonnie Henry and bring back B次元官网网址渢housands of health care workers who were wrongly kicked to the curbB次元官网网址� because of the mandate.
B次元官网网址淭his is not about opposing the jab,B次元官网网址� Banman said. B次元官网网址淚t is about ending the medical tyranny of this NDP government and Dr. Bonnie Henry. Enough cajoling, enough coercing and enough deflecting. ItB次元官网网址檚 time to be held accountable.B次元官网网址�
ThursdayB次元官网网址檚 rally continued that theme as BC Conservative Party Leader John Rustad repeated his argument that lifting the vaccination mandate would help the health care system, especially in rural B.C.
B次元官网网址淥ne doctor can make a huge difference,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淎 couple of nurses make a huge differences. We should be doing everything we can to get those health care workers back in our system.B次元官网网址�
Rustad also repeated his partyB次元官网网址檚 critique of Henry. While Henry did her best to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic during its height, B次元官网网址渆very other jurisdictionB次元官网网址� in the world is learning how to deal with it without mandates, he said.
B次元官网网址淚t seems to be an ideological bent,B次元官网网址� he said, adding that everybody trained needs to be in the health care system.
B次元官网网址�(Quite) frankly, Bonnie Henry is preventing those people from being in our system. That is causing harm to our health-care system and for that reasonB次元官网网址e should be looking at a different health care officer in this province.B次元官网网址�
Rustad made these comments after the rally heard from eight speakers from the medical and non-medical community.
RELATED: Merritt mayor calls on B.C. to drop vax mandate for health-care workers B次元官网网址榬ight nowB次元官网网址�
Several speakers like Jan Webb, who introduced herself as a retired nurse, accused government of over-stepping its authority by mandating health care workers to get vaccinated. Webb said she never anticipated that government would mandate vaccination.
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 kind of like going back to the 1940s,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淏ut they did.B次元官网网址�
Other speakers questioned the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, or accused government of exaggerating the seriousness of COVID-19 in pointing to alternative treatment options.
Health Minister Adrian Dix defended Henry both Wednesday and Thursday.
B次元官网网址淗ow can you have so much contempt for people who live in long-term care?B次元官网网址� Dix said during Question Period in response to Banman.B次元官网网址滺ow can you have so much contempt for people who have to be in acute care? (When) we know that itB次元官网网址檚 the most vulnerable who are most vulnerable to COVID-19, how can you take the view that we should have abandoned them?B次元官网网址�
B.C., he added, had the best response to COVID-19 because of Henry.
B次元官网网址淚 think it is shameful that sheB次元官网网址檚 being targeted in this way by a political party in this (legislature),B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淪he has done a great, courageous and remarkable job. I stand with her, and I hope everyone in this House does.
Dix said Thursday that 99 per cent of health-care workers are vaccinated. B次元官网网址淪o there is a difference between a 50-50 issue and 99-to-1 issue,B次元官网网址� Dix said, adding that he encounters a genuine appreciation for Henry across B.C.
Henry answered questions at length in both public and private settings and worked directly with the opposition.
B次元官网网址淚 cannot think of an occasion when she did not treat their questions with respect or they did not treat her with respect,B次元官网网址� Dix said.
BC Greens Thursday also faced questions about their rhetorical treatment of Henry when Sonia Furstenau used the phrase B次元官网网址済aslightingB次元官网网址� in October 2022 when speaking about HenryB次元官网网址檚 comments concerning COVID-19 cases in schools.
Furstenau said she does not think Henry was gaslighting.
B次元官网网址淚 think in the context of Question Period, that has been used, but I think we need transparency and accountability from public service in this province.B次元官网网址�
Furstenau also rejected suggestions that the BC GreensB次元官网网址� COVID-19 conversation lines up with the Conservatives.
B次元官网网址淲e have never questioned the efficacy of vaccines,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淲e have looked to evidence-based health approaches to ensure that there is the lowest amount of (COVID) transmission possible.B次元官网网址�
wolfgang.depner@blackpress.ca
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