The federal New Democrats and Liberals made mirror pledges on Monday to criminalize protesters that block hospitals or harass health-care workers as party leaders denounced planned demonstrations at hospitals countrywide.
A group calling itself Canadian Frontline Nurses has planned B次元官网网址渟ilent vigilsB次元官网网址� in response to public health restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19, which they say are B次元官网网址渢yrannical measures and government overreach.B次元官网网址�
Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside Toronto General Hospital, many to condemn OntarioB次元官网网址檚 proof-of-vaccination system that is scheduled to take effect next week.
Police were also there as part of what local officials said would be an effort to maintain access for doctors, nurses and patients, if necessary.
Speaking in Sioux Lookout, Ont., NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said a federal government canB次元官网网址檛 ban protests, nor can it limit where people can demonstrate.
But Singh pointed to the Criminal Code as a means to dissuade such demonstrations from happening. His partyB次元官网网址檚 platform pledges to make it a federal offence to harass or obstruct someone from accessing medical care, and provide harsher penalties for anyone assaulting a health-care worker.
He said protesting at hospitals was different than demonstrating elsewhere, such as rail lines, noting that blockading a hospital could mean someone dies.
B次元官网网址淚t is not the space, it is not the place to protest,B次元官网网址� Singh said in front of his campaign plane in the northern Ontario town.
B次元官网网址淚f youB次元官网网址檙e in any way threatening health-care workers, impeding their ability to go to work, youB次元官网网址檙e impeding patientsB次元官网网址� access to care. If cancer patients arenB次元官网网址檛 being able to get into the hospital, that is just not on.B次元官网网址�
The issue of vaccinations and how to respond to the pandemic has been a mainstay of the federal campaign, which wraps up in one week on Sept. 20.
Anti-vaccine and anti-mask protesters have dogged Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau along the campaign trail, even pelting him with gravel at one stop, after he promised to forge ahead with mandatory vaccination rules for travellers.
Hours after Singh spoke, Trudeau outlined an identical pledge of criminal sanctions for anyone blocking access to hospitals, vaccine clinics, testing centres, pharmacies and abortion clinics, and those intimidating or harassing health-care workers.
Speaking in Vancouver, Trudeau said the Criminal Code already has provisions about intimidating people who work in the justice system, but there is now a need to protect doctors and nurses in a similar way.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not OK any day to know that a nurse going into a late shift crossing a parking lot might be afraid that there could be someone there to spit on her or shout obscenities at her,B次元官网网址� Trudeau said in his opening remarks.
The Liberal leader also took aim at Conservative Leader Erin OB次元官网网址橳oole as Trudeau repeatedly looked to use the issue of vaccines and public health measures as a wedge.
Speaking in the rural Ottawa suburb of Carp, OB次元官网网址橳oole said the planned protests are B次元官网网址渃ompletely unacceptable,B次元官网网址� and called for unity even as he denounced Trudeau with sharpened personal attacks.
B次元官网网址淭here is the ability to peacefully protest and things like this, but to harass and to try and block people from accessing health care in a pandemic is completely unacceptable,B次元官网网址� OB次元官网网址橳oole said.
B次元官网网址淣ow is the time for us to work together, using all the tools we have B次元官网网址� including vaccines, rapid tests, distancing, masks B次元官网网址� in our fight against COVID-19. We need to come together as a country in this crisis, not divide ourselves.B次元官网网址�
Asked what he would do if elected, OB次元官网网址橳oole said he trusted local officials to manage the situation. His partyB次元官网网址檚 platform does include a plank to create a Criminal Code offence for anyone interfering with B次元官网网址渃ritical infrastructure,B次元官网网址� which includes pipelines, rail lines, and, the party said, hospitals as well.
Meanwhile, Green Party Leader Annamie Paul made a rare campaign stop outside of Toronto on Monday as she visited candidates in Prince Edward Island, a place where the Greens have made political inroads as the official Opposition in the provincial legislature.
Paul pointed to that success and the dozen-plus pieces of legislation the provincial party has pushed as something voters in other parts of the country should consider when they cast a ballot.
Monday marked the final of four days of advance polls, and Elections Canada said Sunday that 1.3 million people came out on Friday, more than what was recorded on the first day of advance polls in the 2019 vote.
B次元官网网址擩ordan Press, The Canadian Press
