Conservatives say they’re against new vaccination policy for MPs

OTTAWA —
The federal Conservatives—the only caucus yet to confirm how many of its MPs remain unvaccinated—have come out in opposition to the new mandatory vaccination policy announced by the House of Commons.

The decision—taken by a cross-party committee of nine MPs that oversees the workings of the House—means that as of Nov. 22 when the 44th Parliament kicks off, anyone entering the House of Commons precinct will need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

There will be limited exemptions offered to those with medical contraindications to the COVID-19 vaccines, with the requirement to show proof of a recent negative antigen test in order to enter the buildings that make up the House of Commons precinct.

“While we encourage everyone who can be vaccinated to get vaccinated, we cannot agree to seven MPs, meeting in secret, deciding which of the 338 MPs, just elected by Canadians, can enter the House of Commons to represent their constituents,” said Conservative whip Blake Richards in a statement.

There are nine MPs who make up the Board of Internal Economy, and Richards is one of the two Conservative members. While what happens in-camera at parliamentary committee meetings is not meant to be discussed publicly, Richard’s statement suggests that the decision was most likely approved by the Liberals, New Democrats, and Bloc Quebecois, without the support of the Conservatives.

The news of the new policy broke late Tuesday night, after a mid-day closed-door meeting.

“I can’t discuss what happens at an in camera meeting but I will say that we’ve always said that vaccines are most important tool to get us out of this pandemic. As we said during the election, workplace health and safety can be assured through vaccination or the demonstration of a recent negative rapid test result,” Richards said in his statement.

The details of how this new policy will be enforced have yet to be articulated. In announcing the mandate, House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota said that the decision to impose the policy was taken “to meet ongoing recommendations from public health authorities to help limit the spread of COVID-19 within the work environment.”

Given the timing of this order coming into effect, it’s possible unvaccinated Conservatives would not be able to enter the House of Commons next month unless they have a valid exemption.

It’s unclear what the party’s next steps will be, though talks continue about whether or not a hybrid House of Commons set up will be revived for the upcoming session.