More information is needed before Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gives his verdict on Quebec’s plan to tax the unvaccinated.
Today the PM said those who aren’t getting vaccinated are already losing important privileges like getting on a plane or train, but he says the Federal government needs more info on the Quebec announcement before it weighs in officially.
“This Quebec proposal is something that obviously everyone is paying attention to right now, but there are still many details to know,” he said. “And the details will be important in how this works, in how it balances the values and the rights that we all cherish as Canadians with the necessity of keeping people safe.”
Premier François Legault who made the announcement yesterday describes the tax as a “health contribution”.
He says only 10 per cent of the Quebec population is unvaccinated but that they make up 50 percent of patients in ICU beds and that those who refuse the shot bring a burden to hospital staff and a financial burden for the majority of Quebecers.
Trudeau also spoke directly today to the country’s children – especially those aged 5-12 – a group that only 45 percent of which are vaccinated.
Trudeau says it’s never too late to do the right thing and get vaccinated or boosted if eligible.