Liberal MP backs anti-vax tax proposal as COVID cases surge

A Liberal MP who works as a medical doctor says he's in favour of making unvaccinated Canadians pay some kind of a special tax — and he believes others in his party agree.

"We already have taxes on tobacco. We have taxes on alcohol, which are there for similar reasons because people who consume those products are more likely to end up in the hospital," said MP Marcus Powlowski in a panel discussion with fellow MPs airing Saturday on CBC's The House. "And as a result, we're all going to have to pay for their hospitalization."

Quebec Premier Francois Legault floated the idea of imposing a substantial tax on the unvaccinated this week as that province's hospital admissions continued to soar.

New federal modelling released Friday warned that the Omicron variant could lead to record levels of hospitalization in the weeks ahead.

The tax proposal is controversial. Opponents warn it could run afoul of the Canada Health Act's principles of universality and accessibility.

But Legault's idea also has its supporters.

Alberta resident Corina Heppner's young son Rossy was born with a rare neuromuscular disorder that severely curved his spine.

Surgery that would allow him to use his arms for the first time was scheduled for November and then cancelled because of the system constraints brought on by the pandemic. It hasn't been rescheduled.

"You're preparing your child — we were telling him, 'You're going to get muscles in your arms, you're going to be able to move your arm.' And then it was, 'OK, well, you're not going to be able to do that.' So he was very, very upset," she told The House. "His life would have changed drastically right now."

Heppner said she wants those still refusing to get a vaccine to understand their decision has the potential to affect many others.

"People being taxed for not getting the vaccination is a really good idea. Smokers get taxed. It's not a new idea," she said. "I think that at this point we have to do whatever we can to get through to some people."

Powlowski agreed.

"We ought to be doing it because, really, if you look at the numbers, the majority of people getting admitted to the hospital, the ICUs, are the unvaccinated," he said. "So whatever we can do to bring up the number of vaccinated people is certainly, in my mind and I think in the party's mind, desirable."

His government's position is less clear. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters this week that he wants to see more details before commenting on whether the Quebec proposal could work.