New Parliament kicks off with friction over vaccine mandate
CTV
Parliamentarians are back to work in Ottawa today, with friction over the new mandatory vaccination policy already front and centre, making it likely one of the first issues the soon-to-be-elected House of Commons Speaker will have to face. Monday is the first day of the 44th Parliament, seeing a mix of new and re-elected MPs return to the House of Commons for the first time in five months, and two months after the 2021 federal election.
Monday is the first day of the 44th Parliament, seeing a mix of new and re-elected MPs return to the House of Commons for the first time in five months, and two months after the 2021 federal election.
It is also the first day that new rules requiring anyone entering House of Commons and Senate buildings be fully vaccinated or have a valid medical exemption are in place, and the Liberals are already casting doubt on how the Conservatives are abiding by the policy.
The rules state that in order to enter Hill buildings, all MPs and their staff, as well as all others who work on the Hill, either have to be fully vaccinated or have a valid medical “contraindication” and show a recent negative test result to the House authorities who have been put in charge of confirming who is cleared to come onto the premises.
The Liberals, New Democrats, Greens, and Bloc Quebecois have all said their members are all fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
