Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - October 8, 2021, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE A10 A 10 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2021 ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COMNEWS I CANADA JUSTIN TANG / THE CANADIAN PRESS NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said the price for NDP support in Parliament would be ‘concrete action’ on NDP priorities, such as extending COVID-19 benefits that are set to expire this month. O TTAWA — Jagmeet Singh warned Thursday that he is willing to “withhold votes” for Liberal legis- lation he does not agree with, including the budget. The NDP leader signalled a tougher stance on co-operation with the Lib- erals in Parliament, stating that he will “not take pretty or nice words for granted” from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Singh said promises from Trudeau would not be enough to win NDP sup- port in Parliament. The price would be “concrete action” on NDP priorities, such as extending COVID-19 benefits that are set to expire this month. At a news conference in Ottawa, Singh said he wants to see a “positive signal” from Trudeau that he is willing to work with the NDP. He revealed that Trudeau had not yet picked up the phone to discuss co-oper- ating in Parliament on policies they agree on, or to negotiate. “They haven’t reached out and they haven’t signalled they want to negotiate or talk so far — that’s fine,” Singh said. “I am not concerned because they know where we stand.” As in the last Parliament, Trudeau’s minority government will rely on votes from other parties to push his legisla- tive program forward. Singh made clear that Trudeau could not take NDP support for granted. “We are prepared to withhold our votes and that is why we are calling on the government to show that they are interested in working together,” he said. The “concrete action” Singh is de- manding includes guaranteed paid sick leave for workers and a halt to claw- backs of financial supports for low- income pensioners who collected pan- demic benefits. Ensuring Indigenous communities have clean, safe drinking water is another priority. “I look forward to them signalling their interest (in working together) by doing any of these things we have talked about,” he said. The NDP leader said he is “very skep- tical of the words and the promises of Mr. Trudeau and the Liberals. Because they don’t follow through.” Promises made by Trudeau in the past, such as on pharmacare, had not materialized into policies, Singh said. However, the NDP leader added that if he sees evidence from the Liberals that “they are really interested in work- ing for people” they could “count on my support.” “We withheld our votes in the past and we are prepared to do that again,” he warned. On Wednesday, Singh met with the members of the NDP caucus for the first time since the election. The NDP returned 25 MPs to Parliament — only one more than at the last election, de- spite spending $25 million on their cam- paign. Singh said that a review would look at whether the party should have cam- paigned harder on the ground. It will also look at whether Singh’s tour of the country, which saw him visiting more than 50 target ridings, paid off. Singh said he was “proud” of the overall campaign, but “disappointed” that so many NDP candidates had narrowly missed out on a seat in Ot- tawa. In around 12 ridings he said the NDP came within one or two per cent of winning. Melanie Richer, NDP director of communications, confirmed that the review, headed by veteran party strat- egist Bob Dewar, would also examine why the party had not broken through in key targets in Toronto or Quebec. The NDP announced Thursday that its caucus had elected MPs to fill key jobs, including Vancouver MP Jenny Kwan who will serve as caucus chair and Blake Desjarlais, a two-spirit Métis leader newly elected in Edmonton, as deputy caucus chair. Quebec MP Alexandre Boulerice will continue as deputy leader of the NDP, and B.C.’s Peter Julian will continue as House leader. “I’m very proud of our team and I know that these MPs are going to work hard to ensure people have a voice they can count on Ottawa,” said Singh in a written statement. “I will be relying on the MPs in these important leadership roles as New Democrats work to deliver for Can- adians in this minority parliament.” — The Canadian Press Singh signals tougher line on Trudeau co-operation NDP prepared to withhold votes in Parliament, including on the Liberal budget MARIE WOOLF OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole’s latest position on conscience rights appears to be offside with at least one elected member from his party’s socially conservative wing, as it pre- pares to study its election loss and enter a new Parliament. Re-elected Alberta MP Garnett Genuis recently penned a piece for a conservative news site discussing the Tories’ election promise to “protect the conscience rights of health-care profes- sionals.” Conscience rights mean the ability of doctors or nurses to not have to per- form a procedure they morally object to, such as medical assistance in dying or abortion. Social conservatives champion the measure as a way to stop health-care providers from having to refer patients elsewhere to access such services, as is currently the rule in provinces like British Columbia and Ontario for med- ically assisted death. O’Toole explicitly vowed during last year’s leadership race to offer legisla- tive protections to prevent health pro- fessionals from having to make refer- rals, as he courted the well-mobilized social conservative voting base. He backtracked on that during the campaign, saying referrals were ne- cessary because people have a right to access medical services, once asked to clarify his position and in the face of political attacks from the Liberals. In a Sunday piece in the Post Millen- nial titled, “Conservatives stand up for the conscience rights of all Canadians,” Genuis writes a referral is more than providing directions or transferring a patient, but amounts to an “endorse- ment” for a particular course of care, which he says a person who objects to a service can’t provide. “The opponents of conscience rights have generally contended that allowing individuals to opt out of providing something means that others will not be able to access it,” he also writes. “On the basis of this logic, opponents of conscience rights might also ask if we should permit the existence of vege- tarian restaurants … what if someone shows up at a restaurant, unaware that it is vegetarian, and cannot get the food they are looking for?” Genuis shared the article on his Face- book page Wednesday, saying he would be sure to keep defending conscience rights. Calls and emails to his office were not immediately returned to The Canadian Press. O’Toole’s office also did not im- mediately respond. Genuis was among the re-elected MPs who voiced support for O’Toole staying on as leader following the Con- servatives’ election defeat Sept. 20. Their caucus opted this week to give itself the power to review and oust O’Toole as leader if at least 20 per cent of MPs put pen to paper and request a secret ballot vote — a measure O’Toole himself said he supported because it of- fers transparency. There is also pressure brewing from some in the party’s grassroots to move up the date for when mem- bers can have their own leadership review. These members are unhappy with O’Toole appearing to flip-flop on conscience rights, introducing a car- bon price after campaigning to axe the Liberal policy and watering down a promise to repeal a ban on “assault- style” guns. A leadership review is currently set for 2023 when the party is scheduled to have its next convention. But Alberta MP Shannon Stubbs believes one should happen within six months, especially if O’Toole is planning to change policies central to the party’s values. Leading up to the campaign and dur- ing the race itself, O’Toole tried to pitch the Conservatives as a more moderate party when it comes to social issues like abortion, LGBTTQ+ rights, climate change as well as spending, saying it aimed to eliminate the deficit within a decade. Speaking after Tuesday’s caucus meeting, O’Toole signalled suburban and urban seats are where Conserva- tives would continue to focus. — The Canadian Press Tory MP pledges to defend conscience rights STEPHANIE TAYLOR ADRIAN WYLD / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole said during the election campaign that referrals were necessary because people have a right to access medical services. OTTAWA — The federal government is working on exemptions to its newly released mandatory vaccine policy for people in remote Indigenous commun- ities, many of which are only accessible by airplane. The new policy calls for travellers over the age of 12 to provide proof they’ve received two doses of a Health Canada-approved vaccine at least 14 days before boarding a plane or train. There are 182 communities that have been assessed by Transport Canada or the provinces and territories as “re- mote.” The vast majority are so isolated the only way in and out is by plane, and es- sential services like medical visits are not accessible by any other means of transportation. People in Neskantaga First Nation — about 450 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, Ont. — can only get in or out of the community by airplane in the summer, and occasionally ice roads in the winter. “We rely on air service for pretty much everything. It’s just like the high- ways to us,” said Gary Quisess, a coun- cillor on the First Nation. People fly in and out of the commun- ity for food, medical appointments and even to commute to their jobs, he said, and they have no other options. The community of 400 people, which has been under a boil-water advisory since 1995, recently lifted travel re- strictions and now relies heavily on tests to protect against COVID-19. The rates of vaccination in Neskan- taga are high, about 98 per cent for adults, but the policy would still have serious impacts for those who are still unvaccinated unless exemptions are made. “I think there should be some room for people that don’t get vaccinated,” he said. “Where is it going to fall if a per- son can’t get medical help?” Quisess said the government has not reached out to their band office directly about the new vaccine mandate. Government officials have been meeting with Indigenous organizations and representatives from provincial and territorial governments to provide possible exemptions or accommoda- tions for remote Indigenous commun- ities, according to a statement from the office of federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra. Alghabra’s office did not immedi- ately respond to questions about which groups have been consulted, but said accommodations could include asking for a negative molecular COVID-19 test, rather than proof of full vaccina- tion. Quisess said that would be a relief for Neskantaga where frequent tests are already being done. “Right now, I think there are some concerns with this new policy,” he said. “But on the other side, it’s a good way to try to stop the virus from spreading.” Different communities are handling the virus differently though, he said, and the accommodations may not suit them all. Chief Allan Adam of Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation in northern Alberta said he supports vaccine pass- ports for travel in and out of his remote community, as long as there is a fair plan to help people who can’t get a vac- cine for medical reasons. Athabasca Chipewyan is home to about 1,200 people, and more than 80 per cent of those who are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine have received them, the chief said. As for people in his community who simply don’t want to get their shot, “they’re going to have to think twice about that,” Adam said. Indigenous Services Canada doesn’t provide vaccine rates for First Nations. As of Oct. 5, 786,893 doses have been administered on First Nations, of which 348,757 were second doses. Missinippi Airways, a private air carrier that provides flights to remote communities in northern Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Nunavut, has also not been consulted by the gov- ernment about the changes, but said medical-evacuation flights will not be affected. The new vaccine mandate for trav- ellers is set to begin at the end of the month. The government said there would be a grace period of one month, in which unvaccinated passengers can provide a negative test instead. — The Canadian Press Vaccine exemptions considered for isolated First Nations LAURA OSMAN A_10_Oct-08-21_FP_01.indd A10 10/7/21 9:22 PM ;