The caucus of the Conservative Party of BC joined about 50 people rallying outside the provincial legislature Thursday calling on B.C. to end its vaccination mandate for health care workers.
The rally took place a day after BC Conservative House Leader Bruce Banman called on the provincial government to fire provincial health officer Bonnie Henry and bring back 害羞草研究所渢housands of health care workers who were wrongly kicked to the curb害羞草研究所� because of the mandate.
害羞草研究所淭his is not about opposing the jab,害羞草研究所� Banman said. 害羞草研究所淚t is about ending the medical tyranny of this NDP government and Dr. Bonnie Henry. Enough cajoling, enough coercing and enough deflecting. It害羞草研究所檚 time to be held accountable.害羞草研究所�
Thursday害羞草研究所檚 rally continued that theme as BC Conservative Party Leader John Rustad repeated his argument that lifting the vaccination mandate would help the health care system, especially in rural B.C.
害羞草研究所淥ne doctor can make a huge difference,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淎 couple of nurses make a huge differences. We should be doing everything we can to get those health care workers back in our system.害羞草研究所�
Rustad also repeated his party害羞草研究所檚 critique of Henry. While Henry did her best to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic during its height, 害羞草研究所渆very other jurisdiction害羞草研究所� in the world is learning how to deal with it without mandates, he said.
害羞草研究所淚t seems to be an ideological bent,害羞草研究所� he said, adding that everybody trained needs to be in the health care system.
害羞草研究所�(Quite) frankly, Bonnie Henry is preventing those people from being in our system. That is causing harm to our health-care system and for that reason害羞草研究所e should be looking at a different health care officer in this province.害羞草研究所�
Rustad made these comments after the rally heard from eight speakers from the medical and non-medical community.
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Several speakers like Jan Webb, who introduced herself as a retired nurse, accused government of over-stepping its authority by mandating health care workers to get vaccinated. Webb said she never anticipated that government would mandate vaccination.
害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 kind of like going back to the 1940s,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淏ut they did.害羞草研究所�
Other speakers questioned the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, or accused government of exaggerating the seriousness of COVID-19 in pointing to alternative treatment options.
Health Minister Adrian Dix defended Henry both Wednesday and Thursday.
害羞草研究所淗ow can you have so much contempt for people who live in long-term care?害羞草研究所� Dix said during Question Period in response to Banman.害羞草研究所滺ow can you have so much contempt for people who have to be in acute care? (When) we know that it害羞草研究所檚 the most vulnerable who are most vulnerable to COVID-19, how can you take the view that we should have abandoned them?害羞草研究所�
B.C., he added, had the best response to COVID-19 because of Henry.
害羞草研究所淚 think it is shameful that she害羞草研究所檚 being targeted in this way by a political party in this (legislature),害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淪he has done a great, courageous and remarkable job. I stand with her, and I hope everyone in this House does.
Dix said Thursday that 99 per cent of health-care workers are vaccinated. 害羞草研究所淪o there is a difference between a 50-50 issue and 99-to-1 issue,害羞草研究所� Dix said, adding that he encounters a genuine appreciation for Henry across B.C.
Henry answered questions at length in both public and private settings and worked directly with the opposition.
害羞草研究所淚 cannot think of an occasion when she did not treat their questions with respect or they did not treat her with respect,害羞草研究所� Dix said.
BC Greens Thursday also faced questions about their rhetorical treatment of Henry when Sonia Furstenau used the phrase 害羞草研究所済aslighting害羞草研究所� in October 2022 when speaking about Henry害羞草研究所檚 comments concerning COVID-19 cases in schools.
Furstenau said she does not think Henry was gaslighting.
害羞草研究所淚 think in the context of Question Period, that has been used, but I think we need transparency and accountability from public service in this province.害羞草研究所�
Furstenau also rejected suggestions that the BC Greens害羞草研究所� COVID-19 conversation lines up with the Conservatives.
害羞草研究所淲e have never questioned the efficacy of vaccines,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淲e have looked to evidence-based health approaches to ensure that there is the lowest amount of (COVID) transmission possible.害羞草研究所�
wolfgang.depner@blackpress.ca
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