Liberals say they’ll protect health care workers and ensure safe access to health services

Justin Trudeau at a Surrey rally with Liberal candidates Randeep Sarai, Sukh Dhaliwal, Ken Hardie and others. Photos by Sukhwant Dhillon / AM 600 Sher-E-Punjab Radio
LIBERAL Party Leader Justin Trudeau on Monday in Vancouver said that Canadians have the right to safe access to the health services they need, and our health care workers must be able to do their jobs, free from obstruction, intimidation, and threats.

He said that intimidating demonstrations at hospitals and other health service buildings are deeply concerning and unacceptable. Canadians take pride in our universal, public health care system that helped keep us safe throughout the pandemic, and we know that restricting safe access to health services – whether it is vaccines or abortion services – can’t be tolerated.

“I am deeply disturbed by anti-vaxxer gatherings outside of hospitals and health care sites in the last few weeks,” said Trudeau. “These people are intimidating our health care heroes and putting Canadians seeking health services at risk. I will not accept this. That’s why we’re going to take strong action to ensure everyone has access to the care they need and keep our front-line health care workers safe. Only our Liberal team will finish this fight against COVID-19 and keep our communities safe and healthy.”

A re-elected Liberal government will support health care workers and keep Canadians safe and healthy by introducing legislation to:

  • Make it a criminal offence to obstruct access to any building providing health services, including hospitals, vaccine clinics, testing centres, pharmacies, and abortion clinics.
  • Protect health care workers, by making it a criminal offence to intimidate or threaten any healthcare professional carrying out their professional duties providing medical care or Canadians receiving that care.
  • Ensure that every business and organization that decides to require a proof of vaccination from employees or customers can do so without fear of a legal challenge.

“We must protect and uphold the values of our universal, public health care system – ensuring that Canadians can safely get to a hospital, abortion clinic, or vaccine centre, without threats or intimidation,” said Trudeau. “While [Conservative Leader] Erin O’Toole wants to take us backward by refusing to show leadership on mandatory vaccinations, underfunding health care, and allowing Conservatives to support legislation to deny a woman’s right to choose, the Liberals have a real plan to get the job done on vaccines, stand up for a woman’s right to choose, and keep Canadians safe and healthy.”

Backgrounder: Supporting Health Care Workers and Supporting Access to Health Services

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