Ottawa, ON — The Hon. Erin O’Toole, Leader of Canada’s Conservatives and the Official Opposition, issued the following statement regarding the resumption of Parliament:
“Our country is facing a crisis of historic proportions.
“Today marks the one-year anniversary of the first presumptive case of COVID-19 in Canada. Since then, nearly 20,000 Canadians have died of COVID-19.
“Unfortunately, despite the Prime Minister’s assurances, the Pfizer vaccine delivery is now in jeopardy. Premiers report they have run out of vaccines.
“This week, Canada will receive zero Pfizer vaccines. Next week, according to the revised schedule, Canada will receive less than a third of the planned number of doses the government claimed would be coming. The following week, the revised schedule states the doses we will receive is ‘unknown’. Unknown means there is no real plan in place from this government.
“There are so many questions outstanding, despite the government claiming they had a plan. We wish we could trust the Prime Minister, but this situation demands Parliament’s urgent attention.
“It is imperative we work together to improve the Liberal vaccine plan and get Canadians back to work.
“Today, the Conservatives are asking for emergency debates on both the vaccine rollout and the cancellation of Keystone XL.
“The news of Keystone XL’s cancellation is a devastating blow for Canada, especially families in Alberta. I spoke with the Prime Minister months ago and called on him to push our plan to advance North American energy security and independence. It was clear to me then that he was not going to take the issue seriously.
“With the return of the House of Commons, my Conservative team will relentlessly focus on the COVID-19 recovery, jobs, pushing wages up, and getting Canada’s economy and finances back on track.
“The health and prosperity of Canadians are at stake.
“The bottom line is we need vaccines to secure our future, rebuild our economy, and get Canadians back to work.
“That’s what Conservatives will continue to stand up for. Canadians deserve leadership.”
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For more information:
Chelsea Tucker
chelsea.tucker@parl.gc.ca
(613) 219-3790
Axel Rioux
axel.rioux@parl.gc.ca
(613) 291-7125
