Trudeau knocks Moe over provincial government's handling of COVID-19
Liberal leader Justin Trudeau took swipes at two western premiers over their handling of the delta-fuelled fourth wave of COVID-19 currently swallowing Alberta and Saskatchewan.
“Getting vaccinated is the way through this. I feel bad, really bad, for those people in Alberta and Saskatchewan who’ve stepped up to do the right thing,” said Trudeau at a campaign stop in Richmond, B.C. Tuesday morning
“And because of leadership that will not commit to keeping them safe in the right way, or even protecting the economy the right way, they’re facing greater risks because of cancelled surgeries. They’re facing emergency public health restrictions that may have to be brought in.”
Trudeau made the comments when he was asked if he had any advice for Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe and Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, whose provinces have the highest COVID-19 case rates and lowest vaccination rates among provinces.
The remarks come on the heels of a record-setting day in Saskatchewan. The province reported its highest single-day tally of new cases since the start of the pandemic on Monday with 449. Eighty-nine per cent of the new infections were in residents who aren’t not fully vaccinated.
Saskatchewan also issued a provincial emergency order to allow the health authority to redirect health care workers to areas experiencing capacity pressure because of rising COVID-19 hospitalizations.
In Alberta, hundreds of elective surgeries and outpatient treatments have been cancelled in an attempt to offset rising pressure on the health care system. On Monday, the province set a new pandemic record for ICU admissions with nearly 200 patients.
Trudeau said millions of people have been vaccinated against COVID-19 and bringing in clear mandates when it comes to mandatory vaccinations pushes vaccine-hesitant people to get the shot.
Moe has repeatedly urged residents to get vaccinated, however he has also assured people that it will remain a choice as the province will not bring in any mandatory vaccine measures for non-essential businesses and events.
Trudeau said the Liberals will make it easier for provinces to move forward with COVID-19 vaccine certification because they will cover the costs.
A representative from Scott Moe's office said they have "no comment on a politically-charged statement from one of the federal party leaders on a serious health challenge affecting all Canadians."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.