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
Canada's most wanted fugitive arrested in P.E.I. in connection with Toronto homicide
A suspect in a fatal shooting in Toronto’s east end last summer has been arrested in Charlottetown, just one week after he topped a list of Canada’s most wanted fugitives.
BREAKING Federal employees will be required to spend 3 days a week in the office
Starting in September, public servants in the core public administration will be required to work in the office a minimum of three days a week. The Treasury Board Secretariat says executives will need to be in the office four days per week.
Concerns about plexiglass prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall plexiglass barriers.
OPP officer said 'someone's going to get hurt' before wrong-way Hwy. 401 crash
As multiple Durham police cruisers were chasing a robbery suspect on the wrong side of Highway 401 Monday night, an Ontario Provincial Police officer shared his concerns, telling a dispatcher, "Someone's going to get hurt."
Poilievre returns to House unrepentant for calling Trudeau 'wacko,' Speaker not resigning
An unrepentant Pierre Poilievre returned to the House of Commons on Wednesday to pepper the prime minister about his drug decriminalization policies after being booted the day prior for refusing to take back calling Justin Trudeau 'wacko' over his approach to the issue.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Göring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
Toddler of Phoenix first responder dies after bounce house goes airborne
A two-year-old child died after a strong gust of wind sent the bounce house he was in airborne and into a neighbouring lot in central Arizona, the Pinal County Sheriff's Office said.
Plane overshoots runway at airport in St. John's, N.L., no injuries reported
Investigators from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada are headed to St. John's, N.L., after a plane overshot a runway at the city's airport this afternoon.
A teen was found buried in a basement in New York. An engraved ring helped police learn her identity two decades later
For more than two decades, the unknown victim was nicknamed "Midtown Jane Doe" because she was found in the Hell's Kitchen neighbourhood of New York City. But this week, investigators finally revealed her identity.