Maxime Bernier plans to join trucker convoy in Ottawa, accuses Trudeau of 'colluding' with Biden on mandates
Maxime Bernier intends to participate in the demonstration of truckers who, according to him, are victims, like all non-vaccinated people, of discriminatory authoritarian measures that must end.
In a virtual press conference on Friday, the leader of the People's Party of Canada (PPC) launched a full-throated charge against the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau government and the provincial governments, accusing them of violating the rights of Canadians with health measures that are the exception, while European countries and American states are lifting their restrictions.
He said that unvaccinated cross-border truckers are safe and should be able to continue their work unhindered at the border. He also condemned similar measures imposed by U.S. authorities at the border, accusing the prime minister of "colluding" with President Joe Biden.
Taking the opportunity to indulge in a purely political exercise, Maxime Bernier congratulated Conservative MPs Candice Bergen and Pierre Poilièvre for their support of the truckers, inviting them to join his party, believing that the Conservative Party and its leader, Erin O'Toole, have become "morally and intellectually corrupt."
He also demanded that the federal government remove the vaccination requirement for public servants and employees of federally regulated companies, rehire all those laid off for this reason, and require severance pay and access to employment insurance for those who choose not to return to work.
He also called for the lifting of the ban on unvaccinated people travelling by plane, train or boat, seeing it as an infringement of their constitutional rights.
Finally, he called on Ottawa to stop financially supporting provinces that are hurting their economies by imposing excessive health measures. Bernier believes that the provinces should be responsible for the costs of their choices.
The leader of the People's Party disassociated himself from the comments of some participants in the truckers' convoy who are calling for violence and from organizers who say they want the current government to be replaced by a committee made up of senators and the governor general. He reminded the audience that democracy must be the basis for changes in government.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Jan. 28, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
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.
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.
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.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
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.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
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.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.