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.
'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.
'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.
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.
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.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
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.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'