Red Deer-Lacombe MP Blaine Calkins (File Photo)

By Blaine Calkins, MP, Red Deer-Lacombe

"This is not working"

Vaccine mandates for truckers

Jan 22, 2022 | 10:09 AM

This whole notion of vaccine mandates for truckers is just another slap in the face and an insult to people who are smart enough to see that this is not working.

We have never stopped Covid from coming across our borders, and to pull truckers off the road who are providing vital services to Canadians is the wrong answer.

Regardless of what you think about mandatory vaccination, we need our truckers to get food on the shelves, as well as medicine, clothing and all the essentials we need in our day to day lives.

According to the Canadian Trucking Alliance, about 16,000 drivers could be forced off the road. The federal government is stating this only includes about 8,000 drivers. This compounds the existing shortage of approximately 20,000 truckers.

Further delay in an already struggling supply chain will only result in empty grocery store shelves and increased prices for consumers.

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My priority is to ensure food, goods and services are delivered to the store shelves. There are basic certainties that Canadians expect from this government, and the Conservative Party is holding the Liberals to account on failing to provide leadership. It is not leadership to turn people against other people; leadership is solving problems, or at the very least, not contributing to them.

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois (Toronto Sun) said it perfectly: “Canada imports about $21 billion worth of agri-food products from the United States every year, and about 60 to 70% of the food imported arrives on wheels. That’s almost 20% of the food Canadians buy in foodservice and retail.

“Public health measures need to be adapted so the food industry can continue to provide Canadians with safe, affordable food for the next few months as we try to cope with Omicron’s wrath. Food inflation is already a challenge in Canada, and the vaccine mandate affecting truckers could make things worse, especially for families with fewer means.”

The cost of transporting fruit from California and Arizona to Canada climbed 25% last week, George Pitsikoulis, the CEO of Canadawide Fruits, told Bloomberg on Monday.

It appeared that the Liberals had come to terms with the foolishness of the proposed mandates when they flip-flopped on their stance just before they take effect… only to reverse their decision again and put the mandates into effect.

The Conservative Party’s position is to provide reasonable accommodation to allow the economy to get back on track, and for all Canadians to have the opportunity to work and earn a living.

Canadians expect leadership from their government. At least if Liberals are not going to help strengthen supply chains, they should just stay out of the way.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: The views expressed above are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of rdnewsNOW or Pattison Media. Column suggestions and letters to the editor can be sent to news@rdnewsNOW.com.