MPP resigns from Tory caucus, disputing that she misrepresented vaccination status
An Ontario member of provincial parliament who was accused of misrepresenting her COVID-19 vaccination status has resigned from the Progressive Conservative caucus, citing a breakdown in trust.
The Tories announced earlier this month that Lindsey Park, who represents Durham, was being stripped of her role as parliamentary assistant to the attorney general.
Government house leader Paul Calandra had said Park would remain in caucus after providing a medical exemption. He said he was under the impression in August that Park "was to be vaccinated," but that she subsequently sought a medical exemption without properly communicating it to him.
Park said in a statement Friday that what Calandra said was false.
"To say I was shocked and horrified would be an understatement," she wrote.
Park said she decided she can't sit as a Progressive Conservative due to "the breakdown in trust that has transpired" and will represent Durham as an independent.
She said she hand-delivered a letter about her medical exemption to the premier's office in August - and followed up after Premier Doug Ford said at a press conference in September that only one caucus member had received a medical exemption, a reference to Christina Mitas, who represents Scarborough Centre.
Calandra said, however, that Park's letter wasn't discovered for nearly a month.
"The letter Ms. Park claims she hand delivered on August 26th was in fact left in an unmarked envelop on an unstaffed desk in the premier's office," he said in a statement Friday. Staff only found the letter after Park contacted the office to inquire whether it had been received, he said.
"To date, no one in the premier's office or the government house leader's office has seen Ms. Park's medical exemption," he said.
Park said her doctor provided a medical exemption because she had a "severe allergic reaction" to a flu vaccine and a grandparent developed Guillain-Barre syndrome following a flu vaccine.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, Guillain-Barre syndrome is a rare autoimmune disorder in which a person's immune system damages nerves, and symptoms can last from a few weeks to several years.
Ontario's official guidance on medical exemptions says "there are very few actual contraindications to available COVID-19 vaccines that would qualify as medical exemptions."
People who have a severe allergy to a component of the vaccine, experienced "serious adverse events" following a first dose, or have medical conditions that may affect their response to immunization should be referred to a specialist such an allergist, the guidance says.
"In many instances, safe administration of subsequent doses of COVID-19 vaccine is possible under the management of an allergist/immunologist," the document says.
Park said her doctor has referred her to an allergist and she is awaiting an appointment date.
Earlier this year, Rick Nicholls, who represents Chatham-Kent-Leamington, was ousted from caucus after he refused to get vaccinated.
The other parties at the Ontario legislature have said all of their caucus members are fully vaccinated.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
Blind Sask. boy heading to international braille competition hopes to increase accessibility for visually impaired
A Saskatchewan boy who qualified for an international braille competition in Los Angeles next month hopes he can inspire change in his home province.
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.