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
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
China's latest EV is a 'connected' car from smart phone and electronics maker Xiaomi
Xiaomi, a well-known maker of smart consumer electronics in China, is joining the country's booming but crowded market for electric cars.