Ontario Liberals denounce Liberal MPP who asked for exemptions for unvaccinated health-care workers
Ontario’s Liberal Party is distancing itself from one of its own MPPs after he privately asked the provincial government to help a health-care worker remain on the job while unvaccinated.
Michael Gravelle, who served as a cabinet minister under Premiers Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne, recently sent an email to the Minister of Health and Minister of Long-Term Care looking to help an unvaccinated personal support worker with 30 years experience who lives in Gravelle’s riding of Thunder Bay – Superior North.
The email, sent on Oct. 14, was given to journalists at Queen’s Park by the press secretary to Health Minister Christine Elliott.
“[Name redacted] has chosen not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and now faces job loss due to this decision,” the email from Gravelle reads. “As [an] MPP, I hope that some accommodation of vaccine-refusing workers in Ontario like [name redacted] might be made.”
Gravelle goes on to ask whether regular COVID-19 testing could be an option for health-care workers “who do not want the vaccine and want to keep working.”
Gravelle’s private advocacy comes as the Liberal Party tries to further legislation that would make vaccinations mandatory for the healthcare and education sectors. The bill was tabled by Liberal House Leader John Fraser on Oct. 7 – a week before Gravelle’s email.
The Ford government said, in a statement, the email demonstrates the Liberal party is willing to “say one thing in the media and another behind closed doors.”
“The [Steven] Del Duca Liberals will publicly push forward a bill for mandatory vaccines while privately advocating against mandatory vaccines and their consequences,” the statement from the Minister of Health’s office said.
The Liberal party immediately disavowed Gravelle’s comments.
“MPP Gravelle’s comments were wrong and completely out of line with the Ontario Liberal Party’s position on mandatory vaccinations,” the statement from the party said.
“Health-care and education workers must be fully vaccinated, and we will continue advocating for strong mandates to protect our most vulnerable.”
Gravelle, who remains a member of the Ontario Liberal caucus, later issued a statement of his own supporting his party’s position on mandatory vaccinations.
“I deeply regret that I sent a letter to the government requesting ‘advice’ on potential accommodations for COVID-19 vaccinations for health-care workers in the rovince, including those from my riding,” Gravelle said in a statement.
“In my effort to assist a constituent, I made a mistake and, as I said, I regret doing that.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Stamp prices rise for the third time in five years amid financial woes for Canada Post
Canada Post is increasing stamp prices for the third time since 2019, a move the Crown corporation says is a "reality" of its sales-based revenue structure.
NDP calls out Conservatives for effort to squash pharmacare legislation
The federal New Democrats are calling out Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his party for trying to block the bill that could pave the way for millions of Canadians to access birth control and diabetes coverage.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
Ontario MPP asked again to leave Ontario legislature over keffiyeh, Speaker loosens ban
An Ontario MPP was asked again to leave the Ontario legislature on Monday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that was banned by the Speaker last month due to its political symbolism.
WATCH Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreaks spread, warns expert
H5N1 or avian flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading among cattle in the United States, sparking concerns about 'pandemic potential' for humans. Now a health expert is urging Canada to scale up surveillance north of the border.
Trudeau Liberals to unveil new bill Monday aimed at countering foreign interference
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc will be tabling legislation on Monday aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada. Federal officials have scheduled a technical briefing on the incoming bill for Monday afternoon.
Human remains were found at a former Hitler base, but decay prevents determining the cause of death
Polish prosecutors have discontinued an investigation into human skeletons found at a site where German dictator Adolf Hitler and other Nazi leaders spent time during the Second World War because the advanced state of decay made it impossible to determine the cause of death, a spokesman said Monday.