Northumberland Labour Council Asks for No Election
With reports of a possible spring or early summer election, Northumberland Labour Council is concerned about the health and safety of election workers, volunteers, and voters. We are asking for No Election until majority of Canadians are vaccinated against Covid-19.
Letter sent to Prime Minister Trudeau, Federal Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole, Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, and local MPP Conservative Philip Lawrence.
Re: Possible Spring Election
On March 1, 2021, Global news reported that a House of Commons committee urged Trudeau not to call an election amid COVID-19.
In that report developed by the Procedure and House affairs committee, even Liberal members supported a recommendation calling for a commitment that there will be no election during the pandemic, unless Trudeau’s minority Liberal government is defeated on a confidence vote.
Yet the Liberal government continues to try and pass Bill C-19 which is about adding a new part to the Canada Elections Act that provides for temporary rules to ensure the safe administration of an election in the context of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
The Liberal government is reported to be saying this legislation needs to be passed because the government needs such measures only in case the government falls, but how can we be sure of that?
Like other media is reporting, and since Elections Canada has called our local riding, we too feel the liberals are preparing to call an election before the majority of Canadian adults are vaccinated. We feel such a strategy is self-serving and unnecessary.
After a year of regularly recommending that we stay at home unless we have to go out, Northumberland Labour Council does not see how the same Liberal government can feel it is OK to call an election. Where is the consistency in leadership and messaging during a pandemic? Should the desire to have a majority government be more important than the health and safety of Canadians? Where is the compassion for the thousands of election workers and volunteers, never mind the voters themselves?
Until the majority of adults are vaccinated, the concern remains that we could face a third wave in various areas within Canada because of the increased transmission risk due to the growing existence of variants. It has been said that “we have learned over this past year that preventing the rise of cases is easier than flattening the curve”. (Dr. Adalsteinn Brown, the co-chair of Ontario’s COVID-19 science advisory table).
So let’s continue to do everything possible to prevent a third wave of spread, illness and death. Northumberland Labour Council asks that the federal government wait until the majority of Canadians are vaccinated before even considering calling an election.
Sincerely,
Dan Tobin
President
Northumberland Labour Council