Unvaccinated Quebecers will have to pay a health tax, Legault says | CBC News - Verity Stevenson & Isaac Olson:
January 11, 2022 - "Quebec Premier François Legault said Tuesday the province would be imposing a health tax on Quebecers who refuse to get their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in the coming weeks. 'We're looking for a health contribution for adults who refuse to be vaccinated for non-medical reasons,' Legault said at a news conference.... Legault did not say when the payment would take effect or how much it would cost, but he did say he wanted it to be significant enough to act as an incentive to get vaccinated — more than $50 or $100, he added. Legault said details would be revealed 'in the coming weeks.' He said the contribution could be included in people's provincial tax filings, but he did not say whether it would be in those for 2021, which are to be filed by April 30, 2022....
"Roughly 10 per cent of eligible Quebecers remain unvaccinated, but health officials say they take up about 50 per cent of COVID-19 beds in hospitals. Hospitals were dealing with severe staff shortages before the Omicron variant began spreading in the province, which seriously exacerbated those shortages. Several regional health boards have had to cancel up to 80 per cent of non-urgent and semi-urgent surgeries to free up staff to help with COVID-19 infections.
"Legault said his government was also looking at further expanding the use of the province's vaccination passport to businesses, such as hairdressers and other personal care services, but that he wanted to 'go further' than that with the tax.... 'It's a question of fairness for 90 per cent of the population, which has made some sacrifices,' Legault said, referring to those who have at least one vaccine dose."
Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/unvaccinated-health-contribution-quebec-1.6311054
A tax on the unvaxxed would be legally and ethically questionable — even if it worked | CBC News - Aaron Wherry:
January 13, 2022 - "Though the details have not been finalized, it does not seem that what Legault is proposing would run afoul of a strict reading of the Canada Health Act.... Legault is not proposing a direct fee for necessary medical services. Whether an annual tax on the unvaccinated undermines the idea of universal medicare is more of a philosophical or political question.... But there are other big legal and ethical questions to ask about such a policy.
"The [Charter of Rights] argument that will be made is that basically, [you're] doing something coercive," said Lorian Hardcastle, a law professor at the University of Calgary. 'We probably will see people argue that [Quebec's proposal] violates the [charter] rights to life, liberty and security of the person. And there are cases that talk about [how] part of that right to life, liberty and security of the person is bodily autonomy and making your own medical decisions and the right to self-determination.... 'Could they have achieved increased vaccination rates through mechanisms other than this kind of coercive mechanism?' Hardcastle said. 'We don't ordinarily prescribe what health care treatments people must get.... And so this is quite a jump, and we wouldn't want to make this jump if there were other stones left unturned'....
"It's the degree of coerciveness, Hardcastle said, that separates a tax from other restrictions, such as barring the unvaccinated from accessing non-essential businesses or activities. When it comes to limits on movement, the unvaccinated have easy options. If they can't enter a restaurant, they can order delivery. A number of other current public policies might seem loosely analogous to what Legault proposed ... – governments already draw much revenue from 'sin taxes' on cigarettes, alcohol and gambling. Newfoundland and Labrador will soon have a tax on sugary beverages..... But again, there are relatively simple ways to avoid those charges: you can choose to not purchase cigarettes or alcohol. The level of coercion involved in demanding that someone be vaccinated is much higher than it is with seatbelt laws and the courts would be much more protective of medical autonomy, Hardcastle said.
"Vardit Ravitsky, a bioethics professor at the University of Montreal, argued that such a tax would raise equity concerns and could place a disproportionate burden on low-income citizens.... But other implications also need to be considered. Ravitsky said that 'anything that targets specific groups in the context of health … can make it more socially acceptable to target that group further.... What scares me the most is the idea ... that within the health care system, once patients arrive and they need care, even at that point, they will be prioritized or assessed based on their vaccination status. I think that goes against core principles of medical ethics'....
"Ravitsky said she's also troubled by the idea that the frustration and impatience the vaccinated feel toward the unvaccinated could drive government health policy. On Monday, Legault said he understood the 'anger' of the vaccinated. 'You don't want the public to think that public health measures are politically chosen to appease the angry, tired majority,' she said. 'That's not a reason for public health."
Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/legault-tax-unvaccinated-pandemic-covid-omicron-1.6312706
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