Legault (right) annonncing vax tax, January 11, Photo: Deutsche Welle
February 01, 2022 - "Quebec Premier François Legault says his government will not go ahead with a proposed tax on the unvaccinated, in order to protect 'social cohesion' in the province. Legault made the announcement at a news conference Tuesday, where he also eased restrictions on gyms and sports activities. The tax, first announced in January by the premier, would have imposed a monetary penalty on Quebecers who are eligible but who refuse to get their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
"Legault says while his government has a bill ready to go, he's decided not to table it after seeing 'growing discontent' in the population.... Still, Legault denied that he was backing down due to demands by organizers of a protest planned for Thursday in Quebec City. He said he had already begun to have discussions 'last week' about scrapping the tax....
"Legault reiterated Tuesday that data shows unvaccinated people are much more likely to end up in hospital and are at a higher risk of dying from COVID-19. But he said instead of a tax, the government will use different measures to try to persuade people to get vaccinated, such as sending teams door-to-door to offer at-home vaccination, or to encourage people to make an appointment.
"Community advocates, bioethicists and other experts raised concerns about the proposal, saying that more education was needed, instead of punitive measures. Others questioned the legal ramifications, saying the proposed tax could run afoul of the Canada Health Act.
"Vardit Ravitsky, a professor of bioethics at the Université de Montréal and at Harvard medical school, says ... the proposal touched a nerve with many across the province and the country, because of how Canadian society views the right to health care. 'We see health as something that we get from the government free of charge, and the notion of attaching a tax or a penalty to the domain of health seems a step in the wrong direction,' she said....
"Opposition parties accused Legault Tuesday of only floating the idea of the tax in order to distract from the resignation of former public health director Dr. Horacio Arruda, something Legault denies."
Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/vax-tax-nixed-1.6334828
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