Roundup: A plan to tax the unvaxxed

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By all accounts, it sounded like Quebec premier François Legault was spit-balling policy when, at the press conference to announce the province’s new chief public health officer, he proposed that the province impose additional costs on the unvaccinated in the form of some kind of surtax that would be “significant,” meaning more than $100. There were no details, which is kind of a big deal, but you immediately had other political leaders worried about “slippery slopes,” as though we don’t have other sin taxes on things like alcohol and cigarettes which impose their own significant public health burdens, as well as concerns that this will further disenfranchise those who are already marginalised. And fair enough.

https://twitter.com/EmmMacfarlane/status/1481062196314624000

The concerns about whether this somehow contravenes the Canada Health Act seem to be overblown, as it’s not charging for healthcare services, but other concerns about just how this might be implemented remain, as professors like Jennifer Robson articulate below.

Good reads:

  • Justin Trudeau had a call with the Ukrainian president as American talks with Russia continue in Geneva in the hopes of forestalling an invasion.
  • There are contracts for up to 100 million Pfizer and Moderna doses this year.
  • Some employer groups are suggesting that parental leave be spun off as a separate programme and not be part of EI.
  • A planeload of Afghan human rights activists, journalists and women leaders have arrived in Canada, six months after the refugee programme was opened.
  • The Federal Court ruled that the RCMP Commissioner has flouted the law by not responding to Civilian Review and Complaints Commission reports in due time.
  • American authorities want more information on the PEI potato wart situation before they will allow imports to resume.
  • The Order of Canada’s advisory council has opted not to strip Julie Payette of her honours after the allegations of a toxic workplace at Rideau Hall.
  • Ontario is allowing internationally-trained nurses who don’t yet have Canadian certification to start working in hospitals due to COVID.
  • Kady O’Malley’s Process Nerd column previews the trio of emergency committee meetings that have been requested over the next week.
  • At The Line, Rahim Mohamed takes a look at Quebec’s subsided child care system 25 years after its inception, now that it’s the model being rolled out across Canada.
  • Heather Scoffield worries about the extent of the economic damage that the omicron wave is going to have on Canada given the state of things.
  • Althia Raj sees a pattern whereby François Legault seems to prefer sticks to carrots when it comes to encouraging vaccinations.
  • My column disputes the notion that Justin Trudeau is “normalizing lockdowns,” particularly when accommodating the unvaxxed makes them more likely.

Odds and ends:

Maclean’s has an explainer about upgrading from cloth masks to N-95-equivalent respirator masks to combat omicron.

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2 thoughts on “Roundup: A plan to tax the unvaxxed”

  1. At last Afghan refugees have arrived…..better late than never. The problem for the government has always bee getting into Afghanistan to identify where the refugees are hiding and if that is known, getting the Taliban to let them go. The task, no matter who might tell you differently is more than daunting. Each small group that gets out is a victory. Canada will continue to press the issue but hatred of All things not Taliban runs deep. Revenge is common currency there, lies and deceit abound. If Canada would pony up a few billion dollars I think the Taliban would take notice. but under the circumstances they use their own people as hostages.

    • There have been other flights. This one was the first with that particular type of identified refugees.

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