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I'm getting slammed for sponsoring a petition on vaccine protocol for COVID-19.
@cmaconthehill, @EvanLSolomon, @michaelcoren and others know very well how the petitions process works in Parliament.
@cmaconthehill, @EvanLSolomon, @michaelcoren and others know very well how the petitions process works in Parliament.
Any Canadian can author a petition, and if certified by the House of Commons & sponsored by an MP, that petition can be introduced and the government is required to respond within 45 days. It is an excellent tool of direct democracy, and I will always support it.
The petition I sponsored was written by the petitioner in her own words, without input from me. The point is to allow citizens to voice their concerns directly to the government. If MPs always agreed with every aspect of a petition - many would never be sponsored.
I have sponsored several petitions over my tenure in parliament. As a rule, I do not censor or "tell" people what concerns they should have. Why should I? Canadian's have a right to voice their concerns in their own voice - and that's EXACTLY what petitions are for.
As to the specifics of the petition, like all of us I support informed consent, and transparent and reasonable safety protocols. The specifics and wording are the petitioner's own, but I support her right to raise her concerns.
Read the petition for yourself and what it actually calls for: https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-2961
