The Liberal government began repealing COVID-19 mandates within weeks of being warned in a pollsters’ report the measures were unpopular and divisive, records show. “Some felt they had lost their sense of trust in the federal government,” said an internal report..“Several felt the federal approach had lost direction as the government continued to implement public health measures and requirements that participants felt were no longer effective in curbing the spread of COVID-19,” said a report to the Privy Council Office by a research firm, The Strategic Counsel..According to Blacklock's Reporter, the report was dated May 16. Cabinet weeks later on June 14 abruptly announced it was suspending a vaccine mandate for domestic travelers and federal employees imposed last November 20. “We have done our homework,” Transport Minister Omar Alghabra told reporters at the time..The pollsters’ report Continuous Qualitative Data Collection of Canadians’ Views found many people surveyed considered mask mandates pointless. The public health orders “had little impact overall with some feeling in many cases they had done more harm than good,” wrote researchers..Vaccine mandates were most unpopular. “All participants were of the view vaccine requirements had been largely harmful, believing they had been divisive, ineffective and unfairly targeted those who had made the personal decision to not get vaccinated,” said Canadians Views..Findings were drawn from focus groups nationwide. The Privy Council Office commissioned the research under a $2.4 million annual contract for monthly data on public issues..“It was primarily felt the decision to get vaccinated was a personal one and given the perception that vaccinated and non-vaccinated individuals can both transmit the virus, it was felt this did not make much of a difference regarding the level of safety of those who were not fully vaccinated,” wrote researchers..Vaccine mandates “represented overreach on the part of the federal government and unfairly infringed upon those who made the personal choice to not get vaccinated for COVID-19,” respondents told The Strategic Counsel. “As a result of this some felt they had lost their sense of trust in the federal government.”.“Specifically, a number of participants expressed disappointment regarding the continued implementation of federal vaccine-related mandates, particularly those limiting the ability of non-vaccinated Canadians to travel by air or rail,” said Canadians’ Views..“A few also felt those who lost their jobs due to lack of compliance with federal vaccine mandates had been unfairly treated by the Government of Canada, believing individuals’ careers should not have been impacted by what they perceived to be personal health decisions,” said the report..The last of the federal mandates, a requirement that border-crossing travelers show proof of vaccination and that all air and rail passengers wear masks in transit, were lifted Saturday. “We will continue to monitor the situation and follow the science,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters.
