Vaccine mandates were most divisive in regions where Liberals held the fewest seats, according to pre-election polling held by the Liberal government days before the last election was called..“Regionally, there were a few notable differences,” said a pollsters’ report, Continuous Qualitative Data Collection of Canadians’ Views. “While the group in Atlantic Canada indicated unanimous support for requiring proof of vaccination for domestic flights, the Alberta and Saskatchewan group was unanimous in opposing this idea.”.“When asked if they had privacy concerns about this issue, participants from Atlantic Canada were unconcerned, while those located in Alberta and Saskatchewan felt disclosure of vaccination status should be a personal decision,” the report said..According to Blacklock’s Reporter, the findings were based on interviews held from last July 7 to August 10. The Liberal government announced vaccine mandates for air and train passengers on August 13 and Trudeau called the election on August 15..The focus group research also showed Canadians were fearful of COVID-19 and a likely fourth wave of infections and lockdowns. “Many participants remained anxious about the possibility of a fourth wave,” said Canadians’ Views. “The sense was general fatigue with restrictions.”.Vaccine mandates were found to be least popular on the Prairies, according to pollsters. “Some expressed discomfort with employing this type of measure as a means of encouraging vaccine uptake and preferred a stronger focus on underscoring the safety of the vaccine and the positive outcomes of higher vaccination rates,” wrote The Strategic Counsel..“Participants raised issues around privacy, concerns about other countries not recognizing those who received mixed doses, the possible extension of a vaccine passport domestically for restaurants, bars and other venues, and the fact it was thought to be a controversial issue in the United States,” said the report..Opponents of vaccine mandates saw them as “overreach on the part of the Government of Canada,” said Canadians’ Views. Some expressed concern that a proof of vaccination program would create a two-tiered system in Canada of vaccinated and unvaccinated Canadians.”.Prior to polling, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly opposed vaccine mandates as extreme and divisive, saying there were “a broad range of reasons why someone might not get vaccinated,” on January 14, 2021..“I think the indications that the vast majority of Canadians are looking to get vaccinated will get us to a good place without having to take more extreme measures that could have real divisive impacts on community and country,” the prime minister said at the time..After the polling was done, the prime minister called opponents of vaccine mandates a “small fringe minority” with “unacceptable views,” “anti-vaxxer mobs,” “people who wave swastikas,” unfit parents who are “putting at risk our kids” and “extremists who don’t believe in science.”.Matthew Horwood is the Parliamentary Bureau Chief of the Western Standard
