The House of Commons will drop its COVID-19 vaccine mandate on June 20, the same day that other federal vaccination requirements are lifted..A vaccine mandate requiring anyone entering the House of Commons precinct to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, including MPs, staff and journalists, has been in place since the 44th Parliament began in November 2021..Under the mandate, those who could not provide a vaccine pass had to either give a valid “medical contraindication” or proof of a recent negative rapid antigen test in order to enter the Parliamentary Precinct buildings..The Board of Internal Economy, the bipartisan committee of MPs that oversees the inner workings of the House of Commons, made the decision..The House of Commons' Speaker later found the board overstepped when imposing the mandate, but the policy was upheld through a motion backed by the Liberals and NDP..On Thursday, Government House Leader Mark Holland moved the motion to suspend the vaccination requirement. It received unanimous backing from all parties. .Parliament's vaccine mandate received renewed attention when Conservative MP Cathay Wagantall was removed from the House of Commons for refusing to show proof of vaccination..MPs then began discussing lifting the mandate this week, after the federal government announced its COVID-19 vaccination requirements for the public service and for domestic and outbound Canadian travellers would end on Monday..In the House on Thursday, Conservative House Leader John Brassard expressed optimism that, "we have moved beyond the hybrid Parliament system, and that we are going to return this place in a normal fashion, and return back to normalcy."
The House of Commons will drop its COVID-19 vaccine mandate on June 20, the same day that other federal vaccination requirements are lifted..A vaccine mandate requiring anyone entering the House of Commons precinct to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, including MPs, staff and journalists, has been in place since the 44th Parliament began in November 2021..Under the mandate, those who could not provide a vaccine pass had to either give a valid “medical contraindication” or proof of a recent negative rapid antigen test in order to enter the Parliamentary Precinct buildings..The Board of Internal Economy, the bipartisan committee of MPs that oversees the inner workings of the House of Commons, made the decision..The House of Commons' Speaker later found the board overstepped when imposing the mandate, but the policy was upheld through a motion backed by the Liberals and NDP..On Thursday, Government House Leader Mark Holland moved the motion to suspend the vaccination requirement. It received unanimous backing from all parties. .Parliament's vaccine mandate received renewed attention when Conservative MP Cathay Wagantall was removed from the House of Commons for refusing to show proof of vaccination..MPs then began discussing lifting the mandate this week, after the federal government announced its COVID-19 vaccination requirements for the public service and for domestic and outbound Canadian travellers would end on Monday..In the House on Thursday, Conservative House Leader John Brassard expressed optimism that, "we have moved beyond the hybrid Parliament system, and that we are going to return this place in a normal fashion, and return back to normalcy."
