Ron Schuler, Progressive Conservative infrastructure minister since 2016, was the only one of 57 Manitoba MLAs who refused to reveal his COVID-19 vaccination status..He’s not a cabinet minister anymore..Schuler will be replaced by Brandon West MLA Reg Helwer as infrastructure minister responsible for Manitoba Emergency Measure Organization, Premier Heather Stefanson announced in a press release..No reason was given by Stefanson for ousting Schuler, who was elected to represent Springfield-Ritchot five times since 1999..However, on the heels of the announcement Schuler put out a tweet: “Liberty has its price, today I paid for mine.”.Schuler has been a fierce advocate of protecting fundamental civil liberties which includes the right to protect private health information..“My personal health information is a private matter and I do not discuss my personal health information publicly,” he said in a written statement to Western Standard in December. .Schuler, the black sheep of the Manitoba Tory family, faced tremendous pressure for declining to comment on his vaccination status, which he still declines to do. .He has publicly stated he is not against vaccines..Stefanson decreed a COVID-19 vaccination mandate effective December 15 for everyone entering the legislature. Last month she announced that all Tory MLAs were vaccinated. .“While we have not seen eye-to-eye on everything, I want to thank Ron Schuler for his over five years of service as a cabinet minister for various portfolios,” the premier told CBC. .Schuler served as minister of Crown Services and Infrastructure prior to his latest cabinet post..Slobodian is the Senior Manitoba Columnist for the Western Standard.lslobodian@westernstandardonline.com
Ron Schuler, Progressive Conservative infrastructure minister since 2016, was the only one of 57 Manitoba MLAs who refused to reveal his COVID-19 vaccination status..He’s not a cabinet minister anymore..Schuler will be replaced by Brandon West MLA Reg Helwer as infrastructure minister responsible for Manitoba Emergency Measure Organization, Premier Heather Stefanson announced in a press release..No reason was given by Stefanson for ousting Schuler, who was elected to represent Springfield-Ritchot five times since 1999..However, on the heels of the announcement Schuler put out a tweet: “Liberty has its price, today I paid for mine.”.Schuler has been a fierce advocate of protecting fundamental civil liberties which includes the right to protect private health information..“My personal health information is a private matter and I do not discuss my personal health information publicly,” he said in a written statement to Western Standard in December. .Schuler, the black sheep of the Manitoba Tory family, faced tremendous pressure for declining to comment on his vaccination status, which he still declines to do. .He has publicly stated he is not against vaccines..Stefanson decreed a COVID-19 vaccination mandate effective December 15 for everyone entering the legislature. Last month she announced that all Tory MLAs were vaccinated. .“While we have not seen eye-to-eye on everything, I want to thank Ron Schuler for his over five years of service as a cabinet minister for various portfolios,” the premier told CBC. .Schuler served as minister of Crown Services and Infrastructure prior to his latest cabinet post..Slobodian is the Senior Manitoba Columnist for the Western Standard.lslobodian@westernstandardonline.com
