OTTAWA-
The Liberal government is defending the military’s continued use of a vaccination mandate for members of the Armed Forces as a condition of employment amid pressure to end the requirement and questions about when an “adjustment promised will finally be unveiled.
The Canadian Armed Forces have required since December that all soldiers receive two injections of a recognized COVID-19 vaccine or face disciplinary action, including forced withdrawal from the military.
While the vast majority of service members uncovered their weapons for shooting, more than 1,100 did not. More than 400 of them have since hung up their uniforms, voluntarily or involuntarily, and others are on the way out.
The requirement remains in place even though the warrants of other federal workers have been suspended. The government announced this week that vaccination requirements for international travelers will also be lifted on Saturday.
It was against this backdrop that Tory Leader Pierre Poilievre this week called on the Liberals to end what he described as the military’s ‘discriminatory and unscientific vaccination mandate’, although the decision will ultimately come down to to the Chief of the Defense Staff, General Wayne Eyre.
On Thursday, Defense Minister Anita Anand expressed support for the mandate as she and other federal ministers briefed Canadians on hurricane recovery efforts in Atlantic Canada.
“It is a force that must be ready at all times to conduct national and international military operations, sometimes in places where access to specialized medical care is limited or non-existent, sometimes in very close quarters with their fellow members. of the Canadian Armed Forces,” she said.
“Therefore, the Canadian Armed Forces have a stricter requirement to enforce health protection measures.”
Anand noted that Eyre is reviewing the requirement after the government lifts its warrants for other federal employees. “Pending that review,” she added, “(Eyre’s) guidelines remain in effect for CAF members until further notice.”
Exactly when this review may be completed remains a mystery, however.
Defense Ministry spokesman Daniel Le Bouthillier on Thursday described the review as “a complex issue”, with the military having to “balance medical and legal imperatives, ethical considerations and operational requirements”.
“The CAF will continue to take a measured approach and make a decision when it is deemed operationally safe.”
The department first reported that the mandate was being reviewed in June, and a draft of a revised vaccine policy obtained by the Ottawa Citizen in July suggested vaccine requirements for military personnel would be lifted.
The draft document, which officials said was not approved by Eyre, said military personnel and new recruits would no longer have to certify their vaccination status.
The document also noted potential legal difficulties ahead in dealing with people who have been kicked out of the military due to the vaccine mandate, suggesting they could be forced to seek re-enlistment.
By contrast, other unvaccinated federal officials were placed on unpaid leave but allowed to return to work when the term was suspended.
However, Eyre indicated in an interview with The Canadian Press last month that an “adjustment” was brewing in a few weeks as he tried to find the “sweet spot” between the medical, legal, operational and ethical demands of the company. ‘army.
At the same time, he called for the mandate needed to keep the military ready to respond to any emergency, noting that the force was called upon to assist in hospitals and long-term care facilities across Canada, and that many allies and foreign nations still have mandates.
“We must maintain our operational viability in the future,” he said. “So over the next few weeks we’re going to be fine-tuning the policy, we’ll be releasing something amended.”
A number of serving military members have unsuccessfully challenged the mandate in court, while some groups and individuals opposed to vaccination mandates, pandemic lockdowns and the Liberal government have used the military’s continued demand as a rallying point. .
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on September 29, 2022.