Conservative Shadow Minister of Health Michelle Rempel Garner expressed concern over potential restrictions to access to vaccines, following the European Union's passing of emergency legislation restricting exports.
Ottawa has assured Canadians that the new law would not affect exports to Canada. A spokesperson for Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade Mary Ng told The Canadian Press that the minister's EU counterparts assured her that the measures would not have an impact on vaccine shipments to Canada—No written assurances exist, however.
Conservative health critic Michelle Rempel Garner says her party is looking for written assurances from EU & other countries that Canada will not be affected by potential vaccine export restrictions. Conservatives also want govt to provide clarity to provinces on supply. #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/4V0QOTiy26
— CPAC (@CPAC_TV) March 24, 2021
During Wednesday's press conference, Rempel Garner called for the prime minister to explain why there were no written assurances, and highlighting that there were similar reports of the situation arising in India in regards to vaccine exports.
"The prime minister needs to explain why we don't have written assurances.
Supply has been a key component. Verbal assurances are not what provinces are looking for, they're looking for certainty," said the Calgary-Nose Hill MP. "What Conservatives are looking for is written assurances on scheduling, and whether export restrictions would impact Canada."
Rempel Garner called the situation "highly problematic," saying that the Trudeau Liberals proceeded with a "deadly lack of detail" by not having written exemptions from the EU.
"The rubber's hitting the road" with the spread of variants, said Rempel Garner, saying that variant spread was "a concern to provincial governments in terms of further lockdown restrictions... a wink and a nod is not going to cut it."
In regards to the 1.5 million vaccines that the Biden administration offered to Canada, Rempel Garner noted that the committed doses have yet to arrive to Canadian shores, and that the doses are "on loan," adding that there is not a clear understanding of what the term means, leaving the possibility open for Canada to have to repay the US for the aid.
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