Juno News - January 24, 2022Conservative leader Erin O’Toole refuses to say if he supports the #TruckersForFreedom convoy
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172.3748
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Summary
Unvaccinated truckers are rolling into Ottawa, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau won t say whether he will meet with them. The Canadian Trucking Alliance says this could be disruptive to the supply chain, but the government won't say whether they support the trucking convoy.
Transcript
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Several of your MPs have tweeted out support for the convoy.
00:00:05.260
One of them saying that he felt the Prime Minister had a vendetta against people who were unvaccinated.
00:00:12.300
Do you support the convoy, its goals, its objectives,
00:00:16.360
even though the Canadian Trucking Alliance says this could be disruptive?
00:00:19.200
And to follow, again, repeat Louis' question, will you meet with them when they come to Ottawa?
00:00:24.320
We've been talking to the Canadian Truckers Alliance, Glenn, for several months.
00:00:27.860
We've seen a crisis in the supply chain coming for several months,
00:00:32.300
and we've proposed policies to try and help alleviate that,
00:00:39.520
And we encourage everyone to get vaccinated and to get boosted.
00:00:42.900
And how can we use those tools alongside the other tools
00:00:47.280
to make sure that we don't see shortages on grocery store shelves?
00:00:52.980
When there's a shortage of products, the costs go up,
00:00:56.000
and Canadians are already 60% worried about paying their grocery bill.
00:01:01.500
So we can't have policies that make that even worse, and we can't raise taxes.
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So that's what we've been advocating for responsibly the last few months, Glenn,
00:01:10.580
is to try and tackle the supply chain crisis, encourage vaccination,
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not ignore problems and divide the country like Mr. Trudeau does.
00:01:18.540
You didn't answer my question about whether you...
00:01:24.820
And we need to make sure we keep store shelves full.
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Maybe you can answer in response to my next question, sir.
00:01:32.260
That's why last week, Glenn, when the policy of the federal government
00:01:34.960
for less than 24 hours reversed on the situation with trucking,
00:01:40.400
the government was floating whether they could actually change their policy
00:01:44.360
to address the supply chain shortage, and they decided not to.
00:01:48.600
I've always said getting vaccination levels up,
00:01:51.340
but also using rapid tests and other tools to make sure products get to store shelves,
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that's what a government needs to do, and that's what we'll continue to advocate for.
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You and other conservatives have called for reasonable accommodations
00:02:04.720
for truckers in particular who are unvaccinated and who could lose their job,
00:02:10.100
and that policy, according to you, could have widespread implications on our economy.
00:02:15.860
But now that there are unvaccinated truckers rolling into Ottawa,
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So what should Canadians think about your position?
00:02:29.840
I support getting as many people vaccinated as possible, including truckers.
1.00
00:02:34.500
And I've probably, with the exception of a few doctors who are on TV every day,
00:02:38.900
I've probably encouraged vaccination more than any Canadian.
00:02:43.360
And that's our most critical tool to reduce the severity of COVID,
00:02:48.900
but also to get this public health crisis under control.
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I've also said there's going to be opportunity to use rapid tests
00:03:00.200
We have a supply chain crisis right now that is helping fuel inflation,
00:03:04.980
in addition to Mr. Trudeau's spending and other policies.
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How can we tackle that by prioritizing vaccines, prioritizing public health,
00:03:14.160
but reducing pink slips and getting goods on shelves?
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I think that's what governments at all levels have to do.
00:03:21.460
So what's your message then to truckers who have maybe spent the past month
00:03:29.540
and calling for reasonable accommodations and rapid tests?
00:03:33.520
Will you meet with them when they come to Ottawa?
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Do you support their efforts and coming all the way here?
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What's your message to truckers who might be disappointed
00:03:41.680
that you are dodging questions and when you won't say whether you'll meet with them?
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We've been meeting with the Canadian Trucking Association for several months.
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And at every occasion, I encourage truckers to get vaccinated.
00:04:03.180
And that's how we have to tackle this pandemic.
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to make sure we don't see shortages on shelves.
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Because what happens with shortages means prices go up.
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And at a time we have record inflation, Canadians can't afford that.
00:04:21.640
That's why I'm calling for a break today for Canadian families.
1.00
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but also advocate for people to not lose their house or their home or their livelihood
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if we can come up with a way to tackle the supply chain crisis
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Mr. Trudeau's government flip-flopped a week or so ago.
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already saying they're struggling to pay their grocery bills.
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and let's tackle the supply chain shortage at the same time.