top of page
Post: Blog2 Post
Writer's picturePrejudice Awareness

Unvaccinated are 'the most discriminated group,' Alberta premier says




Alberta's premier, during her first media conference on the job, said the way that unvaccinated residents have been treated is "unacceptable" and she is looking to defend their rights while she is in office.

Danielle Smith made the comments in Edmonton on Tuesday after she was officially sworn in. During the media availability afterward, she was asked about why she felt vaccine choice needed to be protected.

"The community that faced the most restrictions on their freedoms in the last year were those that made a choice not to be vaccinated," Premier Smith said.

"I don't think I've ever experienced a situation, in my lifetime, where a person was fired from their job or not allowed to watch their kids play hockey or not allowed to visit a loved one in long-term care or hospital or allowed to get on a plane to go across the country to see family or travel across the border."

She says unvaccinated Canadians "have been the most discriminated group" that she's witnessed in her lifetime.

"That's a pretty extreme level of discrimination that we have seen," she said. "This has been an extraordinary time in the last year in particular and I want people to know that I find that unacceptable."

Meanwhile, Alberta's Official Opposition says Smith's outlook on unvaccinated Albertans is another way that the UCP has refused to change its stance on any marginalized group.

NDP justice critic Irfan Sabir says, in Alberta, there has been discrimination in all fronts.

"People are literally getting hurt because of their faith," he told CTV News in an interview. "Hate-motivated crimes are on the rise.

"We also know the UCP has not made any meaningful steps toward reconciliation. They have not taken action to combat racism or hate-motivated crimes. They have not even committed to collecting race-based data."




Comentários


bottom of page