Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole said comments about vaccines by some members of his caucus are not helpful and are spreading uncertainty about immunization against COVID-19, but he will deal with those issues with his team in private.
The move to distance himself from such comments is the latest development on the issue of mandatory vaccinations for the Conservative leader, who has struggled for weeks to put a lid on questions about where he and his party stand. Some of his MPs are ardently against such policies, while others see it as a lesser issue.
“There's a big difference between advocating for your constituents who may need reasonable accommodation,” said O'Toole. The leader was also asked about comments by Conservative MP Leslyn Lewis - a former leadership rival and favourite of the social conservative wing of the party - who has questioned on social media the efficacy of vaccinating children, and Dean Allison, another Ontario MP. He has hosted broadcasts with scientists who compared natural immunity to vaccinations.
“I don't think that helps in our public discourse. I've tried consistently for a year not to politicize questions about vaccines; to try and find ways to answer questions and reduce hesitancy.”
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