Liberals and Conservatives block NDP motion to protect people around the world from more deadly COVID variants

Ottawa - Yesterday, the NDP's Critic for Foreign Affairs and International Development, Heather McPherson, moved a motion in the House of Commons to urge the Government of Canada to do more to address global vaccine equity. Experts have been clear that as long as the world remains unvaccinated, new variants will emerge and the pandemic will continue. However, members of the Liberals and Conservatives chose to block the motion.

"The federal government must urgently fix its approach to vaccine equity," said McPherson. "We proposed simple steps the government could take immediately to help ensure more vaccines get into the arms of people in low-income countries, who are most at risk from this pandemic. I am profoundly disappointed that the other parties did not deem this urgent. Canadians won't be safe from this virus until the rest of the world is safe too."

New Democrats have been calling on the Liberal government to address global vaccine equity for months to protect Canadians and people around the world from more deadly variants of COVID-19. Time and time again Liberals have chosen to stand up for the profits of big pharma instead of people in need.

New Democrats will continue to call on the government to act on this urgent issue so Canadians and people around the world are protected from COVID-19.