(Ottawa) There were few in the Liberal ranks to throw stones at MP Joël Lightbound the day after he came out on the “politicization” of vaccination, even if it “hurt” and that the timing “was badly chosen”. On the other hand, an elected official who was punished for traveling during the holidays also broke ranks.
Posted at 6:09 p.m.
The Liberal caucus met on Wednesday for its weekly meeting, the day after the speech by the MP for Louis-Hébert. Some of those who were in parliament dropped “no comment” at the microphones of journalists.
Others have.
“It’s important for MPs that they say what they think,” said Government House Leader Mark Holland. “But for us, it is obvious that the federal restrictions [doivent demeurer en place pour l’heure] “, he added.
Ontario MP Ruby Sahota expressed her disagreement with her colleague’s positions, and especially the moment he chose to communicate them, while downtown Ottawa has been paralyzed by the “freedom convoy” for almost two weeks.
“I think it can fuel confusion. It’s not a good timing “, she argued.
As for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was not spared the criticism of MP Lightbound, he was pleased to be at the head of a party where a “diversity of opinions” is expressed, where ” we talk and we listen”.
Normally, these discussions take place behind closed doors, in caucus.
So yes, this public outing “hurt us as caucus”, because “it is often interpreted as if it was a big division when it comes out of this framework”, agrees MP Alexandra Mendès in an interview.
The elected representative of Brossard–Saint-Lambert, who supports measures such as the imposition of vaccination for truckers, does not deny that Justin Trudeau’s tone is “dividing” insofar as “there are always people who go to be against [la vaccination] “.
But she doesn’t see the need to adjust it: “I find that times sometimes justify certain things. I am not defending the Prime Minister blindly, but I am definitely defending him on this issue. »
Elected officials “have had enough”
This is not the case of his Quebec colleague Yves Robillard.
According to what he told the publication The Hill Timesseveral elected members of the Liberal caucus “have had enough”, so much so that they “will not spend the rest of the mandate like that”.
If he has any criticisms to make of Justin Trudeau, he also obviously has a grudge against the party whip, Steven MacKinnon, who stripped him of his position on the National Defense committee because he flew to the Costa Rica last winter.
He clipped my wings, and he’s going to regret it, I tell you. He just doesn’t do that to me, and I don’t need that. It disturbs me, because my mental health is paying the price.
Yves Robillard, PLC MP
Joël Lightbound’s public criticism did not cost him his place in the Liberal caucus, nor his position as chair of the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology. However, he resigned from his position as president of the Quebec caucus.