A Crack in the Liberal Dam: Joel Lightbound Breaks Ranks

Liberal MP decries ‘politicization’ of pandemic, questions federal policies

A Liberal MP is speaking out against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and provincial governments’ pandemic policies, and politicians’ handling of the ongoing trucker convoy protests.

Joel Lightbound, the Louis-Hébert, Que. MP, held a press conference on Parliament Hill on Tuesday morning saying that he thinks those concerned about COVID-19 policies have “legitimate concerns” that should not be dismissed.

Citing the impact on Canadians’ mental health, families becoming divided, and people losing their jobs over decisions to not to get vaccinated, Lightbound said he thinks political leaders are “unwilling to adapt.”

“I’ve heard from hundreds of constituents and citizens who took the time to reach out to me these past weeks, folks who have nothing to do with these demonstrations, who are for the most part vaccinated, who have done everything as they should these last two years,” Lightbound said.

He thinks political leaders have failed at explaining to Canadians their rationale for continued public health measures, citing the vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers as the latest example.

“I fear that this politicization of the pandemic risks undermining the public’s trust in our public health institutions. This is not a risk we ought to be taking lightly,” Lightbound said.

“Some seem to forget that isolation is felt differently. Not everyone can still earn money using their MacBook while at the cottage. Some are suffering in silence and feel like they’re not heard,” Lightbound said in the French portion of his remarks.

MP Raquel Dancho during the debate.(Last night which saw PM Trudeau continue one with his grandstanding)

“I don’t really see what’s going on across the country is all that surprising to me. It seems like an eruption of something that’s been simmering… for two long years, and governments have not been listening,” Dancho said.

Trudeau will likely address this disaffection within his caucus on Tuesday. During the emergency debate the prime minister said that he understands the COVID-19 crisis has been hard on everyone and “these pandemic restrictions are not forever,” but disagreed with the Conservatives’ suggestion he has divided people.

I can tell you Trudeau divided the people. In my opinion he did it intentionally. And has done it since he won the first election that put him into power. The main stream media has walked beside him the entire time- spinning, obfuscating, fabricating, misleading. You name it Trudeau and the media have engaged in every deception possible

UPDATE:

CTV News

But when the pushback against his incendiary ‘fringe’ label for this raging rebellion of the unvaccinated erupts inside his tightly muzzled caucus, it’s time to put down the matches and let cooler minds prevail in the Prime Minister’s Office.

When Lightbound’s devastating observations were thrown at him, Trudeau delivered the same alphabet soup of scripted lines he’s been reciting for two years with no hint he would reconsider any softening of any positions. (Trudeau has stayed on message like a mindless drone)

In a world where many countries and most provinces are moving quickly to ease restrictions, something even Canada’s chief public health officer is advocating in the near term, Prime Minister Trudeau needs to stop marginalizing the unvaccinated and recognize the collateral damage so many restrictions are having on Canadians.

The case counts are dropping, the hospital-overcrowding crisis has eased and yet Canada, one of the most vaccinated countries in the world, remains one of the most restrictive for the unvaccinated AND triple-vaccinated.

The winds of change may be blowing..