New Brunswick’s legislature returns Tuesday with debate about mandatory vaccinces, following last year’s measles outbreak.
New Brunswick’s education minister says the battle against COVID-19 has strengthened his government’s case for mandatory childhood vaccines.
Legislation that would make vaccinations mandatory for children in schools and daycares is expected to be up for debate in the coming weeks as the New Brunswick legislature resumes sitting Tuesday.
The province’s Tory minority government first introduced legislation last June amid a measles outbreak in the province, saying vaccines should be required for all children unless they have a medical exemption.
“I’m pleased that it’s finally coming up for a decision,” Education Minister Dominic Cardy said Monday. “We have seen what the world is like with just one disease that doesn’t have a vaccine over the last few months, so I’m certainly hoping that my colleagues will plan to support science and make sure we protect our kids.”
In November, Education Minister Dominic Cardy said the province was willing to use the so-called notwithstanding clause in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to protect against any court challenges.
Green party Leader David Coon says he’ll press for a number of amendments to the bill. One will “strip the notwithstanding clause out of it to restore people’s rights to go to the courts if they feel that legislation that the legislative assembly passes in one way or another is contrary to the Charter,”
More @ Source: Mandatory vaccinations among issues for debate in N.B. legislature – New Brunswick | Globalnews.ca
