OTTAWA -- Longtime Conservative MP Marilyn Gladu, who has been the face of the new intra-party caucus to raise the concerns of the unvaccinated in Canada, says Conservative Leader Erin O鈥橳oole supports the initiative to create the group.
In an interview on CTV鈥檚 Question Period airing Sunday, Gladu also said that all members of the new caucus 鈥� between 15 and 30 Conservative MPs and Senators 鈥� support the leader, and that forming the group isn鈥檛 a sign of an internal rift.
鈥淚 support Erin, everyone that is in this working group supports Erin. These working groups are a very typical way that we do business whenever there is an issue that Conservative MPs have in common that they want to get on,鈥� she said.
鈥淲e have a little working caucus, and so Erin approves of the process. We will do the, you know, the digging into the issues, hearing from experts, stakeholders, and then bring back that information to caucus.鈥�
She also told 麻豆传媒 Channel鈥檚 Power Play on Friday that they鈥檝e had a 鈥渃onversation鈥� with the leader and he 鈥渦nderstands鈥� this is a another working group.
Gladu said mandatory testing and vaccine disclosure are among the concerns she鈥檚 heard from constituents.
鈥淧eople are being forced to disclose this. And that is another issue that we need to talk about because what's next? What next, will you be forced to disclose about your medical history?鈥� she said.
Gladu wouldn't say if she was vaccinated against COVID-19, citing 鈥渕edical privacy purposes.鈥�
Among her colleagues, she said, there are a couple of medical exemptions and a couple people that haven鈥檛 disclosed, but it鈥檚 likely a 鈥渉andful鈥� of people aren鈥檛 yet vaccinated.
Along the federal election campaign, O鈥橳oole fielded criticism for not imposing a mandatory vaccine policy among his candidates, and continues to refuse to say how many of his 118 MPs are unvaccinated.
While O鈥橳oole is fully vaccinated and has encouraged Canadians to get roll up their sleeves, he has suggested rapid testing should be offered as an alternative.
The Board of Internal Economy has announced a vaccine mandate for the House of Commons, requiring MPs to be vaccinated to enter the Chamber in-person as of Nov. 22. It鈥檚 a decision that members of the Conservative caucus have questioned, amid widespread support within the other parties.
O鈥橳oole announced last week that the party would the decision but would be challenging it at the 鈥渆arliest opportunity.鈥�
After last week鈥檚 caucus meeting, O鈥橳oole told reporters that his caucus agreed that when the new session begins, only fully-vaccinated Conservatives or those with valid medical exemptions who have been recently rapid-tested will be taking part in the House proceedings in-person next month.
CTVNews.ca reached out to Mr. O鈥橳oole鈥檚 office on Thursday and Friday regarding the formation of the new 鈥渃ivil liberties caucus鈥� but hasn鈥檛 received a response.
Conservative strategist Jamie Ellerton says while the group may not be a direct challenge to O鈥橳oole鈥檚 leadership, it no doubt is a challenge for his leadership.
鈥淚 think the ambiguity around the Conservative Party鈥檚 position as it relates to mandatory vaccination, which is offside with the vast majority of Canadians, is a real political issue for him to manage,鈥� he said on 麻豆传媒 Channel鈥檚 Power Play on Friday.
Gladu said that the group will sift through 鈥渕ultiple sources of data鈥� and suggest 鈥渞easonable solutions鈥� to both keep people safe and make sure personal freedoms are protected.
She compared the COVID-19 virus to the polio disease that spread in the first half of the 20th century, but noted the coronavirus doesn鈥檛 pose the same 鈥渇requency of risk.鈥�
鈥淚n terms of the risk people that got polio, many of them died and many of them were crippled, and that is not the same frequency of risk that we see with COVID-19鈥鈥檓 just receiving the information from medical experts that talk about the relative risk. I'm not a doctor myself.鈥�
Gladu said they鈥檒l have a better idea of caucus numbers after shadow ministers are named and MPs can decipher how much time they can devote to the cause.
