Justin Trudeau faces criticism for claiming he never 'forced' anyone to get COVID-19 vaccine
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is facing criticism for claiming that he never forced anyone to get the Covid-19 vaccine, despite his government legislating some of the strictest vaccine mandates in the world.
In a speech on Monday at the University of Ottawa, Trudeau said that he "never forced anyone to get vaccinated" and that he "chose to make sure that all of the incentives and protections were there to encourage Canadians to get vaccinated."
However, Trudeau's government implemented a number of policies that effectively forced people to get vaccinated, including:
These policies made it difficult or impossible for many people to participate in society without getting vaccinated. As a result, many people felt that they were being forced to get vaccinated, even if they did not want to.
Trudeau's comments on Monday have drawn criticism from both the left and the right. Some people on the left have accused Trudeau of gaslighting, or trying to make people question their own memories. Some people on the right have accused Trudeau of being dishonest and of trying to cover up his government's authoritarian policies.
It is unclear whether Trudeau's comments will have any impact on public opinion. However, they have certainly raised questions about the government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and about whatever left anyway from Trudeau's own credibility