No anti-vaxxers in PC caucus, Manitoba premier insists, though 1 still mum on vaccination status

Nobody in theProgressive Conservative caucus is opposed to vaccinations, Manitoba's premier says, even though one of herMLAs has kept mum on hisCOVID-19 vaccination status in spite of sustained pressure.

Heather Stefanson made the comment Tuesday as the vaccination status of her infrastructure minister, Ron Schuler,was scrutinized.

"Well, Madame Speaker, there are no anti-vaxxers in our caucus," Stefansonsaid during question period.

She addedthe new vaccination mandate for everyone enteringthe legislative building, effective Dec. 15, shows "we are making decisions."

Schuler's vaccination status was brought up Tuesday following a Winnipeg Free Press story, which reported an assistantin the Springfield-Ritchot MLA'sconstituency office died of COVID-19.

For months, Schuler has refused to disclose whether he's been vaccinated, stating his personal health information is private. He declined to speak on Tuesday.

The Free Press previously polled every Manitoba MLA and found Schulerand Seine Riverrepresentative Janice Morley-Lecomte both Torieswere the only ones who wouldn't answerthe question.

However,Morley-Lecomte has since confirmedshe'sfully vaccinated, after receiving flak for trying to eat at a restaurant this month without producing adequate proof of vaccination.

The Progressive Conservative caucus said on Tuesdayit is aware of 34 of its 35 sitting MLAsbeing vaccinated, but didn't say if the remaining elected official was vaccinated or whether they disclosed their status.

It appears that individual would be Schuler,based onprocess of elimination.

After the story of his assistant's deathwas published, the Opposition New Democrats said Schuler,who is the minister for infrastructure, should beremoved from cabinet.

"Wehave a responsibility as elected officials to help protect Manitobans," NDP justice critic Nahanni Fontainetold reporters.

She accused the government of "bending over backwards" to accommodate Schuler. Anotherprovincial government, Ontario, booted one of its members from caucus whorefused to get vaccinated.

Schuler "clearly doesn't care [about getting vaccinated] or he doesn't have the capacity to do so, and why any leader, any premier would keep someone like that in their cabinet, keep someone like thatamong those individuals who make the decisions on behalf of all of us here in Manitoba, is unconscionable," Fontaine said.

The party's justice critic saidMLAs have a responsibility to act as role models.

Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont said Schuler's failure to disclose his vaccination status is indicative of a government whosepandemic response has been lacking.

Quarantiningat home

Schuler recently self-isolated at home. The minister's office confirmed hewas directed by public health to isolateafter being identified as a potential contact with someone diagnosed withCOVID-19.

People who are fully vaccinated in Manitoba are exempt from self-isolating if they show no symptoms or were recently diagnosed with COVID-19.

Schuler participated in question period virtually on Friday, sitting on a couch in a location that did not appear to be his office.

By Tuesday, he was back in his office in the Manitoba legislature, but still taking part inquestion period virtually.The three political parties have agreed to limit access to the chamber, which is already restricted to two-thirds capacity,to only the fully inoculated.

The entire legislative building will be barred to the unvaccinated beginningDec. 15. Everyone entering the building ranging from MLAs to government staff and visitors will have to provideproof of theirvaccination status.

The NDP and Liberals sayalltheir MLAs are fully vaccinated.