BREAKING: Trudeau can't say for sure whether Canada's vaccine supply will be held back by EU, India

Conservative Shadow Minister of Health Michelle Rempel Garner pressed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during Wednesday's Question Period, quizzing the prime minister on whether or not he had taken any action on potential supply interruptions to vaccines following the European Union's passing of emergency legislation that restricts exports.

Rempel Garner pointed out that 92 countries around the world have "written formal exceptions from the EUs control regulations, but Canada does not." Rempel Garner also highlighted that there were similar reports of the situation arising in India in regards to vaccine exports.

Trudeau responded by saying that urgency on the matter "was shared with all Canadians," and that Ottawa would be working closely with the EU to ensure access to COVID-19 vaccines in Canada.

"We are concerned with the new reports of restrictions, or potential restrictions out of the EU," said Trudeau.

A spokesperson for Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade Mary Ng told The Canadian Press that the minister's EU counterparts assured her that the measures would not affect vaccine shipments to Canada—No written assurances exist, however.

During a press conference before Wednesday's Question Period, Rempel Garner called for the Trudeau Liberals to explain why there were no written assurances.

"The prime minister needs to explain why we don't have written assurances.
Supply has been a key component. Verbal assurances are not what provinces are looking for, they're looking for certainty."