Poilievre says 'tide turning toward freedom' after Quebec drops plans for unvax tax

Conservative Shadow Minister for Finance Pierre Poilievre called the removal of Quebec's plan to tax the unvaccinated "amazing" in a tweet published on Tuesday.

"Other provinces are announcing they'll remove mandates... The tide is turning toward freedom," said Poilievre.

Quebec Premier Francois Legault announced at a press conference on Tuesday that the controversial "healthcare contribution," i.e. a tax specifically for the unvaccinated, would be scrapped.

The tax, which would have been between $100 and $800, was set to be tabled this week.

Legault told press in January that "the vaccine is the key to fight the virus. This is why we're looking for a health contribution for adults who refuse to be vaccinated for non-medical reasons. Those who refuse to receive their first dose in the coming weeks will have to pay a new health contribution."

The unvax-tax was not commented on by public health director Dr. Luc Boileau, who said that the matter was more of an economic measure rather than a health measure."

Opposition parties were also ready to attack the tax on the unvaccinated, over concerns of fairness and ethics, reports La Presse.

Liberal leader Dominique Anglade said that the health contribution risked creating a "breach" in universal access to health care and that her party wouldn't support the measure.