WATCH: Trudeau can't say what would happen to public employees who refuse vaccine

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau could not answer if federal employees would be fired—or what consequences they would face—if they absolutely refused to receive the vaccine.

During a press event in Longueuil, Quebec, Trudeau said that the matter was still being discussed with the public service unions.

"We have been working with the public sector, the public service unions very closely to make sure that the public service in Canada will get vaccinated. It's a decision we took a number of weeks ago," said Trudeau, despite the policy having been released just days ago.

"We recognize that the Canadian Public Service already has an extremely high level of vaccination, which is not surprising," said Trudeau.

When asked what would be done with those who refuse the vaccine, Trudeau said that the goal "is not to punish people who don't want to get vaccinated," and that it was rather to "protect Canadians from being infected by people who are unvaccinated."