"Madness": Twitter erupts in reaction to Quebec's new "unvax tax"
Quebec remains the subject of headlines around the world as Premier Francois Legault announced on January 11 that the government wants to impose a “significant” financial penalty on the “small minority” of Quebecers who refuse to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
Under these new measures, anyone without a medical vaccination exemption will have to pay an extra tax.
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Details about the new “health contribution,” which is the first North American measure of its kind, did not include a date or a price for the penalty.
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) called the proposition “deeply troubling” and “abusive” in a statement shared with Daily Hive.
Meanwhile, Twitter users around the globe were eager to voice their frustration and disappointment with the “unvax tax” as “Quebec” and “Legault” trended on the social network.
Both those who are pro-vaccine and anti-vaccine seemed to agree that the province’s measures have gone too far.
as a physician who has never received a dollar from pharma i believe i have been as pro-vaccine as any in the country — because they save lives and our health care system. but quebec taxing individuals who are not vaccinated is regressive and will undermine the canada health act.
— Andrew Baback Boozary MD (@drandrewb) January 11, 2022
Montreal is now a police state#Omicron #Legault pic.twitter.com/sfWBPFkiI1
— Mark Slapinski (@MarkSlapinski) January 11, 2022
South of the border people are living their lives quite normally. In Quebec, complete lockdown, complete curfew at night. It is becoming nearly impossible to withstand the slow suffocation of our ability to live our lives as individuals with personal agency and full autonomy.
— Gad Saad (@GadSaad) January 9, 2022
A huge NO to this madness.
So what about smokers? Or overweight people? And miners with respiratory diseases?
This is an open door to a two tier system. https://t.co/6kR3pphyig— ㄒ๏𝕟 ɨ๏ ㄒɨ𝕞 e̴ 🇮🇹🇨🇦🏳️🌈 (@Aho2ToMan) January 11, 2022
Both trending on Twitter at the same time. Quebec premier wants to impose fines on the unvaccinated and the Pfizer CEO says that 2 doses offer little, if any, protection against Omicron and the booster’s efficacy is limited. Strange times.
— Greg Bryk (@GregBryk) January 12, 2022
Am literally ashamed to live in Quebec. We got the highest taxes in all of Canada for them to impose unvaccinated tax is beyond absurd. Restriction with no scientific backing. This man is here to divide and make money of our head and make the people depend on the gov.
— Juls Ceaser (@JulsCeaser1) January 11, 2022
For the record, I am pro-vax and want everyone vaccinated. I am not on the side of antivaxxers, I am on the side of the marginalized who are unvaccinated. There’s a difference. I’m also concerned about what decisions like Quebec’s says about health care as a human right.
— T🍊ri the Dumb Lefty Canadian Radical (@RodneyTori) January 11, 2022
Quebec comes out with the idea of a unvaccinated “health tax” a day after the Pfizer CEO basically admits that the medical trials are a failure.
Shouldn’t that mean we stop calling the trial products vaccines?
— Kris Eriksen 🇨🇦 (@KrisEriksen77) January 11, 2022
Maybe it’s time for the rest of Canada to have a referendum on separating Quebec?
— Watcher (@WatcherAfar) January 11, 2022
Quebec is becoming the first province in Canada to mandate vaccination. What happens if you don’t pay this “healthcare charge” – a fine? Jail? No one should pay a penny towards this oppressive regime. https://t.co/2jidOTAnhq
— Andrew Lawton (@AndrewLawton) January 11, 2022