Mr. Speaker, it has been more than two years since the start of the pandemic, but Canadians are still reporting high levels of anxiety and depression and are struggling with their mental health. More and more countries around the world are ending their vaccine mandates and travel restrictions and getting life back to normal, but here in Canada many Canadians are still faced with hardship and heartbreak because of outdated and vindictive vaccine mandates. The Liberals continue to punish Canadians despite strong alternatives, like rapid testing, being readily available.
These are Canadians like my constituent Denise, who had to turn down work with UNICEF; Mike, who has not been able to hug his grandkids; Sylvie, who missed her grandmother's funeral in Ontario; Randy, who was not able to celebrate his mom's 92nd birthday with her; or the thousands of energy workers from across Canada, who have not been able to travel to B.C., Alberta or Saskatchewan to work in the vital oil sands.
It is time to stop this ideological and divisive language around the vaccine mandates and end the travel restrictions. It is time to get people back to work and address the mental health crisis that many Canadians are facing.