Ontario Liberals to add COVID-19 vaccine to immunization schedule for schools, if elected

The Ontario Liberals pledged Saturday to add COVID-19 vaccination to the immunization schedule for schools, if elected, though parents could still get “conscience” exemptions.

Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca said the best way to get back to normal is to make classrooms safer.

“There are nine existing vaccines … in that roster of universal required vaccines,” Del Duca said during a campaign stop in Ottawa. “We will add the COVID-19 vaccine to that list. And we’re going to do that because the science is settled on this.”

Under the Immunization of School Pupils Act, students attending public school must have proof of immunization against diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, meningococcal disease, whooping cough, and chicken pox (for children born in 2010 or later).

But Del Duca said current exemptions would continue to apply.

Parents can exempt their kids from the school vaccination requirements through either a statement of medical exemption or for reasons of conscience or religious beliefs.

Provincial data shows about 35 per cent of children aged 5-11 have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 93 per cent of teens aged 12-17 have received two doses.

The Liberals say Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford did not do enough to promote COVID-19 vaccination, particularly for children.

“I think a lot of parents in this province have seen the current leader of the province effectively wave a white flag of surrender on vaccinations because Doug Ford, from the very beginning, has wanted this to be all over,” Del Duca said at a city playground, where a lone heckler shouted about Liberals and vaccine mandates.

“He’s wanted to just wave a magic wand and for COVID to be over while he’s been plotting his re-election campaign.”

The Liberals would also require all front-line educators to be immunized.

The NDP has also called for COVID-19 vaccination to be added to the school list and mandatory vaccinations for teachers and education workers.

Horwath on hydro

Ontario’s NDP is promising to lower hydro bills, reigniting the hot topic of 2018’s election, though they’re approaching it through energy efficiency rather than direct subsidies.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says she would offer grants of $7,000 to $11,000 for household upgrades such as heat pumps, high-efficiency electric water heaters, efficient windows, insulation, deep energy retrofits and energy efficiency assessments.

For any costs over the amount of that grant, the NDP say they would offer zero-interest financing that people would pay off over time through their hydro bill.

The NDP say that for heating alone, a new heat pump system can reduce home energy consumption by an average of 61 per cent.

The party’s climate plan commits $40 billion over four years for measures such as a retrofit program for public, residential and commercial buildings, electrifying transit, and an electric vehicle strategy.

The former Liberal government introduced a plan to subsidize hydro costs as soaring bills became a major source of anger ahead of the 2018 election – they had doubled over the course of a decade due in part to the Liberals’ green energy initiatives.

The Progressive Conservatives promised to further slash bills by another 12 per cent, and while Ontario’s financial watchdog says prices have actually risen since 2018, changes the Tories made to subsidy programs have kept bills lower than they would have been under the Liberal plan.

Ford in Sudbury

Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford is touting the progress his party has made on the Ring of Fire development.

He says his party would continue to work with Indigenous communities and invest $1 billion to build an all-season road to potential mining sites in the Ring of Fire if re-elected in June.

The Ring of Fire is a region about 500 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay that is said to be rich in critical minerals and the province has made long-standing promises to develop and mine the area.

Last month, Marten Falls and Webequie First Nations said they will be submitting a terms of reference for an environmental assessment for the proposed Northern Road Link project, which the province says is the final piece of critical road infrastructure in the Ring of Fire development.

Ford says he’s “proud” to have sat down with the chiefs of the Marten Falls and Webequie First Nations last month and that collaboration with community partners is what’s been missing from getting the “ambitious” project done.

He says the Ring of Fire development will create thousands of new jobs in the mining industry and bring “countless” benefits and opportunities for Indigenous communities, including easier access to everyday goods like groceries, fuel and water.

Ford adds that the minerals extracted from the site will make Ontario a “resource powerhouse,” allowing the province to become a leader in electric vehicle production in North America.

Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner is in his home town of Guelph on Saturday, campaigning with local residents.