Airdrie -Cochrane MLA Peter Guthrie is taking a public stance on COVID restrictions.
He took to Facebook this morning to address COVID policies in a video message, saying after nearly two years, enough is enough.
"We are now approaching two years dealing with COVID and the time is well upon us to make a transition beyond restrictions; to move away from divisive policies and begin healing this province," stated Guthrie.
Guthrie says that he's hearing time and again from constituents that it's time for a positive shift. He believes that the Omicron variant is showing evidence that the "virus is subsiding in strength" and he's hopeful that the worst of it is behind us.
In his video, Guthrie addresses the issue surrounding vaccinated versus unvaccinated Albertans. He says both can, and are still contracting the virus and he strongly believes it's time to focus on providing normality for children, particularly within the school system, and eliminating vaccine passports. "There's never been any evidence presented to me, indicating that passports are effective in reducing spread or they lead to improved outcomes," stated Guthrie.
He goes on to say that Alberta's Restriction Exemption Program is pitting friends and family against each other, infringing on medical privacy, and is far too expensive for businesses to implement.
He calls the vaccine passports 'a freedom negotiating tool' and says it's time for Alberta to take a stance. "Getting rid of this policy would be an excellent first step in our transition away from restrictions," says Guthrie. "We should learn from our mistakes and this is wrong. Let's not keep acting like it is right-- Albertans need to take the lead."
This isn’t the first time Guthrie has publicly expressed his opposition to vaccine mandates. In the Legislative Assembly on November 23, he said the government is heading down a slippery slope by supporting policy that may very well be unconstitutional.
Guthrie closes out his video message by saying Alberta has an opportunity to "become the beacon of hope for Canada."
You can watch the full video here.