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CANADA: Trudeau follows Singh, promising 'consequences' for unvaccinated federal workers

Mandatory vaccinations have become an early election issue as each party vies for voters in the 36-day campaign
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OTTAWA — Justin Trudeau is coming out firing today against public servants who can get vaccinated and choose not to, telling them they'll face "consequences" for their decision.

What those consequences are, the Liberal leader won't say.

Trudeau made the comments during a campaign stop in Markham, Ont., one day after the New Democrats called for possible firing of federal workers who opt not to take a COVID-19 vaccine. 

Mandatory vaccinations have become an early election issue as each party vies for voters in the 36-day campaign, the shortest allowed under the election law.

New survey results from Leger suggest Trudeau's Liberals were clinging to a five-point lead on the eve of the campaign that wraps up Sept. 20.

Thirty-five per cent of decided voters who took part in the survey expressed support for the Liberals, 30 per cent for the Conservatives and 20 per cent the NDP.

Seven per cent would vote for the Bloc Québécois, which is fielding candidates only in Quebec, while five per cent supported the Greens and two per cent the People's Party of Canada.

The online survey of 2,007 Canadians, conducted Aug. 13 to 15 by Leger in collaboration with The Canadian Press, cannot be assigned a margin of error because internet-based polls are not considered truly random samples.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 17, 2021.

The Canadian Press