Conservative Motion to Remove Travel Restrictions in the House of Commons Denied

The Conservative Party’s attempt to reverse the Liberal government’s stronghold on travel restrictions for Canadians has been denied. Proposed by Melissa Lantsman Monday afternoon, the CPC’s motion “Rules and service levels for travel” was defeated 202 to 117. The motion cited that citizens are currently “experiencing unacceptable wait times at Canadian airports” and that “current restrictions have been cited by experts as ineffective and contributing to additional delays, costs, and confusion.”

Minutes after the motion was defeated, Lantsman tweeted that the Liberal government “still has not shared any justification for their outdated and out-of-step restrictions.”

Last week, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam was asked about passengers contacting COVID-19 on flights. She said there have been “very few reports” and “extremely rare” cases of transmission aboard aircraft in Canada. Tam says officials are learning “more and more” about technology and ventilation on modern aircraft and that ventilation aboard planes is “actually really good.” Canada is currently the only country in the world still banning domestic travel for unvaccinated citizens. Other Commonwealth nations like New Zealand and Australia — two countries with the strictest COVID-19 requirements at the height of the pandemic — now allow their unvaccinated citizens to fly internationally.