Hundreds of convoy supporters, gathered Monday in a parking lot north of Prince Albert. (Ian Gustafson/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Industry

Prince Albert MP says he sympathizes with plight of anti-mandate convoy

Jan 26, 2022 | 5:18 PM

As thousands of trucks and vehicles make their way to Ottawa for a massive rally on Saturday, the member of parliament (MP) for Prince Albert is adding his voice to the conversation.

Randy Hoback told paNOW he sympathizes both with the truckers who are upset over the federal government’s mandate requirements at the border, as well as a larger Canadian population that is feeling frustrated.

“You know there’s a lot of Canadians out there both vaccinated and unvaccinated, feeling that they are not being heard and they want to make sure their elected representatives are representing them in Ottawa,” Hoback said.

In November, the Liberal government announced that all Canadian truckers looking to cross the border from the United States would need to be vaccinated in order to avoid a 14-day quarantine, a policy that came into effect on Jan. 15.

Addressing concerns related to supply chain issues and shortages in both the grocery stores and gas stations, as a result of the mandates, Hoback explained a letter was written to the transport minister two weeks before the action date, and he was asked for a suspension of action and not to move forward on it.

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“What’s most concerning for me is that it’s the rural communities that will be hit hardest. It’s the rural communities that will lose their capacity to get fresh vegetables and to get goods and services,” Hoback said.

While noting that there are a lot of good people in the group of protestors, who have really good legitimate concerns, Hoback adds he has concerns there may also be a smaller group within it who will try to hijack it and try take away from the core of the messaging.

“We’ve seen it in the yellow vest protests, where there were some people with legitimate concerns (oil and gas workers) and when they came to Ottawa, got highjacked by a small group who came across as really racist and really slandered the whole event which I hope won’t happen here,” Hoback said.

And while confirming he himself had not been approached by any truck drivers, Hoback said he is more than willing to meet with anyone, either vaccinated or unvaccinated.

“We are trying to figure out how to build bridges rather than divide people,” he said. “Right now there’s too many people who want to divide people.”

CTA remains opposed to convoy

Since the weekend, the Canadian Trucking Alliance has issued two statements on the convoy, essentially denouncing any form of protest on public roads or highways.

They have also maintained their position that the industry must adapt and comply with the mandate, and the only way to cross the border, in a commercial truck or any other vehicle, is to get vaccinated.

“The Government of Canada and the Canadian Trucking Alliance remain firm in their belief agree that vaccination, used in combination with preventative public health measures, is the most effective tool to reduce the risk of COVID-19 for Canadians, and to protect public health,” a statement Tuesday said.

With respect to supply chain shortages, the statement confirmed the delivery of essential goods to Canadians, was a top priority for the Government of Canada and the Canadian Trucking Alliance.

“To reach this goal, and to bolster Canada’s economic recovery and long-term competitiveness, it’s important to tackle two major challenges facing industry – supply chain constraints and labour shortages,” the statement said, mentioning the need to find solutions through long-term strategies that will achieve real and lasting results.

“Moving forward, the Government of Canada, the Canadian Trucking Alliance and the industry at large will continue our shared dialogue on the challenges facing this sector. By working together, we are confident that we can find solutions that will help Canadians and industry alike.”

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell