MP Kyle Seeback supports “Freedom Convoy”

By Sam Odrowski 

Dufferin–Caledon MP Kyle Seeback recently penned a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asking that he reverse the federal government's decision to require cross-border truckers to be vaccinated against COVID-19,

The policy came into effect January 15, and is expected to ground 26,000 of the 160,000 trucker drivers who make regular cross border trips.

“This will inevitably have a devastating impact not only on the livelihoods of thousands of truck drivers, but will also contribute to the existing shortage of drivers. Supply chains are already stretched,” wrote Seeback in his letter. “Canadians who are struggling with the increasing costs of goods like produce, will now feel an additional pinch at the checkout, as shipping costs will be forced to rise. Canadians can›t afford more price increases or endure anymore empty shelves. Your government must immediately reverse this policy. Canadians and our economy can›t afford it.”

Seeback told The Citizen the policy won't make a difference with the Omicron variant, as it has already travelled widely across the world, and forcing more truckers to get vaccinated won't fix the problem. 

While speaking with the newspaper, he also expressed support for the “Freedom Convoy,” consisting of tens of thousands of trucks that travelled across Canada, and arrived at Parliament Hill last Saturday, January 29, to protest vaccine mandates and other COVID-19 restrictions. 

Seeback attended the protest himself over the weekend and called it an impressive display.

“I think it's a massive movement of people who are frustrated with the last two years, and I think they want an end to the lockdowns and restrictions,” said Seeback.

“We're seeing this happening more and more, not just around the world, but certainly across Canada. More and more doctors, and medical officers are saying COVID is now something we have to live with because we will never get to COVID Zero. So, I think these folks are trying to really push that message.”

Seeback noted that all the protestors he observed were well behaved and polite, while he was at Parliament Hill.

With respect to hate symbols or protesters disrespecting monuments, Seeback said a small group shouldn't detract from the overall message that was being positively spread through the “Freedom Convoy.”

Those who commit horrible acts should be held accountable on an individual basis

“There were a very tiny number of bad actors, and those people should be condemned, but they are responsible for their actions, not everyone else who was there,” said Seeback. “In fact, what we're seeing is that people who are there are trying to make up for the actions of those few despicable people. And that really should be the story, not those few people that came there to do those kinds of things.”

Seeback noted that with every negative incident, there was an overwhelming response from good, peaceful people, trying to offset those actions with positivity and acts of kindness. This was seen with protestors feeding the homeless after an incident at an Ottawa soup kitchen, standing on guard over the Terry Fox after it was tampered with, and laying countless bouquets of flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier statute after a lone women danced on it.

With respect to the “no jab, no job” vaccine mandates, Seeback noted that he and his party have always supported a rapid antigen testing and were never in favour of people being fired over their COVID-19 vaccination status. He said it's now becoming increasingly apparent that those policies are unnecessary and ineffective.

“I think the vaccine mandates are turning out to be less and less useful,” he told the Citizen. “Someone with two shots, I think, is 20 per cent protected against Omicron. Sure, maybe you could get a third shot, but there's already a new variant that's coming in. And we don't know how effective two shots or three shots would be with that.”

Seeback also noted the endemic nature of the COVID-19 virus.

“I think we're in the never-ending cycle where you can never get 100 per cent ahead of it, which is why I think we do have to get to the point where we will live with COVID, and people are going to have to manage their risk.”