Thread by @JimboStanford

Apart from the calculated brutality of this view, think what it would mean for prison guards & medical staff who work in prisons (which have suffered many horrible outbreaks). O'Toole's cheap politicking would consign those workers to death along with the prisoners. #Shameless

https://twitter.com/erinotoole/status/1346620895125778438

Here are some questions I really hope reporters will ask today:
1. To Theresa Tam and other PHO's: Why do you think prisoners should get the vaccine, and what are the health risks to the PUBLIC if they are not vaccinated?
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2. To legal experts: What are the constitutional, civil, and even criminal risks of denying essential health care to prisoners, and what are the financial risks to the federal govt if courts should rule against this policy?
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3. To leaders of unions of prison guards, prison health workers, and other prison staff: What would your response be if obvious measures were not taken to reduce the spread of COVID in these workplaces, including possible industrial action?
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4. To indigenous and black leaders: Given that the prisoner population is highly disproportionate in its racial composition, how would you respond to a policy that barred the vaccine from prisoners?
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5. To Erin O'Toole: Should decisions regarding the order in which Canadians receive the vaccine be made by the Prime Minister, or by public health officials?

On so many levels this offensive outburst reveals not just calculated cruelty (aimed at his base) but inability to govern

Very thoughtful from @IvisonJ about O'Toole's call to deny COVID vaccines to prisoners: nationalpost.com/opinion/john-i…. With polling at 25% and falling, this is all about "saving the furniture" & energizing his hard-core base.