Majority of Canadians Support Fines for the Unvaxxed: Survey 

The majority of Canadians—who are presumably vaccinated—want to see their unvaxxed peers fined for not getting the shot. 

A new survey released today by Maru Public Opinion, a global data analysis agency, polled more than 1,500 people across Canada and found that 60 percent of respondents were in support of a health tax for the unvaccinated.

Maru created a fictitious scenario for respondents to base their answer on:

Imagine there was “an initiative where those who choose to remain unvaccinated would be dealt a fine that would be administered as a surcharge on their taxes with the money used to financially support the healthcare system and its hospitals and their intensive care units (ICU’s),” it told participants.

In other words: the unvaxxed pay more taxes to help alleviate the burden they put on the healthcare system. Sound fair? 

No specific financial amount was given in this made up scenario, just the concept, but the majority of Canadians were onboard with such a proposed tax that would go back into the healthcare system.

Folks in British Columbia and Québec were most supportive of the hypothetical health tax, with 64 percent and 63 percent respectively responding in support of the tax, while Alberta, Atlantic Canada, and Ontario were least supportive with 46 percent, 43 percent, and 42 percent support respectively.

The youngest group of people polled (age 18 to 34) with the lowest levels of income (making less than $50,000 per year) were also most against the idea of a COVID health tax for the unvaccinated. 

The findings come just a day after Québec Premier François Legault announced his proposal for a first-of-its-kind health tax that would require anyone in the province who wasn’t vaccinated against COVID to pay a fine. No specific amount was named at Legault’s press conference, but the Legault did say it would be “significant enough to act as an incentive,” and likely “more than $50 or $100.”

Some experts worry a tax would negatively impact the country’s most vulnerable and marginalized groups. 

Cara Zwibel, acting general counsel for Canadian Civil Liberties Association called the potential health tax “deeply troubling” and a “constitutionally vulnerable proposal.” Still, Prime Minister Trudeau told reporters during a media briefing that he’d be watching “with interest” and that “incentives and strong measures” have worked with the fight against the virus thus far, citing vaccine passports and travel requirements for visitors.