The ability to criticize the work of high ranking officials is a birth right of every citizen born in Canada.
What’s not a right is the ability to make a baseless claim, such as to accuse them of working for a communist party and risking the lives of thousands of Canadians, without evidence to back such serious claims.
Therein lies the problem with what Hastings-Lennox and Addington MP Derek Sloan said last week, when he posted a video to his official Twitter account questioning if Dr. Theresa Tam works for Canada, or China.
Sloan insists his question of Tam’s loyalty has nothing to do with the fact the chief public health officer of Canada was born in Hong Kong. And to that point, he is correct in saying he never mentioned her ethnic background in his video. But he undeniably questioned whether or not she is taking her direction from the Communist Party of China with only his opinion to serve as evidence. He also undeniably questioned Tam and the Liberal’s government handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is fair game and his right to do both as a politician and a citizen. For what it’s worth, Sloan’s expertise before jumping into politics was in the field of law, not medicine. That doesn’t necessarily disqualify him from questioning Canada’s top doctor, just as voters are well within their right to question whether or not he knows more than the medical professionals working to stop a never-before seen global pandemic.
Sloan has stated several times he won’t apologize for his question, though he did walk it back somewhat, going on to say he asked it rhetorically and that he doesn’t actually think Tam is working for China.
His video got him plenty of play in national media, with reactions ranging from praise from some Canadians to condemnation from his party leader and a handful of Conservative MPs. A common question fielded by party leader Andrew Scheer this week was whether Sloan would be allowed to stay in the party. Scheer took a few days to finally offer a comment, ultimately saying Sloan’s comments don’t reflect the party but stopped short of handing down any punishment.
Even before his comments on Tam he drew criticism by saying the cause of someone’s sexual orientation is ‘scientifically unclear’ and is on record as saying he is opposed to Bill C-16, which protects people from discrimination on the basis of gender identity.
His comments over the last two months will play well to a certain section of the Conservative Party and perhaps even a few undecideds as he attempts to overcome long odds to win the leadership bid. Based on comments of some of his peers, it may have cost him a share of votes as well.
-Adam Prudhomme