The Buffalo Party of Saskatchewan were swift to condemn the province’s Roadmap to Re-opening plan, saying in a news release that “Saskatchewan has entered its darkest hour in its history.”
“To say that the Buffalo Party is disappointed with the new Saskatchewan Government Reopen Plan is an understatement,” said leader Wade Sira in a news release.
Sira noted the government felt “entitled to restrict our Constitutional freedom of movement for our safety”, because COVID-19 was a transmissible disease. “As such, restrictions are a function of infection and the rate at which spread increases.”
“Today, we learn that the metrics have changed and suddenly the Saskatchewan Government has crossed into uncharted territory,” Sira stated. “Restrictions are now a function of vaccination rate. This is illegal and unethical.”
He noted illness and infection rates were about to drop to nominal seasonal norms. “However, we learned today that restrictions will not be lifted in spite of the science unless new vaccination measures are achieved. It is not legal for the Government to restrict our freedom or movement based on a medical procedure! We appreciate the government “hoping” to see a 70% vaccination rate but it is inappropriate legally for them to require it.”
Sira also accused the province of forcing people to get vaccinations. By “refusing to lift restrictions based on vaccination rates. we are left to understand that the government is forcing 7 in 10 people to get vaccinations or all will be restricted. This is a recipe for division and disaster.”
Sira also noted that with the expected lowering of illness and infection rates that Saskatchewan should be opening as much as possible.
“Yet here is our own government poised to hold our business community hostage to ensure vaccination compliance.”
Sira stressed this was not an anti-vax stance but added “why we would put 18 year olds who rarely suffer serious illness in front of reopening the economy? And why would we dream of putting 18 year olds in front of giving the elderly and vulnerable their second shot as per the manufacturer’s instructions regardless of what the federal government recommends?”
“We can not state it in clear enough terms, a reopen plan based on vaccination rates rather than illness is wrong, unethical and unconstitutional and it surmounts to forcing a medical procedure to allow freedom.”
