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Pros, cons of Quebec's proposed anti-vax tax

This week, Quebec’s premier said his province was going to start taxing the unvaccinated. We explain why some observers are questioning the timing — and why ethics experts have concerns.
Quebec Premier François Legault, right, and Dr. Horacio Arruda, at the time Quebec's public health director, leave a news conference in Montreal on Dec. 30. Arruda resigned from the post this week. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press)

This week, Quebec Premier François Legault announced a new reason for people to get their jabs: His government would place a significant tax on the unvaccinated. The announcement came a day after Legault accepted the resignation of the province's public health director, Dr. Horacio Arruda — leading some to ask if this bold plan was merely a distraction from the political strife within the province.

CBC Montreal's Sarah Leavitt explains what exactly has been going on in Quebec under the Omicron wave. We then talk about the tax and if it's even a good idea. For some frustrated with people who won't get the shot, the controversial proposal was welcome news. But bioethics scholar Bryn Williams-Jones at Université de Montréal disagrees. He tells us why, in his view, this kind of tax is a legal and moral minefield.

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