BRANTFORD —Six Nations resident and federal candidate for the People’s Party of Canada in Brantford-Brant Cole Squire was prohibited from participating in the all-candidates debate on Tuesday morning after he declined to disclose his vaccine status prior to the event.
The debate, hosted by the Brantford Chamber of Commerce along with Rogers and Brant One News, was held inside the One Market building in the city’s downtown core. Candidates were informed that in order to participate they had to provide proof of vaccination or if they were not able to provide proof of having received a COVID vaccine, that they would undergo a Rapid Antigen Screening test that would have to be negative, prior to the event.
Squire refused to disclose his personal medical information as a prerequisite for participating in the debate and as a result was shut out.
Squire held a press conference outside One Market Tuesday morning and said the BRCC told him he would also not be permitted to participate in the debate virtually, but that he could send a two minute pre-recorded video in lieu of being allowed to participate.
In a statement on August 28, Squire said, “I decided to run as a candidate for the PPC because I strongly believe that our nation is in dire need of principled, patriotic, and steadfast leadership. With that being said, I cannot in good conscience abandon my principles and be subjected to medical coercion or discrimination in order to participate in this event.”
Squire later posted to his Facebook profile, “Yes I could have taken a test, but what type of example would that be setting as a leader? Give in to medical tyranny and nonsense that violates some of our most basic laws in our country? That is not what I stand for or why I joined the PPC.”
Squire has been very vocal against mandatory or imposed vaccination in his campaigning. The People’s Party of Canada will be hosting a Freedom March on September 11 in Brantford.
