Leslyn Lewis slams Canada’s acceptance of WHO health regulations
Conservative MP Leslyn Lewis sounded the alarm on Monday after Canada failed to reject amendments to the World Health Organization’s International Health Regulations.
Conservative MP Leslyn Lewis sounded the alarm on Monday after Canada failed to reject amendments to the World Health Organization’s International Health Regulations, warning these upcoming changes would undermine Canadian sovereignty.
Lewis highlighted that the deadline to reject the binding WHO amendments passed over the weekend, and Canada did not opt out.
She criticized the federal government for not holding parliamentary discussions on the matter, despite the potential impact on Canada’s ability to manage public health crises independently.
“These amendments grant the WHO influence over Canada’s public health response during global emergencies,” Lewis said on X.
“Countries such as the United States and Italy have rejected these amendments to protect their national sovereignty. Canada, however, has doubled down.”
The amendments are legally binding and shift the WHO’s role from an informational capacity to a management role when responding to health crises by dictating the policies of independent states that are members of the organization.
The United States and Argentina have both withdrawn from the WHO, and are withholding providing taxpayer funds to the organization.
In lieu of American funding, the WHO called on Canada to hike taxes on alcohol, sugar, and tobacco to cover the funding gaps experienced by Trump’s decision to pull America out of the organization.
Lewis also noted Canada’s recent appointment of Dr. Howard Njoo as interim Chief Public Health Officer.
Njoo currently serves as Vice-Chair of the WHO Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework Advisory Group, which Lewis suggested represents further alignment with the WHO.
“Canadians deserve a government that cares about protecting our national sovereignty,” Lewis added. “Unelected international bureaucrats do not know better than Canadians and should not have authority over how Canada governs.”
The public health agency website states that these amendments were agreed upon by WHO Member States, including Canada, on June 1 of last year.
The International Health Regulations amendment includes the implementation of digital health documents, meant to be accessible across borders, posing similar risks to digital currency in Canada, which civil liberties groups have already warned about.
Canada is expected to implement these amendments when Parliament rises in the fall.