Quebec to introduce a tax for the unvaccinated

[Hairbrush123]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-59960689.amp

What are peoples thoughts on this?

Can’t see much of a difference to the tax we have on tobacco.

What’s the difference between the tax on fags and sugar? Trying to push people into doing/not doing something via tax increasing prices isn’t new.

@Hairbrush123

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-59960689.amp

What are peoples thoughts on this?

What are your thoughts ?

I don’t know how long these sort of changes will be implemented. I was under the impression the government were thinking they would only offer jab to vulnerable in the future.

It's bad for future vaccine trust imo.

Calling it a tax is a clever populist move. It's no different than what's being put into place in Austria.

@SagittariusDwarf I think it’s not a bad idea. We have a sugar tax and tobacco tax and if the unvaccinated are the reason for the rise in hospital admissions then they have to do something about it

It’s interesting.

The article also mentions Greece and Singapore:

“While rare, Quebec is not the only region in the world seeking to impose a financial penalty on those unwilling to get jabbed.
“Starting later this month, Greeks over age 60 are being required to pay a €100 (£85; C$142; $113) fine for each month that they remain unvaccinated.
“Singapore has required Covid patients to pay for their own medical bills if they are not vaccinated.”

Not a new idea. Taxes on alcohol, tobacco and sugar also seek to influence people into adopting healthier choices.

But by far the single most important factor influencing hospital admission for Covid is AGE not vaccine status. So perhaps the tax should only be levied on those aged 50+?

@HeatonGrove

Not a new idea. Taxes on alcohol, tobacco and sugar also seek to influence people into adopting healthier choices.

But by far the single most important factor influencing hospital admission for Covid is AGE not vaccine status. So perhaps the tax should only be levied on those aged 50+?

I don’t think it’s a bad idea, but I don’t agree it should be based on age. It’s a decision whether or not to be vaccinated and if you don’t wish to be taxed you just need to get vaccinated. You can’t do anything about getting older.

Awful idea. Coercive measure. Canada's democracy keeps going down the drain.

And it potentially opens up policy to backdoor privatisation of healthcare - obese? Get charged for your added healthcare costs. Smoke? Ditto. Any other behaviour that insurers don't like? Ditto. Soon, you may get taxed just for being a certain age (care homes cost money!), or for being a certain ethnicity (Afro-Caribbeans cost coronary care more on average than other ethnicities, say, so let's charge them!).

Oh, and it's also racist and anti-poor. Because those who are most likely to not get vaccinated are poor, and not white. So now they're getting penalised even more - taking money from those who already have less than the middle classes who are putting these policies together. Shame on you Quebec.

So what are they going to do to punish the rich non vaccinated

What happens if they aren't vaccinated but have to go to hospital for something non-Covid related? Will they still pay a premium on hospital bills? I would be happy to pay extra for Covid treatment if I choose not to vaccinate but not for something non Covid related! That's just ridiculous.

Who cares? It's only what 13% unvaccinated so hardly a majority.

Who cares because it is a minority? Good grief.

Suppose they could implement that if they were prepared to increase tax in line with BMI.

@frozendaisy

Who cares? It's only what 13% unvaccinated so hardly a majority.

Are you for real?

What @NearlyAlwaysInsane wrote.
This is undemocratic and verging on the totalitarian. Especially as it seems we are moving toward a phase (hopefully) of the end of the pandemic.

I would be happy to pay extra for Covid treatment if I choose not to vaccinate but not for something non Covid related!

It’s the thin end of the wedge though. If we are charging the unvaccinated because they could have done something to mitigate the impact of Covid what about charging drinkers, smokers, the obese, skiers, riders, those who are injured in speed related RTAs? Where does it stop?

At the outset of Covid I was very much in favour of persuading all young people to get vaccinated. This is because I believed that vaccination significantly reduced the liklihood of an individual contracting and transmitting Covid.

But the disease has evolved and advice needs to evolve with it. It appears that the vaccines do not significantly reduce the risk of people catching or transmitting Omicron. And it is very clear that otherwise healthy younger people are not adversely affected by Omicron. So maybe we need to start to focus the vaccination advice on the elderly and those with underlying health conditions who are most likely to be badly affected and to burden the health care system.

Advice needs to evolve to remain proportionate.

I think it’s horrendous. You cannot penalise people for not wishing to have an invasive medical procedure carried out. In particular their indigenous peoples who have no reason whatsoever to trust anything provided to them by their government.

I used to long to emigrate to Canada, but now with their stance on trans issues, treatment of the indigenous population and their ridiculous yet dangerous PM who they keep inexplicably voting in and who seems to have spent more time in Black Face than out of it, I wouldn’t move there for anything.

It's vindictive, petty and immature. I look at the people who are in favour of it and I thank god I've not ended up like them.

Terrible.
Coercion.
No need.

Shit idea but I'm sure the usual vindictive suspects will be cheering it.

@RachC2021

What’s the difference between the tax on fags and sugar? Trying to push people into doing/not doing something via tax increasing prices isn’t new.

Are they saying they are only going to 'tax' unvaccinated when they need a medical treatment for covid? If not you can't compare it with tax on cigarettes and sugar. As if I don't smoke I don't pay any tax on cigarettes as I don't buy them... So if a person who decides not to have a covid jab never needs the treatment for covid they shouldn't pay it, right? Alternatively maybe they should charge the vaccine makers for treatment of the vaccinated people in hospital? As it should prevent it??? It is all crazy, really

Disgusting. It will disproportionally affect the poor.