Poilievre Shares Video Contrasting Trudeau’s Definition of Disinformation and Claim He Didn’t Force Vaccination

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau takes questions from students during a discussion with President of the Federal Republic of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the University of Ottawa on April 24, 2023. Justin Tang/The Canadian Press

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre posted a video on social media contrasting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s definition of disinformation at an event on April 24, and his claims that the Liberal government did not force COVID-19 vaccination on Canadians during the pandemic.

The video starts with Trudeau saying that disinformation is “when things that are false, things that are untrue, are spread by people who don’t know any better.” He made the comments during a question and answer session at the University of Ottawa where he and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier addressed the students.

The next scene shows Trudeau saying at the event that “while not forcing anyone to get vaccinated, I chose to make sure that all the incentives and all the protections were there to encourage Canadians to get vaccinated.”

And the third scene is of Trudeau on Oct. 6, 2021, introducing mandatory vaccination mandates for federal employees.

“The bottom line? Proof of vaccination will be required by no later than the end of this month for all federal employees,” he said at the time. ”And by mid-November, enforcement measures in place will make sure that everyone is vaccinated. This is about keeping people safe on the job and in their communities.”

Sharing the video on Twitter, Poilievre said “Defining disinformation, exhibit A.”

The Epoch Times reached out to the Prime Minister’s Office for comment, but didn’t immediately hear back.

Defending Vaccination

Trudeau’s remark about disinformation came in response to a question from a student who wanted to know how he decides when to use the word “misinformation,” saying that the word has been used to discredit opposing views in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In response, Trudeau explained that misinformation is sometimes used interchangeably with “disinformation,” though the former involves a “deliberate choice to spread and share falsehoods for a particular purpose,” whether it’s political, personal, or to create chaos.

To identify misinformation, Trudeau said he relies on “scientific realities” established by experts over generations, such as that “water is wet and it freezes at zero degrees Celsius.” He then pointed to examples such as the “flat-Earth theory,” claiming that people have to accept that “there are experts out there that create a basis of fact.”

“The challenge that we have now is that increasingly, misinformation and disinformation is carrying people to believe things that are untrue,” he said.

Trudeau then turned to talk about vaccination, saying that there are “potential side effects” and that there are people “who’ve probably gotten very sick from vaccinations among the billions of people who’ve been vaccinated against COVID over the past few years.”

“The idea that people can fly in the face of science—well, individuals are allowed to make their own choices,” he added. “There may be all sorts of different reasons why someone is hesitant to get vaccinated.”

The Liberals campaigned on introducing vaccine mandates during the 2021 election, and introduced the measure shortly after winning a minority government in September 2021.

The mandate required federal employees to get vaccinated to keep their jobs, and Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough said those who lose their jobs because of vaccination status won’t qualify for employment insurance. COVID-19 vaccination was also required for air and train travel, with the government imposing $5,000 fines for those found in violation. The mandates were suspended in June 2022.