A Liberties Group Slammed Quebec For Launching A Vaccine Passport Without Public Debate

In a Monday news release, Quebec's Ligue des droits et libertés (LDL) "[denounced] the Legault government's decision to introduce a vaccine passport without public debate."

"As in many moments during this health crisis, the Legault government refuses to be transparent and to submit its decisions to parliamentary scrutiny," LDL coordinator Catherine Descoteaux said.

Legault and Health Minister Christian Dubé first raised the possibility of a vaccine passport system in July. On Thursday, the premier said the government had decided to officially launch it amid rising case numbers.

The government has stated the passport will likely apply to non-essential activities and spaces like restaurants, bars and festivals.

Dubé is expected to share more details Tuesday afternoon, but the LDL says it's dissatisfied with the rollout and criticized the government for not sharing more information about the passport's potential usefulness in a fourth wave of infections.

The organization also has concerns about enforcement, specifically whether businesses will really scrutinize passports given the high vaccination rate in the Quebec population.

Descoteaux said she has "serious questions about whether QR code monitoring will quickly become an afterthought in a heavily vaccinated population." The LDL further warns the vaccine passport could "create a false sense of security."

"All health measures necessary to fight the pandemic, however legitimate, must be debated and validated, rather than decided in an opaque and unilateral manner," the LDL statement concludes.

Vaccine passport systems are popping up elsewhere in the world, too. New York City's Key to NYC is set to launch on August 16 and France expanded the scope of its own passport on August 9.

Health Canada has a robust website with all the latest information on COVID-19 vaccines and can answer any questions you may have.