A political push to ratchet back London City Hall’s vaccination policy for municipal employees drew a scathing rebuke from members of the Corporate Services Committee (CSC).
Councillor Michael van Holst sent a pair of letters to his council colleagues arguing that vaccinated employees and unvaccinated employees (who submitted attestations claiming a valid exemption) should be treated equally.
Currently, unvaccinated city employees must have an individualized COVID-19 Plan which can include working remotely or regular testing for COVID-19.
Since the administrative vaccination policy was launched for employees last year, city council has kept aligned its own vaccination policy for politicians.
Councillor van Holst has refused to disclose his vaccination status and launched a creed called the Order of Freedom, which opposes COVID-19 vaccination mandates.
In his letter to the CSC, van Holst writes, “I want our council policy to remain non-discriminatory. So, to ensure alignment, I suggest that staff revise their approach to treat those with attestations equally.”
The second letter sent to the committee by van Holst includes unsubstantiated claims about vaccination.
It reads, “I am seeing harmful side effects from the vaccines in my circles. These include ghastly short-term reactions, debilitating long-term injuries at the site of the injection, teens with myocarditis, and one likely death.”
“There’s no actual moral high ground here, where one group has done the right thing with regards to their vaccine choice,” van Holst told the committee Monday afternoon.
Before he could finish, Mayor Ed Holder interrupted with a point of order.
“I’m going to challenge the credentials of our colleague (van Holst) who is presenting his conjecture as fact,” asserted Holder. “I think that it is not only offensive, but it’s exceptionally misleading.”
“I am tired of misinformation and disinformation being spread from the council floor,” added Councillor Maureen Cassidy, who chairs the Middlesex London Board of Health.
Councillor Cassidy tore into Van Holst’s latest unverified claims about pandemic measures and vaccination.
She said one of her reasons for following public health measures is to protect her 88-year-old father.
“I am doing everything in my power, including vaccination and boosters to keep myself safe so that I don’t kill my father. At the end of the day that’s my goal, so that is why I have ask to take no action on this (matter).”
The Corporate Services Committee unanimously agreed, voting to recommend the unusually forceful recommendation to ‘TAKE NO ACTION’ on Van Holst’s letters.
The committee instead recommended updating the council vaccination policy to remain aligned with the administrative policy by requiring the development of COVID-19 Plans that could include regular testing for unvaccinated councillors who submitted an attestation.
The update to the vaccination policy governing municipal politicians will be considered by council on Jan. 25.
