“It’s laughable, quite frankly,” Horgan when asked about Smith’s comment by radio host Al Ferraby. Horgan, who is to step down as B.C.’s NDP premier later this year, responded to Smith’s comment Wednesday in an interview with C-FAX Radio in Victoria. “I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a situation in my lifetime where a person was fired from their job or not allowed to watch their kids play hockey or not allowed to go visit a loved one in long-term care or hospital, not allowed to get on a plane to either go across the country to see family or even travel across the border.” “(The unvaccinated) have been the most discriminated-against group that I’ve ever witnessed in my lifetime,” said the 51-year-old. Later in the day, at her first news conference as premier, Smith said she would shake up the top tier of the health system within three months and amend provincial human rights law to protect those who choose not to get vaccinated for diseases including COVID-19. Smith was sworn in Tuesday as Alberta’s new premier after the United Conservative Party elected her in a leadership race to replace Jason Kenney as leader and premier. “I want to be clear that I did not intend to trivialize in any way the discrimination faced by minority communities and other persecuted groups or create any false equivalencies to the terrible historical discrimination and persecution suffered by so many minority groups,” said the statement. Smith said in a statement Wednesday that she intended to underline the mistreatment of individuals who chose not to be vaccinated. Smith’s comment on her first day as premier drew criticism from across Canada - including British Columbia Premier John Horgan, who called it “laughable,” and at least one Jewish group who says it reached out to her office to express concern.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she didn’t mean to trivialize prejudice faced by minority communities when she suggested unvaccinated people have experienced the most discrimination she has ever seen in her lifetime.

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