Some governing members of the Conservative party are wrong to support the truckers protest in Ottawa known as the SA国际影视传媒淔reedom Convoy,SA国际影视传媒� according to Nunavut Senator Dennis Patterson.

He feels so strongly about it that he served notice on Feb. 4 that heSA国际影视传媒檚 leaving the Conservative caucus to join the Canadian Senators Group, which votes independently.

Patterson expressed concern over SA国际影视传媒渟ome of the hateful and divisive rhetoric that we (Conservatives) seem to be associated with currently through some of our spokespersons and even leadership.SA国际影视传媒� He cited SA国际影视传媒渞epugnantSA国际影视传媒� hateful utterances and symbols and the desecration of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which he believes is the work of SA国际影视传媒渆xtremistsSA国际影视传媒� who have taken control of the raucous demonstration in Ottawa that has left downtown streets gridlocked.

SA国际影视传媒淚 feel that it was important to take a principled stand, calling out the SA国际影视传媒� abhorrent, racist, white-supremacist, lawless hooligans in the so-called Freedom Convoy,SA国际影视传媒� said Patterson. SA国际影视传媒淚 am in total disagreement with any association with that group.SA国际影视传媒�

He has been fielding numerous calls and emails from Nunavummiut who are worried about their young adult children attending school in Ottawa, relatives fearful of what might happen to their loved ones receiving medical treatment, and the plight of homeless Inuit in the nationSA国际影视传媒檚 capital while the SA国际影视传媒渉ostage-takingSA国际影视传媒� SA国际影视传媒� as Patterson called it SA国际影视传媒� of downtown Ottawa persists.

OSA国际影视传媒橳oole supporter

The Nunavut senator was SA国际影视传媒渧ery supportiveSA国际影视传媒� of Erin OSA国际影视传媒橳ooleSA国际影视传媒檚 leadership, which was severed with an internal vote by Conservative MPs on Feb. 2. OSA国际影视传媒橳oole represented a centrist, progressive approach and he had shown an interest in the North, Patterson said.

ItSA国际影视传媒檚 too early to tell who will emerge as candidates to replace OSA国际影视传媒橳oole and Patterson said he doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 have SA国际影视传媒渁ny idea who ISA国际影视传媒檇 support at this stage.SA国际影视传媒� But heSA国际影视传媒檚 looking for a person who can unite the traditional Conservatives and the former Reform party supporters once again.

A lifelong SA国际影视传媒渞ed-TorySA国际影视传媒� Conservative, Patterson said he will still remain a member of the party, just not the caucus. He added that his decision wonSA国际影视传媒檛 prevent him from upholding his duties as senator or serving as a member of the Aboriginal Peoples Committee and the Social Affairs, Science and Technology Committee.

If the party chooses to move in a SA国际影视传媒渇ar-rightSA国际影视传媒� direction, Patterson was non-committal about parting ways with the Conservatives outright.

SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檒l have to cross that bridge when I come to it,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檒l do my best to use my position of influence to make sure that I can live with and be very collaborative with our next leader.SA国际影视传媒�

NunavutSA国际影视传媒檚 pandemic measures

The senator gave a ringing endorsement of the way that the pandemic has been handled in Nunavut, praising chief public health officer (CPHO) Dr. Michael Patterson SA国际影视传媒� SA国际影视传媒渘o relationSA国际影视传媒� SA国际影视传媒� in particular, and NunavutSA国际影视传媒檚 leadership for following the CPHOSA国际影视传媒檚 guidance.

Being tripled vaccinated himself, he said he fully supports vaccine mandates and wishes Conservative party leadership would also stand firmly behind inoculations.

At the same time, he said he recognizes how much of a strain Covid-19 has created for Nunavummiut.

SA国际影视传媒淣o doubt, people are suffering greatly from this seemingly sometimes endless pandemic and the impact of the lockdown, the anxiety and fears and mental health pressures that weSA国际影视传媒檙e all feeling,SA国际影视传媒� he said, noting that he is admittedly nervous about travelling because he is elderly and immunocompromised.

Iqaluit water crisis

With residents of NunavutSA国际影视传媒檚 capital twice having their consumption of tap and tanked water interrupted due to the presence of hydrocarbons over the past few months, Patterson said he leaves it to the municipality and the territorial government to resolve the SA国际影视传媒渄istressingSA国际影视传媒� problem in the short-term.

However, he said heSA国际影视传媒檚 working on gaining political support for the infrastructure improvements required to avoid future water crises in Iqaluit.

Ensuring an adequate water supply for IqaluitSA国际影视传媒檚 growing population is a pressing concern, he acknowledged.

HeSA国际影视传媒檚 working on a pre-budget submission to the federal government to address the SA国际影视传媒渂asic right we should have to clean water.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淭he sad reality is that most of our hamlets, most of our municipalities are still out of compliance with basic water standards established by the water board and the federal government,SA国际影视传媒� he said.