NDP's Jagmeet Singh denounces trucker convoy, disagrees with brother-in-law's donation to the cause

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh today condemned a convoy of truckers and others travelling to Ottawa to protest a federal rule requiring that all cross-border drivers be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Singh said some of the people behind the demonstration are pushing "false information" through "inflammatory, divisive and hateful comments."

GoFundMe records show Singh's brother-in-law, Jodhveer Singh Dhaliwal, donated $13,000 to the group behind the demonstration — dubbed the "freedom convoy" by participants.

In a statement sent to CBC News, Singh said he doesn't support a campaign that harbours "extremist and dangerous views and "unequivocally" disapproves of his brother-in-law's decision to donate.

"[I] ... disagree with him about this donation and told him so. I am against this convoy and against the dangerous and divisive rhetoric we're seeing coming from it," Singh said.

"I understand people are frustrated that we're still in this pandemic two years later. The best way to get out of this pandemic, and to keep ourselves, our families and our communities safe, is to get vaccinated and to listen to public health experts."

An NDP source, speaking on background, said Dhaliwal didn't fully comprehend what the money would be used for.

"There was a misunderstanding. Once he understood the true nature of this organization, a process was started to return the donation," the source said. While he waits for GoFundMe to process the reversal, Dhaliwal has hidden his name from the public list of donors to the convoy, the source said.

Singh also condemned Conservative politicians who are backing the truckers opposed to the new vaccine requirements.

"While not surprising, it is disturbing that Conservative MPs are supporting this convoy," he said.

Candice Bergen, deputy leader of the Conservative Party, added her name to a growing list of MPs who say they stand with the protesting truckers. She said her party opposes all federal vaccine mandates.

Bergen said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's attempt to boost vaccination rates through new mandates has "dealt our already crumbling supply chain another blow." She said the policy will exacerbate an existing trucker shortage and "drive inflation higher than it's been in over 30 years."

"Now more than ever, our economy needs to be reopened, and we need every sector working in order to recover from the pandemic. I support peaceful demonstrations against these mandates, and our truckers from Portage-Lisgar and from across Canada," Bergen said, referring to the riding she represents.

Conservative finance critic Pierre Poilievre and Garnett Genuis, a Conservative MP from Alberta, have called the federal policy a "vaccine vendetta."