C-278Prevention of Government-imposed Vaccination Mandates Act
An Act to prevent the imposition by the federal government of vaccination mandates for employment and travel
Private member's bill, introduced in the House of Commons on June 2, 2022
- Status
- Defeated at second reading in the House of Commons
What it does
Prevents federal rules from requiring COVID-19 vaccination for some jobs and from stopping travel by plane, train, or ship solely because a person is not vaccinated.
What it does
- Bars the Treasury Board from making COVID-19 vaccination a condition of employment in the federal public administration, or from suspending, reducing pay, or ending employment solely for not being vaccinated.
- Bars new regulations under the Canada Labour Code from requiring COVID-19 vaccination as a job condition for work in or connected to a federal work, undertaking, or business.
- Bars COVID-19 rules under the Aeronautics Act from preventing a person from boarding an aircraft solely because they have not received a COVID-19 vaccine.
- Bars COVID-19 rules under the Railway Safety Act from preventing a person from boarding railway equipment solely because they have not received a COVID-19 vaccine.
- Bars COVID-19 regulations under the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 from preventing a person from boarding a vessel solely because they have not received a COVID-19 vaccine.
Who it affects
- Federal public service employees
- Federally regulated workers
- Air travellers
- Rail passengers
- Vessel passengers
Background
The bill amends the Financial Administration Act, the Canada Labour Code, the Aeronautics Act, the Railway Safety Act, and the Canada Shipping Act, 2001.
Where it is
House of Commons
First reading
Completed.
Second reading
Defeated here. Defeated
Committee
Not reached.
Report stage
Not reached.
Third reading
Not reached.
Senate
First reading
Not reached.
Second reading
Not reached.
Committee
Not reached.
Third reading
Not reached.
Royal assent
Royal assent
Not reached.
Introduced by an MP who is not a minister. These bills compete in a lottery for debate time, and most do not become law. How a bill becomes law
How the House voted
2nd reading of Bill C-278, An Act to prevent the imposition by the federal government of vaccination mandates for employment and travel
Vote 434,
Failed
114 yeato206 nay · 6 paired
Party breakdown for vote 434 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Nay 0 152 6 Conservative Yea 114 0 3 Bloc Nay 0 29 3 NDP Nay 0 22 3 Green Nay 0 2 0 Independent Nay 0 1 2 Total 114 206
What MPs said
Each party’s first speech on this bill in the House, from Hansard. Excerpts are the speaker’s opening sentences, unedited.
LiberalMark Gerretsen· June 20, 2023
“I do not think it should surprise anybody that the government will be opposed to this bill. This is not a bill that respects the will of Canadians.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caConservativePierre Poilievre· June 2, 2022
“Moved for leave to introduce Bill C-278, An Act to prevent the imposition by the federal government of vaccination mandates for employment and travel. Today I am taking another step to give Canadians back control of their lives with the prevention of government-imposed vaccination mandates act.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caBlocLouise Chabot· June 20, 2023
“The bill seeks to amend the Financial Administration Act so that the Treasury Board can no longer impose mandatory vaccination. The bill also seeks to amend the Canada Labour Code, the Aeronautics Act, the Railway Safety Act and the Canada Shipping Act, 2001.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caNDPBonita Zarrillo· June 20, 2023
“Before I move into the bill, I want to acknowledge the sacrifices that every Canadian has made over the past three years. The high school graduates of this month are the first cohort to have spent all of their high school years under COVID.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.ca
Read the source
LEGISinfo status: Bill defeated. Bill data from LEGISinfo, votes from openparliament.ca and the House of Commons. Last updated October 13, 2026.