In a spirited parliamentary address, Government Senator Jemarlie John systematically dismantled Opposition Leader Ralph Gonsalves’ assertion that the current New Democratic Party administration was merely continuing the Unity Labour Party’s policy regarding reinstatement of public sector workers terminated under the 2021 COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
The senator, leveraging his legal expertise and position as deputy speaker, presented compelling evidence from media archives demonstrating the ULP government’s consistent opposition to worker reinstatement. John referenced an August 2022 iWitness News report where Gonsalves explicitly argued that reinstating unvaccinated employees would constitute an admission that the original mandate was unlawful.
John emphasized the fundamental constitutional rights at stake, stating, ‘People have certain God-given rights, including religious liberty. And it is good to know that retribution still comes for those who trample underfoot our God-given rights and freedoms.’
The historical context reveals hundreds of public sector workers were dismissed in November 2021 for non-compliance with the vaccine mandate. While the High Court initially ruled these terminations unconstitutional in March 2023, the Court of Appeal overturned this decision in February 2025. The matter now awaits hearing before the Privy Council, the nation’s highest court.
John highlighted the stark policy contrast between the parties: ‘The ULP administration did not reinstate a single worker terminated under the vaccine mandate law. Not one!’ He attributed the NDP’s landslide electoral victory (14-1) partly to this distinction, noting the former administration’s refusal to acknowledge wrongdoing.
The senator further critiqued the previous government’s exemption process, arguing that alternative arrangements that became possible post-COVID could have been implemented during the pandemic. ‘This law was never about public health in the first place,’ John concluded, characterizing the situation as a ‘manmade disaster’ entirely avoidable through different policy choices.