Canadian Ministers of Parliament voted this week to ban the use of medical face masks made in China in all federal buildings across Canada.
On Monday, the Speaker of the House of Commons Anthony Rota ruled that no masks shipped from China are permitted for use in Houses of Parliament or any other federal buildings across Canada, and instead requires the use of face masks made in Ontario.
“The Canadian company that won the bid provides the House of Commons with two types of non-medical mask: one type that is manufactured in Ontario, the other in China,” said the Speaker. “In light of the House decision, we have since notified our supplier of our requirement with respect to Canadian-made masks.”
The new mask guidelines require compliance in all federal buildings by January 31. Liberal Canadian MPs have been fighting the change for weeks, saying the ban on Chinese COVID equipment may violate trade treaties with China. Conservatives have pushed back, saying there is no reason masks made in Canada can’t be used in place of the Chinese ones.