Alberta Fact Check: Corey Hogan warns separatists could restrict Canadians' freedom to travel and work — his own government already did
Hogan is free to argue that Alberta becoming an independent country could have implications for mobility, citizenship, or employment. What is beyond dispute is that the federal Liberal government already implemented nationwide policies that restricted domestic and international travel based on vaccination status.
Liberal MP Corey Hogan told the Toronto Star that Alberta's independence movement would affect Canadians "in a fundamental sense to travel, to work, to enjoy the entire country that they are citizens of."
It's a striking argument coming from a member of the Liberal government that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, imposed travel restrictions based on vaccination status.
Beginning in late 2021, the federal government required most travellers aged 12 and older to be vaccinated to board commercial flights departing from Canadian airports, travel on interprovincial passenger trains, or board federally regulated marine vessels.
Canadians who were unvaccinated were, with limited exceptions, unable to use those forms of transportation within Canada or to leave the country by air. The policy remained in place until it was suspended in June 2022.
The federal government also required vaccination for many federally regulated public servants and workers in sectors such as air and rail transportation, policies that affected thousands of Canadians' employment.
Whether those measures were justified as a public health response remains a matter of political debate. But they were real restrictions imposed by the federal government on Canadians' ability to travel and, in some cases, to work.
By contrast, Alberta's independence movement is currently advocating for a referendum on whether the province should pursue sovereignty. That's it.
Hogan is free to argue that Alberta becoming an independent country could have implications for mobility, citizenship, or employment. Those are legitimate questions that would have to be addressed in any future negotiations.
What is beyond dispute is that the federal Liberal government, of which Hogan is a member, already implemented nationwide policies that restricted domestic and international travel based on vaccination status.
For Canadians who remember those mandates, warnings about hypothetical future limits on freedom of movement may ring hollow coming from the same political party that imposed real ones.
Sheila Gunn Reid
Chief Reporter
Sheila Gunn Reid is the Editor-in-Chief, Alberta Bureau Chief, member of the board of directors, and host of The Gunn Show at Rebel News. Sheila also serves as President of the Independent Press Gallery of Canada. A mother of three and longtime conservative activist, Sheila is the author of bestselling books, including her most recent release, Independence Blueprint: What Alberta Can Learn From Quebec.
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COMMENTS
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Matthew beatty commented 2026-07-09 14:31:48 -0400Most of my liberal friends have all voted for the referendum, it’s good for Alberta, just because your liberal or NDP still doesn’t mean that they are not, looking out for Alberta and its future.
Maybe, stay in your own lane Mr.
