WINNIPEG, Manitoba (LifeSiteNews) — Manitoba has released an online digital health card, which some are warning could be the first step in digital identification systems.
On January 12, the province of Manitoba unveiled its newly developed digital health care cards, which allow residents to store their government-issued medical information in an online app.
“Digital health cards put Manitobans in control of their own information, make it easier to access care, and support a safer, more responsive health system,” Premier Wab Kinew said in a press release.
“Over the past year, we’ve moved from paper health cards to plastic and now to a digital option,” he continued. “It is a practical step that reflects our focus on patient safety, accessibility and putting people first as we make health care better for families.”
The card is stored via the MB Wallet app, which users can download on their phones beginning on January 15. Residents are given the option of having both a physical and digital card or just a digital one.
During a press conference announcing the rollout, Kinew scoffed at concerned citizens who raised concerns that the digital system could infringe on privacy rights and usher in government control.
“For all the conspiracy-minded folks who are running to their YouTube channels, stop. This is not mandatory,” he said. “Totally optional. It’s up to you. If this is going to make your life easier, get a digital health card.”
Digital IDs and similar systems have long been pushed by globalist groups like the World Economic Forum, an organization with which Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has extensive ties, under the guise of ease of access and security.
Critics, however, have warned that the purpose of such a system is actually to centralize control over citizens. This opinion seems to be mirrored by the general public, with a Bank of Canada survey finding that Canadians are very wary of a government-backed digital currency, concluding that a “significant number” of citizens would resist the implementation of such a system.
In September, Alberta’s release of a digital wallet to replace paper health cards and store other government documents was met with skepticism and concern from many.
Canadians have a strong record of resisting the use of digital IDs to access government services, as proven by Privy Council research from 2023.
At the same time, Carney has a history of supporting central bank digital currencies and, in 2022, supported “choking off the money” donated to the Freedom Convoy protests against COVID mandates.
As late as February, the Liberal government under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s immigration ministry, as reported by LifeSiteNews, was secretly asking Canadians via surveys if they would accept a national identification program that would likely end up requiring each citizen to always have a type of “digital” passport on them.
While the Liberal government under Trudeau insisted the program would be optional, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre nonetheless sounded the alarm by promising to introduce a new bill that would “expressly prohibit” digital IDs in Canada.