It was a much calmer day yesterday with little in the way of new announcements – the most noteworthy part of Justin Trudeau’s daily presser was that he was actually on time for possibly the first time ever! Oh, and the border restrictions for non-essential travel will probably only kick in sometime on Friday night, but details were still being worked out. As well, there is still no contemplation of use of the Emergencies Act, but it remains a tool in the box if need be.
With the slower news day in mind, here is economist Kevin Milligan who goes through the criticisms of the government’s massive aid package, and addresses which are fair and which ones may not have all of the considerations therein.
https://twitter.com/kevinmilligan/status/1240735038959837184
https://twitter.com/kevinmilligan/status/1240736664948858880
https://twitter.com/kevinmilligan/status/1240737766012416001
https://twitter.com/kevinmilligan/status/1240740325120864256
https://twitter.com/kevinmilligan/status/1240744135616638976
https://twitter.com/kevinmilligan/status/1240745938051715072
https://twitter.com/kevinmilligan/status/1240746856260366337
https://twitter.com/kevinmilligan/status/1240749170094309376
https://twitter.com/kevinmilligan/status/1240751454094123008
https://twitter.com/kevinmilligan/status/1240752642856570882
https://twitter.com/MikePMoffatt/status/1240758765655392261
https://twitter.com/MikePMoffatt/status/1240759454792024071
https://twitter.com/MikePMoffatt/status/1240760179060342787
Good reads:
- Justin Trudeau is expected to announce measures to boost production and procurement of medical equipment later today.
- Marc Miller listed some of the measures that the government has been taking to help Indigenous communities prepare for the pandemic.
- François-Philippe Champagne says he is in self-isolation and awaiting COVID-19 test results after feeling ill after returning from his trip to Europe.
- The government is recalling staff from embassies and consulates around the world.
- Here’s a look at the staggered responses to COVID-19 across the country.
- CSE is warning that our health systems are at higher risk of cyber-attacks during this time of pandemic anxiety.
- It looks like they’ve finally come to some agreements on committee numbers in the Senate, and that the Conservatives will head the Rules Committee (which is good).
- Conservative leadership candidate Rudy Husny says he’s out of the race if they won’t postpone deadlines given the pandemic, especially for fundraising.
- NDP MP Jack Harris is being treated for cancer.
- Susan Delacourt gets another look into the scene at Rideau Cottage, where Trudeau is both solo parenting and running the country.
- Brenda Fine walks us through the math of “flattening the curve” of new COVID-19 infections.
Odds and ends:
Historian Jack Granatstein recalls the restrictions that Canadians faced in wartime, which pale in comparison to the current social distancing rules.
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Hair-on-fire reactions that the package doesn’t go far enough aren’t taking into account the fact that ministers and Trudeau himself have said repeatedly, “the first stage.” Speed rather than perfection, even WHO officials have said that. Also, comparing to Trump is a fool’s errand. Different system and a LOT of corruption behind the scenes. Furthermore, some things like how to deal with renters are provincial jurisdiction, another thing that gets conveniently downplayed (cough, cough NDP) to put blame on the feds for “not caring about people.” Shameful politicking at the absolute worst time.
As for the O&G “bailout,” if the eco-absolutists freaking out online and calling Trudeau a “disaster capitalist petrofascist” bothered to read the Globe article beyond the clickbait headline, they’d note that this is primarily an imperfect ad-hoc make-work program to placate the perpetually aggrieved West. Even an industry spokesperson said he doesn’t expect a robust or direct “bailout” a la Obama’s TARP for the auto industry, because there are certain “policy pronouncements” (like the carbon tax) that he knows the Liberals won’t budge on. But it doesn’t take much for the Soylent Green party to go full Malthusian when removed from the realities of actually governing. Conservatives with composters indeed. Or communists with composters. Potayto, potahto.
There was a Star article recently where the author said maybe it’s time for some social media distancing. Judging by the loud and annoying armchair quarterbacking coming from the ill-informed or misinformed pundit class and the online peanut gallery, second-guessing literally everything this government does in good faith during a rapidly-moving and unprecedented situation, I’d say this columnist has a point. They should get off Twitter and run for office themselves if they think they’d do better.
How long until the PM leaves his self-isolation?
Also were are you on Rideau Cottage since saw some people knocking it? 24 Sussex Drive is still just rotting away (and for free either)?
I think he’s got the better part of a week left to go.
And I would hope that they could make some decisions about 24 Sussex, so that we can get back to the PM living there, and the Secretary to the GG back at the cottage.