Roundup: Tightening the border even more

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There was news today from Justin Trudeau in his daily presser (which will happen again today, but I suspect we’ll all be working through the weekends for the foreseeable future), which was not only that the government was working with industry to both increase the capacity at companies which produce medical equipment, and to help other companies retool in order to produce supplies that may be necessary in the near future – something that is akin to a wartime scenario. Trudeau also said that the government had come to an agreement with the United States to essentially suspend the Safe Third Country Agreement, and that for the next 30 days (at which point the agreement sunsets), any irregular border crossers trying to seek asylum in Canada would be returned to the United States.

I have a couple of cynical theories about this move – one of them being that it’s a sop to the Conservatives, who have been crowing about this as other border closures have been taking place. The other theory, which has been put forward by some Washington-based journalists, is that this was in part to offer cover to Donald Trump so that he could take more extreme measures along his southern border. There is also the pragmatist aspect to this – resources are tight with other border closures and screening, so ensuring that there are enough people to man the irregular crossings like Roxham Road, where asylum claimants need to be processed, screened, and now isolated in a federal facility for two weeks, was likely going to stress their resources and capacity. The flip-side of this, however, is that it pushes more people to unmonitored crossings that are further afield, especially now that the weather is warming up, and if they cross there, they won’t be screened and won’t be tracked by public health authorities, and could easily become new vectors for infection – essentially making the government damned if they do, damned if they don’t. The humanitarian aspect of this decision is also a pretty big deal, and does damage to our international reputation, but in this time of crisis, I’m not sure how much anyone is thinking of that, and if it makes it seem like they’re taking action – even if it’s one that will inevitably have more negative consequences than positive ones – then that may be the trade-off for other political considerations at this point in time.

Meanwhile, Here’s an updated Q&A with infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch on COVID-19. Justin Ling worries about the patchwork of information coming from different levels of government as it relates to the pandemic. Ling is also concerned about the government’s tepid response to the pandemic relating to prisoners, and the decision around asylum seekers. Chantal Hébert gives her assessment of how the country’s political leaders are responding to the crisis. Colby Cosh offers some reflections on the state of the pandemic and where it may lead us.

Good reads:

  • François-Philippe Champagne has tested negative for COVID-19.
  • Marc Miller says that funding to prepare Indigenous communities for COVID-19 will flow as soon as the new spending measures are passed by Parliament.
  • More than half a million Canadians have already applied for EI as the outbreak rolls along, which is one of the biggest numbers on record.
  • The Chief of Defence Staff is preparing for some worst-case scenarios.
  • The Competition Bureau is warning that they’re watching for price-gouging at this particular time of crisis.
  • Maclean’s has a longread about public health diplomacy versus hostage diplomacy in our current relationship with China.
  • Here’s a look at the growing problem the pandemic poses to refugee camps and other third world countries.
  • Both Singapore and Taiwan have managed to control their COVID-19 infections without drastic measures (though I’m not sure they’re replicable in Canada).
  • Aspiring narcissist Rick Peterson has dropped out of the Conservative leadership, citing pandemic restrictions, while Jim Karahalios was kicked out for race-baiting.
  • Jason Kenney announced aid for the oils sector, as well as an “Economic Recovery Council” which will include Stephen Harper.
  • Vancouver is trying to get federal exemptions to provide a safe supply for drug users to prevent even more pandemic deaths.
  • Chris Selley points to the need to fix the CBC, as has been exposed by this week’s decision to suspend local newscasts in favour of a centralized broadcast.
  • My weekend column looks at what next week’s skeleton crew Parliament will likely look like, and why some ongoing oversight is a good idea.

Odds and ends:

For Today’s Parent, I wrote an explainer about the new federal benefits related to COVID-19 (and yes, it applies to more than just parents).

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