Roundup: CERB is go

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There were a lot of early piece of news in advance of Justin Trudeau’s daily presser – Doug Ford complaining that the province only had one week of supplies left as three million masks bound for Ontario were blocked at the US border (some half a million released later in the day), and Andrew Scheer helpfully demanding a “temporary” expansion of charitable tax credits.

When Trudeau did begin his presser, he spoke about the fact that the CERB was now online and thousands of applications had already poured in and the system hadn’t crashed. He also said that they were working on getting other benefit programmes in place for those whose hours were reduced, those who were still working but making less than they would be on CERB benefits, or students who didn’t qualify for benefits, and that there would be announcements for those soon. He also mentioned efforts at getting debt relief during the pandemic, and that they were working on bringing Parliament back to get the wage subsidy bill passed. During the Q&A, he spoke largely in generalities about working with the provinces and the US on resolving the issues around protective equipment (and by the end of the day, it seems that the mask issue had been settled and the Americans would once again allow shipments to flow to Canada), and that he was trying to find some kind of flexibility for a “virtual” parliament (which is a very bad thing and he should stop right there).

One thing Trudeau would not offer an opinion on was the mask debate, saying that it was not up for politicians to make these kinds of recommendations. During the ministerial presser shortly thereafter, Dr. Theresa Tam essentially reiterated her same advice that the only time you really need a mask is if you’re showing symptoms, and it could be helpful if you’re in a situation where physical distance is difficult – like on public transit – but repeated again that it’s not an official recommendation and that medical-grade masks should only be for medical personnel. And yet, despite this, everyone spent the rest of the day saying there were “new” mask guidelines (there weren’t), or that Tam had somehow reversed her previous position (she hadn’t), and there wasn’t a lot of focus on the fact that she repeated over and over that the problem with masks is they give people a false sense of confidence and they slack off on other measures like physical distancing or handwashing. But hey, everyone’s an armchair infectious disease specialist these days, so that’s what matters, right?

Good reads:

  • Here’s a look at how BC has been fairly successful in “flattening the curve” of new infections while Ontario has not.
  • There was a “technical glitch” at Global Affairs in some applications for emergency loans for Canadians trying to get back home, forcing them to re-apply.
  • In case you wanted a taste of how the dairy supply management system is dealing with the current pandemic, farmers are dumping lots of their milk.
  • Asylum seekers at the Canadian border have slowed to an unprecedented trickle after the border lockdown.
  • With the Conservative leadership race officially suspended, there is now a “grey area” of rules as candidates continue to do virtual outreach.
  • The Conservative Fund is doubling what they contribute to the leader’s office given it is a hung parliament and an election could theoretically happen at any time.
  • Kady O’Malley’s Process Nerd column offers some suggestions for a virtual parliament (which I wholly disabuse the notion of).
  • Philippe Lagassé and Marie-Eve Desrosiers worry that the pandemic could reignite populist mistrust in government as loss-aversion emerges on the other side of it.
  • Paul Wells muses about the future of globalisation post-pandemic, considering that liberal democracy was already in trouble going into it.
  • Susan Delacourt recounts how the government has a playbook for how to deal with Trump is he starts a trade war over medical supplies.
  • Colby Cosh continues his exploration of drug interactions with COVID-19.

Odds and ends:

For the CBA’s National Magazine, I talk to lawyers about the powers granted around patents in the COVID-19 emergency legislation.

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2 thoughts on “Roundup: CERB is go”

  1. Anyone going to press Legault or Blanchet on the face mask issue (or Kenney for that matter), or is nobody going to go near that obvious third rail?

  2. Kudos to Trudeau and his Ministers for the way they have stepped up in this crises! When I look to the south and the yellow menace I retch! Vive Le Canada!

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