Andrew Scheer was again out first yesterday morning to repeat his call for in-person sittings in the House of Commons (which Elizabeth May somehow claims is mere partisanship, which I don not grasp), before Scheer went off on tangents about the WHO, because apparently he thinks that following Trumpian logic is a winning plan. (The Conservatives on the Commons health committee have also been aggressively trying to “get answers” on misinformation from China laundered through the WHO).

Prime minister Justin Trudeau was up next for his daily presser, wherein he laid out plans to expand the CERB to those who make less than $1000 and seasonal workers, as well as those whose EI has run out, and promised wage top-ups for those essential workers who make less than $2500/month, but still no news on help for students and commercial rent (which one assumes is in partnership with the provinces). He also noted the assistance that the Canadian Forces as providing in Nunavut and in Northern Quebec. During the Q&A, Trudeau refused to get involved in the WHO debate, for what it’s worth.

Meanwhile, the issue of long-term care in Ontario was getting much more scrutiny, and it turns out that out of 626 facilities in the province, a mere nine got an inspection last year. Nine. Because the province moved to a “risk-based” system, which apparently means that there is only an investigation after a complaint is filed. So that’s totally fine, and one more sign about the complete mismanagement of the Ford government (that people seem to be forgetting when they praise Ford “stepping up” to the current pandemic challenge).

Good reads:

• Dominic LeBlanc says the government might consider a bill on prosecuting those who wilfully spread misinformation about COVID-19. (The Conservatives balked).
• Marie-Claude Bibeau is concerned about labour shortages in the agriculture sector, which is as much of a pressing concern as procuring medical supplies.
• Karina Gould points out that the American’s withholding funds from the WHO will have a bigger impact on developing countries facing the pandemic.
• There are questions about how the regional stockpile for medical supplies was being managed in Regina.
• The Royal Canadian Air Force is looking to hire commercial pilots grounded by the pandemic.
• As the current chairman of the Council of the Federation, premier Scott Moe sent a letter to Justin Trudeau saying thanks but no thanks about the Emergencies Act.
• Many provincial and territorial states of emergency are coming up for renewal.
• Maclean’s has a run-down of attempted treatments for COVID-19 and what they’ve shown (spoiler: Mostly little).
• The WHO released guidelines for when countries might think about reopening their economies, and Canada doesn’t really meet any of those criteria.
• There are concerns that MPs can’t make complaints about breaches of privilege (such as with leaked bills) while the House isn’t sitting.
• Erstwhile Conservative leadership candidate Marilyn Gladu is repeating Trump falsehoods about treatments for COVID-19 to her local media.
• Justin Ling updates the issue of what measures are being taken to depopulate some prisons as a way of protecting them from infection.
• Kevin Carmichael parses the Bank of Canada’s Monetary Policy Report and what it says about the current pandemic state of the economy and the recovery.
• Heather Scoffield likewise reads Poloz’s statement and zeroes in on the fact that it’s up to the government, not the central bank, to lead this recovery.
• Chris Selley weighs the possibilities and risks of using smart phones to trace contacts as part of controlling the pandemic.
• Matt Gurney has sympathy for the low-wage long term care staff who have been asked to work in dangerous conditions with no protection.

Odds and ends:

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— Dale Smith (@journo_dale) March 23, 2020

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