Monday September 14, 2020 | NATIONAL
Editorial Analysis by Mary P Brooke, editor | Island Social Trends
Around 8:30 am this morning Monday September 14 (5:30 am Pacific Time), Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stopped briefly at a ‘single mic’ in front of four Canadian flags to speak briefly with media.
Hurriedly today, and with a no-nonsense air in black suit, white shirt and black tie, Trudeau seemed somehow agitated but seemingly most out of courtesy took time to address media with some very brief comments.
Health Minister could be on the rise:
Health Minister Patty Hajdu did not stop at the microphone to speak. She has not played the highest of public profiles during the pandemic, despite that now the fate of the entire country is intricately woven with the handling of the pandemic.
Hajdu’s insights are often blithe, as in how she explained how Canadian politicians were sidelined early on in January 2020 by the “administration” of the Public Health Agency of Canada, making it clear the important role of involving politicians in the well-being of the country.
The government would probably find the Canadian public willing to take more heed of Hadju’s words if she is given more air time.
Heading into second wave:
As televised, Trudeau said: “We’re seeing a resurgence of COVID-19 and once again we must focus on outbreaks and remain vigilant as a society, be there for each other, keep a proper distance, wash our hands and wear masks and be vigilant. It’s what every one of us can do and must do to control the spread of this virus.”
He wants to prevent “going into a lockdown this fall similar to this spring… and the way we can prevent that is by remaining vigilant,” the prime minister said in his brief remarks.
Partisan politics aside, Trudeau does seem to be the leader for these times. His innate ability to adapt combined with still the mojo of a leader who previously held a majority government, somehow blends to a unique sort of confidence that Canadians seem to trust during these dire pandemic times.
Pausing to honour the tribe:
Very much a man of the Liberal Party of Canada, Trudeau this morning in his brief time addressing media also expressed his admiration for former Prime Minister Jean Chretien’s wife Aline Chretien who passed away on September 12 at the age of 84. He remarked on the power of the woman behind the man, both politically and in terms of personal support.
Yesterday’s Sunday TV media coverage — usually a slow day spent on reflection of politics of the past week and what lies ahead, was dominated by the passing of Aline Chretien. That eclipsed most of the time media pundits may have spent on teeing up the cabinet retreat in the public consciousness.
Trudeau’s comments yesterday about Aline Chretien delineated a bit more for Canadians how unelected women who are married to politicians sometimes have influence in politics. He emphasized Aline’s role as mother, her loyalty to Quebecois roots and bilingualism, and how she was a steady and reliable support for her political husband.
Aline Chretien tried to stay out of the limelight, but behind the scenes she wielded a lot of influence, as was known but is now being remarked upon as people comment on her passing.
Focussing on COVID impacts:
Today and tomorrow, Trudeau and his cabinet ministers are holding a two-day retreat in Ottawa ahead of the September 23 return of Parliament. The health file is obviously the main thrust of the retreat, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic being the driving force by which the economy has changed for governments and Canadians at all levels, and the environment is further impacted.
Most ministers will attend this retreat in person — compared to during the six months of the pandemic to date during which most meetings of any kind in government and business have been held via cyberspace. We may already be seeing the beginnings of Zoom-call fatigue in the Canadian population at large.
On Wednesday September 16 there is a formal news conference on the agenda by Trudeau and perhaps several of his top ministers.
Gearing toward next week:
The parliamentary session on September 23 commences with a speech from the throne in which the Liberal minority government’s plan for economic recovery from massive disruption caused by the global pandemic will be delivered.
Apparently the Ottawa media have been told the Throne Speech could promise investments in housing and a long-term overhaul of the employment insurance system (to help Canadians move beyond CERB for which the last of six months of payments have now been issued to applicants).
The NDP has been pushing for the government to make child care more widely available, and Canadians will be watching for that. The NDP have articulated how the participation of women in the workforce has lost 30 years of progress essentially ‘in an instant’ as many women still carry the load of child care and during the pandemic are forced to make choices between hands-on parenting and being out in the workforce. Though the shift to home-based work can ameliorate that choice for women in several economic sectors.
As a form of mantra since 2015, Trudeau and the Liberals have been saying that the economy and the environment go hand in hand. Now COVID is like a third partner in that intention. Launching a green recovery plan within the on the ongoing public health crisis is a way to keep big business invested in the Canadian economy.
NDP can stabilize the fall-winter economic pandemic period:
Trudeau prorogued Parliament in August, saying his government needed to reset the government’s agenda with a fresh mandate which reflects the many new realities of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The throne speech next week will be followed by a confidence vote, for which the Liberals will need the support of at least the NDP, if not the Greens and Bloc Quebecois in order to move forward with the ‘new plan’ for economic momentum this fall and winter into spring 2021.
A failed confidence vote could possibly see Liberal minority government fail, which would trigger a fall election. That potential outcome is really more in the hands of the NDP than the Liberals.
Canadians would probably appreciate the stability, and not have to be burdened with the load of an election as society heads into a very likely second wave of the COVID-19 virus.
If the NDP see enough in the throne speech to satisfy their progressive agenda for Canadians (notably child care and maintain a flavour of CERB going forward), then it will be business-forward for Trudeau and the Liberals into fall-winter 2020-2021.
On south Vancouver Island the NDP MPs are Randall Garrison (Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke), Alistair MacGregor (Cowichan-Malahat-Langford), and Laurel Collins (Victoria).
Jobs, school and economy:
The stability of jobs, schools being open and the economy overall hang in the balance with what happens in Ottawa next week. Public health officials say that the success in keeping schools fully operational depends on the levels of COVID-19 infection in the general population.
