OTTAWA —
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is looking into recalling Parliament for a brief period in order to pass additional legislative measures, such as changes to employment insurance and potentially even enacting some aspects of the federal Emergencies Act, as Canada continues to ratchet up its response to COVID-19.
He is also imploring Canadians to heed public health authorities’ advice to protect themselves and others amid the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the importance of social distancing at this time because community transmission is happening.
A more fulsome support package for Canadian workers and businesses as well as measures to stimulate the economy will be rolled out on Wednesday, Trudeau said.
The prime minister announced Tuesday that the Liberals are looking at changes to the upcoming tax season and ways to grant more flexibility for people to make payments and for businesses to have more cash flow upfront, given the sweeping shutdowns impacting numerous industries.
While the government has already been granted parliamentary approvals to spend money in response to COVID-19, Trudeau said further steps need to be legislated.
The federal government invoking the Emergencies Act, formerly known as the War Measures Act, and declaring a national public emergency would grant them considerable powers to lead the nationwide response, including restriction on the movement of goods and people within Canada. Doing so would require parliamentary oversight, meaning a small number of politicians would have to reconvene in Ottawa in the coming days.
“There are economic pieces that will need quick passage in order to support Canadians,” Trudeau said. “We are also examining the emergency measures act to see if it is necessary or if there are other ways that will enable us to take the actions needed to protect people.”
For now, Trudeau said that his officials are exploring whether it’s possible to activate certain emergency protocols or take additional safety precautions without having to go as far as declaring a state of emergency. Ministers are reaching out to all premiers about this move, as it requires their consultation.
The last time these federal emergency powers were invoked was during the 1970 FLQ October Crisis, when Trudeau’s father was the prime minister.
“We are very aware that the Emergencies Act is a measure of last resort, which does grant extraordinary powers to the federal government,” said Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland in a press conference on Parliament Hill with key members of cabinet following Trudeau’s address. The daily update on the novel coronavirus was moved into a larger room to accommodate the social distancing required.
The latest update from the federal government comes after Trudeau promised additional measures to help families on Monday. The virus has been spreading quickly across the world, and Canada is no exception.
The entire federal cabinet will be discussing what Trudeau called a “major” economic announcement, later Tuesday.
Additional measures coming for Canadians would be on top of the previously announced $1-billion health and economic response package that includes relaxing EI rules, and would go beyond the $10 billion being made available to businesses who are being impacted by the virus.
Responding to the prospect of a parliamentary recall, Conservative House Leader Candice Bergen tweeted that “Conservatives are ready to return to Parliament to do whatever is necessary to assist Canadians through this time of uncertainty.”
At the time Trudeau began speaking, there were 450 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Canada.
Once the federal ministers concluded their briefing, the number of confirmed cases in Canada jumped to 468.
‘We can make choices to save lives’
Trudeau offered thanks to all Canadians working on the front lines of this health crisis, and implored Canadians to do what they can to help lighten their load, including staying home.
“Things will get better,” he said, adding that he isn’t sure if that will be in weeks, or months. “Each one of us can make choices that help the people around us. In fact, we can make choices that will save lives.”
Trudeau provided Canadians with an update on the federal government’s COVID-19 measures from self-isolation at Rideau Cottage, emphasizing steps Canadians should be taking to limit the spread of the pandemic, like social distancing, vigilant hand washing, not gathering in groups of more than 50 people, and sneezing into your elbow.
Parks Canada will also be closing visitor services, meaning heritage sites and national parks will not be staffed.
Elaborating on Trudeau’s request for Canadians to abide public health advice, Health Minister Patty Hajdu said that while it is a stressful time, and the changes to daily life are disruptive, these actions need to be taken. That doesn’t mean there aren’t ways for Canadians to help others, she added.
“Make sure that you are kind with one another,” Hajdu said. “Think of ways you can help to ensure that we get through this together. There are scared people, there are lonely people, there are frightened people and it doesn’t take a lot to reach out to them.”
Freeland called the COVID-19 pandemic the “defining global health crisis of our time.”
No additional border measures
As the government announced this week, effective Wednesday, Canada will be shutting its border to non-citizens looking to enter, with some exceptions, and offering a $5,000 loan to Canadians trying to get home. Several new measures are also being implemented at airports to enhance screening of travellers returning from abroad.
Trudeau cautioned on Tuesday that the reality is, not everyone who is out of the country will get home in the next few weeks, though at this point no additional measures are coming to restrict who can get in after Wednesday. That currently remains open to Canadians, permanent residents, immediate family members of Canadian citizens, diplomats, air crews, and U.S. citizens.
Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said there is now enhanced presence of border officers at all points of entry, who are on the lookout for any signs of illness in people coming into Canada.
He also clarified that should a Canadian or permanent resident present at the border with symptoms, they will be allowed in but will be taken immediately under the care of public health officials. However, Transport Minister Marc Garneau said that if a Canadian tries to board a plane abroad to come home and they present symptoms, they will not be able to get on the plane.
VANCOUVER – Contract negotiations resume today in Vancouver in a labour dispute that has paralyzed container cargo shipping at British Columbia’s ports since Monday.
The BC Maritime Employers Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 are scheduled to meet for the next three days in mediated talks to try to break a deadlock in negotiations.
The union, which represents more than 700 longshore supervisors at ports, including Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Nanaimo, has been without a contract since March last year.
The latest talks come after employers locked out workers in response to what it said was “strike activity” by union members.
The start of the lockout was then followed by several days of no engagement between the two parties, prompting federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon to speak with leaders on both sides, asking them to restart talks.
MacKinnon had said that the talks were “progressing at an insufficient pace, indicating a concerning absence of urgency from the parties involved” — a sentiment echoed by several business groups across Canada.
In a joint letter, more than 100 organizations, including the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Business Council of Canada and associations representing industries from automotive and fertilizer to retail and mining, urged the government to do whatever it takes to end the work stoppage.
“While we acknowledge efforts to continue with mediation, parties have not been able to come to a negotiated agreement,” the letter says. “So, the federal government must take decisive action, using every tool at its disposal to resolve this dispute and limit the damage caused by this disruption.
“We simply cannot afford to once again put Canadian businesses at risk, which in turn puts Canadian livelihoods at risk.”
In the meantime, the union says it has filed a complaint to the Canada Industrial Relations Board against the employers, alleging the association threatened to pull existing conditions out of the last contract in direct contact with its members.
“The BCMEA is trying to undermine the union by attempting to turn members against its democratically elected leadership and bargaining committee — despite the fact that the BCMEA knows full well we received a 96 per cent mandate to take job action if needed,” union president Frank Morena said in a statement.
The employers have responded by calling the complaint “another meritless claim,” adding the final offer to the union that includes a 19.2 per cent wage increase over a four-year term remains on the table.
“The final offer has been on the table for over a week and represents a fair and balanced proposal for employees, and if accepted would end this dispute,” the employers’ statement says. “The offer does not require any concessions from the union.”
The union says the offer does not address the key issue of staffing requirement at the terminals as the port introduces more automation to cargo loading and unloading, which could potentially require fewer workers to operate than older systems.
The Port of Vancouver is the largest in Canada and has seen a number of labour disruptions, including two instances involving the rail and grain storage sectors earlier this year.
A 13-day strike by another group of workers at the port last year resulted in the disruption of a significant amount of shipping and trade.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
The Royal Canadian Legion says a new partnership with e-commerce giant Amazon is helping boost its veterans’ fund, and will hopefully expand its donor base in the digital world.
Since the Oct. 25 launch of its Amazon.ca storefront, the legion says it has received nearly 10,000 orders for poppies.
Online shoppers can order lapel poppies on Amazon in exchange for donations or buy items such as “We Remember” lawn signs, Remembrance Day pins and other accessories, with all proceeds going to the legion’s Poppy Trust Fund for Canadian veterans and their families.
Nujma Bond, the legion’s national spokesperson, said the organization sees this move as keeping up with modern purchasing habits.
“As the world around us evolves we have been looking at different ways to distribute poppies and to make it easier for people to access them,” she said in an interview.
“This is definitely a way to reach a wider number of Canadians of all ages. And certainly younger Canadians are much more active on the web, on social media in general, so we’re also engaging in that way.”
Al Plume, a member of a legion branch in Trenton, Ont., said the online store can also help with outreach to veterans who are far from home.
“For veterans that are overseas and are away, (or) can’t get to a store they can order them online, it’s Amazon.” Plume said.
Plume spent 35 years in the military with the Royal Engineers, and retired eight years ago. He said making sure veterans are looked after is his passion.
“I’ve seen the struggles that our veterans have had with Veterans Affairs … and that’s why I got involved, with making sure that the people get to them and help the veterans with their paperwork.”
But the message about the Amazon storefront didn’t appear to reach all of the legion’s locations, with volunteers at Branch 179 on Vancouver’s Commercial Drive saying they hadn’t heard about the online push.
Holly Paddon, the branch’s poppy campaign co-ordinator and bartender, said the Amazon partnership never came up in meetings with other legion volunteers and officials.
“I work at the legion, I work with the Vancouver poppy office and I go to the meetings for the Vancouver poppy campaign — which includes all the legions in Vancouver — and not once has this been mentioned,” she said.
Paddon said the initiative is a great idea, but she would like to have known more about it.
The legion also sells a larger collection of items at poppystore.ca.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
