Trudeau urges Canadians to step up to fight a second wave
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took to national television Wednesday evening to warn Canadians of a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying “nobody is invincible,” and urging people to continue wearing masks, washing their hands and listening to public health officials.
“It's all too likely we won't be gathering for Thanksgiving, but we still have a shot at Christmas,” the Prime Minister said.
Trudeau spoke, standing in his office on Parliament Hill, for about 15 minutes, wearing a dark suit and tie, flanked by Canadian flags. His address around dinnertime in Eastern Canada, came just hours after Governor General Julie Payette delivered a voluminous speech from the throne on Parliament Hill. Trudeau's address, an unusual occurrence in Canadian politics, blended elements of Payette's speech, reiterating some of the proposals, leaving several others out, while asking Canadians to continue behaving responsibly in the pandemic.
Payette's address, 17-pages long, detailed the Liberals' plan for economic recovery and tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to a slew of spending measures. It promises to extend wage subsidies offered to businesses until next summer, recommits to a national Pharmacare plan, and promises long-term spending on child care, along with multiple other proposals and a broad emphasis on a greener economy.
Trudeau nodded at some of these measures in his televised address, including plans for more rapid COVID-19 testing and creating national standards to keep seniors safe in long-term care homes.
“The actions of our parents and grandparents, the generation that faced the Great Depression and the Second World War, remind us of the importance of being resilient and patient in times of crisis,” Trudeau said. “They built the world of today. Now it's up to us to build the world of tomorrow, starting with protecting them.”
As yet, it's unclear what will happen next: The Conservatives have declared their Opposition to the speech, and the Bloc Québécois criticized it for not taking into account provincial demands. Jagmeet Singh, the NDP leader, has suggested there are conditions upon which his party could support the speech, averting an election.
Votes on the Throne Speech are expected to begin next week.
The federal government, as of its July update, is facing a 2020 deficit of $343.2 billion, and a national debt that will eclipse $1 trillion.
Trudeau said questions about whether or not the government can afford its spending program are “fair.”
“Doing less would mean a slower recovery and bigger deficits in the long run,” Trudeau said. “While we're still dealing with this pandemic, I don't want you — or your parent, or your friend — to take on debt that your government can better shoulder.”
Trudeau added: “We all want to build a stronger country for everyone. To do this, we must redouble our efforts to fight climate change,” said Trudeau. He also thanked front-line workers, calling them heroes who've worked to tackle the pandemic.