Opposition politicians walk crisis tightrope
As we face the biggest crisis of this generation, Thanksgiving 2020 seems like a misnomer. Not only does COVID-19 continue to lurk in our communities, the economic, emotional and human consequences of the past 10 months can barely be totalled. And there is no end in sight. In fact, the future is at stake as well as the past.
The Gates Foundation, in its annual Goalkeepers Report, has found that “by nearly every indicator, the world has regressed” and that “the ripple effects of COVID-19 have stopped 20 years of progress toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”
Women don’t need any more data to tell them that our gender has been hit hard. Neither do vulnerable communities. Living conditions in low-income, remote communities or developing countries have exacerbated the reach of the disease. Without clean, running water, how do stop the spread?
“Building back better” is not just a matter of reopening businesses. It requires a rethink and reboot about values and priorities from all political parties. Otherwise, COVID can potentially threaten democracy itself. Autocratic dictators thrive in crisis. Instead, resolute and competent leadership will pull us through, combined with a strong, responsible opposition — the best guarantor of an effective government.
However, our parliamentary system, which is based on an adversarial process, does not necessarily lend itself to emergency situations, which generally need co-operation, not confrontation.
In the initial stages of the pandemic, politics was put on pause as Canadians applauded the collaborative approach taken by provincial governments and the federal government — all of which had levers to push, a public service to implement their recommendations, power over the public purse and the ability to hold news conferences for government announcements.
So, what are opposition politicians to do? How can they hold governments to account, without upsetting the teamwork needed to fight the pandemic? How do they get attention?
One Toronto MPP found an interesting strategy.
As COVID-19 hit, Ontario Premier Doug Ford initially acted with an uncharacteristic willingness to work with others, garnering him much-needed support at a time when his polling numbers were very low.
Perhaps encouraged by New Brunswick’s Premier Blaine Higgs, who recently won a majority election and B.C. Premier John Horgan’s election call, concerns erupted that the Conservatives were preparing for a snap election to capitalize on Ford’s support — although Ontario does not need an election until “on or before June 2, 2022.”
To prevent any such action, Liberal MPP Mitzie Hunter introduced an opposition motion, noting that it “would be reckless and unnecessary” to start a campaign. Essentially, she and her party called the government’s bluff. The motion passed unanimously as Conservatives realized that a campaign was not appropriate, given further business and social restrictions, as well as mounting frustration with lengthy test lines and delayed results.
Governing, in the worst of times, is exhausting. Individuals and systems make mistakes when decisions are made quickly and in abnormal circumstances. Nevertheless, it is crucial that governments at all levels are held to account.
We need to know how fiscal decisions are being made. We need to know why long-term-care homes failed seniors and their families. We need to identify systemic racism, call it out and stamp it out. We need to know why our federal government, along with other governments, was not prepared for a pandemic. And it is crucial that we do not repeat past mistakes.
Reports indicate that a respected early warning system called Global Public Health Intelligence Network at Health Canada, which warned officials about global health outbreaks, was more or less dismantled in 2019, yet able to raise an alert in December 2019 about a virus in Wuhan, China. The system itself was apparently underfunded and in need of a technological update. Health Minister Patty Hajdu has wisely ordered an independent review, which no doubt will be closely scrutinized by all federal leaders.
As decisions and choices become more complex, incumbent governments should be cognizant that a healthy democracy demands transparency and accountability. Watch for opposition politicians to be more aggressive in the future and remember — they are only doing their job.