When we are faced with a
loss of much of our income our first priority is to stop spending on anything
that is not absolutely necessary. We conserve what funds we have to stretch
them as far as possible.
We have a huge challenge
ahead, not just to restart our economic engines, but to do so in a way that
will strengthen the fabric of our society and nation.
Governments have shut
down our economy excepting for some essential services. Government efforts to
mitigate the loss of income suffered by our workforce as a result of isolation
is a necessity. However, there is no evidence that governments are curtailing
other spending that is not absolutely necessary.
Why not?
My mailbox is suddenly
filled with messages about someone pontificating about who is responsible for
the coronavirus and pointing fingers at China and government officials who did
not act with promptness. That is an irrelevant distraction.
We have been handed a
hard lesson in reality. We must not depend on others or on UN agencies to warn
us of potential threats to our society.
“Asked about media reporting that Beijing fudged data on COVID-19, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland recently said Canada turns to the World Health Organization for virus information, given that a global response to the pandemic is essential.”
What is important is
Canada’s response to the epidemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) did not
act in our interests and cannot protect our society. Providing health care to
Canadians is our responsibility.
The WHO is not
accountable to anyone. Our governments are. There is no “global response” to
coronavirus. Each nation is on its own in providing health care for its
population. It is a hard lesson in the hazards of globalization which is
useless theory in a crisis or emergency.
Our governments have to
pivot sharply and focus on creating plans to rebuild our economy to become as
robust, self-reliant and self-sustaining as possible. We must become energy
self-sufficient. We must ensure that we can produce vital equipment and
supplies in Canada and not depend on outside suppliers. We must put a priority
on developing our natural resources and on refining those resources to take
advantage of the value added to our exports.
We have to rethink our
approach to vital infrastructure. Our inter-provincial and intercontinental
highways, railways, ferries, pipelines and power transmission lines must be
declared federally protected routes vital to the nation. Any interference with
a federal rout, including strikes and protests, is a criminal act with heavy
penalties.
Constitutionally, the
federal government is responsible for any infrastructure that connects
provinces or connects Canada to ports of export and import. Connections between
our major east to west railroads and highways to ports become federal routes
protected as above.
Our dependence on
trucking to move products including foodstuffs and household necessities means
that federal routes must be provided with adequate services for truckers to
ensure they can find the food, fuel and services they need at reasonable
intervals.
The signs stating “shut
Canada down” during the railway blockades and other “protests” at public places
mounted at the same time have come to pass although from a different threat.
It
is ironic that the protestors now find themselves particularly vulnerable when
their dreams have come true.
Planning for emergency
preparedness cannot be done without full participation of our provincial premiers.
Successful planning means everyone involved has to be aware of the plans and
how they will be executed. We cannot make it up as we respond as we have done
with coronavirus.
When our society is
threatened from any source, we must have a broad response with all of our
resources, federal and provincial, trained and prepared to act. We are in this
together.
We have discovered, to
our horror, serious weaknesses in our health care systems. In our panic to
impede the spread of coronavirus we have cancelled non-essential health care
delivery, and many diagnostic services, putting our general population at
increased risk arising from untreated health problems.
Even cancer patients are
having diagnostics and treatments postponed. We have to do much better. A planned
response would be of huge benefit.
We can develop a militia
of health care providers trained to 'first responder' level who could step in
to provide support in any crisis or emergency including natural disasters.
Graduates of the training would have priority in further training in our
paramedic and nursing disciplines while earning pay during training and regular
exercises to maintain proficiency.
We have a challenge ahead and working together we are up to it. Emergency preparedness planning will have to pass a public smell test. We will not have our rights and freedoms arbitrarily compromised a second time.
John Feldsted
is a political commentator, consultant and strategist. He makes his home in Winnipeg, Manitoba
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