We Still Have a Government, Right?: Canadian Politics 2020

The last day for schools was March 13--I was in for a supply job on March 11.

I figure the school closing saved me from myself. I had three jobs lined up before the closure. They were for the first week of April, so by that time I likely would have passed even if schools had been open, but--turning down work is hard for me--if I had gotten a call for the week of March 16th, and maybe even the week of March 23rd, I likely would have taken a deep breath and gone in.

Yeah, I meant that was the week the upcoming closure was announced, sorry; same in ON and QC.

Legault is now saying that schools could reopen before the 4th of May. Doesn't seem very wise to me.

Accrued interest--awful.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/banks-charge-interest-on-interest-for-mortgage-payment-deferral-1.5529399

Deferred payments without interest would be the best, obviously, but probably too much to ask (or at least too much to expect). Deferred payments and interest--with the interest on a very long timetable--should be the minimum. Deferred payments with accrued interest is barely anything at all.

By "too much to expect" I mean because it's banks, and it's just not going to happen.

What's the exact rule re: hanging out in Ontario parks? I get the bench thing, but I was sitting distancedly with a (1) friend of mine *on the ground* at Tritinity Bellwoods and a cop made us get up and....walk around.

My understanding, at least in Ottawa, is that the police have a lot of latitude rn. Seems excessive to me, honestly. Closing down businesses and large gatherings makes sense. Prosecuting individuals over things that are of questionable risk anyway and asking citizens to snitch on their neighbours... we wouldn't accept that in response to a terrorist attack, I don't think. Why for a virus?

Emergency Response Benefit still a shitshow for gig workers. I wrote my MP (a Cabinet Minister) last week but never got a response. One school I work for on contract is encouraging everyone to have their pay held until benefits run out or this is over, which I will not do (although I might do the 14-day hold) but wtf that we are put in this position in the first place.

Isn't the rule that city parks are only open for 'walkthrough access'? I guess as long as you remain in motion, you're technically in the process of leaving the park.

I agree about the benches--silly, I think, unless you've got strangers sitting together. I went for a walk today and ended up walking through the Hall of Fame grounds, where, scattered around the baseball fields, there are benches everywhere. It was deserted for as far as I could see. It would have been nice to sit down for 10 minutes--would that have been a danger to anyone?

(And maybe, in fact, there isn't any such rule in St. Marys anyway.)

idk i kinda agree about the benches rule, hard surfaces and all

on your own blanket on the grass should be ok

I don't have an issue w the bench rule either

I get the sense that I might be the only one affected by this but this is definitely good: https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/singh-calls-for-universal-access-to-cerb-1.4892157

A lot of people I know are not eligible for either cerb or ei but have lost a ton in earnings and are in a bit of financial trouble

Yep, good that Trudeau seems to be recognizing the flaws.

The outbreaks at long-term care facilities are really concerning and account for a sizable proportion of ON/QC cases aiui. Concerns being raised both about availability of protective gear and about how it is being used. Staff walked out of one Markham facility after an outbreak yesterday.

https://globalnews.ca/news/6804902/coronavirus-markham-home-staff-walkoff/
https://globalnews.ca/news/6801945/pinecrest-psw-coronavirus-covid-19/

I was born in St. Joe's.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/st-joseph-s-health-centre-reports-covid-19-outbreak-in-intensive-care-unit-1.5531209

(Isn't that somewhat alarmist use of the word "outbreak," though? Maybe that's all it takes, I don't know.)

I lived in the Junction area through much of the '80s and never got there even once, I'm sorry to say.

http://www.blogto.com/eat_drink/2020/04/toronto-pizzeria-open-1957-announces-permanently-closing/

(More for a Toronto thread, I guess, but COVID-related.)

Weren't you asking about this earlier, Sund4r?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cerb-emergency-benefits-trudeau-1.5532767

Yes, this is an improvement but Singh's solution was better, honestly. Why limit it to people who are making under $1000/mo?

And if this really means a $2k transfer to anyone making under $1k, that means someone who makes $950/mo will have total income of $2950/mo while someone who makes $1050/mo will have total income of $1050/mo. Seems very badly designed if that is really the case. (The website still lists the old rules, though.)

Almost our highest caseload ever today, with still more today left, so I guess we haven't plateaued like I thought.

BC has gotten off so lightly thus far and we have plateaued, otoh anecdotally social distancing was being flouted quite widely during the long weekend so maybe we'll see some movement in a couple weeks. Downtown Eastside also hasnt had an outbreak yet,(theres been one reported case) and it will likely be a real disaster if it takes grip there

Why did you get the sense people weren't socially distancing over the long weekend? I thought the ferry traffic stories were overblown. Still, wish it had been a typically rainy April.

Really scared of a DTES outbreak.

parks seemed busy. the truth about the ferry crossings seems unclear but it seems to absolutely have been the case that people went on vacation for the weekend to places like tofino and the Sunshine Coast from Vancouver (some acquaintances of my gf's Instagram stories showed this kind of thing). I live in strathcona and on Monday walked to hastings-sunrise and back to get cat-litter and saw multiple multigenerational families (grandparents, kids, grandkids) hanging out in their yards.

Concrete good news:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/coronavirus-canada-surge-hospitals-icus-deaths-1.5533391

There's a warning about not being in the clear, but: "And every day that goes by, it's less and less likely we're going to get there." ("There" meaning overwhelmed hospitals.)

The trail I walk where I am is very stress-free. When people approach, one of the party's always side-steps onto the grass well in advance. I did see three small (2-3) groups of people sitting on benches or tables the other day, but I'll hope and assume they were families.

andrew scheer is such a fucking moron

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/parties-negotiate-terms-of-parliaments-return-1.5537696

Caught about 20 seconds of him speaking earlier today, and my first thought--shows how tuned in I am--was "I thought he stepped down."

the world is falling apart and his top priority is parliament holding in-person sessions

conservatives are such weeners

not exactly political, but today's shooting spree started within an hour's drive of where I live.

Awful. glad you’re ok

Yeah,really just horrendous beyond words.

I still find stories like this amazing.

http://www.livekindly.co/cargill-shuts-meatpacking-facility-covid-19/

350 people at a single plant.

(I shouldn't be surprised, I know--I'm sure they haven't had the option of staying home. It's the date I find jarring: April 20, not March 20.)

Was listening to a story about this on the radio today: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-at-least-two-canada-chartered-planes-return-from-china-without-medical/
It's probably a minor issue so far but things could be grim if this becomes more normal.

On a more superficial note, Justin Trudeau has to have one of the most distinctive speaking voices I think I've heard. I can identify that it's him within a few words in either official language, even if I just turned on the radio. Something idk mannered, heavily enunciated, and quasi-theatrical about it. I've seen someone say that he sounds like he has a slight accent in both languages, which might be it.

This seems odd; not sure I see how it is not a free speech issue: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/covid-misinformation-disinformation-law-1.5532325y6

https://www.google.com/amp/s/globalnews.ca/news/6835881/pandemic-misinformation-law-coronavirus-canada/amp/

Does that work better?

Ugh, wrong link!

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/covid-misinformation-disinformation-law-1.5532325

More cautious than outside pressure--good job.

http://thepostmillennial.com/doug-ford-predicts-victoria-day-for-lifting-restrictions

maybe don't link that site?

Don't know a thing about it--is the story not accurate?

Okay, I read up on them a bit. Anyway, here's more or less the same story from CTV--if anything, indicating even more caution.

http://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/ontario-premier-walks-back-suggestion-that-covid-19-restrictions-could-loosen-by-victoria-day-1.4906840

The disinformation problem is huge and complicated. In a lot of ways it should be deemed intolerable because it literally endangers others and our reasonable limits on speech come into play. Chaos comes when enough damage has already been done that the ones tasked with enforcing what’s reasonable can’t agree on what‘s true.

I take it the border saves Trump from any citizen's arrests?

The disinformation problem is huge and complicated. In a lot of ways it should be deemed intolerable because it literally endangers others and our reasonable limits on speech come into play. Chaos comes when enough damage has already been done that the ones tasked with enforcing what’s reasonable can’t agree on what‘s true.

I don't agree that the examples given in the article meet the standard of things it should be illegal to say. (My standard for this is pretty high and definitely higher than the SCC's tbf.) Anything that does would be covered under existing legislation, though, so I don't see a need for a new law.