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Mental health matters: time for action on three-digit suicide hotline p. 3 Lisa Van Dusen p. 10 ‘Thou shalt not touch’: BOIE land on Centre Surviving the Block heritage list p. 4 Diplomatic Circles #WorkFromHomepocalypse p.15 Hill Climbers p.11 THIRTY-FIRST YEAR, NO. 1712 CANADA’S POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT NEWSPAPER WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2020 $5.00 Feature Public service News Legislation Situation ‘changing hourly’ ‘Decisive action was required’: how MPs and Senators as feds, unions, public service hammered out deal to close contend with COVID-19 Parliament late into the night BY PETER MAZEREEUW under Canada’s parliamentary system. work-from-home confusion t was about 10:30 on the night It also pushed the implementa- Iof March 12 when a small group tion bill for the new NAFTA trade ‘The government of Canada will be as flexible as possible and will of MPs and top staffers struck a agreement through to the Senate, deal to suspend Parliament amid where all four pieces of legisla- not only allow, but encourage teleworking whenever and wherever the growing COVID-19 pandemic. tion were passed almost immedi- That deal was laid out in a ately by the Upper Chamber the possible,’ says Treasury Board President Jean-Yves Duclos. single motion passed in the House following day. the next day, one that included The speedy passage of those President of the rushing two supply bills through bills and the suspension of Parlia- Treasury Board Parliament, and another extraor- ment were a marked departure Jean-Yves Duclos dinary piece of legislation to give from the partisan tactics em- is pictured at the the government the power to ployed regularly in the Chamber National Press spend money during the suspen- by all caucuses. Government MPs Theatre for a sion without parliamentary over- often accuse members of the op- press conference sight—one of the most fundamen- position of deliberately stalling to give an tal functions of the legislature update on the Continued on page 7 government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic on March 16. The Hill Times News Canada-China relations photograph by Andrew Meade ‘They have no right to ask me to be there,’ says Chinese BY MIKE LAPOINTE union leaders say they are aware telework conditions, and that of some concerns being raised by they’re raising issues with the Trea- ith calls from the prime federal public servants regarding sury Board as they come up. ambassador on possibility of Wminister for Canadians to stay confusing messaging from some at home in the face of COVID-19, government departments around Continued on page 13 appearance at Canada-China Relations Committee News Coronavirus Publications Mail Agreement #40068926 BY NEIL MOSS put into the committee, which was struck in December after a push ‘Together we will beat this’: MPs urge care hina’s top diplomat in Ottawa by opposition MPs, but he spoke Csays Members of Parliament against the idea of appearing in a on the Special Canada-China Re- hearing-style committee meeting, and calm for those most at-risk with COVID-19 lations Committee don’t have “a a possibility that’s been floated by right” to ask him to appear before committee members. BY SAMANTHA WRIGHT ALLEN have been immunocompromised Though none of the four can- the body. “I think if they invite me to once before have pragmatic words cer survivors who spoke with The Speaking with The Hill Times take part in a roundtable discus- or the Canadians at the great- of encouragement: trust the science, Hill Times felt they were person- at the Chinese Embassy on March sion, that’s good. But if it’s just Fest risk amidst the COVID-19 listen to health professionals, try to 12, Cong Peiwu said he wanted to outbreak, Parliamentarians who be positive, and be very, very careful. Continued on page 12 see “more positive energy” being Continued on page 6 2 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2020 | THE HILL TIMES 1:39 p.m. on March 16 to speak ‘Still have a few columns left in me’: Neil Heard on the Hill to reporters, 39 minutes after the speech was set to begin. Macdonald still has some writing to do “The PM’s press conference, by Neil Moss currently almost half an hour late, is characteristic of his govern- Neil ments response efforts thus far,” Macdonald tweeted Conservative MP Dan has more Albas. than 40 Mr. Trudeau is known to years of frequently run late for most press experience conferences as he and his team covering iron out last minute details. Coronavirus hits politics. “The PM has always been late The Hill for news conference. Maybe, in Times file this time of great destabilization photograph and anxiety, he is trying to main- home for the Hill tain some sense of normalcy,” tweeted the CBC’s Aaron Wherry. In the mean time on the public broadcaster, CBC’s Rosemary Barton and Vassy Kapelos had to fi ll the air as they waited for Mr. Trudeau to appear. “What possible excuse is there to start a pandemic press confer- ence 15 minutes late and counting …. especially after announcing it late yesterday afternoon,” Con- servative Senator Linda Frum Just because he left the In light of Sophie Grégoire chimed in. CBC, Neil Macdonald isn’t Trudeau testing positive for Cabinet min- done writing columns. He an- COVID-19 on March 12, he wrote isters hinted nounced on March 15 that he in terms of health care, “privilege on March 15 has started a blog on his per- has its privileges.” that there sonal website. “At the same time—and here would be an- “Still have a few columns left comes the kicker—I am not at nouncement in me. So I’ve added a blog to my all certain that, if I or any of my on tougher website,” Mr. Macdonald tweeted. aged relatives come down with barriers to The longtime CBC columnist the disease in the uncertain and travels enter- left the public broadcaster at the increasingly terrifying weeks to Assunta Gerretsen, the mother of Liberal MP Mark Gerretsen, pictured here at ing Canada start of this year. In the past, he come, there will be ventilators for a House Committee meeting in 2016, recently tested positive for COVID-19 coming the covered Parliament Hill, as well us,” he wrote. after a cruise vacation. The Hill Times file photograph next day. as serving as a correspondent in “So the big question—the cru- Earlier Washington, D.C., and the Middle cial, life-or-death question as this fter returning to Canada retirement in 2018. The former To- on March 16, East. virus tears through the popula- Afollowing a cruise vacation, ronto mayor has held numerous Mr. Trudeau His fi rst blog post asked: “So. tion—will very quickly be this: Assunta Gerretsen, the mother cabinet fi les including minister held a tele- Who gets the ventilators?” who gets the ventilators?” of Liberal MP Mark Gerretsen, of defence, infrastructure, and Justin Trudeau conference tested positive for COVID-19. international trade, as well as the was nearly 40 with other Ms. Gerretsen returned to Can- president of the Treasury Board. minutes late G7 leaders ada last week. She and her hus- As of now, the ship is heading to a March 16 where he band, John Gerretsen, a former north on its way to Miami. Ear- press conference. briefed them Mike Rouleau named new vice chief of the Ontario MPP and Kingston mayor, lier this month, Canada’s public The Hill Times on the chang- were subsequently quarantined at health offi cials warned Canadi- photograph by es Canada defence staff CFB Trenton after disembarking ans against taking cruises. Andrew Meade would be on March 9 from the Grand Prin- making to try to prevent cess cruise in California, which Replacing outgoing Lieuten- the spread of COVID-19. During had more than 21 people test posi- ant-General Jean-Marc Lanthier his speech, Mr. Trudeau an- tive on a previous voyage. What’s keeping the PM? as vice chief of the defence staff nounced that Canada is restrict- “Mom has tested positive for will be Lieutenant-General Mike As Canadians waited for Jus- ing air travel to Canada from all COVID-19. She remains in quar- Rouleau. tin Trudeau to deliver one of the countries except for Canadian antine at CFB Trenton and has Lt.-Gen. Lanthier announced most consequential speeches of citizens, permanent residents, been moved to a new area and last week that he will retire in the his fi ve years in the Prime Minis- diplomats, and Americans, as well separated from Dad (he will not summer. ter’s Offi ce on the latest measures as a few others such as pilots. be tested unless he shows symp- Lt.-Gen. Rouleau has been the to respond to COVID-19, politicos His press conference the next toms),” tweeted Mr. Gerretsen, commander of the Canadian Joint wondered where the PM was. day had a more punctual start— who represents Kingston and the Operations Command (CJOC) Islands, Ont., on March 16. Mr. Trudeau walked down starting less than 10 minutes late. the front steps at since 2018, which oversees and “Other than a cough she has anticipates the operations of the no other symptoms and is in Rideau Cot- tage at Armed Forces. great spirits. Unfortunately this Replacing him as the com- has reset the clock on Dad’s 14- Charlie Angus mander of CJOC will be Lieuten- day period and Mom will remain ant-General C.J. Coates, who is until she repeatedly tests nega- attempts to hold the deputy commander of Norad.