Coming out on the other side of COVID-19 Lobbyists, Wage subsidies critical for post- non-profi ts coronavirus clamour to survival, say be heard p. 6 businesses p. 3 THIRTY-FIRST YEAR, NO. 1715 CANADA’S POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT NEWSPAPER WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2020 $5.00 News Health care Mental health a ‘missing piece’ in feds’ COVID-19 response, say critics, advocates NDP MP Don Davies says the situation calls for an ‘extraordinary response’ and supports for mental health, which one advocate says should come ‘imminently.’ Health Minister Patty BY SAMANTHA WRIGHT ALLEN At least one organization said Hajdu told Senators they expect an announcement on March 25 that the s the government rapidly “imminently,” though neither federal government was Aresponds to the immediate Health Canada nor Health Minis- working on a virtual health and economic needs of ter Patty Hajdu (Thunder Bay- mental health tool Canadians affected by CO- Superior North, Ont.) responded as part of Canada's VID-19, more than two weeks to requests to confi rm the details. COVID-19 response, after the country adopted strict On March 25, Ms. Hajdu said which one group says isolation measures, advocates the government would launch a should be announced say now is the time to address free virtual mental health tool in 'imminently.' The Hill the mental health toll more are Times photograph by Andrew Meade likely to face. Continued on page 16 News Trade News COVID-19 Food supply, emergency vehicle repair: Introduction of electronic, remote voting not Publications Mail Agreement #40068926 keeping Canada-U.S. trade open key to called for yet, but should be re-examined by fi ght against COVID-19, say stakeholders House committee, say some MPs BY LAURA RYCKEWAERT some think the House should reconsider BY NEIL MOSS & MIKE LAPOINTE While non-essential travel between whether to introduce remote and elec- Canada and the United States has been hysical-distancing measures aimed tronic voting down the road. ith the epicentre of the coronavi- barred since March 17, with commerce Pat dampening COVID-19’s spread are “I would like to see a renewed com- Wrus pandemic having shifted to the being exempted, U.S. President Donald keeping Members of Parliament away mitment of looking at how it is that we United States, industry stakeholders say Trump publicly fl oated ending physical from the House of Commons, and while can modernize the rules of the House, Canada-U.S. trade is too vital for cross- distancing instructions before announc- MPs who spoke with The Hill Times say that [how MPs vote] being one aspect of border commerce to be halted. Continued on page 15 they’re fi ne with arrangements so far, Continued on page 14 2 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2020 | THE HILL TIMES how the Canadian government will respond The program was initially funded to international air tragedies in the future, through an annual bash hosted at the according to a March 31 press release. Blacksheep Inn in Wakefi eld, Que., but “The Ukraine International Airlines since the internship has become self- tragedy should never have occurred, and suffi cient, the fundraiser now goes towards Heard on the Hill the families and loved ones of the victims fi nancing a political journalism internship. deserve to know how and why it happened. While we work to get them the account- by Neil Moss ability, justice, and closure they deserve, we also need to develop a strategy on how Some Conservative MPs to best respond to international air disas- ters,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in eschew pay raise, vow to a statement. donate hike Ralph Goodale tapped “I am confi dent that Ralph Goodale has the experience to help us identify best practices, and support efforts to ensure that families are properly compensated,” he added. as special adviser on Mr. Goodale was the public safety minister from 2015 until losing his seat in the 2019 election. The longtime Liberal MP has previously served in cabinet in a wide Flight 752 downing variety of roles, including as minister of public works and government serves and as fi nance minister. ormer Liberal cabinet minister Ralph In his new advisory role, Mr. Goodale Goodale is being brought back into the F will work with Foreign Affairs Minister Conservative MP John Brassard, pictured with fold as the new special adviser for the fed- François-Philippe Champagne and Trans- then-governor general David Johnston in 2017, eral government’s response to the downing port Minister Marc Garneau. has vowed to donate his salary increase to charity. of Flight 752. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia The Ukrainian commercial airline fl ight was shot down by Iranian authorities on Jan. 8 shortly after its takeoff from Tehran, Jaimie Anderson As Canadians struggle with the new killing all 176 on board, including 55 Cana- economic reality brought on by the coro- dians and 30 permanent residents. Parliamentary Internship navirus pandemic, some Conservative MPs The Canadian government has been are pledging to donate a scheduled salary urging the Iranian government to transfer Program placed on pause raise to charity. the fl ight’s black box to another country, due to COVID-19 The pledge was kicked off by Conserva- as Iran lacks the expertise to download the tive MPs John Brassard and Doug Shipley, data. Tehran agreed to hand over the black who represent ridings in Barrie, Ont. box, but according to a CBC report that In a March 27 statement, Mr. Brassard process was delayed due to COVID-19. said that little could be done to stop the pay In his new post, Mr. Goodale is being raise, which stems from a Paul Martin-era tasked with assessing the lessons that have act giving MPs a raise every year on April 1. Ralph Goodale, who served as public safety been learned from the downing of Flight Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer minister from 2015 to 2019, was in the Liberal also plans to give his pay increase to char- 752 and other air disasters—including the HuffPost Canada caucus from 1974 to 1979 and again from 1993 crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in ity, according to a report, until he was defeated in last October’s election. 2009 and the bombing of Air India Flight as do Conservative MPs Blaine Calkins, Earl The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade 182 in 1985—to serve as a framework to Dreeshen, Philip Lawrence, and Scott Reid. “Individual MPs cannot refuse it,” Mr. Reid tweeted. “But we get paid more than Bruce Anderson is pictured with Peter enough. I’ll be following the example of Mansbridge at a fundraising bash at [Mr. Scheer]: donating mine to a COVID- Blacksheep Inn in Wakefi eld, Que., which in related charity in the riding.” the past raised money for the Jaimie Anderson Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was Parliamentary Internship Program before the asked about the raises during his daily internship became self-sustaining. The Hill press conference at Rideau Cottage on Times fi le photograph March 30. He responded that he hadn’t heard that Parliament was having discus- An annual program that places three sions about foregoing the raise, but added paid interns in Hill offi ces has been “I’m sure they will refl ect on it now” that scrapped for this year in the midst of the the question has been asked. COVID-19 outbreak in Canada. “It is with deep regret that we must suspend the @jaimiesinterns program for this summer, to avoid any potential risk to Relief fund to give Canadian health,” tweeted Jaimie Anderson Parlia- mentary Internship Fund co-chair Bruce writers grants of $1,500 Anderson on March 29. “Be assured that the internship will be back up and running As the impacts of the coronavirus pan- for the summer of 2021.” demic affect all facets of Canada’s econo- The program was set up in honour of my, a fund has been announced to provide Jaimie Anderson—the niece of Mr. Ander- economic relief for writers who have been son and daughter of former Reform Party hurt by the downturn. national campaign manager Rick Ander- The Writers’ Trust of Canada and The son—who died from cancer at the age of Writers’ Union of Canada have partnered 23. Ms. Anderson was a former staffer to launch the relief fund, announced on to then-natural resources minister Gary March 30, which will give struggling writ- Lunn and former Conservative MP Diane ers grants in amounts of $1,500. The fund Ablonczy. has an initial pool of $150,000. Serving with Bruce Anderson as co- “Writers, whether veterans or novices, chair for the program’s fund is former cobble together income from a variety of The National anchor Peter Mansbridge. sources,” Writers’ Trust’s executive direc- Recently departed PMO communications tor Charlie Foran said in a statement. “This czar Kate Purchase, who was Jaimie An- leaves them especially vulnerable during a derson’s cousin, serves on the program’s public health crisis the magnitude of CO- board along with Rick Anderson and other VID-19. We are grateful to have partners so family members. committed to supporting our authors.” “Very disappointing to share this news,” Applications for the fund are currently Ms. Purchase tweeted of the program’s open to working writers who can detail a total hiatus, “but it does give me an extra year loss that is greater than the grant amount and to make epic lists of things to do with our meet the minimum publishing barrier of one 2021 interns!” book or three works in “fee-paying magazines The three interns are placed in MP or anthologies” over the last fi ve years.