Back to normal is still a long way off Gwynne Dyer p. 12 What now of the Michael environmental Harris movement in Canada? p.11 Phil Gurski p. 11 Some MPs donating their salary increases to charities p. 4 THIRTY-FIRST YEAR, NO. 1718 CANADA’S POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT NEWSPAPER MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020 $5.00 News Remote caucus meetings Analysis Feds’ response Analysis: Did In the time of the pandemic, the feds flip- flop on closing Liberals holding national caucus the border or wearing meetings seven days a week masks amid The Liberals' daily Liberals meetings start with the COVID-19 are using a an update for MPs on new developments outbreak? regular daily and the government's initiatives from BY PETER MAZEREEUW conference Deputy House Leader Kirsty Duncan, he federal government says call for their left, International science and expert advice is Trade Minister Mary T caucus behind its decision to shut the Ng, and Minister border to travellers and its chang- meetings. The of Middle Class ing advice on whether Canadians Prosperity Mona should wear masks amid the CO- Conservatives Fortier. Usually, VID-19 outbreak. While Canada’s a member of the are using top health official pointed to COVID-19 cabinet new science related to using face Zoom and committee, or masks, one expert says there is another cabinet no scientific evidence that could the New minister also joins have informed Canada’s decision them in updating Democrats to close its border on March 16. caucus members. “There is no science about The Hill Times are using whether it works to restrict all photographs by travel into a country,” said Steven GoToMeeting. Andrew Meade Hoffman, the director of the Glob- al Strategy Lab, a collaborative BY ABBAS RANA meetings via teleconference, the economic security, health, In an interview with The Hill project between the University of seven days a week, to discuss the and the livelihood of Canadians Times, two-term Liberal MP Ken Ottawa and York University that he federal Liberals have been devastating impact of the inter- since the House adjourned on aims to advise governments and public health organizations on holding daily national caucus national COVID-19 pandemic on March 13. Continued on page 14 T international health threats. Policy progress or reversals? News Politics Health Minister Patty Hajdu (Thunder Bay-Superior North, Ont.) Publications Mail Agreement #40068926 said repeatedly in the early stages of the novel coronavirus outbreak that Politics-as-usual likely to return after COVID-19, but cautioning against travel to infected countries, or closing Canada’s bor- some chance for change down the road, say politicos der to them, wouldn’t help protect Canadians from the virus, and in fact could make things worse. BY AIDAN CHAMANDY COVID-19 pandemic, pollsters But some say the personal “This crisis has had the effect She continued to say so until and politicos are split on whether relationships formed between of collapsing a huge amount of at least March 9; a week later, lthough politicians across partisanship and politics will politicians during the pandemic the partisanship between parties Athe country are working change much, if at all, as a result could last and help in resolving across party lines to fight the of the crisis. disputes down the road. Continued on page 6 Continued on page 16 2 MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020 | THE HILL TIMES fundraisers keep the circus on the tracks. this season “will most likely be down.” Inside the Campaign: Managing Elec- “I think it would be wise on the part of tions in Canada, edited by political science Canadians to give some thought as to what professors Alex Marland of Memorial kind of role they might be able to play in University and Thierry Giasson of Laval food production and processing this year, Heard on the Hill University, compiles the expertise of NDP because it is going to be different,” she said. national director Anne McGrath, former chief electoral officer Marc Mayrand, Toron- by Neil Moss to Star columnist Susan Delacourt, as well as former PMO staffers Paul Wilson and Mi- Donner Prize delayed, to chael McNair, among others, to look at the inner workings of electoral politics. be awarded in November Former federal Liberal cabinet minister- Inside the Campaign: The prestigious $50,000 prize awarded turned-Independent MP Jane Philpott also co-authors a chapter on what it’s like run- for Canada’s best policy book will be ning as an independent candidate. handed out in November, pushed back Managing Elections In “Political practitioners and scholars tag from its traditional May presentation due team on chapters that pull back the curtain to the coronavirus pandemic. on the complex world of election cam- The Donner Prize was scheduled to be paigns. Readers are introduced to the wide awarded on May 7 with a shortlist to be Canada: a new book pulls array of interesting characters who play a released last week, but due to COVID-19 role during these pivotal moments in our that is no longer the case. democratic,” Policy Options editor-in-chief Instead, a shortlist for the prize of five Jennifer Ditchburn wrote of the book. books will be unveiled on April 15, with the curtain on the people and final prize being handed out next fall. The 252-page book will be published by the University of British Columbia Press on May 1. Last year, the Donner Prize was won by Thomas Courchene for his book, Indig- enous Nationals/Canadian Citizens: From machinery behind the vote First Contact to Canada 150 and Beyond. P.E.I. Senator Griffin calls The award came with a grant of $50,000. managers, The others that were shortlisted in pollsters, and for more domestic farmers 2019 were Pierre Desrochers and Joanna journalists takes Szurmak for Population Bombed! Explod- readers inside ing the Link Between Overpopulation Canadian politi- and Climate Change; Evelyn L. Forget for cal campaigns. Basic Income for Canadians: The Key to Inside the a Healthier, Happier, More Secure Life for Campaign Man- All; Peter MacKinnon for University Com- aging Elections mons Divided: Exploring Debate and Dis- in Canada will be sent on Campus; and Alok Mukherjee with released on May Tim Harper for Excessive Force: Toronto’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Conservative 1. Book cover Fight to Reform City Policing. Leader Andrew are pictured at the French- image courtesy of language televised debate on Oct. 7, 2019. UBC Press Book cover image The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade From the day courtesy of UBC Press the writs are is- From debates to dialogues: rashed buses and a blackface scandal sued and the race is off and running, politi- Chighlighted the 41-day campaign of the cians crisscross the country stumping, but Munk paths new direction 2019 election. A new book with contribu- behind the scenes pollsters gauge public opin- Senator Diane Griffin says in order ‘to put food on the tions from political staffers, campaign ion, staffers manage the campaign, and party table’ Canada needs more domestic farm workers. during COVID-19 The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade To protect Canada’s food security, P.E.I. Senator Diane Griffin is calling for measures to be enacted to encourage more domestic farmers. Senator Diane Griffin says in order ‘to put food on the table’ Canada needs more domestic farm workers. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade Sen. Griffin, a member of the Canadian Senators Group, was the chair of the Sen- ate Agriculture and Forestry Committee in the last Parliament. “To put food on the table, Canada needs Malcolm Gladwell was the first guest on Munk to increase the hiring of its domestic work- Dialogues. Photograph courtesy of Kris Krüg/ force by supporting workers, via economic Wikimedia Commons incentives, to find their way to Canadian fields and food processing facilities,” she said Malcolm Gladwell was the first guest on in an April 7 press release, adding that it is Munk Dialogues. Photograph courtesy of “unlikely that all of the nearly 60,000 foreign Kris Krüg/Wikimedia Commons workers on which farmers and processors To look into what the world will look depended will arrive in Canada to plant our like after COVID-19, the Munk Debates is crops and process food from the land or sea.” launching Munk Dialogues. Twenty-two Senators are seeking “The Munk Dialogues are a way for all measures to encourage Canadians to enter of us to start the important work of thinking the agricultural production and processing about what the world will like after the CO- industries, as well as the seafood processing VID-19 pandemic. How will it effect every- sector, according to the release. They want thing, from our individual lives, to Canadian to see Canadians who are taking positions society, to our place in the world? With this usually filled by temporary foreign workers new initiative we want to help all of us dig to still qualify under the Canada Emergency in and figure out the post-COVID-19 world Response Benefit and be given Employment for humankind,” Munk Debates chair Rud- Insurance benefits, while keeping the income yard Griffiths said in a press release. received from farm work. They also want to As the program moves away from see those workers to be able to keep their debate towards dialogues, it is doing so to link with their employers so they can return encourage conversations about the future to work when the pandemic is curbed, as impact of the coronavirus pandemic. well as to protect the new farm workers by The series debuted last week with its paying for rooms in nearby hotels and mo- first conversation with author Malcolm tels instead of communal accommodations Gladwell.