COBOURG, ON – We shall overcome. COVID-19 is infecting hundreds of thousands across our world. It is an invisible and deadly opponent. It is almost certain that the pandemic will worsen before it gets better.
However, if we can be disciplined and smart, we can reduce the rate of infection, or in other words “flatten the curve”. By flattening the curve, we will be reducing the impact on our health care system, which will enable patients to have access to the care that they need.
To flatten the curve we need to exercise aggressive social distancing. Stay at home if possible. Minimize trips for essentials, such as groceries, by planning ahead (but do not hoard). When you make trips for essentials stay at least 2 meters away from other people. Wash your hands for 45 seconds with disinfecting soap and do so constantly. Making sure you wash immediately before and after you enter any public spaces.
Through aggressive social distancing, you can join the fight. Along with our front-line workers such as doctors, nurses, personal support workers, grocery personal, couriers and many more, we can and we will prevail in defeating COVID-19.
To help Canadians to cope with the challenges of battling the pandemic, the Government must provide financial support to workers and businesses. The Federal Government recently announced a 27-billion-dollar aid package. Some of the highlights include:
· Support for Business
o 10% wage subsidy
o 10 billion of funding through EDC and BDC
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· Flexibility for Taxpayers
o Deferral of filing until June 1st
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· Temporary Income Support for Workers and Parents.
o Including expansion of EI benefits
o Including the creation of the Emergency Support Benefit
Parliament will have held an emergency session to pass this important legislation by the time you are reading this article. As a constructive partner to the Government, I support the passage of this relief package, however, I would also encourage the Government to do more.
Specifically, they need to provide more help to the middle-class. Prior to the pandemic, 50% of Canadians were within $200 of insolvency. Many of the Governments proposed solutions will help large corporations but will not provide immediate support for middle-class Canadians. I would highly recommend that the Government consider a tax cut, targeted at the middle-class, that was retroactive to the 2019 tax year. That would provide individuals with thousands of dollars to help them through these challenging times. These dollars would also cycle through the local economies, allowing businesses to keep and hopefully hire new employees.
The Federal Government also needs to do more for small business owners. The pandemic has forced many businesses to close their operations or dramatically scale back. To keep their employees and to just stay afloat, they need significant help and a 10% wage subsidy is not enough. I would personally advocate for an enhanced wage subsidy, as well as the deferral of HST payments.
Ultimately though, this crisis will not be solved by the Government. It will be solved by you and I. We need to adhere to the social distancing guidelines, and we need to come together as a community. To that end, our office is offering to help seniors and other vulnerable individuals in our community by picking up their groceries and medications.
Simply give us a call at (905) 372-8757 or email at us philip.lawrence@parl.gc.ca
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
