ADVOCACY CORNER The Advocacy Corner will be featured in the newsletter on a bi-monthly basis. We will continue to monitor and track all policy related issues that matter to you, our members, in the lead up to and post the federal election.
TRUDEAU PITCHES HIS NDP BACKED PANDEMIC RECOVERY PLAN AS THE BLOCK SEEKS CONDITIONS AND THE CPC DENY THEIR SUPPORT By: Michelle Coates Director, Strategy, Public Affairs and Government Relations, Syntax Strategic Throne Speeches, often dubbed “political word salads” by tongue and cheek journalists and pundits alike, are always grandiose in messaging, light on specifics and peppered with recycled policy commitments. The Trudeau government’s Speech from the Throne was no exception. While Canadians won’t have a full accounting of commitments until a fall fiscal update is introduced, the Throne Speech
provided a clear narrative on the direction this government is heading and the priorities it has set. A month ago, newly appointed Finance Minister, Chrystia Freeland was toting the need for a “Green Recovery” strategy. While we can expect that will continue to be this government’s guiding bellwether, the Trudeau government wisely made fighting COVID-19 and saving lives the number one priority of its “Four Foundations” approach to managing Canada’s response to the global pandemic. But once you break down the sub-headers, the Throne Speech boils down to two primary themes – pandemic response and green recovery. The Highlights The Pandemic Response Plan: Captured in the governments guiding foundations are immediate actions to tackle the pandemic including extending the Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) to summer 2021; replacing the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) with the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB); increasing COVID testing capacity; and procuring a range of vaccine options and mass amounts of additional PPE. In addition to these immediate measures, the Trudeau government revealed a treasure chest of goodies to help Canadians “build back better”. Features include a panCanadian early learning and childcare system; national Pharmacare; universal broadband connectivity; and a lofty
Canadian Independent Petroleum Marketers Association | Connection 2020 |
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