Freeland promises $ 30 billion in pandemic spending

Politics Insider for Dec 15, 2021 – A Major Tax Update; sobering news from Omicron; and Singh pivots on bill 21

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New Spending on COVID: Chrystia Freeland’s The fall fiscal update reserves nearly $ 30 billion over six years for pandemic spending, including $ 4.5 billion specifically to respond to Omicron, the Balloon reports. The update also includes $ 40 billion to compensate First Nations children and reform Canada’s child welfare for seven years.

The update says it is a time of economic uncertainty Due to the pandemic: “The way forward will depend on a series of tail and headwinds, which could boost the recovery or divert it.”

The update stands out for what it does not include, the Balloon writes.

It’s primarily an update on federal revenue and spending projections and doesn’t mention many of the new spending promises made on the Liberal Party’s electoral platform this year. Those promises totaled $ 78 billion over five years. For example, the update does not mention the platform’s commitment to impose a 3 percent surcharge on banks and insurance companies with profits of more than $ 1 billion and to introduce a fee to financial services companies, which he called “Canada Recovery Dividend.”

The update finds the books in somewhat better condition than expected. The budget had forecast that “the debt-to-GDP ratio would peak at 51.2 percent this fiscal year, up from pre-pandemic levels of around 31 percent. Tuesday’s forecast says it will peak at 48 percent this year, before gradually decreasing to 44 percent for fiscal 2026-27. “

Isolated Freeland: It was revealing writes Heather scoffield at Star, that Freeland had to deliver his update from isolation.

The rapid tests had just indicated that two members of his staff had tested positive for COVID-19, and suddenly the entire office, including the minister, had to take steps to isolate themselves, but continue to do their job using all the solutions that we have developed over the last 21 months. Freeland’s first post-election tax revelation is about enabling that pattern across the economy, spending billions on keeping trains running on time despite the lightning speed at which Omicron is disrupting our lives.

Too: At Mail, John Ivison writes That is still too much spending, and he wonders if the federal government should spend that much on indigenous child welfare.

Prime Ministers Talk: Justin Trudeau was speaking with prime ministers last night to discuss the possibility of stricter public health measures in response to omicron, CBC reports.

CBC says officials are considering more travel restrictions. The Balloon reports the feds want to reactivate their warning against nonessential international travel. An announcement of new measures is expected today, including the possibility of banning the entry of foreign nationals.

Getting ready: In Maclean’s, Patricia treble has some sobering news on omicron, which seems likely to cut a sample in Canada as it has in Europe. Dr. Andrew Morris says Canada could have done more to prepare.

Morris cites two big mistakes made by Canadian governments in the past two months: minimizing the benefits of the third dose; and what he calls a “silly strategy “of delaying the launch of third doses until they saw evidence in this country of waning immunity from two doses of vaccine, even though there was evidence from around the world that such waning would affect us. “Those mistakes have brought us to where we are today,” he says. “There was no benefit in waiting; now they don’t have the capacity to implement vaccines. “

Living with COVID: In The Montreal Diary, Emmanuelle latraverse write that (translation) now we have to live with COVID, because there is no appetite for more blockages.

This is living with COVID. Wear a mask in public, administer the third doses at full speed. And accept the risk. The alternative is fear, isolation, withdrawal. And that is no longer possible, neither humanly nor financially.

Singh changes tune: Jagmeet Singh said Tuesday that would support federal intervention in a judicial challenge to Bill 21, which prohibits public sector workers from wearing religious symbols at work, CP reports. Singh said she changed jobs after a teacher in Chelsea was reassigned from teaching because she is wearing a hijab.

In spite of: At Star, Althia raj has an interesting column on the implications of the more frequent use of the clause however, which allows the provinces to invalidate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, such as Francois legault has done with bill 21. Montreal Liberal MP Anthony Home Father believes that lawyers and deputies should consider whether its use is appropriate.

Changing Arctic: This years Arctic Report Card finds the transformation of the Arctic to be “rapid and pronounced”, the Balloon reports.

It includes long-observed effects such as shrinking sea ice and snow cover, retreating glaciers, and melting permafrost. Other more recently observed phenomena range from the proliferation of woody shrubs and beaver dams in the tundra to a Bering Strait awash with marine debris due to increased maritime traffic. “As the Arctic transforms, science, in some cases, is working to keep up,” the authors write.

Enough enhancers: In an end of the year interview with CTV’s Evan solomonTrudeau said the government has acquired enough boosters for everyone.

– Stephen Maher



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