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These are the top stories:
As measles outbreaks become more common, Canada still lacks key data
When Vancouver experienced a measles outbreak at three schools last month, it took the local health authority a week to track down the vaccination records for 20 per cent of the students. The delay complicated the response, and made it more difficult to determine which students might have been most at risk of the contagious disease.
The root of the problem, reports Wendy Stueck, lies in Canada’s glaring data gaps: Parents in nearly every province and territory aren’t required to provide schools with immunization records; there’s no national online registry of vaccinations; records don’t carry over when people move or travel across provincial boundaries; paper records are still being used to varying degrees in New Brunswick and Nunavut.
As a result of the data gaps, we don’t have a clear sense of Canada’s overall vaccine coverage: The measles vaccination rate for two-year-olds is 89 per cent, according to a 2015 national survey, well below the 95-per-cent threshold recommended to reach “herd immunity.” But the survey is just an estimate (officials say the number is likely higher due to a low response rate).
Rise of outbreaks: The Vancouver outbreak comes as high increases in measles cases occur worldwide, with the World Health Organization calling vaccine hesitancy one of the top global health threats in 2019. Ukraine alone had more than 24,000 measles cases in the first two months of this year.
Fighting misinformation: The threat posed by anti-vaxxers and those who are wary of vaccinations has prompted Canada’s Public Health Agency to launch an education campaign to counter false narratives, while health centres across Canada have started to go as far as banning unvaccinated individuals from their facilities.
This is part of an ongoing Globe series on Canada’s data gaps. Go here to learn more.
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New Zealand is banning semi-automatic weapons
All military-style weapons and assault rifles will be banned within weeks, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said as her country responds to the deadly Christchurch mosque shootings that left 50 dead and dozens more injured. New Zealand will also be implementing a buy-back program for the banned weapons.
Thousands are expected to attend a Friday prayer service tomorrow across the street from the Al Noor mosque where at least 42 were killed. The mosque is planning to reopen for services next week, with some workers offering their services for free to speed up repairs.
SNC-Lavalin says it never cited job losses as a reason for a settlement
CEO Neil Bruce also told The Globe that his firm “never threatened anybody” about moving its head office out of Canada as an argument for settling its criminal corruption trial. He also pointed out that federal legislation doesn’t allow for economic reasons to be used as an argument against prosecution. (for subscribers)
The comments stand in contrast with testimony by retiring Privy Clerk Michael Wernick and ex-principal secretary Gerald Butts; Wernick said officials believed there was a risk of SNC moving, while both he and Butts repeatedly cited the possibility of job losses.
Bruce said the possibility of a headquarter move might have been discussed in the event of a negative outcome in the criminal case, noting “we need to make alternative arrangements” should SNC be banned from federal contracts.
Separately, the Liberals used their majority in the House of Commons to defeat a Conservative motion calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to let Jody Wilson-Raybould give further testimony on the SNC fallout. (for subscribers)
And Celina Caesar-Chavannes, the Liberal MP who had told The Globe that Trudeau yelled at her during a conversation on the same day Wilson-Raybould quit cabinet, will now be sitting as an independent in Parliament.
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The OPP hiring process was ‘flawed’ – but Doug Ford didn’t break any rules, a report says
Ontario’s Integrity Commissioner said the Premier kept his distance from the decision to hire his friend Ron Taverner for the province’s top police job. But Commissioner J. David Wake “found that there were some troubling aspects of the recruitment process and ultimately made the finding that the process was flawed.” While Ford called the findings “a complete vindication,” the NDP is renewing calls for a public inquiry.
The report detailed the ways Ford’s government had tried to hire Taverner for previous positions, including a senior role at the Ontario Cannabis Store. The outgoing deputy minister of community safety is also quoted saying he was told another public servant felt under pressure to hire “a friend of the Fords.” That public servant, Steve Orsini, later denied making those remarks.
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ALSO IN THE NEWS
Montreal is removing a crucifix from City Hall, a move that comes as Quebec debates the role of religious symbols in public institutions. Mayor Valérie Plante said that after more than 80 years, it was time to come down: “It’s a very important symbol, but I truly believe … that it doesn’t have to be in the city council, which is a secular institution.”
Boeing executives and Federal Aviation Administration officials are being called to testify at U.S. Senate hearings. The two deadly Boeing 737 Max crashes have prompted a criminal investigation into the FAA’s certification process, with Canada now vowing to conduct its own due diligence on the aircraft instead of relying on the FAA.
Mozambique has begun three days of national mourning after at least 217 people were killed by Cyclone Idai. More people also died in Zimbabwe as a result of one of the most destructive storms to hit southern Africa.
Theresa May has asked the European Union to grant a three-month extension to Britain’s March 29 deadline for leaving the bloc. That likely sets up another effort next week by the British Prime Minister to push her exit deal through Parliament.
MORNING MARKETS
Stocks mixed
European shares wilted and there was a stampede into bonds on Thursday, after the U.S. Federal Reserve’s abandonment of all plans to raise rates this year left traders wondering what might be lurking in the shadows. Tokyo’s Nikkei was closed, but Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost 0.9 per cent, while the Shanghai Composite gained 0.4 per cent. In Europe, London’s FTSE 100 and the Paris CAC 40 were up by between 0.1 and 0.6 per cent by about 6:40 a.m. ET, while Germany’s DAX was down 0.3 per cent. New York futures were down. The Canadian dollar was at 75.10 US cents.
WHAT EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT
Trudeau’s politicization of the New Zealand terror attack puts Scheer on the spot
Konrad Yakabuski: “[Trudeau said ‘Politicians often say that it’s not a time to talk politics, but that instead we should grieve and support the affected communities. … This is exactly the time to talk politics.’ … Trudeau did not mention Andrew Scheer by name. He did not need to. His remarks in the House of Commons were greeted enthusiastically by Liberals and sought to put the Conservative Leader between a rock and Maxime Bernier, who has made his People’s Party a safe space for those who seek to vent their anti-immigration views.” (for subscribers)
The Liberals show how unafraid of Singh’s NDPs they are this election
Adam Radwanski: “Heading in [to the federal budget], Jagmeet Singh’s New Democrats fretted about Justin Trudeau’s government using its final fiscal plan before October’s expected federal election to neutralize issues the NDP wants to spend the campaign talking about. … But if the Liberals were really committed to pulling the rug out from under Mr. Singh, they would not have left him as much room to use big, ambitious promises to define himself and contrast his values with theirs.” (for subscribers)
Canada Reads is bad for literature
Russell Smith: “There is a lot of private, secret scorn, in dark pubs and bedrooms, about Canada Reads, the CBC’s annual book competition. This is frequently among people who publicly say what a great boon this promotion is for literature and literacy and how happy they are for the winners.” (for subscribers)
TODAY’S EDITORIAL CARTOON
TGAM
LIVING BETTER
Looking for a new podcast? Check out our top recommendations
From true crime to fiction to improvisational comedy, the podcast world is booming. Some can’t-miss shows include Another Round, The Heart, and Song Exploder. If you’re looking for Canadian content, check out CBC’s Uncover: Escaping NXIVM or Canadaland’s Thunder Bay. Subscribers can go here for a more complete set of recommendations.
MOMENT IN TIME
Carter pitches athletes on Moscow Olympic boycott
(Bettmann/Getty Images)Bettmann / Getty Images
March 21, 1980: No one applauded as president Jimmy Carter entered the East Room of the White House. Nearly 100 top American athletes were there to hear his argument in favour of boycotting the coming Summer Olympics in Moscow. Most left the March 21 meeting unconvinced. Carter proposed the boycott in January, 1980, shortly after Soviet forces invaded Afghanistan in support of the country’s struggling communist regime. Fearing a larger push toward the oil-rich Persian Gulf, Carter demanded Soviet troops withdraw and threatened a boycott of the Moscow Olympics as an ultimatum. The boycott proved a hard sell. Prime minister Joe Clark threw Canada’s support behind the plan, and kept Canadian athletes away from the Games. But other NATO allies, including France and Britain, declined to follow suit. At home, American athletes complained bitterly. “The only way to compete against Moscow is to stuff it down their throats in their own backyard,” gold-medal-winning discus thrower Al Oerter said. Carter eventually persuaded the United States Olympic Committee to support his plan, and American athletes stayed home. Soviet athletes returned the favour four years later, boycotting the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. – Mark Rendell
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