Alberta’s decision to call a public health emergency as intensive care units fill up with COVID-19 patients immediately led to finger- pointing on the federal election campaign trail Thursday, as Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau attempted to link Premier Jason Kenney’s troubles to Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole.
Speaking to reporters in Montreal, Mr. Trudeau said Ottawa will send ventilators to Alberta and called the COVID-19 situation in the province “heartbreaking.”
Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole was asked several times to comment on the situation in Alberta, but he carefully avoided naming the province or Mr. Kenney in his answers. He refused to say whether he still supports Mr. Kenney’s pandemic response.
Mr. O’Toole went after Mr. Trudeau for calling an election in the middle of a pandemic, and said the estimated $600-million spent on the campaign could have been sent to provinces to fight the highly-contagious Delta variant instead.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh also addressed the crisis in Alberta during a stop in Toronto on Thursday. “I want folks in Alberta to know we are here for you,” he said. “We are going to push to call for the military and all supports possible to get out to Alberta to support the people.”
The Globe and Mail’s election team has the full story here.
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TODAY’S HEADLINES
BRIAN MULRONEY APPEARS ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL TO ENDORSE O’TOOLE: Former prime minister Brian Mulroney has endorsed Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole’s bid to become Canada’s next prime minister, a high-profile political boost in the last days of an election campaign during which the Tories have sought to make gains in Quebec. The story by The Globe and Mail’s Ian Bailey can be found here.
ALBERTA DECLARES HEALTH EMERGENCY: Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, facing turmoil in his caucus and a health-care system on the verge of failing as COVID-19 spreads unchecked, introduced a vaccine passport system that will give businesses the choice between tough restrictions or demanding customers show proof of vaccination or a negative test. The story by The Globe and Mail’s Carrie Tait is here.
ELECTIONS CANADA WARNS OF PROBLEMS, DELAYS AHEAD OF VOTING DAY: With fewer polling stations, fewer election workers and more public-health protocols because of COVID-19, Elections Canada is bracing for the most challenging and protracted voting day in the country’s history next Monday. The story by the The Globe and Mail’s Greg Mercer is here.
CANADA LEFT OUT AS U.S., U.K., AUSTRALIA STRIKE DEAL TO COUNTER CHINA: The United States, United Kingdom and Australia are forging a new defence pact meant to contain the military might of China in the Indo-Pacific. Story by The Globe and Mail’s Adrian Morrow is here.
LEADERS
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau held a news conference with reporters in Montreal and is spending the day campaigning in the province of Quebec.
Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole held a news conference inside a curling club in Saint John, N.B. He is scheduled to meet with supporters in the evening at a farmers market in Truro, N.S.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh started his day with a news conference focused on affordable housing in Toronto. He is then scheduled to make campaign stops in Oshawa and Kingston.
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet is scheduled to hold an afternoon news conference in Saint-Jérôme, Que., to discuss the electrification of public transportation. He also has several media interviews scheduled.
Green Party Leader Annamie Paul has no public events scheduled for Thursday as she is observing Yom Kippur.
OPINION
Campbell Clark (The Globe and Mail) on how the prefab Erin O’Toole is sticking to the script: Mr. O’Toole is running to be a prefab prime minister. Never before has a real contender for the role been so heavily scripted from beginning to end... The shame is, he is so devoted to the task that he won’t show Canadians even a smidge of what Erin O’Toole is like, or would be like as prime minister. Although maybe we can glean something from his somewhat ruthless adherence to tactics.”
Rob Carrick (The Globe and Mail) on what your family finances would look like if you were as casual about debt as the federal political parties: “A government can handle mounting debt more easily than households – it can always raise taxes or slash spending. But debt left unaddressed for a long time means tough decisions ahead, for both.”
Erna Paris (author and Globe and Mail contributor) on why federal party leaders’ sycophantic acceptance of Quebec’s Bill 21 is dangerous for all of Canada: “We are inured to degrees of pandering during election campaigns, but the collective compliance of our leaders with legal discrimination against minorities is galling... When our leaders trade foundational principles for electoral purposes, they undermine the country at large.”
Former Conservative finance minister Joe Oliver (The Financial Post) writes that Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole could lead a minority Parliament in spite of the lack of natural allies: “Should he win the most seats, Erin O’Toole would almost certainly signal his willingness to work with other parties in the national interest and gather support for legislation on a case-by-case basis. And, after one unnecessary $610-million election, the opposition parties would not dare bring down a new Conservative government and trigger another. A year or more’s grace would let Erin O’Toole show Canadians what he stands for and what he can achieve, paving the way for a majority mandate in about 18 months.”
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