THANK YOU, PRIME MINISTER. WE’LL OPEN THE FLOOR FOR QUESTIONS. WE’LL GO TO THE PHONE LINE. ONE QUESTION, ONE FOLLOW-UP. OPERATOR? OPERATOR:

Thank you, Merci. First question, mike blanchefield, Canadian press. Your line is open.

Reporter:

Good morning, Prime Minister. Happy Easter. and whatever else is on your plate. Energy ministers are meeting today, as you know. and I’m just wondering what Canada’s plan is for [inaudible] with other countries in the g-20 after OPEC cut production and try to boost oil prices. What is Canada going to be doing?

Prime Minister Trudeau:

Canada is part of the discussion obviously with the g-20 energy metaphorsters. Minister o Reagan is sharing our perspective and the challenges that we’re going through in Canada from Newfoundland and Alberta and Saskatchewan. We’ll continue to work because we recognize that this is a global challenge for many, many different countries. and having a concerted approach is extremely important. We noted what the OPEC countries did yesterday and I know that is going to be a subject of discussion at the g-20 conversation today. Ok.

Interpreter:

We are part of that conversation with the energy g-20 ministers. Yesterday we did note what the OPEC countries made as a decision and those discussions are continuing. Because Canada is very seriously affected by the oil production issue.

Hello?

Reporter:

Prime Minister, what you see Canada doing? do you see it cutting production along with these OPEC countris? if so, what effect would that have in Canada?

Prime Minister Trudeau:

As we know, Alberta has already curtailed production and has for some time now. We’re going to continue to look to make sure that other countries are doing their part and the people understand that the most important thing through this is to ensure that families and workers across the country and indeed around the world are getting the support they need to get through this crisis safely.

NEXT QUESTION, OPERATOR. OPERATOR:

Thank you, Merci.

Reporter:

Interpreter:

Good morning, Mr. Trudeau. I’d like to come back to the conference call you had with the provinces yesterday. There was consultation about the invoking of the emergency measures act and this would be to ensure the distribution of P.P.E. Across the country. But last week, you said that the provinces could share that equipment and that the provinces had agreed to send that equipment to the provinces that needed it the most. So, I understand now that the cooperation between the provinces is not going so well. is that correct? no, I can tell you that the cooperation continues and it is improving between the provinces. We really think that this is an historic moment where all the provinces and territories are working together. and when it comes to the emergency measures act, it includes fairly stringent requirements in terms of consultations and we are following that act and looking at the in case we have to invoek that legislation. Now at the time – at this time, we do not need it and we hope we won’t need it. But the way our country works is the provinces have emergency measures acts that they have enacted and if those acts do not suffice, the federal government has its own legislation that can be added on. But for the time being, that is not necessary and we all hope that it will not be necessary.

Reporter:

Interpreter:

As a follow-up, this emergency mercks act still with respect to supply problems, could it allow you to centralize the procurement of P.P.E. and increase your buying power in that way? and might that not help us to avoid the problems we’re experiencing now? when we’re talking about supply, supply is not an issue because of the cost or buying power. The costs are going up. But the reality is the provinces and the hospitals have their own connections to producers right around the world and they are using those contacts and connections to secure the equipment they require. In addition, of course, to all the other efforts that are being made right across the country. So it’s not a bad thing for everyone to be doing what they can. Of course, we must ensure that we are coordinating or efforts and are aware of what’s working and how things are working. So, it really is coordination effort that we’re making at this time and there is a tremendous amount of cooperation and that is why we do not need to invoke the emergency measures act at this time. That cooperation is already very strong.

THANK YOU. NEXT QUESTION, OPERATOR. OPERATOR:

Thank you. Merci. Next question, Steve Scheer, Reuters. Your line is open.

Reporter:

Hello, Prime Minister. Good morning. There is a story out today saying that the bank of Canada governor, poloz, was not asked to extend his mandate and I was wondering – I know this selection process and progress and that it is not over. But ultimately it is the government that decides. I’m just wondering if you think it makes sense for current governor to stay on a bit longer to help underpin confidence during this crisis. Thank you.

Prime Minister Trudeau:

This is an extremely important question because we know the important role that the bank of Canada has in leading on monetary policy that is an essential part of our handling of this economic crisis related to COVID-19. The government has many Fe’s cal measures. – fiscal measures, but a strong bank of Canada is essential in getting us through this as well and governor poloz, as always, has done an extraordinary job and continues to do an extraordinary job. The process is ongoing and decisions haven’t been made as to what the next steps are. Ok.

Caller:

We recognize that it’s extremely important for the bank of Canada to be able to play a central role in Canada when it comes to responding to the economic challenge of COVID-19. Governor pol oz is an extraordinary man and he has always done an excellent job and is showing even more excellence in these times of real challenges. In terms of his successor, no decision has yet been made.

Follow-up?

Reporter:

Yeah, if I could follow up, could you give us an idea of when that decision might be made?

Prime Minister Trudeau:

The discussions and reflections are ongoing.

THANK YOU. ONE MORE QUESTION, PLEASE, OPERATOR. OPERATOR:

Thank you. Merci.

Reporter:

Interpreter:

Good morning, Minister Trudeau. Just to come back to the emergency measures act, I’m wondering under what circumstances would you need it? well, there are various scenarios that we’ve already discussed with the provinces, whether it is in terms of challenges involving supply of equipment or limiting Canadians’ movement even further. So, there are various measures that we could theoretically consider. But those measures are not necessary at this time. and for now, the provinces and territories can make their own decisions and introduce the measures that they need. The federal government has right now, such as the quarantine act, mean that we hope we won’t have to use the emergency measures act and certainly that would be our preference.

Prime Minister Trudeau:

I think there are a number of tools that the emergency’s act provides for. Much stronger controls on distribution of necessary medical supplies and equipment, for example. Or further restrictions on travel or on Canadians’ freedoms. But as I said, the way our country works is that provinces have emergency’s acts that they can bring in with very strong measures that they have all done. If at one point those measures are insufficient to do the things that are needed to do and all the tools that the federal government has at its disposable are insufficient to bring forward measures that are deemed necessary, then and only then do we consider the emergency measures act. But as I’ve said, it is our hope we don’t have to use it ever. We are seeing the partnership among provinces and territories and the way we’re moving forward on this means that we might not ever have to use the emergencies act and that would be our preference.

Reporter:

Interpreter:

It has been almost a month since your government developed the first measures to address COVID-19. and I’m wondering if you’ve taken he is sons from the last month. Well, in recent months, we wanted to move very, very quickly in order to create new methods and new programs to deliver aid to a huge number of Canadians. Now certainly our ability to do that was tested in recent months and in these recent weeks. But we have been able to do a great deal to ensure that Canadians this week will be receiving help. and at the same time we recognize that every time we want to move quickly, to move as quickly as possible, there are always some things that need to be em proved and that is – needs to be improved and that is what we’re working on now. It shows that our public service is extremely resilient and can deliver in difficult circumstances for all Canadians. and that will give us greater comfort in terms of being able to bring in additional measures that are appropriate and may be new as well. As I say, we’ve shown that we can respond quickly when the need is there.

Prime Minister Trudeau:

One of the things we learned over the past month, is that when it needs to, government can move very quickly to sheep kneadians. – is to help Canadians. We’ve seen money flow into Canadians’s bank accounts across the country. That was a monumental task for our public service, for hard-working Canadians across the country who make sure that they are serving Canadians with the best that they have and that lesson that when it’s necessary, we can move very, very quickly and nimbly as a government is one that should inform reflections of a government going forward.

Reporter:

Prime Minister, you said a number of times that testing is an essential way to flatten the curve and you spoke to premier Doug ford yesterday, who was also pushing for more testing in Ontario. At the same time, we do know that there still remains a number of shortages when it comes to testing kits. How long will it be until every person who needs a test right now is able to get one?

Prime Minister Trudeau:

We are continually ramping up our testing. We started earlier than other countries in terms of improving our testing kits. Certain jurisdictions are doing extraordinarily well on testing like Alberta and British Columbia. Quebec is coming a long way very quickly and Ontario is addressing some of the challenges that they faced over the coming days. We know that there is more to do. But we can certainly know that the lead that we’ve taken on testing is part of why we are seeing a flatter curve than different places. We have seen more tests in total than the United States has and they’re 10 times the size of us. So, we know that Canada’s testing regime has been good. But absolutely can get better. We’ll continue to develop more testing kits, faster testing because we know that even as we get through this first wave of COVID-19, once we’re able to get into those coming months where we will be on guard but not as shut down or paused as we are right now, testing, rapidly and efficiently of as many people as possible, will able a key part of path forward.

Interpreter:

We have made a huge amount of progress in terms of testing over the last few weeks and we knew right from the beginning that testing for the virus was a critical piece of our strategy to limit the spread of COVID-19. Every single day we’re improving our testing protocols. British Columbia and Alberta are doing very well when it comes to testing. Quebec has made a lot of progress as well and improved its testing in recent weeks and Ontario is now addressing some problems with its testing program. We know there is more to be done and we will continue to do more because that is a critical part of our ability to get through the following year without the kind of restrictions we’re under now. But also having the ability to limit further spread or outbreaks of the virus. We have tested far more people than in the United States. Even though they are 10 times larger than Canada in terms of population.

Reporter:

and [inaudible] number of announcements about Canadian companies and [inaudible] facilities in order to ramp up domestic production and you just said in one of your previous answers that the government can move quickly when it needs to. But there are a number of Canadian companies who say that they can supply this medical equipment but either getting caught in red tape or haven’t heard back from provincial or the federal government. So, how long will it be until these domestic supplies make it to the front lines and to the hospital?

Prime Minister Trudeau’s we’ve had thousands and thousands of canadian companies step up and offer to be part of supply chains for essential services, for essential equipment and medications. We are working with all of them as quickly as possible. There had to be choices as to who we could move quickest with, who was furtherest along. But we will continue to work with all companis who put up their hands to be helpful, to figure out ways they can best help. This is something in which all Canadians can pull together and are pulling together and we’ll continue to do that.

Reporter:

Hi, Prime Minister. is the federal government considering any measures such as regulation or federal oversight to ensure long-term care facilities are protected from this or future pandemics?

Prime Minister Trudeau:

There have been a number of reflections and discussions on this. We’ve seen that British Columbia has taken strong steps to ensure the safety of long-term care workers and residents. Obviously this is a point of vulnerability as we’ve seen throughout the country in terms of impact of COVID-19. We’re continuing to work with health professionals and medical experts to make sure we’re doing everything we can to protect our seniors.

Interpreter:

We recognize that long-term care homes and seniors homes are a point of vulnerability for spread of COVID-19. and particularly for our seniors and the people who work with them. and that is why we are looking at a number of proposals including sfrom – from British Columbia to ensure that our seniors are protected as much as possible during these tough times.

Reporter:

Health care workers are contracting the virus. is that a concern for the federal government and what is being done to help protect them?

Prime Minister Trudeau:

Of course we are tremendously worried whenever a health care professional contracts the virus. That is why providing adequate and significant amounts of personal protective equipment, making shh you are that protocols are being followed, helping provinces adjust their medical systems in ways that protect our health care workers absolutely essential. We need our health care workers not just to stay healthy for their own benefits or the benefits of their families, but we need them to be able to stay healthy for the benefit of our entire community. But we also need them to know that we have their back. As they don their protective gear, as they go into battle against this virus for the rest of us, we need to make sure they’re getting all the support they need because they are the ones that are going to save Canadians.

Interpreter:

We know it is essential to give all the help and support possible to our health care workers. That is woe we’re working very hard to give them that equipment and coordinate our approach with the provinces and working with the provinces and territories as to how they feel they need to protect their health care workers and their system. They must be protected for themselves and their families in order to protect us but they have to know that we’re there for them. Thar are the ones on the front lines of this fight and they are the ones putting themselves at risk to keep us safe. So we have to be there for them. and we have to ensure that they can continue to do the extraordinary work they are doing now for us.

Reporter:

Good morning, Prime Minister. a briefing [inaudible] prepared for your Minister of health on March 10 actually said that the risk of the spread of the virus within Canada remains low at this time. How do you explain the misinterpretation of the threat of the pandemic at such a late stage?

Prime Minister Trudeau:

I think we saw that within days, we’d begun to take very serious measures to restrict travel, to encourage social distancing and we moved quebecker – quicker than some countries on countering the particular spread of the virus. The number of Canadians infected then were still low, but we saw the potential that we’re in right now and we started to act early and that is why the measures that we’re taking right now, the significant measures that we’re in right now are keeping us. We are hopeful on the best possible curve to get through this in the coming months.

Interpreter:

We realize that it was becoming more and more serious and that there was a potential for a greater impact across the country and that is why we acted quickly to limit people’s movements and encourage people to practice social and physical distancing. We took significant measures, which did ensure that the impact in Canada was slower and not as serious as in other countries. and we will continue to take whatever measures are necessary to ensure there is the least impact and the shortest impact thanks to distancing.

Reporter:

So with that advice, that there was a low risk spread of this flawed and what [inaudible] to contain the virus?

Prime Minister Trudeau’s our work continued every step of the way, informed by the recommendations made by our health officials. We wanted to both make sure that there were no panics on Canadians while at the same time getting people to take more and more significant measures because we knew that the behavior of Canadians was the strongest way of doing what we’ve been able to do so far, which is slow the spread of the virus, delay it beyond where it has been in other countries and give us the best possible chance of getting through it. As we look back, of course there is going to be things we said oh, we might have said this differently or that differently. There is going to be an awful lot of learning through this. But it remains that, as we get through this now and live through the measures that we put in place and lean on each other and hold together, we have the best chance of getting through this in the coming weeks and months by remaining true to the advice that experts are giving us, to stay home, to keep two meters apart and wash our hands regularly and not go outside unless we absolutely have to, to hunker down, lean on each other, virtually and metaphorically and be able to support each other through this time.

Interpreter:

We recognize, of course, that we may think that we should have done this or should have done something different. But the reality is that we took measures quickly that ensured that the spread of the virus is not as quick as in other countries. We are still on a path that should allow us to come out of this pandemic more quickly than other countries and we must continue the path, stay at home, maintain the right distance and not go out unless we need to. Wash our hands frequently. These are the things that will ensure that we can get through this as best as possible and rebound economically and quickly as a society. With respect to the economic impact, the premier of Quebec is saying that some economic sectors will be able to start up soon. But you’re saying that it will be a year or year and a half before we get back to normal. Do you believe that there are some economic sectors that can start up sooner and, if so, which ones? well, we cannot talk to a return to normality unless there is a vaccine or until there is a vaccine against COVID-19. However, there will be some relaxation of restrictions once we have come through this first wave of contagion. In our models, we can see that that relaxation could possibly start this summer. But even in the fall, we will have to live with certain measures to keep you safe and minimize the risk of a resurgence of COVID-19. Which means that we will not go back to normality to the previous situation before COVID-19 unless or until there is a vaccine against the virus. But there are various sectors of the economy and certain economic activities that can start up again once we’ve completed this first wave. and we are currently discussing that with the provinces and the industries and health care experts in our scientists. It will determine where and how we relax the restrictions and how to do it gradually. So I agree with Mr. Legault that we should be able to do that in the weeks and months to come, but we have to reflect very carefully and in full coordination with others as to how that can happen. I think it may have been a little discouraging yesterday to hear you say ET would take a year to year and a half to return to normal. Could you be more specific and perhaps talk about which sectors could start up again? you are talking about measures that could be in place for a year and year and a half. In concrete terms, what are you talking about? so that people can know what to expect in the coming months. We are currently in the first phase of the virus. We are dealing with the spread of this virus right across our society, concentrated in certain regions but we’re all vulnerable to COVID-19 at this time. So we are taking steps now to ensure that people stay home in order so that – in order that people don’t go to work unless they have to, to ensure that people don’t go out unless they absolutely need tom and people are fully aware of the situation we’re dealing with now. We basically have paused our economy and paused our normal life as Canadians. and we will have to continue to do that until we come through this first wave of COVID-19. It should be the most serious. Once we come through this first wave, we will be in a place where we can relax certain rules. More people perhaps can go to work. Maybe some schools can open up again. Some economic activity can begin. But this will have to be done in such a way as to minimize the risk of further outbreaks of COVID-19. At that time, we will have developed much better testing protocols, for example. We will have the technical and technological ability to follow or do the contact tracing of those who have been infected. We will be in a much better position at that point to limit further peaks of the spread. and it won’t be normality as we knew it before. But we will be able to do a great many things that we cannot do right now even though we’d like to. But there will be ongoing vigilance until we have a vaccine that is distributed to everyone and we don’t know when that will be. It could take six months or a year or year and a half. We don’t know how much time that will take. In the meantime, our researchers are working on that very hard. But what we do know is that our ability to ensure that this first wave of contagious finishes this summer, depends entirely on us, on the citizens of this country. On people continuing to stay home, on people continuing to maintain their distance, on continuing to do what we’re doing now for a number of weeks and then possibly we can, and I hope to be able to talk about relaxing the current rules in the summer.

Prime Minister Trudeau:

What we are in right now is the first phase of the spread of the virus. This is the phase that runs to a certain extent unchecked or difficultly checked through our society, through our communities. We’re seeing in cases pop up here and there. We’re seeing people struggle to handle it and to keep these measures from overwhelming our health care system. If we do things right, this will be the first and worst phase that we go through as a country in terms of COVID-19. If we keep these measures, these strong measures in place of staying home, of not going outside unless we absolutely have to, on keeping two meters apart and being strong about social distancing, these are the things that will ensure that we will get through this first wave of the virus as quickly as possible with minimum – minimal loss of life as well. This is what we’re looking for, of not overwhelming our health care system and that happens if we stay strong about remaining at home for the coming weeks. According to the models we put forward, it is possible that woe will be able to be out of that wave this summer. At that point, we will be able to talk about loosening up some of the rules that are in place. Looking at particular sectors where people can go back to work, bringing in new rules around how people can interact with each other in society and get things rolling again. We’ll have to be very careful about how we do that and we’ll have to remain vigilant and active every single day for possible resurgences of the virus. At that point, however, we will have developed much better testing protocols because every single day we’re improving them. We will develop new technologies for contact tracing and we will all become much, much better at reacting when a resurgence happens. As we look at possible resurgences over the coming months, we will be better adjusted and adapted as a society to minimize them and, therefore, minimize the disruption to everyday life to our economic activity. That is the ideal ?aer yo. – scenario. But it only happens if we continue to stay strong for the coming weeks and stay inside, keep those two meters apart and be very, very careful about not allowing COVID-19 to spread further. That phase of vigilance, of easing off to a certain extent, but still being careful will continue until such a time as we have a vaccine for the virus. Researchers across Canada and the world are working hard on this. It could take as little as six months, but more likely a year and year and a half. Maybe longer. But I know the best minds are working on that. So, we will, once we’re through this first phase, be able to get back to something that is more normal. But we will not get back to the normal that we had before, at least until we have developed a vaccine for the virus. That is the reality. But the fundamental bottom line that people can reflex – reflect on this weekend, if we stay strong on our social distancing measures now and for the coming weeks, we can see how things can start getting back to normal in the coming months and we will be able to get through this because that is what Canadians do. We lean on each other. We support each other. and we figure out how to, you know, get through the big challenges that life throws at us. Merci.beaucoup. Have a wonderful easter.