Parses captions for PM Trudeau's daily speeches and presents them in a more human readable format
Operator:
Thank you. Merci.
Reporter:
Interpreter:
Good morning, Prime Minister. With respect to re-opening the economy, you just refered to that, now if there are variations between regions and between provinces, do you believe that the emergency measures act is something you should consider to avoid unnecessary travel or maybe shutting down the borders between provinces? well, as I said before, I hope I won’t need to do that and I don’t think I will at this point in time. People are currently following, or the majority of people are following the recommendations of our health care experts and their provincial authorities. They’re limiting their travel. They’re staying home. and I think people know that it’s very risky to start up regular activities too quickly because then we could lose all the progress that we made with such difficulty in recent weeks. We must be careful and I think Canadians know that. I believe that we have the necessary tools to ensure that things should work as they should.
Prime Minister Trudeau:
As I said from the beginning, I’m loathed to use the emergency measures act and up until this point it has not been necessary. I think people have been following the guidelines, instructions of public health officials, of provincial and federal instructions. People have been doing the things necessary to keep themselves safe, to keep their neighbours safe, to keep health workers safe. To limit their movements. We have measures in place that people are following as we re-open gradually. I’m certain people will want to follow these measures because if we get this wrong, everything we have done, everything we have sacrificed over the past many weeks could have been in vein. We need to make sure we do this carefully based on absolutely the best scientific advice.
Reporter:
Rep did you see or approve the plans that will be unveiled by Quebec and Ontario today? and could you give us some clear examples of the type of guidelines that people would have to follow, for example, of installing Plexiglas to protect their employees. Can you give us concrete examples of the measures you are looking at? first of all, it is not up to the federal government to approve the measures that fall within provincial jurisdiction. We represent the authority of the provinces to national – to make the appropriate decisions for all their citizens. and from one region to the next, the measures will be different. To keep people safe. Now what we are developing in partnership with the provinces is a series of essential principles, things like you have to ensure that we have enough testing capacity to re-open the economy. You must ensure that there are specific conditions in place for certain industries or economic sectors that you’re planning to open. Those are principles we need to follow. But the provinces have the right and the obligation to put forward specific things that work for them.
Prime Minister Trudeau:
The provinces have the authority to determine what is in the best interest. It’s not up to the federal government to check or oversee the provinces. and much of this falls within their area of jurisdiction. They have the responsibility to do what is right for their citizens. Every province is in different situations. Regions within the provinces are in different situations and I have full confidence in the premiers of the provinces and the territories to move forward in a way that is right for them. What we’ve been working on with the provinces is a set of guidelines and principles that can inform the decision-makers in each region. Things like make sure that you have enough medical capacity to handle a potential surge. Make sure you’re doing enough testing for your situation and have a plan to do more. Make sure that there are specific guidelines in place for specific sectors or industries that are appropriate to keep people safe. It’s not up to the federal government to determine what those are. We have tremendous confidence in the provinces who very much want to make sure that this happens the right way. and that we don’t fall back into another phase like we’re in this time as we gradually open up.
Thank you. Next question, operator.
Operator:
Thank you. Your line is open, Canadian press.
Reporter:
Good morning. You mentioned that the CERB and the wage subsidy can’t both be received by people. How do you see them complementing each other and are you not worried that workers will be caught in the middle and many of them will end up having to pay one or the other of them back?
Prime Minister Trudeau:
They are – the wage subsidy and the CERB are designed to support workers, to support people who have lost their paycheques. For someone who’s lost their job, whose employers can’t hire them back with the wage subsidy, the CERB is there to give them $500 a week, $2, 000 a month so that they can pay for their groceries and make it through this tough time while they’re not receiving any sort of paycheque. But we also realised that it is really important for restoring our economic activity to full potential as quickly as possible, that ideally people stay connected to their jobs. That they stay connected with their employers and that is why we’re facilitating a wage subsidy up to 75%, that is up to $847 a week, that will go through the employers so that people can stay on the payroll and stay connected to their job so they have confidence that they’ll have that job when we have time – when we’re at the time to come back as an economy. These are two different measures that aim to do the same sorts of things – make sure families and workers are able to make it through this time while doing the important – the right things to keep themselves safe and to make sure that our economy comes back strong. But it is one or the other. Because of the uncertainty, because of the application process, it is possible that people will have received both the CERB and the wage subsidy. In that case, that – they will have to, over the course of the coming months, pay have to one back. You should keep that in mind. If you are getting both, you should probably put one aside so you can pay that back and don’t get overly challenged with that down the road. But we recognize that getting money out to people quickly and strongly, reliably was the most important thing and that is what we did. We’ll figure out the next steps as we go and make sure that it’s fair for everyone.
Interpreter:
We created two different programmes to help people who have lost their paycheque. First of all, the Canada emergency response benefit that gives people $2, 000 a month if they have lost their job. Now we also know that, ideally, people would be able to keep their job in order to be able to return once the economy is fired up again. and that way they can retain their job attachment and that is why we brought in the wage subsidy. We are going to be providing up to 75% of employees’ wages to employers so that they can continue to pay up to $847 a week to their employees. and that way when the economy re-opens, people will still have that job attachment and we’ll know that they can trourn work. – they can return to work. So, those two measures mean that it is one or the other. Now with the emergency benefit, some people may end up receiving both. But in that case, they will have to – probably repay the emergency response benefit if they’ve received both. So put that money aside and we’ll resolve that in the future. For now we decided it was important to get out to people quickly and safely and that is what we do.
Reporter:
Do you think people who have applied for and receiving the CERB will suddenly be transferred over to the wage subsidy and is that not complicate and are there things within the programme to prevent double payments so that there isn’t confusion about who has to pay what back?
Prime Minister Trudeau:
The government agencies have a clear record of who gets what. It will obviously help in sorting this out in the coming months. The wage subsidy is retroactive to March 15. But as of the date that the CERB came in, a number of people didn’t know if or whether they were going get an eventual wage subsidy and so applied for it. The CERB is coming up on a reapplication moment and if people are receiving that wage subsidy, they shouldn’t re-apply for the CERB, the emergency response benefit. It is a situation that is complex, but it is administered by, you know, different processes within government that can clear to keep separate. If you apply through your employer – or your employer applies for the wage subsidy, that money will flow for you and you no longer need to apply for the CERB and no longer qualify for the CERB. Ok.
Interpreter:
This is a situation where we wanted to ensure that people would receive money quickly and that is why we introduced the emergency response benefit. But as people receive the wage subsidy, they’ll no longer need the CERB and will no longer apply to receive that benefit. and we have robust systems in government to determine who received what and who received both benefits. In that case, they will have to repay one. For the time being, we decided it was more important to get more money out to more people in this crisis because we know that people need support. We knew we had to make choices and the choice has been to send more money out to people quickly was n My opinion, the right choice for the economy and we’ll figure out the next steps together in terms of repayment.
Reporter:
Operator:
Thank you. Merci.
Reporter:
Interpreter:
I’d like to come back to My colleague’s question from TVA about the relaxation of lockdown. In Quebec they talked about herd immunity to facilitate the re-opening of schools. Now some people have serious doubts about that concept, including Dr. Sr tam. Do you believe that the re-opening of schools in Quebec would be premature? now there are still many, many questions about herd immunity or even individual immunity. There is no evidence that people who have been infected by the virus will not be able to become infected a few months later. This is too new a virus to have access to that information. So, that is why we are encouraging people to be very careful in re-opening the economy and it’s also the reason why we introduced an immunity task force on COVID-19. This is a task force that will be based in montreal, as a matter of fact, and they will be doing the necessary research to get a better understanding of the immunity aspect of things and how we can use that to protect Canadians. But this is a mid-to-long-term project. For the time being, we have to be very careful and I know that all the provinces are now being very careful about re-opening the economy in the right way, but we don’t want a setback.
Prime Minister Trudeau’s we know there is a lot of uncertainty around the science of immunity. Whether or not someone who has contracted COVID-19 is protected from contracting it again a few months later. That is still uncertain. There is a lot of research and science going on on that topic – across the country, around the world. We launched the pan-canadian task force on immunity from COVID-19 just last week. So, we have top scientists that are going to be working extremely hard to figure out what is the reality around immunity in Canada and how we can use it to keep people safer. But this is a work that will go on and will have immediate results in some levels. That is why we have to be very, very careful and cautious every step of the way in re-opening the economy because we don’t want to come back to where we are. and I have confidence that every province is taking very seriously this responsibility to be careful because nobody wants to have gone through all of this for nothing.
Reporter:
Rep as a subquestion, you mentioned that Wednesday, the parliament will be having an in-person session. You talked about the legislation on students. Now can we expect that legislation to be debated and passed on Wednesday, and if not, is it because there is something that’s blocking? it is our intention to move forward with that legislation to help students. and over the weekend, we discussed the situation with the other parties and we are working with them. and look forward to getting that legislation passed. It is an important measure and people recognize that many students will not have any job this is summer and we need to support them during this period. Not just so they can pay for their groceries and rent these months but also because we want them to stay in school and be able to pay their tuitions for next year and the years after that. and that is what we’re going to do.
Operator:
Next question , C.R.A. mcsweeney.
Reporter:
You’ve been talking about federal guidelines for provinces to follow in terms of re-opening their economy. We’re expecting plans from Ontario and Quebec and we heard plans from Saskatchewan and New Brunswick. When are you going to release the full list of federal guidelines? I know you gave some examples earlier, but the full list of federal guidelines because, you know, we have nearly half the provinces now releasing their plans.
Prime Minister Trudeau:
We have been working with the provinces over the past weeks to develop a shared set of guidelines. These will not be federal guidelines. They will be guidelines that we agreed to, all of us, 13 premiers and the Prime Minister, all of our different orders of government to ourselves going forward. That is something to work together to give Canadians a frame in which they can see the actions being taken in their particular regions. and it is historic the level of collaboration between provinces and territories in the federal government and that is going to continue. So we are continuing to work on finalizing those guidelines and hope to have them out in the coming days so Canadians can see them. I can tell you already the thinking that has gone into building those shared guidelines with the provinces and territories is already informing the decisions that they move forward with in announcing re-opening plans.
Following up, C.R.A.
Reporter:
and, yeah. Just wondering as well you’ve announced commercial rent relief for small businesses, medium-sized businesses across the country. and premier doug ford has called for some residential rent relief. is that on the table for the federal government? is it in the works right now with the provinces?
Prime Minister Trudeau:
We recognize that Canadians need money for an awful lot of things. Particularly when they no longer have a paycheque coming in. Whether it’s rent, whether it’s groceries, whether it’s supporting their family membersful that is why we move forward rapidly on the Canada emergency response benefit and the 75% wage subsidy that applications have launched today for. These are meant to replace income that Canadians won’t have coming in over the course of this economic slowdown and that can be used for rent, for groceries, for a range of things. If provinces in whom the relationship between renters and landlords is their jurisdiction, want to move forward with more help for residential rent, they can, of course,, do that. We will focus on giving the benefits to Canadians that will replace as much of their pay cheques so that they can pay their essentials. Small businesses needed extra support for their commercial rents on top of the wage subsidy and that is what we’ve done.
Reporter:
Good morning. One of the groups still feeling isolated and vulnerable are seniors. Many have had to absorb the extra cost of delivery services on a fixed income and others have to pay additional dispensing fees at the pharmacy. Last week you said help was coming. How much longer do seniors have to wait?
Prime Minister Trudeau’s we knew that moving forward on replacing people who lost and were counting on their paycheques through COVID-19 was the priority. and that is why we moved forward with the CERB and the wage subsidy which launches today. We then recognized that students who often start their summer jobs in early may after finishing their term at post-secondary education, needed help as well. Which is why we’re moving forward on that. There is health vulnerable, there is being isolated further and challenges around mental health and isolation. and difficultty sometimes getting groceries and getting the supports they need. We have moved forward on a number of things to ensure that they get supports but we’re also looking at further supports, specifically for the most low-income seniors who are truly challenged.
Reporter:
Can you outline the options that you are
Looking senate » Prime Minister Trudeau as I said, we’re looking at things like supports for the most vulnerable seniors that are incurring extra costs because of COVID-19 and we’ll keep working on that and have more to say soon.
Reporter:
Tom Perry, c*fjs municipalities taking a big hit during the pandemic. Have you given any thought to helping them? if you do, how would that work with the provinces?
Prime Minister Trudeau:
We continue to work with the provinces on the challenges that they’re facing. We see municipalities absorbing many extra costs because of COVID-19. They are the responsibility of the provinces. Of course. and we represent the constitutional division of powers in this country. At the same time, we are looking for ways to make sure that municipalities have the necessary flexibility and tools to keep their citizens safe and to deliver necessary services. But those are conversations that we’re ongoing with the provinces.
Reporter:
Can I ask you as well, when the economy starts to re-open gradually, you’re going to have a lot of businesses that will be on the market for personal protective equipment. There’s a high demand for it out there already. Are you making any plans to deal with that?
Prime Minister Trudeau’s every single day, every week, we are ramping up our supplies of personal protective equipment. We have been ensuring that, as much as possible, our health care workers, our frontline essential workers get the equipment they need to keep themselves safe. But as we look at re-opening the economy in different parts of the country, we know that there is going to be an increased demand for personal protective equipment. That is one of the principles and guidelines we have to keep in mind as we look at re-opening. Will there be enough P.P.E. For various sectors to open up and that is a piece of it. We are expecting to receive a shipment of P.P.E. Every day on flights from china this week. We are ramping up our domestic production capacities for personal protective equipment because we know that is going to be an important source for canadian businesses and canadian industry in the coming months. These are all a things we’re doing to make sure we can take the decisions that will gradually re-open the economy while keeping Canadians safe.
Reporter:
Interpreter:
Now with respect to the emergency benefit and CERB, will you be making an incentive to return to work? because right now if you go to work you cannot receive the $2, 000. You have to work a lot more hours and that is not an incentive to get people back to work full time. Employers and people are saying that this is not something that fosters a desire to return to work. What do you say about that? right now we are in a lock down because of COVID-19. There are not enough jobs for Canadians across the country. Yes, we are aware of the challenges in terms of an incentive to work and we’re trying to ensure that the industries that need workers will be able to secure them. But we are facing the situation where millions of Canadians cannot receive a paycheque for the work they have done. Therefore, we need to support them. There just aren’t enough jobs for Canadians. There aren’t enough jobs for students. So we need to support them. That is the decision that the government had to make. But way not make it more flexible? why not provide more flexibilities so someone can get part of the benefit but also go work in a seniors home for several hours and that way we would be encourage people to work where we need them to work. Can we not have that flexibility? we did reflect on that from the beginning to – in terms of the right industries and how to proceed. But the fact is that we had to get that benefit out to people quickly so they could pay for their rent or pay for their groceries and particularly so they could make the choice of staying at home and self-isolating and, there phobe, protecting the health care workers and their neighbours. If we had not provided adequate support to workers in order to replace their lost paycheque, they would have been forced to be more vulnerable in order to help their families and that would have extended the pandemic and the crisis we’re currently in. and I know that more than eight million Canadians are now receiving the emergency response benefit and every element of complexity is increasing the risk of getting it out quickly so that people could get that support. As a result, we decided to go forward quickly and to make things as simple as possible. That’s what we did.
Reporter:
Hello, Prime Minister. Over the last number of weeks you said that life will not return to normal until we get a vaccine. We asked Dr. Tam about questions over the weekend. She said, and this is a quote, it’s premature to comment on if we’ll get a vaccine. If we do, how effective it will be. So, considering her cautious words on our ability to get a vaccine, is it still your position that life will return to normal font – only if we do get one?
Prime Minister Trudeau:
Normal is something that is a long way off for all of us and if we want life to get back to the way it was exactly before, it won’t. There will be differences even a few years from now that we will have learned from dealing with this global pan democratic that will be important lessons. As we move forward over the coming months, we’ll be able to see careful re-openings in certain sectors of the economy. Certain things being allowed as people try to get back to something a little more like normal. But until we have a vaccine for COVID-19er or a system of treatments that are equivalent to a vaccine where we can be sure that people will not be, you know, will not have COVID-19 be as lethal as it is now, we are going to have to be very careful. That caution will remain because, at any time, if we loosen our measures too much, we could find ourselves back in a tremendous spike. Historians remember from the 1918 spanish flu epidemic that the spring was pretty bad. But the fall was much worse. We need to stay vigilant every step of the way. and that is what we’re focused on so that this disruption to our economy, to our lives that is difficult to go through right now will not have been for nothing and we will continue to keep ourselves safe for the coming months. Ok.
Interpreter:
What is a normal life will take a long time to return and even at this point in two or three years from now, even once a vaccine against COVID-19 is available, we will have changed our behaviour. We will have taken measures as a society that will be different from what we used to do. We will continue to evolve. But we want to be able to start up certain activities in the months to come. That will mean that there is some relaxation on the current lockdownment but I think we have to be very careful. Until we have a vaccine or until we have treatments that are the equivalent of a vaccine that can keep us safe, and that can allow us not to be so concerned about the spread of COVID-19, until that happens, there is still a there will be a spike in the number of cases. If we are not careful. and if we do not follow the public health recommendations. Historians remind us that the Spanish flu epidemic in 1918 involved a very bad spring. But an absolutely disaster right now fall. and that is why we must remain individual – vigilant and we must be very careful to not lose all the progress we’ve made thus far when it comes to limiting the spread of the virus.
Reporter:
There’s been the discussion of a health pass port that allow businesses and people to determine – you would show whether or not you had COVID-19. I know you mentioned earlier that science is still out on immunity and anti-body tests. But the idea of Canadians having to show personal health information in exchange for going back to work, going back to school, is that an idea you are comfortable with?
Prime Minister Trudeau’s that is even premature to speculate about. There is no conclusive evidence right now that, having contract COVID-19 once protects you from contracting it again a few months later. This is too new a virus. Scientists are working very hard on exactly that. Whether the presence of antibodis in someone will protect them from catching koifds again. But we don’t know that yet p. That is why we have to be very, very careful because if we make a mistake on this, and allow too much loosening of our economy and of our restrictions and we suddenly get another massive spike, it is going to be devastating. Not just for our economy. But for people who will have gone through all of these weeks of sacrifices and limitations for nothing. That is something we want to avoid. Ok.
Interpreter:
It’s premature to talk about pass ports or immunity because we still do not know whether someone who has contracted COVID-19 is protected from contracting it several months later. There is no conclusive evidence on that. Now one day, perhaps soon, we may know that. But that is not the case now. So it would not be prudent at this time to base our thinking on the idea of herd immunity when we don’t know whether that’s a reality or not.