Q & A

Operator:

Thank you, first question, Stephanie Levitt, the Canadian press. Line open.

Reporter:

Good morning, Prime Minister. Measurable targets and standards attached to the national guidelines for lifting restrictions, the guidelines that were released yesterday, that people can be confident that decisions are being made based on science rather than other considerations?

Prime Minister Trudeau:

We worked very hard with the premiers across the country to ensure that we could get guidelines that reflected the foundational science and the best advice given by medical experts and scientists on what needed to be in place before provinces, regions could think about reopening. Every region, every province, every territory is facing a very different situation right now with different industries, different sized cities and different spread of COVID-19. That’s why we needed to make sure that the foundational elements were there, that we could all follow as Canadians, but recognize that different jurisdictions will act differently. But there is a common desire right across the country from all premiers to ensure that we’re doing this right. Everyone understands that the danger of opening up too quickly or the wrong way could mean we come back into this situation where we are right now, and nobody wants that, so we’re going to keep moving forward responsibly according to the guidelines.

Operator:

[ no interpretation]. [ speaking french ] [ voice of interpreter ].

Reporter:

Yes, I’d like you to comment on the agreement on the CERB that didn’t happen with the other parties. Do you think it will be harder to have this policy adopted compared to the wage subsidy? and I’d also like you to comment on the request for financial assistance. Will you be providing the $150 million that is being requested by the cfl?

Prime Minister Trudeau:

First of all, I’m confident that all opposition parties and members of parliament know that we must support our students. This is immediate relief that is needed since students don’t know how they’re going to find a summer job or how they’re going to be able to pay their rent or buy groceries. So we need to support them now for the summer. We also need to support them so that when the fall comes around they will be able to succeed, they will be able to pay their tuition and benefit from the work and experience they had during the summer. So that’s why we brought in this emergency benefit for students, but that will happen also as a result of jobs that are being created for students who will be able to help the economy to recover, and I’m quite confident that even if the condition – the discussions continue with the parties, we must help students, and I’m confident that that will work. Now with respect to the cfl, we are currently looking at how we can support various organizations. We recognize that this is an important issue for the league and for many Canadians, and we are continuing our discussions with them. [ end of interpretation ]. we are continuing to engage withvarious sectors, industries and organizations who are facing disruptions because of COVID-19. The cfl has approached us about support. We know it’s important to them. We know it’s important to many Canadians, and those discussionsare ongoing.

Operator:

[ no interpretation]. [ speaking french ] [ voice of interpreter ].

Reporter:

Good morning. I’d like you to comment on the wage top-up for essential workers. You promised to reach an agreement with the provinces so that those top-ups would come in. That was April 15, and it’s beentwo weeks since then. So where is the logjam? now since you have agreed with the provinces on support for commercial rent, where is the stumbling block in terms of those wage top-ups for essentialworkers? what is the problem? and with whom do you have a problem right now?

Prime Minister Trudeau:

Well, first of all, right across the country, all the provinces and all the premiers recognize that it is important to ensure that our essential workers can do their job. Obviously in extremely difficultcircumstances, so it’s important to top up their wage, and that’sa good thing for everyone. But this is something that’s complicated because it will be delivered by the various provinces and territories, and they have different parameters and different needs when it comes to those essential workers. We are completing our agreements with the various provinces at this time, and it’s different from the commercial rent program that will be the same across thecountry. This particular program recognizes that there are differences between the provinces in terms of their essential workers, and it’s important for everyone. So we hope to have good news to announce very soon. [ end of interpretation ].

Operator:

Thank you. Next question, Kelsey Johnson, Reuters. Line open.

Reporter:

Thank you, Prime Minister, for taking My question. I’m wondering, is Canada considering mandating meat plants to stay open, like the United States president Donald trump has done?

Prime Minister Trudeau:

We understand how important it is to ensure the supply of food to Canadians right across the country. and we’re watching with interest and concern some of the issues facing meat producers and the supply chain across the agricultural industry. We need to make sure that those supply chains can keep functioning, but we also need to make sure that the people who work in those supply chains and will continue to need to work in difficult circumstances over the coming weeks and months as we continue to battle COVID-19 are kept safe. The priority for us is both things: keeping people safe and ensuring good supply of food to Canadians. We will make sure we’re doing them both together. [ speaking french ] [ voice of interpreter ]. we know that it’s very importantto ensure that the food chain isworking in order to deliver foodto Canadians. But we also know that it’s important to ensure the safety of those workers who are part ofthe food chain so that we can continue to rely on them in the weeks and months to come in verydifficult circumstances. So we will do whatever needs to be done to ensure that those twoprinciples are followed so that there can be food for Canadians at the same time as we protect the workers. [ end of interpretation ].

Reporter:

I just want to follow up with My colleague on the phone. a few weeks ago you said you weren’t worried about food shortages. Right now we have mcdonald’s notable to rely on Canadian beef and we’re not even talking about smaller restaurants or burger joints out there trying to stay alive. What is your specific plan when it comes to the beef industry, and are you bracing for other hits in the food industry?

Prime Minister Trudeau:

We know that this pandemic is unprecedented, and its impacts are far reaching on our daily lives, on many different industries. We are working very closely with the agricultural industry to ensure that people get good healthy food, particularly as we embark upon the summer where there will be a need and an ability to get lots of fresh vegetables and produce from across the country. We need to ensure that we’re able to provide for that. We’re working with provinces. We’re working with the sector, agriculture Canada is very much on this issue. We need to continue to stay vigilant because of the large disruptions across many different sectors in our country, including obviously agriculture. [ speaking french ] [ voice of interpreter ]. we are working with the industryand with agricultural workers, and we are also cooperating withthe provinces to ensure that theproduction of food in Canada cancontinue. We must be vigilant because we know that this is an unprecedented and difficult situation, but we will continue to consider this a priority so that Canadians can be properly fed. [ end of interpretation ].

Reporter:

Just to follow on that, given that meat inspected by provincial meat inspectors can only be sold in that province, whereas meat inspected by federal inspectors can be sold nation-wide, I’m wondering if you’re looking at easing restrictions so that meat inspected by provincial inspectors can be sold nation-wide.

Prime Minister Trudeau:

I think we’re open to all sorts offlexibility, ensuring that we can keep Canadians safe right across the country, but recognize that we are in a difficult situation. But as I understand it, the priority – or the preoccupation and the challenges we’re facing isn’t as much around safety of the food produced, which continues to be ensured, but the safety of the workers working in those plants because of COVID-19, and that is something that requires a little more work and a little more coordination to ensure that we’re keeping those workers safe and not just the food safe, which is always priority for us all.

Reporter:

Good morning, Prime Minister. I want to go back to the federal guidelines for reopening. You talked about a common desire to get this right. Ottawa and the provinces have agreed on this criteria that actually talks about provinces needing to have support for human resources, support for vulnerable people, enough healthcare capacity. Do you think provinces that are pleading for volunteers and calling on the military to help meet that criteria?

Prime Minister Trudeau:

These are not federal guidelines only. It’s not often in this federation that the provinces and the federal government can come together as collaboratively as we have, not just on this particular issue, but over the past weeks in working with common goals, common desires to keep Canadians safe, and it really is something to note and to celebrate about Canadians, that we are working together so effectively. Provinces have the responsibility of ensuring the safety of their citizens while they look at reopening, and we are comfortable that these guidelines lay out a road map that everyone can follow, that principles that will allow them to put in the measures that will keep their citizens safe while looking at reopening various parts of the economy carefully. [ speaking french ] [ voice of interpreter ]. I think it’s important to point out that in a country where disputes between the federal government and the provinces arefairly frequent, it’s quite incredible to see just how well all levels of government are working together. We are united in our desire to help Canadians and protect Canadians right across the country. and I think we can all be proud of this common approach that brings us together as governments and as citizens. So these principles are not federal principles. They are federal and provincial principles because we agreed on these basic principles that willensure that we have the necessary measures in place before moving forward with the reopening of the economy right across the country. and I’m confident that we will all be working together to ensure the health and safety of all Canadians, particularly those on the front lines.

Reporter:

Radio-Canada. I’d like to know where you are in your thinking with respect toa mobile application. Where do you draw the line between protection of people’s privacy and the protection of citizens? would you be in favour, for example, of something voluntary? I’d like to hear you comment on that.

Prime Minister Trudeau:

That’s a very good question, and this is a reflection that is continuing. Now I think that many Canadians would be open to the idea of providing some information that would normally not be provided, simply because of this pandemic. But where do we draw the line? that is something that has not yet been established. There are a number of companies in various countries that are working on different approaches that are appropriate for their countries, and we are looking at various options. But I know that the basic principle, even in a crisis, is that Canadians want to protect their privacy and their own information. and as a government, we share that concern. So even in an emergency we will be very careful about what we’regoing to ask Canadians. It might be possible to allow this to be voluntary, but that’spart of our current reflection in terms of reopening the economy step by step. [ end of interpretation ]. I think it’s a really important question as to how we can ensurethe privacy and data security ofcanadians in this situation where we might have to look at new measures in terms of contacttracing and apps that provide more information. Getting that balance right will be extremely important. We’ve seen different countries around the world with different approaches to personal privacy, try different things. We have a number of proposals and companies working on different models that might be applicable to Canada. But as we moved forward on taking decisions, we’re going tokeep in mind that Canadians put a very high value on their privacy, on their data security, and we need to make sure we respect that, even in a time of emergency measures and significant difficulty and crisis. We’re going to get that balance right. There are possibilities around using voluntary measures, aroundother things, but every step of the way we will hold true to thevalues that mean so much to Canadians around privacy and security. These are things that people expect from their governments, and that’s what we will stay focused on. [ no interpretation ]