Parses captions for PM Trudeau's daily speeches and presents them in a more human readable format
Operator:
Thank you. Merci. First question, rod Nicola from Reuters. Line open.
Reporter:
Prime Minister, as you know, the United States department of justice is looking into whether meat packers have unfairly profited from low livestock prices and high meat prices during the pandemic. Given that the same big meat companies operate in Canada, do you share that concern?
Prime Minister Trudeau:
We have significant concerns about the entire scope of our agricultural supply chain. We need to make sure that workers are safe. We need to make sure that Canadians from coast to coast to coast are getting reliable and safe supply of the food they need to feed their families and put on the table. and we also need to make sure that no one is profiting in an exaggerated way from this crisis. We will take a very careful look to ensure that people are there for each other and supporting each other and no one is focusing on profits before supporting Canadians.
Follow-up?
Reporter:
Prime Minister, what will that careful look involve? like, would you like to see the competition bureau in Canada look into this?
Prime Minister Trudeau:
We have many mechanisms at the federal level to keep an eye on supply chains and prices, and we will engage with those processes, as we have since the very beginning of this crisis. [voice of interpreter]we know that it’s very importantto ensure that our food supply chain is secure and to make surethere’s food for all Canadians. That means ensuring the safety of the workers who are on the production lines, but also ensuring that those supply chains condition to operate clearly and robustly for Canadians during this crisis. At the same time, we need to ensure that no one is placing profit before the health and safety of Canadians in the current situation, and we have tools available at different levels of government, and we will use them if necessary. [ end of interpretation ]
Operator:
The next question, Theresa wright, the Canadian press. Line open.
Reporter:
Good morning, Prime Minister. We know from the national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women and girls that indigenous women were already more likely to experience violence, and now COVID-19 has exposed them to concerningly high levels of domestic violence due to the pandemic restrictions. Given this, can we expect to seethe national action plan on the inquiry’s findings in June as promised, or will COVID-19 delaythis?
Prime Minister Trudeau:
No, the work that we’re doing on establishing a national action plan on violence against women coming out of the missing and murdered indigenous women and girls inquiry is more important than it has ever been. We have seen in situations where someone is forced to stay home when home isn’t safe a rise in domestic violence because of thestresses, because of the confinements, because of the challenges we’re facing because of COVID-19, and this government has worked from the beginning to give more support to shelters and organizations and networks that are supporting victims of family violence or gender-based violence. We will continue to do that work. We will continue to work very hard on that national action plan coming from the missing andmurdered inquiry. This is a priority that continues and is even intensified because of this crisis. [voice of interpreter]domestic violence and gender-based violence are unfortunately more prevalent during this crisis because of the stress and the confinement and the vulnerabilities of certain segments of the population. and that’s why we are continuingour important work to counter domestic violence and gender-based violence. We continue to work on the government’s response to the missing and murdered indigenous women and girls inquiry, and we will continue to bolster those efforts during this crisis. We don’t want to go backwards. On the contrary, we want to moveforward on this. [ end of interpretation ]
Reporter:
There are many people who are still not being helped by your emergency financial assistance programs, people who were unemployed before the crisis began, people on disability or social assistance. They are all left out. Will help be coming for them?
Prime Minister Trudeau:
We know that it’s been important to get help out to millions of Canadians very quickly, and that’s what we’ve done. We’ve seen over 7 million people access the CERB, the Canada emergency response benefit, but we’ve always recognized there is more to do. We made modifications that ensure that people who are recently unemployed, whose unemployment benefits ran out before COVID-19 started, would also qualify for the CERB. We have put in place measures to support students. We have looked for other ways to fill gaps, and we will continue to. At the same time, we have given more money to community organizations and networks that are supporting our most vulnerable in cases where the direct support we’re offering can’t reach people. We will continue to work to make sure that all Canadians, but particularly vulnerable Canadians, are supported through this crisis.
Reporter:
Hi, Prime Minister. With all the aid money you’re rolling out the door, are you simultaneously planning for how to help the economy back now or waiting until some of the pandemic is behind us?
Prime Minister Trudeau:
I think we obviously need to be thinking about the longer term while we design and while we bring in place support for people. That’s why, for example, we moved forward with the wage subsidy, which unlike the CERB is there for people – which is there for people who lose their job and lose their paycheque and therefore have a broken connection with their previous job. The wage subsidy allows people to stay connected with their employment so that once we start being able to reopen certain sectors and once the economy picks up again, people will still have that link by getting a paycheque from that employer that will allow them to get back positively and quickly. There are a broad range of ways in which the measures we’ve put forward are very much thinking about the recovery. That goes part and parcel, but our focus right now is supporting Canadians so that they can do what needs to be done to slow and stop the spread of this pandemic as we start looking at reopening.
Reporter:
Sorry, I’m not questioning the help. I’m asking if recovery plans are happening simultaneously.
Prime Minister Trudeau:
We are of course looking towards the steps that will be required on the recovery of the economy. That is a significant amount of work that is ongoing, but our focus right now is on recognizing that we are not in the recovery phase yet. We are not even fully into the re-starting phase yet. We are still in the emergency phase where people need to get the support they need so they can continue to socially distance, to stay at home, even as certain regions and certain places are talking about reopening, the vast majority of Canadians will need to continue to be very careful, and that’s why they will continue to need support. [voice of interpreter]we know that in some places theyare starting to re-start their society and economy, but we are still in a position where peoplemust continue to protect themselves, must stay home and continue to practise social distancing. As we slowly and gradually reopen the economy, we know thatmany people will have to continue to stay home, and that’s why our emphasis right now continues to be on supporting families and workers so that they can do what we all need to do to stop the spread ofcovid-19. [ end of interpretation ]
Reporter:
Good morning, Prime Minister. The government has suspended the shipment of 8 million n-95 masks made in china that failed to meet specifications. Given this is a Montreal company that outsourced to china, does this not prove that we should be relying on foreign outsourcing for such critical equipment?
Prime Minister Trudeau:
We have been working very, very hard since the very beginning to bring in as much P.P.E. As we possibly can. We have talked about – about 23different flights just from china of millions of items of P.P.E. Because we know the need is – and has been so pressing. At the same time we have ensuredthat we are ramping up domestic capacity to be able to ensure that we’re covering the needs that we have for the longer term, and I want to thank all the companies, the manufacturerswho have stepped up. At the same time, we also know that in the millions of items that we’ve received, we have to ensure that they are at the top quality expected by our canadianhealth care workers, and with withholding or the suspending ofshipments from this particular supplier is proof that our system works. We are testing all those masks, all those items before they reach our health care workers because we will not compromise on the safety and protection forour health care workers. [voice of interpreter]from the very beginning we have made every possible effort to have as much personal protective equipment as possible, and that means that we brought in 23 different flights from china. There are more flights coming in just about every day so that we have enough equipment for our front-line workers. We also know that we needed to develop our own domestic capacity here, and that’s why many canadian companies are now producing that equipment, and wehope to be able to rely on them in the months to come, and at that point rely less on imports. But at the same time, we know that there is always a risk thatthe products that we import do not meet canadian specificationsfor our front-line workers, and that’s why we have introduced a rigorous verification system so that no item that does not meet our specifications here in Canada will be distributed. and the example of that montrealcompany is the proof that the system is working, because none of those masks found their way into our health care system because we do the necessary checks. [ end of interpretation ]
Reporter:
Prime Minister, a few weeks ago one of your deputy ministers said that Canada was spending between $1.50 – or excuse me, $1.20 and $6 per n-95mask. How much did we pay for these ones?
Prime Minister Trudeau:
Right now we’re in discussions with the supplier because we will not be burdened with masks that do not fit our stringent requirements. There are discussions ongoing with them about whether there are alternative uses for these masks, but we will not be paying for masks that do not hit the standards that we expect to give to our front-line workers. [voice of interpreter]we are currently looking at thiswith the supplier to see if there’s any alternate use we could make of those masks. Perhaps we could send them to other places, other than to our health care system. But I can tell you that we will not pay the full price for masksthat we will not be able to use within the health care system. [ end of interpretation ]
Reporter:
Has the national capital commission reversed a rule overnight that said people weren’t allowed to take pictures in the parks of the tulips, and they installed signs to say no pictures please. They are now taking those down. That follows ottawa’s reversal of a rule that you can’t talk to your neighbours over fences and you can’t visit your loved ones at the windows of nursing homes. Are we getting a bit overzealous with the COVID-19 rules?
Prime Minister Trudeau:
I think different orders of government and organizations are trying as best they can to put in rules that will balance the need to keep people safe and slow and stop the spread of COVID-19 while at the same time giving people the much-needed respite and safety valves from the stresses and indeed the mental health challenges many people are facing. We need to try and get people through this healthy, which means both fighting COVID-19 andsupporting them and allowing foras normal lives as we can, despite the deep abnormality of this situation. It’s an unprecedented situation. Lots of people are trying different things to keep people safe. We’re going to keep adjusting, all of us, when we get things right, when we get things wrong. I think that’s what people expect. [voice of interpreter]
Reporter:
Good morning, Mr. Trudeau. Radio-Canada. Some people may be taking thingstoo seriously and some not seriously enough. Montreal is the hardest hit, andpublic health officials are saying that if there’s any relaxation of the rules there will be even more people fallingill. Now I know you don’t want to enter into a war with the provinces, but you have constituents in montreal, so areyou concerned and do you think the Quebec government is doing what it should?
Prime Minister Trudeau:
Well, I AM a quebecer, and I’m a member of parliament in Montreal, and I’m very concerned about the citizens of Montreal, just as I’m concerned about people right across this country. We have to base ourselves on science. We have to ensure that what we’re doing considers the protection of all citizens and as a priority our seniors. So yes I know we have to talk about gradually and progressively reopening the economy, but that has to be done in such a way as to keep people safe. That’s the priority, and I’m monitoring what’s happening in the seniors homes very carefully, particularly in My own riding, and I’m working very closely with other governments, including franÇois legault’s government, to ensure that we are taking the right decisions to keep people safe. [ end of interpretation ]of course I’m worried. As a quebecer, as a montreal mp about the situation going on in My riding, in the province, AM iam concerned about Canadians from coast to coast to coast as Prime Minister. We need to make sure that we go progressively and slowly and gradually on any reopening, keeping at top of mind the importance of keeping people safe and healthy. I understand the economic pressures we’re all under, and iunderstand how much people do want to go outside. But we need to do it in ways that we are sure are gonna keep people safe, because the last thing people want is a few weeksfrom now being told, okay, we loosened the rules and now covidis spreading again and you’re all going to have to go inside for the rest of the summer. People don’t want to do that. That’s why being very careful, step by step, is going to be so important. [voice of interpreter]
Reporter:
On a different topic, with respect to the labelling of essential products, some products are coming in with not both official languages on them. Did you find a solution to ensure that all those products coming into the country are labelled in both official languages?
Prime Minister Trudeau:
Well, first of all we know that labelling in both official languages is not just a matter of respecting Canada’s linguistic document. It’s also a question of safety for the users, for consumers and for customers. We have to make sure that people have access to those products and know how to use them properly. and that’s why it was a concern for all of us when health Canada, and I know that this was shared by Santa Quebec, that took similar measures to allow for the labelling to appear only in English, but they – you know, there’s been a search for other solutions, because we want to make sure that the information is available online at the very least in both official languages and also in other languages, if necessary, for users. [ end of interpretation ]we all recognize that bilingual labelling is not just a questionof recognizing the important bilingualism of our country, but it’s a question of safety as well. It’s a question of actually ensuring that people know how tosafely use the product that theyare using or they are purchasing. That’s why I know that health Canada and indeed health Quebec that approved unilingual englishlabelling in certain limited cases didn’t particularly want to and looked hard to try and find solutions. and I know on the health Canada side we’ve moved forward with online information that people can access in multiple languagesto make sure that they are goingto be able to fully understand what it is that the products they are using.
Reporter:
Ian wood, CTV news. Prime Minister, you previously said that the economy and businesses should only reopen if they have adequate P.P.E. To protect workers. Given the procurement issues, are you going to make any suggestions to the provinces that maybe they scale back on their reopening plans, and how long is the government going to be able to maintain these emergency subsidies?
Prime Minister Trudeau:
First of all, we agreed as all first ministers, premiers of province sand territories and the federal government, that there are principles that need to underlie any re-starting of the economy, and that’s exactly what we’re moving forward on carefully. That’s why we’re continuing to procure massive amounts of P.P.E., including flights almost daily for the rest of the month from china and elsewhere, to ensure that we have enough equipment, even as the Canadian producers and manufacturers of these equipment’s are starting to come online and deliver their products as well. We know that as we move forward to reopening we need to make sure that workplaces are safe for Canadians and that we are arresting the spread of COVID-19and preventing a second wave that could send us all back intoconfinement this summer, which we certainly do not want to be doing. So we’re going to continue to work with the provinces to make sure that they are able to fulfill the levels that they areprojecting they will need in terms of P.P.E., and that is something we’re going to continue. As for how long these supports are going to last, we’re going to keep adjusting to what the economy needs are, but mostly what the needs of Canadians are, to be supported and to stay safe in this situation. [voice of interpreter]we have been working with the provinces and territories to establish the principles that will guide the reopening of the economy in a gradual manner and based on good vigilance, and at the same time we need to have enough protective equipment to be able to protect workers and prevent the virus from spreadingmore. So we will continue to work on this and to bring in P.P.E. We will also be working with theprovinces to respond to their needs by creating domestic production here in Canada, but we will be working with the provinces to ensure they have all the necessary equipment to be able to reopen their economies in a safe and secure manner. Now with respect to the benefitsfor Canadians, we will look at the situation, continue to monitor things, and we will be there to support people and provide assistance to the country so that we can all stay safe. Thank you very much, everyone. [ end of interpretation ]