 
FROM HIS REGULAR LOCATION, 
OUTSIDE OF HIS HOME AT RIDEAU 
COTTAGE.
THE PRIME MINISTER WILL 
UNDOUBTEDLY BE REACTING AND 
TALKING MORE ABOUT THOSE TRULY 
STAGGERING JOB NUMBERS OUT 
TODAY, 2 MILLION MORE JOBS LOST 
ACROSS THIS COUNTRY IN APRIL.
THIS IS IN ADDITION TO THE 1 
MILLION JOBS THAT DISAPPEARED IN
MARCH.
AND I SHOULD MENTION THE NUMBERS
IN THE UNITED STATES, EQUALLY 
STUNNING, 20 MILLION JOBS GONE 
BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC 
SHUTDOWNS.
UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS ARE 
SMASHING RECORDS THAT NO ONE 
WANTS TO SMASH ON BOTH SIDES OF 
THE BORDER, SO WE'LL TAKE YOU 
THROUGH ALL OF THAT AND GET THE 
PRIME MINISTER'S REACTION TOO.
AND I SHOULD SAY, ALTHOUGH WE 
ARE UP TO 3 MILLION UNEMPLOYED 
CANADIANS RIGHT NOW, THE NUMBER 
OF PEOPLE NO LONGER EMPLOYED OR 
WORKING MUCH LESS THAN BEFORE IS
ACTUALLY A MUCH HIGHER NUMBER, 
CLOSER TO OVER 5 MILLION OF YOU 
HAVE BEEN AFFECTED IN SOME WAY 
IN YOUR JOBS, EITHER BY LOSING 
YOUR JOBS ENTIRELY OR WORKING 
FAR LESS THAN YOU DID BEFORE.
I'LL BRING IN MY COLLEAGUES NOW,
THE HOST OF "POWER & POLITICS", 
VASSY KAPELOS, AND THE CBC'S 
CATHERINE CULLEN HERE IN OUR 
PARLIAMENTARY BUREAU TO TALK 
MORE ABOUT THIS.
SO I KNOW WE SHOULDN'T BE 
SURPRISED TO SEE THESE NUMBERS 
GROW AND GROW AND GROW, BUT THEY
DO CONTINUE TO BE SORT OF 
STAGGERING WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT 
THE FACT THAT THESE ARE 
CANADIANS WHO NO LONGER HAVE 
WORK AND MANY MORE CANADIANS WHO
NO LONGER HAVE ENOUGH HOURS, AND
THAT WOULD EXPLAIN WHY 7.6 
MILLION OF THEM ARE NOW USING 
THE EMERGENCY RELIEF BENEFIT 
CREATED BY THE GOVERNMENT TO 
DEAL WITH THIS.
VASSY, ANYTHING STAND OUT FOR 
YOU IN THE LABOUR MARKET REPORT?
>> Vassy: YEAH, CERTAINLY, 
ROSIE, A COUPLE OF THINGS, AND 
THE FIRST IS WHAT YOU POINT OUT.
THOUGH THERE IS THAT INITIAL 
DROP IN FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME 
EMPLOYMENT, SO MORE THAN 2 
MILLION CANADIANS, OR JUST UNDER
2 MILLION CANADIANS, RATHER, 
HAVE LOST FULL-TIME JOBS SINCE 
FEBRUARY, ANOTHER MILLION HAVE 
LOST THEIR PART-TIME JOBS.
WHEN YOU COMBINE WITH THAT THE 
NUMBER OF CANADIANS WHO HAVE 
LOST AT LEAST HALF THEIR HOURS, 
THAT'S ANOTHER 2.5 MILLION 
CANADIANS.
THAT'S HOW MANY PEOPLE SO FAR, 
AND MOST ECONOMISTS ARE SAYING 
THAT'S EVEN UNDER-REPORTED AT 
THIS POINT, HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLY
AFFECTED BY WHAT'S HAPPENED 
BECAUSE OF THIS PANDEMIC.
A COUPLE OF THINGS UNDERLYING 
ALL OF THAT THAT JUMPED OUT FOR 
ME, FIRST OF ALL, THE 
DEMOGRAPHICS BEHIND IT, AND 
PARTICULAR THE NUMBER OF YOUNG 
PEOPLE WHO ARE CURRENTLY 
UNEMPLOYED.
SO MANY STUDENTS WE HAVE BEEN 
HEARING FROM PRIOR TO THIS, 
PRIOR TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT FROM 
THE GOVERNMENT ABOUT HOW THEY 
INTEND TO HELP THOSE STUDENTS, 
FOR A GOOD REASON.
THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AMONG 
STUDENTS AGE 15 TO 24 FOR THE 
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE INCREASED TO 
31.7%.
SO BASICALLY ONE OF EVERY THREE 
YOUNG PEOPLE, YOUNG PERSON IN 
THIS COUNTRY IS UNEMPLOYED.
THAT IS A HUGE AND STAGGERING 
NUMBER.
THE OTHER NUMBER THAT REALLY 
JUMPED OUT AT ME, AND I SHOULD 
SAY ON THE STUDENTS, WE'RE 
STILL -- THE APPLICATION PROCESS
IS SUPPOSED TO OPEN UP FOR THE 
HELP THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS 
PROMISED.
I'VE BEEN GETTING MESSAGES FROM 
A LOT OF STUDENTS ASKING WHEN 
WILL THAT PAGE BE UP.
I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM 
MINISTER QUALTROUGH TODAY.
HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET SOME DETAILS
ON THAT FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN
ASKING.
THE OTHER THING THAT REALLY 
JUMPS OUT AT ME IS THIS IS SORT 
OF SEEMS COUNTERINTUITIVE, BUT 
THE AVERAGE HOURLY EARNINGS FROM
APRIL 2019 TO APRIL 2020 
INCREASED NEARLY 11%, AND WHAT 
THAT UNDERSCORES IS THAT THE 
PEOPLE WHO ARE MOST AFFECTED BY 
THIS, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MOST --
LOSING THEIR JOBS OR LOSING 
HOURS ARE ACTUALLY THE LOWEST 
PAID IN THIS COUNTRY.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING SORT OF 
ANECDOTALLY WE HAVE THOUGHT AND 
WE HAVE HEARD ABOUT, BUT 
ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU THINK OF THE
SERVICE SECTOR OR OTHER SECTORS 
THAT ARE PARTICULARLY HIT, 
PEOPLE WHO ARE EARNING THE LEAST
AMONG US ARE THE ONES WHO ARE 
DISPROPORTIONATELY MOST 
AFFECTED, AND WE SEE THAT 
BECAUSE THOSE WHO STILL RETAIN 
THEIR JOBS, THE INCOME HAS -- 
OVERALL, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE 
NUMBERS, THE INCOME HAS GONE UP 
BECAUSE THOSE WHO HAVE RETAINED 
THEIR JOBS ARE HIGHER EARNERS. 
>> Rosemary: IT DOES SORT OF 
MAKE YOU WORRY I THINK FOR THE 
FUTURE IN TERMS OF THE WIDENING 
INEQUALITY GAPS BETWEEN THE 
PEOPLE WHO MAKE THE MOST MONEY 
IN THIS COUNTRY VERSUS THOSE WHO
MAKE THE LEAST, BECAUSE IT 
CERTAINLY IS HAVING A DIFFERENT 
IMPACT ON THOSE TWO PARTS OF THE
POPULATION.
THAT IS WHERE WE'RE EXPECTING 
THE PRIME MINISTER SHORTLY, AND 
I SHOULD TELL YOU THAT THESE ARE
UNPRECEDENTED NUMBERS.
THE LAST TIME WE SAW AN 
EMPLOYMENT -- AN UNEMPLOYMENT 
RATE OF 13% WAS BACK TOWARDS THE
END OF THE RECESSION IN THE LATE
'80S, BUT EVEN THEN, THE NUMBER 
OF PEOPLE NOT WORKING AT THAT 
POINT IS -- WE HAVE SURPASSED 
THAT IN A REALLY DRAMATIC WAY.
CATHERINE, I KNOW YOU'VE ALSO 
BEEN LOOKING INTO THE DETAILS OF
THOSE NUMBERS TO TELL US MORE 
ABOUT WHO THE CANADIANS ARE THAT
HAVE BEEN MOST AFFECTED.
>> LET'S START WITH ANOTHER WAY 
OF LOOKING AT THE BIG PICTURE OF
ALL THIS, ROSEMARY, IT IS A LOT 
OF NUMBERS TODAY BUT OF COURSE 
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE 
NUMBERS TELLS AN IMPORTANT STORY
ABOUT PEOPLE'S LIVES.
ONE THIRD OF THE POTENTIAL 
WORKFORCE IS WHAT STATISTICS 
CANADA CALLS UNDER-UTILIZED.
THEY ARE EITHER NOT WORKING OR 
WORKING FEWER HOURS THAN THEY 
WERE BEFORE, ONE THIRD OF THE 
POTENTIAL WORKFORCE, REALLY A 
STAGGERING NUMBER.
ONE OF THE ANGLES I'VE BEEN 
LOOKING AT IN ALL OF THIS HAS TO
DO WITH HOW WOMEN ARE AFFECTED 
BY THIS PANDEMIC.
WHEN WE SAW THE NUMBERS, THE 
LAST LABOUR FORCE SURVEY, THERE 
WAS A REAL QUITE STRIKING 
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN
IN TERMS OF HOW THEY WERE BEING 
AFFECTED BECAUSE A LOT OF THE 
JOBS BEING LOST IN MARCH, THEY 
WERE SERVICE JOBS, JOBS IN THE 
SERVICE SECTOR, THE RESTAURANT 
INDUSTRY, RETAIL SECTOR.
THIS MONTH WE'RE SEEING A LOT 
MORE JOB LOSSES COMING THROUGH 
IN CONSTRUCTION, IN 
MANUFACTURING.
SO WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THOSE 
NUMBERS EVENING OUT A BIT, BUT 
STILL, YOU HEAR ECONOMISTS SAY 
WHEN YOU COMPARE THIS TO 
PREVIOUS RECESSIONS, PREVIOUS 
INSTANCES OF ECONOMIC DOWNTURNS,
WOMEN ARE BEING AFFECTED IN 
GREATER NUMBERS THAN WE'RE USED 
TO SEE, AND THAT'S RAISING 
QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW WE GO ABOUT 
TRYING TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION.
TRADITIONALLY, WHEN YOU WANT TO 
STIMULATE THE ECONOMY, SHOVELS 
IN THE GROUND.
WE'VE ALL HEARD IT.
IT'S CONSTRUCTION JOBS.
NOW THAT IS LIKELY MORE OFTEN 
THAN NOT TO GET MORE MEN BACK TO
WORK, AND I KNOW SOME OF THE 
ECONOMISTS I'VE BEEN SPEAKING TO
ARE WONDERING ABOUT HOW CHILD 
CARE FITS INTO ALL OF THIS, 
BECAUSE OF COURSE IF YOU START 
BRINGING MEN BACK INTO THE 
WORKER FOREST FIRST, THERE ARE 
QUESTIONS, FIRST OF ALL, ABOUT 
WHETHER THOSE SERVICE JOBS 
CONTINUE TO EXIST AND ALSO IF 
THE WOMEN ARE, IN MOST CASES THE
ONES AT HOME TAKING CARE OF THE 
CHILDREN, DOES THAT PREVENT THEM
FROM MAKING THE DECISION TO GO 
BACK TO WORK.
CHILD CARE CERTAINLY IS GOING TO
BE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THIS 
PICTURE, BUT ALSO THE DECISIONS 
AT VARIOUS LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT 
MAKE ABOUT WHAT THIS RE-START 
LOOKS LIKE AND HOW TO TRY TO 
HELP PEOPLE DURING ALL OF THIS.
>> Rosemary: YEAH, OKAY, GLAD 
YOU HIGHLIGHTED THAT GROUP OF 
PEOPLE TOO.
OBVIOUSLY AFFECTED IN A 
DIFFERENT WAY.
I'M GOING TO GET BOTH OF YOU TO 
JUST STICK AROUND IF I CAN FOR 
JUST A MOMENT.
I'LL PULL OUT THIS ONE STATISTIC
TOO FROM STATISTICS CANADA THAT 
WAS OF INTEREST TO MY PRODUCER 
PHIL AND I, AND THAT IS THAT 3.3
MILLION CANADIANS WORKED FROM 
HOME IN THE MONTH OF APRIL.
SO EVEN IF YOU HAVEN'T LOST YOUR
JOB OR HAD REDUCED HOURS, YOUR 
LIFE HAS CHANGED DRAMATICALLY IF
YOU'RE NOW JUST WORKING OUT OF 
YOUR HOME OFFICE OR YOUR KITCHEN
COUNTER.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT ANOTHER 
IMPORTANT PART OF THIS STORY AS 
WE MOVE INTO, LIKE, A DIFFERENCE
PHASE OF DEALING WITH THE 
PANDEMIC, AND THAT IS SOME OF 
THE TRACKING OF INFORMATION, 
DEVELOPMENT OF THIS VIRUS, 
CONTACT TRACING, ALL THE DATA 
THAT WILL BE SO IMPORTANT, WAS 
IMPORTANT UP TO NOW, WILL BE 
IMPORTANT AS WE MOVE INTO A 
DIFFERENT PHASE WHERE WE'RE ALL 
TRYING TO GET OUT A LITTLE BIT 
MORE.
DR. KAMRAN KHAN IS AN INFECTIOUS
DISEASE PHYSICIAN AT 
ST. MICHAEL'S HOSPITAL, AN 
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE 
AT THE U OF T, AND HE'S THE 
FOUNDER AND CEO OF BLUE DOT, 
WHICH USES BIG DATA TO PROVIDE 
EARLY WARNINGS ON POTENTIAL 
EPIDEMICS TO GOVERNMENTS AND 
AGENCIES AROUND THE WORLD, AND 
DR. KHAN JOINS ME FROM TORONTO.
GOOD TO SEE YOU, DOCTOR.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> Rosemary: SO I THINK IF 
PEOPLE DON'T KNOW, YOUR COMPANY 
WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TO SPOT 
THIS VIRUS AND EVEN GET A SENSE 
OF WHERE IT'S MOVING.
I WANT TO MOVE INTO WHAT YOU'RE 
DOING NOW, THOUGH, IF I CAN, TO 
TRY AND BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT 
YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
YOU HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE
GOVERNMENT OF CANADA AND SOME 
OTHER COUNTRIES AND AGENCIES.
SO WHAT ARE YOU WATCHING RIGHT 
NOW WHEN YOU GATHER AND LOOK AT 
THAT DATA?
>> HMM.
YEAH, YOU KNOW, AS YOU 
MENTIONED, WE REALLY HAVE BEEN 
BUILDING THIS DIGITAL EARLY 
WARNING SYSTEM TO LOOK AT THE 
ENTIRE LIFE CYCLE OF AN OUTBREAK
FROM EARLY DETECTION TO RISK OF 
SPREAD ACROSS INTERNATIONAL 
BORDERS.
TODAY WE'RE FIGHTING THIS 
OUTBREAK HERE IN OUR BACKYARDS 
AND LOOKING AT MEASURES LIKE 
PHYSICAL DISTANCING TO TRY AND 
SEE IF WE CAN SLOW THE SPREAD OF
THIS VIRUS.
WITHIN CANADA WE ARE WORKING 
WITH AND ANALYZING ANONYMOUS 
DATA FROM MILLIONS OF MOBILE 
DEVICES.
I DO WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE POINT
THAT IT'S ANONYMOUS AND 
AGGREGATED DATA, TO REALLY 
UNDERSTAND WHY PHYSICAL 
DISTANCING MEASURES ARE 
WORKING -- WHERE PHYSICAL 
DISTANCING MEASURES ARE WORKING,
PERHAPS WHERE THEY ARE NOT, AND 
ALSO HOW FATIGUE IS SETTING IN 
AND HOW IT'S CHANGING WEEK OVER 
WEEK.
AS WE MOVE FROM EMERGENCY 
RESPONSE AND MAKE THOSE INITIAL 
STEPS TOWARDS ECONOMIC RECOVERY,
THESE ARE THE KINDS OF DATA THAT
WILL HELP US MAKE THAT 
TRANSITION AS SAFELY AS 
POSSIBLE. 
>> Rosemary: YOU TALKED ABOUT 
ANONYMOUS DATA.
I GET YOUR POINT, THAT IT'S NOT 
MAYBE ATTACHED TO A NAME OR A 
PHONE NUMBER, BUT IT STILL GIVES
YOU A PICTURE OF WHERE PEOPLE 
ARE AND WHAT THEY ARE DOING.
SO WHAT ARE -- WHAT SHOULD 
PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT HOW YOU'RE 
KEEPING THAT DATA SAFE, BECAUSE 
CANADA'S PRIVACY COMMISSIONERS, 
AS YOU WELL KNOW, THIS WEEK, 
HAVE EXPRESSED SOME SERIOUS 
CONCERNS AROUND APPS AND THOSE 
KINDS OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING 
TO BE USED FOR CONTACT TRACING.
SO MAYBE GIVE US A SENSE OF WHAT
YOU'RE DOING WITH THE DATA AND 
WHEN YOU GET RID OF IT OR 
DISPOSE OF IT.
>> YEAH.
NO, I THINK PRIVACY IS AN 
INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT ISSUE, AND 
I'M GLAD THAT YOU RAISED IT.
WHAT I'LL SHARE WITH YOU IS WHAT
WE'RE NOT DOING.
YOU'VE BEEN HEARING QUITE A BIT 
ABOUT CONTACT TRACING APPS WHERE
YOUR LOCATION CAN BE CONNECTED 
TO OTHER PEOPLE THAT YOU WERE IN
PROXIMITY WITH AND ESSENTIALLY 
THE PURPOSE OF THIS IS TO GIVE 
THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNITY 
BETTER INSIGHTS ABOUT WHO YOU 
MAY HAVE EXPOSED IF YOU WERE, 
YOU KNOW, TO BECOME INFECTED SO 
THAT THEY CAN CONTACT THOSE 
INDIVIDUALS AND GET IN FRONT OF 
THE DISEASE.
WHAT WE'RE DOING IS SOMETHING 
VERY DIFFERENT.
WE'RE ANALYZING DATA, JUST 
BASICALLY LOCATION DATA.
THERE'S NO INFORMATION 
ASSOCIATED WITH THE NAME OF AN 
INDIVIDUAL OR ANYTHING TO THAT 
EFFECT, AND WE'RE ANALYZING THAT
IN AGGREGATE.
SO GETTING AN UNDERSTANDING OF 
HOW POPULATIONS ARE MOVING SO 
THAT WE CAN REALLY BETTER 
UNDERSTAND HOW THIS VIRUS IS 
MOVING.
THE MEASURES THAT WE HAVE TO 
TACKLE THIS TODAY BECAUSE, YOU 
KNOW, THE VIRUS IS QUITE ACTIVE,
ARE SOME OF THESE PHYSICAL 
DISTANCING INTERVENTIONS, AND SO
WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHERE 
THOSE ARE WORKING AND WHERE THEY
ARE NOT WORKING SO THAT WE CAN 
INFORM OUR PUBLIC HEALTH 
AUTHORITIES AND USE THE FINITE 
RESOURCES IN THE MOST EFFICIENT 
WAY AS POSSIBLE. 
>> Rosemary: CAN YOU GIVE ME A 
SENSE OF WHAT YOU'RE SEEING, 
THEN, WITHOUT GIVING AWAY ALL 
THE SECRETS THAT YOU'RE GIVING 
TO PUBLIC HEALTH?
BUT AS WE GET INTO THIS PHASE OF
SOME RESTRICTIONS BEING LIFTED 
IN SOME PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, 
CAN YOU GIVE ME A SENSE OF WHERE
YOU'RE SEEING THINGS THAT MIGHT 
BE PROBLEMATIC?
>> WELL, IT'S QUITE 
HETEROGENEOUS ACROSS THE 
COUNTRY.
I THINK IN GENERAL THERE'S BEEN 
A HUGE TREND TOWARD, YOU KNOW, 
POPULATION STAYING AT HOME, 
FOLLOWING MANY OF THE 
RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND PHYSICAL 
DISTANCING.
BUT THERE ARE POCKETS IN SOME 
AREAS, IN RURAL AREAS, PERHAPS, 
WHERE SOME OF THOSE MOVEMENTS 
ARE STARTING TO INCREASE, AND WE
ARE SEEING LITTLE BITS OF 
FATIGUE OCCURRING.
THERE ARE ALSO IMPORTANT 
DIFFERENCES THAT WE'RE SEEING 
ACROSS WEEKDAYS AND WEEKENDS, SO
THERE ARE SOME INSIGHTS HERE 
THAT ARE REALLY IMPORTANT AND 
CAN HELP GUIDE OUR PUBLIC HEALTH
RESPONSE.
AND THIS IS PARTICULARLY 
IMPORTANT NOW AS WE START TO 
PERHAPS EASE OR TAKE THOSE 
INITIAL BABY STEPS TO EASE SOME 
OF THESE RESTRICTIONS AND TO DO 
THIS IN A WAY THAT IS SAFE AND 
MINIMIZES RISK.
>> Rosemary: YOU ALSO HAVE A 
RELATIONSHIP, A BUSINESS 
ARRANGEMENT, WITH AIR CANADA, 
WHICH OBVIOUSLY IS NOT FLYING 
VERY MUCH RIGHT NOW.
BUT I'D BE INTERESTED TO KNOW, 
OTHER THAN BEING ON ALERT FOR 
FINDING INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND 
FLAGGING THEM TO THE COMPANY, 
WHAT KIND OF DATA ARE YOU 
GATHERING FROM AIR CANADA AND 
HOW ARE THEY HELPING YOU TO 
UNDERSTAND THE SPREAD?
>> WELL, I THINK I WOULD 
DESCRIBE IT PERHAPS A LITTLE BIT
DIFFERENTLY IN THE SENSE THAT 
WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH AIR 
CANADA WELL BEFORE COVID-19.
>> Rosemary: YES, YES.
>> THIS IS PUTTING SYSTEMS IN 
PLACE TO BE ABLE TO MONITOR AND 
UNDERSTAND INFECTIOUS DISEASE 
RISK AROUND THE WORLD.
YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHY AN 
AIRLINE WOULD WANT TO UNDERSTAND
THIS, TO BE PROTECTING ITS 
EMPLOYEES AND ITS CUSTOMERS, 
UNDERSTANDING, ANTICIPATING 
DISRUPTION IN TRAVEL.
SO THIS IS REALLY ABOUT EVEN 
THINKING PAST COVID-19 AND 
THINKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT 
OUTBREAKS ARE OCCURRING AROUND 
THE WORLD ON AN ONGOING AND 
REGULAR BASIS, AND HOW DO WE 
HELP EMPOWER NOT JUST GOVERNMENT
BUT INDUSTRY AS WELL SO THEY CAN
MITIGATE RISK TO THEIR 
EMPLOYEES, MITIGATE RISKS OF 
FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS.
ULTIMATELY WE NEED TO BE REALLY 
EMPOWERING THE WHOLE SOCIETY IF 
WE'RE GOING TO GET IN FRONT OF 
THESE TYPES OF INFECTIOUS 
DISEASE OUTBREAKS, WHICH WE'RE 
SEEING NOW WITH GREATER 
FREQUENCY THAN WE HAVE EVER IN 
THE PAST.
>> Rosemary: YOU ARE NOW AT A 
POINT WHERE WE ARE, YOU KNOW, A 
FEW MONTHS INTO THIS, AND WE 
HAVE SEEN DIFFERENT RESPONSES 
ACROSS THE GLOBE, DEPENDING ON 
WHERE WE ARE.
WE CERTAINLY KNOW, AND YOU WERE 
ON 60 MINUTES LAST WEEK TALKING 
ABOUT THIS, THAT EVEN THOUGH 
THERE WAS INFORMATION AS EARLY 
AS THE BEGINNING OF JANUARY FOR 
PEOPLE, COUNTRIES TO START 
MOVING, NOT ALL COUNTRIES DID 
WHAT THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING
AT THE RIGHT TIME, AND OF COURSE
IN THIS INSTANCE IT WAS THE 
UNITED STATES.
CAN YOU ASSESS HOW CANADA HAS 
DONE GIVEN THE INFORMATION THEY 
HAD EARLY ON?
I KNOW THAT'S A VERY BIG 
QUESTION, BUT HOW WE HAVE DONE 
IN TERMS OF OUR RESPONSE TO TRY 
AND CONTAIN THINGS?
>> YEAH, I MEAN, LOOK, IT'S 
OBVIOUSLY A BROAD QUESTION.
A LOT OF THE INTEL WAS 
AVAILABLE.
OBVIOUSLY CANADIAN GOVERNMENT 
ALSO HAS A SYSTEM CALLED THE 
GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 
INTELLIGENCE NETWORK TO BE 
SCANNING AND DOING THIS TYPE OF 
HORIZON SCANNING.
WE HAD BEEN WORKING WITH THE 
PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCY WELL BEFORE
COVID-19 CAME INTO PLAY, SO A 
LOT OF THE ANALYTICS I 
DESCRIBED, TALKING ABOUT THE 
WORLD'S AIR TRAVEL PATTERNS AND 
DATA.
AT DIFFERENT STAGES WE WERE 
THINKING ABOUT HOW IT MIGHT 
DISPERSE, AND SO THESE ARE THE 
KINDS OF INSIGHTS AND ANALYTICS 
THAT ARE NEEDED TO EMPOWER SMART
DECISIONS.
NOW AT BLUE DOT OUR WORK IS 
REALLY FOCUSED ON GENERATING 
THESE INSIGHTS, BUT WE NEED 
THESE TYPES OF PARTNERSHIPS IN 
ORDER TO TRANSLATE INSIGHTS INTO
ACTIONS, AND ULTIMATELY REALLY 
THESE ARE THE THINGS YOU WANT TO
BE DOING IN PEACE TIME.
YOU DON'T WANT TO BE TRYING TO 
FIGURE THIS OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF
AN EMERGENCY, SO YOU KNOW, THAT 
RELATIONSHIP PREDATES COVID-19 
AND CONTINUES OVER THIS NEXT 
PHASE OF THE PANDEMIC.
>> Rosemary: HAS IT SURPRISED 
YOU IN SPITE OF ALL THE 
ANALYTICS AND DATA YOU'VE 
GATHERED, HAS IT SURPRISED YOU 
HOW QUICKLY THIS HAS SPREAD AND 
CHANGED THE WORLD IN SUCH A 
DRAMATIC WAY?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT I WOULD 
SAY IS THAT EVERY SINGLE EXPERT 
OUT THERE IN THIS FIELD WILL 
HAVE TOLD YOU PRE-COVID-19 THIS 
IS NOT A MATTER OF IF, IT'S JUST
A MATTER OF WHEN.
>> Rosemary: RIGHT. 
>> I THINK FOR MANY OF US IT IS 
UNFORTUNATELY THE FACT THAT OUR 
BRAINS ARE KIND OF HARD WIRED, 
WE ARE REACTIVE RATHER THAN 
PROACTIVE IN MANY OF THESE 
INSTANCES.
I THINK THE SCALE AND SCOPE HAS 
BEEN PRETTY STAGGERING, AND I 
THINK IT'S PROBABLY CAUGHT US 
ALL OFF BY SURPRISE, JUST HOW 
INTERCONNECTED AND 
INTERDEPENDENT OUR WORLD IS NOW 
THIS LITTLE VIRUS HAS CRIPPLED 
THE PLANET.
SO IT IS PERHAPS NOT SURPRISING 
THAT WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A 
PANDEMIC, BUT I THINK THE EXTENT
AND SCOPE OF THIS HAS REALLY 
SURPRISED ALL OF US. 
>> Rosemary: I ONLY HAVE ABOUT A
MINUTE BEFORE THE PRIME MINISTER
COMES OUT HIS FRONT DOOR THERE, 
DR. KHAN, BUT YOU TALKED ABOUT 
THE IMPORTANCE OF PRIVACY AND 
YOU GATHERING WHAT YOU CALL 
ANONYMOUS DATA, THINGS THAT 
DON'T IDENTIFY WHO THE 
INFORMATION IS COMING FROM.
DO YOU THINK, THOUGH, CANADIANS 
SHOULD BE WILLING TO SACRIFICE A
LITTLE BIT OF PRIVACY IN ORDER 
TO BETTER PARTICIPATE IN KEEPING
PEOPLE HEALTHY AND HELPING 
PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY?
>> LET ME JUST SAY THAT, YOU 
KNOW, CERTAINLY THE INTENT HERE 
AND OUR WORK IS REALLY 
ULTIMATELY ABOUT SAFEGUARDING 
COMMUNITIES AND LIVES.
THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT 
DISCUSSION FOR US TO HAVE AS A 
SOCIETY.
WHERE ARE THE LINES?
WHERE DO WE WANT TO BALANCE 
PRIVACY AND IMPACT ON PUBLIC 
HEALTH?
THERE ARE TRADE-OFFS, AND I 
THINK THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT 
FOR US TO BE HAVING THIS 
DISCUSSION AS AN ORGANIZATION 
THAT IS FOCUSED ON RESPONDING TO
COVID-19 RIGHT NOW, WE ARE 
REALLY JUST FOCUSING ON WAYS 
THAT WE CAN COUNTER THE 
TRANSMISSION OF THIS VIRUS, BUT 
THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT 
DISCUSSION FOR US TO BE HAVING.
I'M GLAD THAT IT'S OCCURRING.
>> Rosemary: OKAY, DR. KHAN, 
GOOD OF YOU TO MAKE THE TIME 
WHEN YOU'RE SO BUSY.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT YOU 
ARE GATHERING FOR ALL OF US TOO.
APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Rosemary: THAT'S DR. KAMRAN 
KHAN, FOUNDER AND CEO OF BLUEDOT
WHICH TRACKS EPIDEMICS AND 
PROVIDES WARNINGS TO GOVERNMENTS
AND GLOBAL AGENCIES.
>>> I REALIZE THAT WAS MAYBE A 
LITTLE BIT BACKWARDS AND NOT 
EXACTLY WHAT THE PRIME MINISTER 
IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT THERE, 
BUT IT IS THINGS THAT EVERYONE 
IS THINKING ABOUT AS DIFFERENT 
PROVINCES IN THIS COUNTRY MOVE, 
FOR INSTANCE, INTO CONTACT 
TRACING APPS TO GET A BETTER 
SENSE OF WHERE YOU'RE GOING, WHO
YOU'RE ASSOCIATING WITH AND HOW 
COMMUNITY SPREAD MIGHT HAPPEN.
WHAT BLUEDOT IS DOING, OF 
COURSE, A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
A LITTLE HIGHER VIEW OF THINGS, 
IF YOU WILL, IN TERMS OF 
GATHERING INFORMATION.
BUT IMPORTANT CONVERSATION 
NONETHELESS AS WE TRY AND FIGURE
OUT WHAT THE STEPS FORWARD WILL 
BE IN THIS COUNTRY, WHAT THE NEW
NORMAL, AS THE PRIME MINISTER 
ALWAYS TALKS ABOUT, WILL LOOK 
LIKE, AND HERE HE IS NOW.
OF COURSE THE PRIME MINISTER'S 
FOCUS TODAY WILL BE THE 2 
MILLION JOBS LOST IN THE MONTH 
OF APRIL, 1 MILLION IN MARCH, 
NOW UP TO 3 MILLION CANADIANS 
WHO NO LONGER HAVE JOBS.
>> Prime Minister Trudeau: 
EARLIER TODAY WE RECEIVED THE 
JOB REPORT FOR APRIL.
THESE NUMBERS TELL US WHAT WE 
ALREADY KNEW, THAT RIGHT NOW 
CANADIANS ARE HURTING BECAUSE OF
THIS PANDEMIC.
EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN STORY, 
BUT IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO A VERY 
DIFFICULT TIME FOR A LOT OF 
PEOPLE.
CANADIANS AREN'T ALONE IN THIS 
AS THE WORLD FACES COVID-19, BUT
IF YOU'RE OUT OF WORK, YOU DON'T
NEED TO HEAR THAT OTHER PEOPLE 
ARE OUT OF WORK TOO.
YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT THERE'S A 
PLAN TO GET YOU THROUGH THIS AND
GET YOU BACK ON THE JOB.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THIS 
GOVERNMENT IS FOCUSED ON.
[Speaking French]
[Voice of Interpreter]
TODAY WE RECEIVED THE EMPLOYMENT
REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL, 
AND THE FIGURES CONFIRM WHAT 
WE'VE KNOWN FOR SOME TIME NOW.
MANY OF YOU ARE SUFFERING, 
YOU'RE HURTING BECAUSE OF THIS 
PANDEMIC.
AND WHAT MATTERS MOST TO YOU IS 
KNOWING THAT THERE IS A PLAN TO 
HELP YOU GET THROUGH THIS AND 
RETURN TO WORK AS QUICKLY AS 
POSSIBLE.
AND THAT IS WHAT OUR GOVERNMENT 
IS FOCUSED ON.
[ End of Interpretation ]
-- UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGE, 
WE'VE TAKEN ACTION.
MAYBE YOU'RE ONE OF THE MORE 
THAN 7 MILLION PEOPLE GETTING 
THE CERB TO MAKE -- HELP MAKE 
ENDS MEET, OR BETTER YET, MAYBE 
THANKS TO THE WAGE SUBSIDY YOUR 
EMPLOYER HAS BEEN ABLE TO REHIRE
YOU.
THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENED FOR 
PEOPLE WHO WORK AT PURSUIT, A 
BANFF TOURISM COMPANY.
THEY ARE BACK ON THE JOB BECAUSE
OF THIS PROGRAM.
WE CREATED THE CANADA EMERGENCY 
WAGE SUBSIDY TO PROTECT JOBS 
WHEREVER POSSIBLE.
SINCE IT LAUNCHED LAST WEEK, 
EMPLOYERS HAVE APPLIED FOR 
SUBSIDIES FOR ALMOST 2 MILLION 
WORKERS, AND AS PROVINCES AND 
TERRITORIES START TO GRADUALLY 
REOPEN OVER THE COMING MONTHS, 
AND THE CERB BECOMES LESS AND 
LESS NEEDED, THIS SUBSIDY WILL 
PLAY AN EVEN GREATER ROLE.
THAT'S WHY I CAN ANNOUNCE TODAY 
THAT WE WILL BE EXTENDING THE 
CANADA EMERGENCY WAGE SUBSIDY 
BEYOND JUNE TO HELP KICK START 
OUR ECONOMIC REOPENING AND BOOST
JOBS.
WE WILL HAVE MORE DETAILS NEXT 
WEEK, BUT TO BUSINESSES HIT BY 
COVID-19, KNOW THIS: THE WAGE 
SUBSIDY WILL CONTINUE TO BE 
THERE FOR YOU TO HELP YOU KEEP 
YOUR EMPLOYEES ON THE PAYROLL.
SO FILL OUT THE APPLICATION AT 
CANADA.CA IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY
DONE SO.
AND IF YOU HAD TO LET PEOPLE GO,
TRY TO BRING THEM BACK.
IT'S THOSE WORKERS WHO WILL 
DRIVE OUR ECONOMIES' SHORT AND 
LONG-TERM RECOVERY.
ON OTHER SUPPORT, THE CANADA 
EMERGENCY BUSINESS ACCOUNT HAS 
BEEN ACCESSED BY WELL OVER HALF 
A MILLION BUSINESSES TO GIVE 
THEM MUCH-NEEDED LOANS.
BETWEEN THE CEBA AND THE WAGE 
SUBSIDY, WE'RE HELPING EMPLOYERS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY KEEP 
CANADIANS ON THE JOB.
NOW EVEN THOUGH WE'RE REACHING 
MILLIONS OF CANADIANS, WE NEED 
TO REACH EVEN MORE.
WE'RE WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK 
TO UPDATE AND ADJUST SO THAT 
HELP GETS TO AS MANY WORKERS, 
SMALL BUSINESSES, FAMILIES AND 
YOUNG PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT SOME SECTORS 
HAVE BEEN HIT ESPECIALLY HARD, 
SO WE'RE STEPPING UP ON THAT 
TOO.
MINISTER BAINS WILL BE LEADING A
NEW INDUSTRY STRATEGY COUNCIL 
CHAIRED BY MONIQUE L'HEUREUX, 
THIS COUNCIL WILL TAKE A DEEPER 
DIVE INTO HOW THE PANDEMIC IS 
AFFECTING SPECIFIC SECTORS AND 
HOW TO BEST SUPPORT THEM.
WE ARE LEVERAGING EXPERTISE FROM
THE ECONOMIC STRATEGY TABLES WE 
SET UP IN THE FIRST MANDATE, AS 
WELL AS LOOKING TO NEW INDUSTRY 
LEADERS.
THIS WILL BE A DEDICATED FORUM 
FOR INDUSTRY AND GOVERNMENT TO 
COME TOGETHER ON TACKLING THE 
EFFECTS OF COVID-19, AND IT 
BUILDS ON WHAT WE'VE ALREADY 
DONE FOR WORKERS IN EVERYTHING 
FROM ENERGY TO AGRICULTURE.
ON THAT NOTE, MINISTER GILL 
BAULT WILL HAVE MORE DETAILS AT 
NOON ABOUT HOW OUR $500 MILLION 
PACKAGE FOR ARTS, CULTURE AND 
AMATEUR SPORT IS NOW BEING 
ROLLED OUT TO SUPPORT WORKERS IN
THOSE SECTORS.
THIS INVESTMENT WILL HELP PEOPLE
ACCESS WAGE SUPPORT AND HELP 
ORGANIZATIONS ACCESS FUNDING.
OUR ARTISTS, CREATORS AND YOUNG 
ATHLETES INSPIRE US AND HELP US 
FEEL CONNECTED, EVEN WHEN WE'RE 
AT HOME.
THEY ARE THERE FOR US, AND WE'RE
GOING TO BE THERE FOR THEM.
NO MATTER WHERE YOU WORK, NO 
MATTER WHO YOU ARE, THESE ARE 
TOUGH TIMES.
BUT WITH THE RIGHT PLAN, WE WILL
GET THROUGH THIS AND WILL COME 
BACK STRONGER THAN EVER.
[Speaking French]
[Voice of Interpreter]
CANADA IS FACING AN 
UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGE, SO 
WE'VE TAKEN MEASURES THAT ARE 
ALSO UNPRECEDENTED.
YOU MAY BE AMONG THE 7 MILLION 
CANADIANS WHO ARE RECEIVING THE 
CANADA EMERGENCY RESPONSE 
BENEFIT, OR PERHAPS YOU WERE 
RE-HIRED THANKS TO THE EMERGENCY
WAGE SUBSIDY.
WE CREATED THAT SUBSIDY TO 
PROTECT JOBS AS MUCH AS 
POSSIBLE.
SINCE THE LAUNCH OF THE PROGRAM 
LAST WEEK, EMPLOYERS HAVE 
ALREADY APPLIED FOR THE WAGE 
SUBSIDY FOR SOME 2 MILLION 
WORKERS.
AND TODAY I AM ANNOUNCING THAT 
WE WILL BE EXTENDING THE WAGE 
SUBSIDY BEYOND THE MONTH OF JUNE
TO KICK START THE ECONOMY AND 
ALSO BOOST JOB CREATION.
WE WILL HAVE ADDITIONAL DETAILS 
ON THIS NEXT WEEK, BUT CANADIAN 
BUSINESSES AFFECTED BY COVID-19 
SHOULD KNOW THIS: THE WAGE 
SUBSIDY WILL BE THERE FOR YOU 
AND YOUR WORKERS.
I INVITE YOU TO APPLY ON 
CANADA.CA IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE SO
ALREADY.
AND IF YOU HAD TO LAY PEOPLE 
OFF, TRY TO REHIRE THOSE 
EMPLOYEES, IF POSSIBLE.
THOSE WORKERS ARE THE ONES THAT 
WILL HELP US TO KICK START THE 
ECONOMY IN THE LONG AND SHORT 
TERM.
CANADIANS WANT TO WORK, SO WE'RE
GOING TO HELP THEM TO RETURN TO 
WORK.
THANKS TO THIS WAGE SUBSIDY, 
THERE ARE OTHER MEASURES SUCH AS
THE CANADA EMERGENCY BUSINESS 
ACCOUNT THAT IS HELPING 
EMPLOYERS TO KEEP THEIR 
EMPLOYEES ON THE PAYROLL.
TODAY WE ALSO HAVE NEWS FOR THE 
CULTURE SECTOR.
MINISTER GUILBEAULT WILL BE 
PROVIDING ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON 
THIS, BUT BASICALLY WE ARE 
SUPPORTING ARTISTS, CULTURAL 
INDUSTRIES, MUSICIANS, YOUNG 
ATHLETES AND CREATORS.
TO UNDERSTAND THE CONSEQUENCE OF
COVID-19 ON THESE SECTORS, WE 
ARE INTRODUCING THE INDUSTRY 
STRATEGIC COUNCIL.
IT WILL BE CHAIRED BY MONIQUE 
L'HEUREUX, AND THE COUNCIL'S 
MANDATE WILL BE TO TAKE A DEEP 
DIVE INTO THE EFFECTS OF 
COVID-19 AND SPECIFIC SECTORS 
AND PARTICULARLY TO LOOK AT WHAT
WE CAN DO TO SUPPORT WORKERS.
WE ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE 
KNOWLEDGE OF -- AND EXPERTISE OF
THE ECONOMIC STRATEGIC TABLES WE
PUT IN PLACE PREVIOUSLY, AS WELL
AS THAT OF NEW LEADERS.
WE ARE GOING THROUGH A DIFFICULT
TIME RIGHT NOW, BUT WITH THE 
RIGHT PLAN WE WILL COME BACK 
STRONGER THAN EVER.
[ End of Interpretation ]
IT'S HARD TO THINK OF TOUGHER 
TIMES FOR OUR COUNTRY, BUT AS 
OUR ELDERS REMIND US, CANADA HAS
FACED CHALLENGES BEFORE.
AND WE'VE ALWAYS OVERCOME THEM.
TODAY WE MARK THE 75TH 
ANNIVERSARY OF VICTORY IN EUROPE
DAY AND THE END OF THE SECOND 
WORLD WAR ON THE CONTINENT.
AFTER SIX YEARS OF WAR, IT MUST 
HAVE FELT LIKE THAT DAY WOULD 
NEVER COME.
BUT IT DID.
AND IT CAME BECAUSE OF THE 
COURAGE OF ALL WHO SERVED AND 
BECAUSE OF THE SACRIFICE OF ALL 
WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES.
IT HAS BEEN 75 YEARS SINCE OUR 
GRANDPARENTS AND 
GREAT-GRANDPARENTS STOOD UP TO 
DO THEIR PART, 75 YEARS SINCE 
THEY STOOD UNITED AND STRONG TO 
ENSURE THAT WE WOULD LIVE IN 
PEACE AND FREEDOM.
TODAY, AS OUR GENERATION FACES 
OUR OWN BATTLE, LET US BE 
INSPIRED BY THEM AND THEIR 
VALOUR AS WE PROTECT THEM AND 
ALL CANADIANS.
THIS IS OUR CHALLENGE, AND I 
KNOW WE WILL RISE TO MEET IT.
MERCI.
>> THANK YOU, PRIME MINISTER.
WE'LL NOW GO TO THE PHONE LINES 
FOR QUESTIONS.
ONE QUESTION, ONE FOLLOW-UP.
OPERATOR?
>> Operator: THANK YOU.
MERCI.
FIRST QUESTION IS FROM APTN.
LINE UP.
>> Reporter: THANK YOU, 
MR. PRIME MINISTER.
AS WE ALL KNOW, INDIGENOUS 
COMMUNITIES IN THE NORTH ARE 
VULNERABLE DUE TO SOCIAL 
CONDITIONS, LIKE LACK OF HOUSING
AND LACK OF MEDICAL FACILITIES.
IT'S BEEN SAID THAT INDIGENOUS 
COMMUNITIES ARE TWO WEEKS BEHIND
THE CURVE.
NOW IF PROVINCES ARE RELAXING 
RESTRICTIONS, SOME OF THESE 
COMMUNITIES MIGHT SEE THAT AS A 
THREAT.
DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT OPINION?
AND SECONDLY, WHAT WOULD YOUR 
ADVICE BE TO THOSE COMMUNITIES?
>> Prime Minister Trudeau: FROM 
THE VERY BEGINNING OF THIS 
PANDEMIC WE HAVE SEEN AND KNOWN 
THAT INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES, 
PARTICULARLY NORTHERN AND REMOTE
ONES, ARE PARTICULARLY 
VULNERABLE TO THE SPREAD OF 
COVID-19 GIVEN EXISTING 
CHALLENGES AROUND MEDICAL 
FACILITIES, THINGS LIKE 
OVERCROWDING AND OTHER 
SOCIO-ECONOMIC REALITIES.
THAT'S WHY FROM THE BEGINNING WE
HAVE MADE SPECIFIC INVESTMENTS 
TO SUPPORT INDIGENOUS 
COMMUNITIES AS THE COUNTRY 
GRAPPLES WITH THIS PANDEMIC.
RIGHT ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AS 
CERTAIN REGIONS ARE REOPENING, 
THERE IS A RECOGNITION THAT 
OTHER REGIONS ARE GONNA NEED 
CONTINUED ADJUSTMENTS AND 
CONTINUED PROTECTIONS, AND WE 
WILL ENSURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO 
WORK ALL TOGETHER ON PROTECTING 
INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES WHO ARE, 
INDEED, MORE VULNERABLE, EVEN AS
OTHER PARTS OF THE ECONOMY ARE 
LOOKING AT OPENING UP.
>> FOLLOW-UP, JAMIE?
>> Reporter: YEAH, OKAY, SO THEY
HAVE BEEN DOING PRETTY WELL SO 
FAR, BUT LIKE I SAID, THEY ARE 
TWO WEEKS BEHIND THE CURVE.
SO WITH PROVINCES OPENING UP, 
WHAT WOULD YOU SUGGEST THEY DO?
>> Prime Minister Trudeau: I 
THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE
KEEPING EXTREMELY VIGILANT AND 
PREVENTING OUTSIDE CASES FROM 
ENTERING THOSE COMMUNITIES.
WE HAVE SEEN, FOR EXAMPLE, 
NUNAVUT BE VERY SUCCESSFUL, NOT 
JUST REMAINING TWO WEEKS BEHIND 
THE CURVE, BUT MONTHS BEHIND THE
CURVE AS THEY CONTINUE TO HAVE 
NO CASES BECAUSE OF VERY STRONG 
TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS THAT WERE 
BROUGHT IN IMMEDIATELY AND HAVE 
SERVED TO KEEP THE VULNERABLE 
AND REMOTE COMMUNITIES IN OUR 
FAR NORTH COMPLETELY COVID FREE.
BUT RIGHT ACROSS THE COUNTRY 
VARIOUS COMMUNITIES WILL TAKE 
APPROPRIATE MEASURES, AND WE 
WILL BE THERE AS A GOVERNMENT 
AND OTHER ORDERS OF GOVERNMENT 
AS WELL TO SUPPORT THEM IN DOING
THE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE 
TO KEEP ELDERS AND ALL IN THOSE 
COMMUNITIES SAFE.
>> THANK YOU.
NEXT QUESTION, OPERATOR.
>> Operator: THANK YOU.
MERCI.
[ No Interpretation ]
[Speaking French]
[Voice of Interpreter]
>> Reporter: GOOD MORNING, 
MR. TRUDEAU.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW, SINCE YOU ARE 
NOW TALKING ABOUT EXTENDING THE 
WAGE SUBSIDY, DO YOU THINK YOU 
WILL DO THE SAME THING WITH THE 
EMERGENCY RESPONSE BENEFIT?
>> Prime Minister Trudeau: THE 
CANADA EMERGENCY RESPONSE 
BENEFIT WILL ALREADY BE 
CONTINUING LONGER THAN THE WAGE 
SUBSIDY, AND WE ALSO RECOGNIZE 
THAT GRADUALLY IN THE WEEKS AND 
MONTHS TO COME THE ECONOMY WILL 
START TO RECOVER, AND THEREFORE 
FEWER PEOPLE WILL NEED THAT 
EMERGENCY BENEFIT.
THEY WILL RETURN TO WORK, AND 
PROBABLY MORE PEOPLE WILL DECIDE
TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE WAGE 
SUBSIDY.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE ANNOUNCING 
TODAY THAT WE WILL BE EXTENDING 
IT SO THAT IT CAN BE USED FOR A 
LONGER PERIOD.
BUT WE WILL CONTINUE TO ADJUST 
WHAT WE'RE DOING AS THE 
SITUATION EVOLVES, AND FROM THE 
BEGINNING OF THIS CRISIS, WE 
HAVE BEEN THERE TO ADJUST AS 
REQUIRED AND ENHANCE AND IMPROVE
OUR APPROACH SO THAT WE CAN HELP
AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE GIVEN
THE CURRENT SITUATION.
[ End of Interpretation ]
FROM THE BEGINNING WE RECOGNIZED
THAT WE NEEDED TO CONSTANTLY 
ADJUST AND IMPROVE THE DELIVERY 
OF THESE UNPRECEDENTED 
MECHANISMS TO SUPPORT CANADIANS 
WHO ARE SUFFERING THROUGH THIS 
PARTICULAR CRISIS.
THAT'S WHY WE RECOGNIZE THAT 
THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT THINGS 
WE NEED TO DO AS THE ECONOMY 
STARTS TO REOPEN.
THE CANADA EMERGENCY RESPONSE 
BENEFIT HAS ALWAYS -- HAD ALWAYS
BEEN PLANNED TO LAST LONGER OR 
HAD A TIMELINE THAT WAS ALREADY 
LONGER THAN THE WAGE SUBSIDY, 
BUT WE RECOGNIZE THAT AS THE 
ECONOMY STARTS TO REOPEN PEOPLE 
WILL BE GETTING BACK TO WORK, 
LEAVING THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE 
BENEFIT AND PERHAPS GOING ON TO 
THE WAGE SUBSIDY AS EMPLOYERS 
BRING PEOPLE BACK ON AND GET 
THEM BACK TO WORK AS OUR ECONOMY
PICKS UP OVER THE COMING WEEKS 
AND MONTHS.
THAT'S WHY WE WILL CONSTANTLY BE
ADJUSTING TO MAKE SURE THAT 
CANADIANS ARE GETTING THE 
SUPPORT THEY NEED AS WE LOOK TO 
CAREFULLY AND GRADUALLY 
RE-STARTING OUR ECONOMY.
[Speaking French]
[Voice of Interpreter]
>> FOLLOW-UP?
>> Reporter: YES, OF COURSE.
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WITH 
RESPECT TO THE WAGE SUBSIDY HOW 
LONG IT SHOULD BE EXTENDED OR 
REALLY NEED TO BE EXTENDED, AND 
WILL THERE BE OPENING OF THE 
ECONOMY, DOES IT CAUSE YOU ANY 
CONCERN?
DO YOU THINK THAT PERHAPS 
RELAXING THE RULES IS BEING DONE
TOO QUICKLY?
>> Prime Minister Trudeau: WELL,
RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING WE HAVE
SAID JUST HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO
GRADUALLY REOPEN THE ECONOMY AND
TO BE EXTREMELY VIGILANT.
IN ORDER TO MONITOR HOW COVID-19
IS SPREADING, AND THAT'S HOW WE 
HAVE INVESTED MASSIVELY IN 
TESTING, AND THAT'S ALSO THE 
REASON WHY WE MUST ENSURE THAT 
THE PROPER MECHANISMS ARE IN 
PLACE RIGHT ACROSS THE COUNTRY 
AS THE ECONOMY REOPENS.
THE WAGE SUBSIDY WILL BE 
EXTENDED BEYOND JUNE, AND WE 
WILL HAVE MORE DETAILS TO 
ANNOUNCE ON THAT NEXT WEEK, BUT 
I CAN ALREADY SAY TO THOSE 
BUSINESSES THAT ARE LOOKING AT 
HOW THEY ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO
START UP AGAIN THAT THE WAGE 
SUBSIDY WILL BE THERE FOR THEM 
FOR QUITE A LONG TIME TO COME, 
AND THEY SHOULD START RIGHT NOW 
TO REHIRE THEIR WORKERS SO THAT 
THEY CAN CREATE THAT JOB 
ATTACHMENT WITH THEIR WORKERS SO
THAT WE CAN GET THE ECONOMY 
STARTED AGAIN QUICKLY.
[ End of Interpretation ]
>> Operator: THANK YOU, MERCI.
NEXT QUESTION, THE CANADIAN 
PRESS.
LINE OPEN.
>> Reporter: HELLO, PRIME 
MINISTER.
TWO SUCCESSIVE JOB REPORTS ARE 
SHOWING THAT WOMEN IN SERVICE 
ROLES HAVE BEEN 
DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY 
THE PANDEMIC.
IN LIGHT OF THAT, WHAT SPECIFIC 
MEASURES DO YOU THINK ARE NEEDED
TO STRENGTHEN OUR ECONOMIC 
RECOVERY?
>> Prime Minister Trudeau: THIS 
IS ONE OF THE FIRST RECESSIONS 
WE'VE EVER SEEN THAT HAS SO HARD
HIT VULNERABLE WORKERS IN THE 
SERVICE SECTOR, PARTICULARLY 
WOMEN AND NEW CANADIANS AND 
YOUNG PEOPLE.
AND THAT WAS EVIDENT IN THE 
MARCH NUMBERS AND CONTINUES TO 
BE THE CASE IN THE APRIL 
NUMBERS.
WHAT WE'RE SEEING EVEN BEYOND 
THESE REPORTS AND THESE NUMBERS 
IS THE REALITY ON THE GROUND, 
THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY 
VULNERABLE IN THE WORKFORCE, 
PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY 
DISADVANTAGED OR FACING EXTRA 
BARRIERS ARE ALWAYS THE FIRST TO
GET HIT WHEN WE HAVE A DIFFICULT
SITUATION LIKE THIS.
THAT'S WHY AS A SOCIETY NOT ONLY
DO WE NEED TO DO WHAT WE ARE 
DOING IN THE SHORT TERM TO GIVE 
EXTRA SUPPORTS TO VULNERABLE 
PEOPLE, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE
THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD TO 
REBUILDING AND CREATING A MORE 
PROSPEROUS CANADA IN THE COMING 
MONTHS AND YEARS, WE THINK VERY,
VERY CAREFULLY ABOUT HOW 
IMPORTANT THE WORK IS THAT IS 
BEING DONE BY WOMEN AND 
VULNERABLE CANADIANS AND HOW WE 
NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE BETTER 
SUPPORTING THEM, NOT JUST FOR 
POTENTIAL FUTURE CRISES BUT FOR 
BUSINESS AS USUAL AS OUR COUNTRY
COMES BACK TO NORMAL.
[Speaking French]
[Voice of Interpreter]
THIS CRISIS HAS HIT WOMEN AND 
VULNERABLE PEOPLE AS WELL AS NEW
CANADIANS AND YOUNG PEOPLE VERY,
VERY HARD.
THEIR JOBS WERE AMONG THE FIRST 
TO DISAPPEAR, AND THAT'S WHY WE 
INTRODUCED SPECIFIC MEASURES TO 
HELP THOSE VULNERABLE CANADIANS 
IN PARTICULAR.
BUT BEYOND THIS CRISIS WE WILL 
HAVE TO LOOK AT HOW TO REBUILD 
THE ECONOMY AND ENSURE AT THAT 
POINT THAT VULNERABLE PEOPLE ARE
NOT HIT HARD IN THE SAME WAY AND
HOW WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AFTER 
ALL CANADIANS TO HAVE A FAIR 
COUNTRY FOR EVERYONE.
[ End of Interpretation ]
>> Reporter: GIVEN THAT REALITY 
ON THE GROUND THAT YOU'RE 
TALKING ABOUT AND THAT THE 
VULNERABLE PEOPLE ARE, AS YOU 
SAY, THE FIRST TO GET HIT, HOW 
WILL YOU ENSURE GOVERNMENT 
STIMULUS MONEY HELPS THOSE 
PEOPLE FIRST AND DOES NOT GO TO 
THE BOTTOM LINE FOR BIG 
CORPORATIONS?
>> Prime Minister Trudeau: WE 
ARE NOT YET TALKING ABOUT 
STIMULUS.
WE ARE STILL VERY MUCH IN THE 
SUPPORT AND EMERGENCY PHASE 
RIGHT NOW, AND THAT'S WHY FROM 
THE BEGINNING THE MEASURES WE 
PUT FORWARD HAVE BEEN ENTIRELY 
FOCUSED ON CANADIANS.
WITH THE CANADA EMERGENCY 
RESPONSE BENEFIT THAT'S OVER 7 
MILLION PEOPLE ACROSS THIS 
COUNTRY WHO HAVE BENEFITED FROM 
THAT.
WITH THE WAGE SUBSIDY THAT GOES 
TO WORKERS.
EMPLOYERS DON'T KEEP A PENNY OF 
THAT.
THEY PASS IT THROUGH TO THEIR 
WORKERS SO THAT WORKERS HAVE 
THAT CONTINUED LINK WITH THEIR 
JOB AND GET A PAYCHEQUE THAT 
WILL ENSURE THAT AS THE ECONOMY 
REOPENS THEY WILL BE ABLE TO 
COME BACK TO WORK QUICKLY AND 
SMOOTHLY. 
OUR FOCUS EVERY STEP OF THE WAY,
EVEN ON SUPPORTING SMALL 
BUSINESSES, HAS BEEN IN ENSURING
THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE ABLE TO KEEP
JOBS GOING FOR CANADIANS FROM 
COAST TO COAST TO COAST.
WE WILL OVER THE COMING DAYS 
START LOOKING AT SPECIFIC 
SECTORAL SUPPORTS FOR VARIOUS 
INDUSTRIES THAT HAVE BEEN HIT 
PARTICULARLY HARD BY COVID-19, 
BUT EVEN THEN OUR FOCUS WILL BE 
ON THE WORKERS, ON THE SUPPLY 
CHAINS THAT INVOLVE MANY, MANY 
SMALL BUSINESSES ACROSS THIS 
COUNTRY FOR MANY OF THESE 
INDUSTRIES, AND NOT ON THE 
CORPORATE WELL-BEING OF AN 
INDUSTRY OR OF A SECTOR.
BUT INDEED STAYING FOCUSED ON 
HELPING CANADIANS, BECAUSE IT IS
CANADIANS WHO ARE AT THE HEART 
OF OUR ECONOMIC SUCCESS, AT THE 
HEART OF OUR SUCCESS AS A 
COUNTRY, AND AS A GOVERNMENT, WE
WILL ALWAYS STAY FOCUSED ON 
THEM.
>> THANK YOU.
WE'LL TAKE ONE MORE QUESTION ON 
THE PHONE.
OPERATOR?
>> Operator: THANK YOU.
MERCI.
[ No Interpretation ]
>> Reporter: GOOD MORNING, 
MR. TRUDEAU.
I'D LIKE TO COME BACK TO THE 
EMERGENCY RESPONSE BENEFIT.
WE'RE SEEING THAT SCHOOLS AND 
DAYCARES ARE STARTING TO REOPEN,
AND THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS 
ABOUT THE TEACHERS AND THE 
DAYCARE WORKERS WHO AT THIS 
POINT ARE NOT FEELING SAFE ABOUT
GOING BACK TO WORK AND WHO MAY 
REFUSE.
AS A RESULT, THEY MAY WANT TO 
GET THE RESPONSE BENEFIT, AND 
YET THE QUEBEC GOVERNMENT IS 
SAYING THAT THIS IS A SAFE 
ENVIRONMENT.
NOW WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE DO WHEN 
THEY FEEL THEIR WORKPLACE IS NOT
SAFE?
IS THAT ENOUGH TO APPLY FOR THE 
EMERGENCY RESPONSE BENEFIT?
>> Prime Minister Trudeau: WELL,
IN NO CASES AND AT NO TIME 
SHOULD A CANADIAN BE WORKING 
SOMEWHERE WHERE THEY ARE 
CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR SAFETY AND
THEIR HEALTH.
WE HAVE VERY SIGNIFICANT AND 
SPECIFIC STANDARDS IN PLACE IN 
THIS COUNTRY TO ENSURE THAT EVEN
IN NORMAL TIMES WORKERS ARE ABLE
TO WORK SAFELY.
NOW IN THIS PANDEMIC THOSE 
CONCERNS ARE EVEN GREATER, AND 
THAT IS WHY THAT IN THE 
PRINCIPLES THAT WE PUT FORWARD 
WITH THE PROVINCES AND 
TERRITORIES, THE ASPECT OF 
SAFETY AT WORK IS ABSOLUTELY 
CRITICAL WHEN IT COMES TO 
REOPENING THE ECONOMY.
AND WE EXPECT THAT WORK 
CONDITIONS FOR CANADIANS, EVEN 
FOR CRITICAL WORKERS, WILL BE 
SAFE ENOUGH FOR PEOPLE TO FEEL 
CONFIDENT ABOUT RETURNING TO 
WORK.
[ End of Interpretation ]
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS 
FUNDAMENTAL IN CANADA IS THAT NO
ONE, WHETHER IN CRISIS TIMES OR 
IN REGULAR TIMES, SHOULD BE 
WORKING IN A JOB IN CONDITIONS 
THAT ARE UNSAFE OR PUT THEM AT 
RISK.
THAT IS A FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE 
OF CANADA THAT WE WILL ALWAYS 
ENSURE TO UPHOLD.
IN THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION, 
THERE ARE HEIGHTENED CONCERNS 
ABOUT HEALTH FOR A LARGE NUMBER 
OF PEOPLE, OR FOR EVERYONE, BUT 
PARTICULARLY AND EVEN IN 
ESSENTIAL WORK SECTORS.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE
PUTTING IN PLACE ALL THE 
NECESSARY MEASURES SO THAT 
PEOPLE CAN FEEL CONFIDENT ABOUT 
THEIR OWN SAFETY, ABOUT HAVING 
MINIMIZED THE RISKS AS THEY GET 
BACK TO WORK.
THAT'S WHY WE PUT THAT AS ONE OF
THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES THAT 
NEEDS TO BE IN PLACE BEFORE ANY 
SECTOR TALKS ABOUT REOPENING THE
ECONOMY.
THAT WAS PART OF THE PRINCIPLES 
AGREED TO BY THE PROVINCES AND 
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ON 
RELAUNCHING OUR ECONOMY.
[Speaking French]
[Voice of Interpreter]
>> FOLLOW-UP?
>> Reporter: [INDISCERNIBLE] 
TALKING ABOUT SPECIFIC 
CONDITIONS THAT HAVE TO BE IN 
PLACE AND THAT WORKPLACES HAVE 
TO BE SAFE, BUT HOW CAN YOU 
DETERMINE WHETHER A WORKPLACE IS
SAFE?
MY QUESTION AGAIN: CAN SOMEONE 
DETERMINE THIS ON THEIR OWN 
PERSONAL PERCEPTION THAT THEY 
ARE NOT SAFE IN THEIR WORKPLACE,
FOR EXAMPLE, A DAYCARE CENTRE, 
AND WILL THE GOVERNMENT DECIDE 
TO ALLOW THOSE PEOPLE TO RECEIVE
THE RESPONSE BENEFIT?
>> Prime Minister Trudeau: WELL,
I THINK AS IS THE CASE WITH ANY 
SITUATION, DEPENDING ON THE 
DIFFERENT CASES, THE GOVERNMENT 
WILL HAVE THINGS TO SAY ABOUT 
THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF CERTAIN 
SECTORS OR INDUSTRIES, BUT WE 
ALSO KNOW THAT IN SOME CASES, 
AND THAT CERTAINLY APPLIES TO 
SOMEONE WHO IS CARING FOR A 
SENIOR AT HOME AND FEELS 
PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE, OR HAS 
A PRE-EXISTING MEDICAL 
CONDITION, THERE THE LEVELS OF 
PROTECTION THAT ARE NEEDED MAY 
VARY FROM CASE TO CASE, AND WE 
WILL ALL HAVE TO BE VERY 
ATTENTIVE TO THOSE REALITIES AND
BE REASONABLE IN ORDER TO ENSURE
THAT THE PROPER MEASURES ARE IN 
PLACE TO PROTECT PEOPLE.
>> Reporter: RADIO-CANADA.
THERE WILL BE A RECOVERY, AN 
ECONOMIC RECOVERY IN CANADA AT 
SOME POINT, AND ARE THERE 
CERTAIN SECTORS OF THE ECONOMY 
THAT WILL NEED MORE SUPPORT, AND
WILL YOU TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT 
RECOVERY TO TRANSFORM THE 
CANADIAN ECONOMY?
>> Prime Minister Trudeau: WELL,
CERTAINLY WE WILL BE GRADUALLY 
REOPENING THE CANADIAN ECONOMY 
IN MANY SECTORS RIGHT ACROSS THE
COUNTRY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME WE
WILL HAVE TO REFLECT ON HOW THAT
RECOVERY SHOULD HAPPEN TO ENSURE
THAT PEOPLE ARE SAFE BECAUSE 
COVID-19 WILL STILL BE WITH US.
BUT I THINK WE ALSO REALIZE THAT
THERE ARE BOTH CHALLENGES AND 
ADVANTAGES IN WORKING AT HOME, 
AND I THINK WE MAY HAVE TO 
INVEST MORE IN DIGITAL 
TECHNOLOGY AND DO THINGS A BIT 
MORE QUICKLY IN THAT AREA THAN 
BEFORE.
WE WILL ALSO HAVE TO FOCUS ON 
THE FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE 
CHANGE, AND THAT WILL ALLOW US 
TO DO MORE IN SOME SECTORS OF 
THE ECONOMY.
SO I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO 
THINK NOW ABOUT WHAT THE ECONOMY
WILL LOOK LIKE TWO YEARS FROM 
NOW OR TEN YEARS FROM NOW AND TO
START WORKING ON THAT.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WHAT WE 
WANT ESPECIALLY IS TO, AGAIN, 
CREATE PROSPERITY FOR CANADIANS.
>> Reporter: NOW WE SAW IN THE 
NUMBERS THIS MORNING THAT YOUNG 
PEOPLE ARE PARTICULARLY AFFECTED
BY JOB LOSSES.
WILL YOU BE EXTENDING THE 
BENEFIT FOR STUDENTS?
>> Prime Minister Trudeau: NOW 
WE HAVE ALREADY PLANNED FOR THAT
SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS TO CONTINUE
UNTIL AUGUST.
NORMALLY STUDENTS, WHEN THEY 
FINISH THEIR UNIVERSITY OR 
COLLEGE YEAR, GET A JOB FOR THE 
SUMMER SO THAT THEY HAVE MONEY 
TO PAY THEIR TUITION OR MEET 
THEIR OWN PERSONAL NEEDS DURING 
THE SCHOOL YEAR.
SO THE STUDENT ASSISTANCE 
BENEFIT IS THERE TO REPLACE THE 
THOUSANDS OF JOBS THAT SIMPLY 
WILL NOT BE THERE FOR YOUNG 
PEOPLE THIS SUMMER, AND WE KNOW 
THAT YOUNG PEOPLE WANT TO WORK 
AND WILL BE LOOKING AMONG THE 
JOBS THAT ARE BEING CREATED 
THROUGH THE SUMMER JOBS PROGRAM 
AND THE NEW PROGRAMS THAT HAVE 
BEEN CREATED IN SUCH JOBS IN 
VULNERABLE SECTORS, BUT WE WANT 
TO HELP STUDENTS TO CONTINUE 
UNTIL SEPTEMBER AND BEYOND.
[ End of Interpretation ]
>> Reporter: JUST LIKE TO ASK 
YOU ABOUT THE JOBS NUMBERS 
AGAIN.
YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW SOME 
GROUPS WERE GETTING HIS DES 
PROPORTIONATELY HARD, THINKING 
WOMEN AND YOUNG PEOPLE.
WHAT CAN THE GOVERNMENT DO AS 
THE RECOVERY BEGINS TO MAKE SURE
THAT THESE GROUPS AREN'T 
PERMANENTLY SET BACK? 
>> Prime Minister Trudeau: I 
THINK THE IDEA OF PERMANENT 
CHALLENGES IS PARTICULARLY 
POIGNANT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WHERE 
WE KNOW THAT A SUMMER WITHOUT 
WORK EXPERIENCE, A SUMMER WHERE 
THEY ARE STRUGGLING TO PAY THEIR
GROCERIES OR THEIR RENT IS A 
SIGNIFICANT SETBACK IN THEIR 
MARCH TOWARDS ECONOMIC 
INDEPENDENCE AND SUCCESSFUL 
OUTCOMES AFTER THEIR SCHOOLING.
THAT'S WHY WE PUT IN PLACE THE 
CANADA EMERGENCY STUDENT 
BENEFIT, TO HELP THEM THIS 
SUMMER MAKE SURE THAT THERE 
AREN'T LONG-TERM IMPACTS.
ON WOMEN PARTICULARLY THAT WE 
SEEN HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY 
IMPACTED BY THIS ECONOMIC 
CHALLENGE, AS WELL AS THE HEALTH
CHALLENGE, WE HAVE MOVED FORWARD
ON SUPPORTS FOR THEM, 
PARTICULARLY MORE EMERGENCY 
SUPPORTS FOR WOMEN WHO ARE 
FACING CHALLENGES OF DOMESTIC 
VIOLENCE.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE KNOW WE
HAVE TO DO MORE.
THE IMPORTANCE OF CHILD CARE HAS
BEEN YET AGAIN EMPHASIZED THAT 
AS WE MOVE TOWARDS AN ECONOMIC 
RE-STARTING, THERE NEEDS TO BE 
MORE AND SECURE CHILD CARE 
SPACES FOR PEOPLE TO GET BACK 
INTO THE WORKFORCE.
THESE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS 
THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO 
THINK ABOUT, BOTH IN THE 
IMMEDIATE BUT ALSO FOR THE 
LONGER TERM, TO MAKE SURE THAT 
EQUALITY IN THIS COUNTRY IS MORE
THAN JUST A GOAL BUT IS A 
CONCRETE REALITY.
[Speaking French]
[Voice of Interpreter]
I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF 
CONCERNS WE ALL HAVE ABOUT THE 
FUTURE YEARS, AND GROUPS LIKE 
YOUNG PEOPLE AND WOMEN COULD 
SUFFER THE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES
OF THIS CRISIS FOR MANY YEARS, 
MUCH LONGER THAN OTHERS.
AND THAT'S PRECISELY WHY WE 
INTRODUCED THE EMERGENCY STUDENT
BENEFIT WHICH WILL SUPPORT 
STUDENTS THIS SUMMER UNTIL THE 
END OF AUGUST SO THAT THEY CAN 
CONTINUE THEIR STUDIES WITHOUT 
FEELING TOO MUCH OF AN IMPACT OF
THIS CRISIS, AND ALSO CREATING 
MORE JOB OPPORTUNITIES SO THAT 
MANY OF THEM CAN GAIN THE 
NECESSARY EXPERIENCE THAT WILL 
BE VERY HELPFUL IN THE COMING 
YEARS.
WITH RESPECT TO WOMEN, WE KNOW 
THAT THERE IS ALWAYS MORE TO DO 
TO CREATE A FAIRER SOCIETY.
WE KNOW THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE 
MORE HELP FOR SHELTERS AND OTHER
FACILITIES THAT HELP THE VICTIMS
OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
WE HAVE ALREADY PROVIDED 
ASSISTANCE, BUT THERE'S MORE TO 
BE DONE.
NOW WHEN IT COMES TO DAYCARE 
CENTRES, OF COURSE THEY ARE VERY
IMPORTANT TO CANADA'S RECOVERY, 
AND PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT TO 
FAMILIES AND WOMEN, AND THAT'S 
WHY WE'RE LOOKING EXACTLY NOW AT
WHAT WE CAN DO THIS.
[ End of Interpretation ]
>> Reporter: -- IN TORONTO THE 
TTC HAS BEEN MAKING HISTORIC 
CUTS TO ITS SERVICE BECAUSE OF 
THE PANDEMIC.
TRANSIT GROUPS HAVE BEEN CALLING
ON THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO 
PROVIDE EMERGENCY FUNDING TO GET
EMERGENCY OR ESSENTIAL WORKERS 
TO THEIR JOBS.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT THE 
GOVERNMENT COULD LOOK AT?
>> Prime Minister Trudeau: THIS 
GOVERNMENT HAS MADE HISTORIC 
INVESTMENTS IN TRANSIT OVER THE 
PAST YEARS.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT PUBLIC TRANSIT
IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF GROWING 
THE ECONOMY, OF HELPING OUR 
CITIES, AND MOSTLY HELPING 
PEOPLE BE ABLE TO GET TO WORK 
FROM HOME IN A RELIABLE WAY.
THAT'S WHY WE BELIEVE SO DEEPLY 
IN TRANSIT.
OPERATION OF TRANSIT IS MORE OF 
A MUNICIPAL AND PROVINCIAL 
RESPONSIBILITY, AND WE HOPE TO 
SEE THE PROVINCES STEPPING UP ON
SUPPORTING THIS ESSENTIAL 
ELEMENT OF THE ECONOMIC 
RELAUNCH.
PEOPLE ARE GONNA NEED TO BE ABLE
TO GET TO AND FROM WORK AS WE 
WANT TO GET THE ECONOMY GOING 
AGAIN.
BUT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS 
ALWAYS LOOKING TO BE A PARTNER 
IN HELPING OUT IN TERMS OF 
ECONOMIC RELAUNCH, WHEREVER WE 
CAN.
>> Reporter: PRIME MINISTER, 
RACHEL HAINES FROM CTV NATIONAL 
NEWS.
LAST WEEK YOU WERE SAYING THAT 
HELP IS COMING FOR SENIORS.
THEY HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR THE 
LAST FEW WEEKS WHERE THE HELP 
FOR THEM IS.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CANADA 
EMERGENCY RESPONSE BENEFIT, 
WHICH GIVES $2,000 TO PEOPLE WHO
YOU SAY NEED IT MOST.
BUT SENIORS ARE STILL 
VULNERABLE, AND THEY STILL NEED 
TO PAY THEIR RENT AND THEIR 
GROCERIES, AND THEY ARE SAYING 
THAT THE GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS 
THAT THEY RECEIVE STILL DON'T 
ADD UP TO $2,000.
SO WHY DO SOME PEOPLE DESERVE 
$2,000 FROM THE GOVERNMENT AND 
OTHER PEOPLE DON'T?
>> Prime Minister Trudeau: FIRST
OF ALL, WE HAVE WORKED VERY, 
VERY HARD TO HELP ALL CANADIANS 
WITH REPLACEMENT OF INCOME THAT 
HAS BEEN LOST DURING THIS.
WE KNEW THAT WORKERS WHO WERE 
EXPECTING TO GET A PAYCHEQUE TO 
PAY FOR THEIR GROCERIES AND RENT
AND SUDDENLY BECAUSE OF COVID-19
LOST THEIR JOB, AND THERE WERE 
MILLIONS OF THEM, AS WE SAW IN 
THE RECENT JOB NUMBERS TODAY, 
NEEDED TO GET THAT INCOME 
REPLACEMENT, AND WE DID THAT 
WITH THE CANADA EMERGENCY 
RESPONSE BENEFIT.
SENIORS, MANY OF WHOM ARE ON 
FIXED INCOMES, DID NOT SEE THAT 
DISAPPEARANCE OF THEIR INCOME AT
THE SAME TIME, ALTHOUGH SOME 
DID, AND MANY QUALIFY FOR THE 
CERB, EVEN AS SENIORS, AND 
THEREFORE ARE GETTING THE 
SUPPORT.
AT THE SAME TIME, HOWEVER, WE 
RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE 
ADDITIONAL COSTS AND ADDITIONAL 
VULNERABILITIES THAT SENIORS 
HAVE BEEN FACING, AND THAT'S WHY
WE HAVE MADE INVESTMENTS, 
WHETHER IT'S THROUGH INCREASING 
THE GST SUPPLEMENT THAT HITS 
MANY, MANY VULNERABLE SENIORS, 
WHETHER IT'S THROUGH NEW 
PROGRAMS THAT ARE SUPPORTING 
SENIORS IN VULNERABLE 
SITUATIONS.
AND LIKE I SAID, WE'LL HAVE MORE
TO SAY VERY SOON ON HOW WE 
CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE SENIORS 
WHO BUILT US THIS EXTRAORDINARY 
COUNTRY AND TO WHOM WE OWE SO 
MUCH THANKS.
[Speaking French]
[Voice of Interpreter]
OUR PRIORITY RIGHT FROM THE 
OUTSET HAS BEEN TO REPLACE THE 
INCOME OF PEOPLE WHO HAD 
SUDDENLY LOST THEIR JOBS BECAUSE
OF COVID-19.
THESE WERE PEOPLE WHO EXPECTED 
TO RECEIVE A PAYCHEQUE IN ORDER 
TO PAY FOR THEIR GROCERIES OR 
PAY THEIR RENT, AND SO WE CAME 
FORWARD QUICKLY WITH MEASURES 
SUCH AS THE CANADA EMERGENCY 
RESPONSE BENEFIT, SOME 7 MILLION
CANADIANS ARE NOW RECEIVING THAT
BENEFIT, AND IT IS URGENT AND 
ESSENTIAL THAT THEY HAVE IT.
NOW FOR THE SENIORS, THERE ARE A
NUMBER WHO WILL ALSO QUALIFY FOR
THAT EMERGENCY BENEFIT BECAUSE 
THEY HAVE WORK INCOME, BUT EVEN 
IF THEY HAVE NOT LOST THEIR 
PENSION OR THEIR FIXED INCOME, 
THEY ARE HAVING TO ABSORB MORE 
COSTS BECAUSE OF COVID-19, AND 
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE BROUGHT IN 
MEASURES THAT WILL HAVE AN 
IMPACT ON THEM.
WHETHER IT IS ADDITIONAL GST 
PAYMENTS OR SPECIFIC PROGRAMS 
THAT SUPPORT THEM, WE ARE THERE 
TO SUPPORT THEM, AND WE WILL 
CONTINUE TO BE THERE FOR THEM, 
AND WE WILL HAVE OTHER 
ANNOUNCEMENTS TO MAKE IN THE 
COMING DAYS AS TO HOW WE WILL 
PROVIDE SPECIAL SUPPORT TO OUR 
PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE SENIORS 
WHO ARE GOING THROUGH DIFFICULT 
TIMES, BOTH IN TERMS OF THE 
ECONOMY AND THEIR HEALTH.
>> Reporter: A FEW MINUTES AGO 
IN RESPONSE TO A COLLEAGUE'S 
QUESTION, YOU SAID THAT PEOPLE 
DON'T HAVE TO GO BACK TO WORK IF
THEY DON'T FEEL SAFE THERE.
YESTERDAY WORKERS OUTSIDE OF THE
CARGILL MEAT PLANT, WHICH IS THE
LARGEST OUTBREAK IN CANADA, ARE 
SAYING THAT THEY DON'T FEEL SAFE
GOING TO WORK, EVEN THOUGH THEIR
EMPLOYERS ARE SAYING THAT 
THEY'VE PUT MEASURES IN PLACE.
SHOULD THESE WORKERS BE STAYING 
HOME, AND WHAT DO YOU SAY TO 
THEM IF THEY ARE NOT FEELING 
SAFE?
>> Prime Minister Trudeau: I'M 
NOT GOING TO WEIGH IN ON 
SPECIFIC CASES IN PROVINCIAL 
JURISDICTION, BUT I WILL SAY 
THAT IT IS A WELL-ESTABLISHED 
PRINCIPLE IN CANADA AND A 
HALLMARK OF OUR VALUES AS A 
COUNTRY THAT NO ONE SHOULD BE 
ASKED TO WORK IN UNSAFE 
CONDITIONS.
THAT APPLIES DURING A PANDEMIC 
AS WELL.
WE HAVE PUT IN MANY MEASURES 
ACROSS VARIOUS INDUSTRIES TO 
MINIMIZE THE RISK, PARTICULARLY 
AROUND ESSENTIAL WORK, BUT WE'RE
GONNA HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL TO
ENSURE THAT WE'RE DOING WHAT WE 
NEED TO DO RIGHT ACROSS THE 
COUNTRY.
BUSINESSES, ORDERS OF 
GOVERNMENTS AND ALL CANADIANS TO
ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE PEOPLE 
WHO ARE WORKING TO PROVIDE FOR 
THE REST OF US.
>> Reporter: GOOD MORNING, PRIME
MINISTER.
BRIAN MULLEN, GLOBAL NEWS.
TAIWAN HAS DONATED 500,000 
SURGICAL MASKS NEEDED BY 
CANADIAN HEALTH CARE WORKERS ON 
THE FRONT LINES OF THE PANDEMIC.
YOUR FOREIGN MINISTER WOULDN'T 
THANK THE COUNTRY BY NAME.
WOULD YOU?
>> Prime Minister Trudeau: I'M 
HAPPY TO THANK TAIWAN FOR ITS 
GENEROUS DONATION.
IT IS IMPORTANT AT THIS POINT 
THAT CANADIANS AND ALL PEOPLE 
AROUND THE WORLD PULL TOGETHER 
TO BE THERE FOR EACH OTHER 
BECAUSE THIS IS A GLOBAL 
CHALLENGE THAT IS GOING TO FACE 
A GLOBAL RESPONSE.
WE NEED TO DO THIS TOGETHER AND 
WE WILL.
>> Reporter: THE FORMER PRIME 
MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA, MALCOLM 
TURNBULL, SAYS CHINA IS A BULLY 
AND THAT THE WAY FOR CANADA TO 
DEAL WITH CHINA IS TO STAND UP 
FOR IT INSTEAD OF BACKING DOWN.
IS YOUR GOVERNMENT STANDING UP 
TO CHINA OR IS IT BACKING AWAY 
FROM CHINA?
>> Prime Minister Trudeau: MY 
RESPONSIBILITY AS PRIME MINISTER
IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE 
PROVIDING FOR CANADIANS AND 
KEEPING CANADIANS SAFE.
THAT'S THE JOB PEOPLE EXPECT ME 
TO DO, AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT 
I'M DOING.
WE'RE GONNA ENSURE THAT 
CANADIANS HAVE THE EQUIPMENT, 
THE SUPPLIES, THE SUPPORT THEY 
NEED TO MAKE IT THROUGH THIS 
PANDEMIC.
OF COURSE AT THE SAME TIME WE 
WILL BE ASKING DIFFICULT 
QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW WE'RE MAKING
IT THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC, HOW 
THIS CAME TO HAPPEN, HOW WE CAN 
LEARN FROM THIS.
THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF TIME FOR
QUESTIONS IN THE MONTHS TO COME.
MY FOCUS RIGHTLY IS ON DOING 
EVERYTHING I CAN TO HELP 
CANADIANS THROUGH THIS.
>> [INDISCERNIBLE]. 
>> Rosemary: ALL RIGHT, THIS IS 
THE PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA ON 
THIS FRIDAY, IN CASE YOU'RE 
STILL KEEPING TRACK OF DAYS OF 
THE WEEK, BRINGING SOME REACTION
TO THOSE STUNNING JOB NUMBERS 
TODAY, SHOWING THAT 2 MILLION 
MORE CANADIANS LOST THEIR JOB IN
THE MONTH OF APRIL, BRINGING THE
TOTAL OF CANADIANS NOW 
UNEMPLOYED TO 3 MILLION.
OF COURSE WE KNOW THE FIGURE OF 
PEOPLE THAT ARE STRUGGLING IS 
MUCH LARGER THAN THAT, GIVEN 
MANY, MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THEIR
JOBS REDUCED, BUT THE BIG NEWS 
TODAY FROM THE PRIME MINISTER IS
THAT THE WAGE SUBSIDY PROGRAM 
WILL BE EXTENDED BEYOND JUNE.
I'LL BRING IN MY COLLEAGUES TO 
HELP ME BREAK SOME OF THAT DOWN,
INCLUDING OTHER THINGS THE PRIME
MINISTER SAID.
VASSY KAPELOS AND CATHERINE 
CULLEN.
VASSY?
>> Vassy: SO I AGREE.
THAT'S HUGE NEWS.
THE EXTENSION OF THE WAGE 
SUBSIDY, NO DETAILS ON HOW LONG 
IT WILL BE EXTENDED FOR.
THE PRIME MINISTER SAYS THOSE 
DETAILS ARE COMING NEXT WEEK, 
BUT THAT'S THE SUBSIDY THAT THE 
GOVERNMENT IS OFFERING TO ANY 
BUSINESS, ANY SIZED BUSINESS 
THAT HAS SEEN A 30% REDUCTION IN
REVENUE, 15% IF YOU'RE LOOKING 
AT MARCH.
IF YOU CAN COMPARE THAT TO 
JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, AN AVERAGE
OF THOSE MONTHS, OR COMPARE IT 
TO THE SAME MONTH LAST YEAR, AND
AGAIN THE POINT IS, IT DOESN'T 
MATTER HOW MANY EMPLOYEES YOU 
HAVE, YOU COULD HAVE FIVE OR YOU
COULD HAVE 500.
YOU CAN STILL ACCESS THAT 
PROGRAM.
THEY ARE PAYING 75% OF THE WAGES
UP UNTIL A CERTAIN NUMBER, ABOUT
# $58,000.
THE EXTENSION OF THAT PROGRAM IS
GONNA MEAN A LOT, AND IT 
ACTUALLY REALLY INTERSECTS WITH 
THE STUFF WE WERE TALKING ABOUT 
PRIOR TO THE PRIME MINISTER'S 
PRESS CONFERENCE, AND THAT IS 
THE DATA OUT FROM STATISTICS 
CANADA TODAY ON THE NUMBER OF 
PEOPLE, THE NUMBER OF CANADIANS 
WHO HAVE LOST THEIR JOBS OR LOST
AT LEAST HALF THE HOURS THAT 
THEY NORMALLY WORK.
A REALLY, REALLY KEY PIECE OF 
DATA THAT UNDERPINS ALL THAT, 
ESPECIALLY WHERE THE MONTH OF 
APRIL IS CONCERNED, IS THAT 
ALMOST 90% OF THOSE WHO WERE 
NEWLY UNEMPLOYED WERE ON A 
TEMPORARY LAYOFF.
SO THEY DID EXPECT WHEN THE 
ECONOMY SORT OF CAME BACK TO 
LIFE, OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO 
CALL IT, OVER TIME, THAT THEY 
WOULD RETAIN THEIR EMPLOYMENT, 
THEY WOULD GET THEIR JOB BACK.
THE WAGE SUBSIDY IS DIRECTLY 
ADDRESSED -- EXTENDING THAT 
PROGRAM WOULD BE DIRECTLY 
ADDRESSING THAT, RIGHT?
SO AS THE ECONOMY -- AS IT COMES
BACK OR AS RESTRICTIONS ARE 
LOOSENED, STORES ARE ALLOWED TO 
OPEN UP, THE IDEA IS THAT 
EMPLOYERS WHO HAVE SUFFERED A 
BIG REVENUE DROP BECAUSE, 
PERHAPS, THEY HAD TO CLOSE OUR 
SHUDDER THEIR BUSINESS TO SOME 
DEGREE, WILL BE ABLE TO REHIRE 
PEOPLE THROUGH THIS WAGE 
SUBSIDY.
THE AMOUNT OF TIME, OF COURSE, 
THAT THIS IS IN EFFECT IS GOING 
TO BE REALLY SIGNIFICANT.
IS THIS AN EXTENSION, FOR 
EXAMPLE, OF FOUR MONTHS, OF SIX 
MONTHS, OF A MONTH?
THAT'S GOING TO MAKE A 
MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE TO 
EMPLOYERS AND PEOPLE WHO RUN 
BUSINESSES, BUT ON THE FLIP 
SIDE, I ALSO SORT OF GLEANED 
SOMETHING FROM WHAT THE PRIME 
MINISTER SAID, BECAUSE IT WAS 
OFTEN POSITED AGAINST THE CERB 
PROGRAM, RIGHT?
THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF 
QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS FOR
THAT PROGRAM.
NEXT WEEK PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO 
APPLY TO ACCESS THEIR THIRD 
MONTH.
THEY ONLY HAVE ONE MONTH AFTER 
THAT.
I CAN'T SAY FOR CERTAIN, BUT 
WHAT IT SOUNDED LIKE FROM THE 
PRIME MINISTER, THE WAY HE 
FRAMED THE ISSUE IS THE FOCUS 
FOR THE GOVERNMENT WHERE 
FINANCIAL AID IS CONCERNED WOULD
MOVE AS ECONOMIES REOPEN TO THAT
WAGE SUBSIDY, AND IT DIDN'T 
SOUND LIKE THERE WOULD BE ANY 
KIND OF CONCRETE EXTENSION OF 
THIS CERB PROGRAM.
OBVIOUSLY THAT CAN ALWAYS 
CHANGE, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THE 
FOCUS VERY MUCH IS ON THE WAGE 
PROGRAM VERSUS EXTENDING THE 
CERB.
>> Rosemary: YEAH, I AGREE.
I MEAN, HE DIDN'T SAY CLEARLY, 
BUT IT CERTAINLY SOUNDS AS 
THOUGH IF THEY ARE PUTTING 
THEIR -- IF THEY ARE GAMBLING ON
THE WAGE SUBSIDY PROGRAM 
WORKING, THEY ARE ALSO HOPING 
THAT FEWER PEOPLE NEED THE CERB 
AND THEY WILL ALL MOVE TO THE 
WAGE SUBSIDY PROGRAM.
ALTHOUGH I WONDER WHAT IT ALSO 
SAYS, THE FACT THAT IT IS BEING 
PROLONGED, WHAT THIS ALSO SAYS 
ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT'S VIEW OF 
WHERE THE ECONOMY IS GOING AND 
THE FACT THAT THE ECONOMY WILL 
NEED, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT BEYOND 
THE MONTHS THAT WE INITIALLY HAD
THOUGHT, AS YOU SAY, THAT WE 
DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THEY WOULD 
GIVE THAT SUPPORT, BUT IT 
CERTAINLY IS INDICATIVE OF HOW 
THIS IS NOT OBVIOUSLY A ROSY 
PICTURE FOR THE ECONOMY OVERALL.
LOTS OF QUESTIONS AND 
INTERESTING COMMENTS BY THE 
PRIME MINISTER ON THE PEOPLE WHO
WERE AFFECTED IN THESE JOB 
NUMBERS AS WELL.
>> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
I MEAN, I'M REALLY STRUCK BY 
THE -- BOTH THE GROUPS HE NAMED 
AND THE GROUPS THAT ARE 
REFLECTED IN THE DATA.
HE TALKED ABOUT THE 
VULNERABILITY OF WOMEN, OF 
YOUTH, OF NEW CANADIANS.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT JUSTIN
TRUDEAU HOPES TO STAND FOR, THE 
CONSTITUENCIES THAT HE'S TRIED 
TO SPEAK TO, SOMEONE WHO, YOU 
KNOW, SEES HIMSELF AS A FEMINIST
PRIME MINISTER, SOMEBODY WHO 
MADE HIMSELF THE MINISTER FOR 
YOUTH IN HIS LAST MANDATE, HE 
DID TRY TO OFFER A LOT OF 
ASSURANCE TODAY, ALTHOUGH I 
THINK IT WAS BROADLY IN THE 
ABSTRACT, SAYING THAT THESE ARE 
THINGS THAT THEY ARE GOING TO BE
MINDFUL OF MOVING FORWARD.
HE MADE THE POINT THAT AS HE 
SEES IT WE ARE NOT IN THE 
STIMULUS PHASE YET, STILL IN THE
PHASE OF TAKING CARE OF PEOPLE 
WHO ARE EXPERIENCING EMERGENCY 
SITUATIONS.
BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF QUESTIONS
ALREADY ABOUT WHAT THAT 
REBUILDING IS GOING TO LOOK 
LIKE.
IT WAS INTERESTING TO HEAR HIM 
TALK ABOUT CHILD CARE AND REALLY
SORT OF RE-SHAPING THE ECONOMY.
IT'S ONE OF A NUMBER OF 
BIG-PICTURE CONVERSATIONS, 
INCLUDING LONG-TERM CARE, 
INCLUDING HEALTH SECTOR FUNDING 
THAT THE PRIME MINISTER HAS 
PROMISED WE ARE GOING TO HAVE 
LATER, THE EXPECTATIONS ARE 
GOING TO BE HIGH, ROSIE. 
>> Rosemary: I WILL LET PEOPLE 
KNOW IF THEY ARE JOINING US ON 
THE "CBC NEWS NETWORK" OVER THE 
NEXT FEW MOMENTS, WE ARE GOING 
TO CONTINUE OUR COVERAGE HERE AS
WE WAIT FOR THE FEDERAL BRIEFING
BY CABINET MINISTERS AND FEDERAL
PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS TO GIVE 
US AN UPDATE ON THE PICTURE OF 
THE PANDEMIC IN THIS COUNTRY, 
BUT ALSO MAYBE MORE DETAILS ON 
THE GOVERNMENT'S ANNOUNCEMENT 
TODAY THAT THE WAGE SUBSIDY 
PROGRAM WILL BE EXTENDED INTO 
JUNE.
ALSO ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY BY THE 
PRIME MINISTER THAT THE 
INNOVATION MINISTER, NAVDEEP 
BAINS, WILL BE LEADING A SORT OF
SECTORAL TABLE TO LOOK AT 
DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES, WHAT THEIR
FUTURES MIGHT BE, WHAT SORT OF 
ONGOING SUPPORT THEY MIGHT NEED.
I'LL JUST SAY, THE OTHER LINE 
THAT STOOD OUT FOR ME AS 
CATHERINE WAS TALKING ABOUT 
SEGMENTS OF THE POPULATION THAT 
WERE AFFECTED, WHEN HE WAS 
TALKING ABOUT VULNERABLE WORKERS
OR PEOPLE THAT ARE UNDER-VALUED,
WOMEN, NEW CANADIANS, STUDENTS, 
LOTS OF STUDENTS ALSO OUT OF 
WORK NOW.
HE SAID THE FOLLOWING QUOTE: 
EQUALITY IS MORE THAN A GOAL, 
BUT IT NEEDS TO BE A CONCRETE 
REALITY.
SO INDEED, THERE'S AN 
INTERESTING CONVERSATION GOING 
TO HAPPEN AS THE ECONOMY SHIFTS 
AND AS WE ALL SHIFT OUT OF THIS 
AT SOME POINT.
LET ME BRING IN THE CBC'S SENIOR
BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT BEFORE WE
HEAD OFF TO THAT NEXT PRESS 
CONFERENCE, PETER ARMSTRONG IS 
HERE.
HE'S ALSO BEEN LOOKING AT THE 
NUMBERS, AND TRYING TO GIVE US 
MAYBE A BETTER STATE OF HOW THEY
REFLECT THE STATE OF THE 
ECONOMY.
OH, MAYBE WE DON'T HAVE HIM YET.
OKAY, WE'LL COME BACK TO HIM.
LET ME GO TO MY OTHER 
COLLEAGUES, THEN, VASSY AND 
CATHERINE -- OH, HE CAME BACK.
GALS, SORRY.
HE CAME BACK.
I'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO YOU.
HERE'S PETER.
HE'S PROBABLY WORKING REMOTELY.
WE DON'T SEE HIM.
WELL, THEN, WE'LL WAIT.
WE HEAR HIM.
OKAY.
I'M NOT SURE EVERYONE WANTS TO 
LOOK AT ME FOR TWO MINUTES, BUT,
PETER, TELL US WHAT THESE JOB 
NUMBERS TELL YOU ABOUT THE STATE
OF THE ECONOMY AND, YOU KNOW, 
HOW BAD THIS IS AND IT'S GOING 
TO BE.
>> Peter: YEAH, AND I THINK 
THAT'S THE KEY HERE, IS HOW BAD 
IS IT GOING TO BE.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SEEN THESE 
NUMBERS, THEY ARE STAGGERING, 
AND THEY ARE SO BIG THAT THEY 
ARE KIND OF HARD TO GET YOUR 
HEAD AROUND.
THEY SEEM ALMOST ABSTRACT WHEN 
YOU'RE TALKING 3 MILLION 
CANADIANS HAVE LOST THEIR JOBS.
REMEMBER, THOUGH, WE'RE NOW 
LOOKING AT I THINK IT'S 7.6 
MILLION CANADIANS HAVE APPLIED 
FOR SOME KIND OF RELIEF, SO 
WE'VE GOT ANOTHER 850,000 
CANADIANS ON TOP OF THESE 
NUMBERS THAT HAVE BEEN ADDED IN,
AND TO ME, THE BIG QUESTION HERE
IS WHAT DOES THIS TELL US ABOUT 
WHAT THE RECOVERY WILL LOOK 
LIKE.
AND I THINK A LOT OF QUESTIONS 
ARE THERE NOW ABOUT, YOU KNOW, 
HOW OFTEN, HOW QUICKLY ARE YOU 
GOING TO GO BACK TO YOUR LOCAL 
CAFÉ TO HAVE LUNCH IN A 
RESTAURANT, TO GO TO THE MOVIES 
ON A FRIDAY NIGHT, TO GET BACK 
TO LIFE IN GENERAL?
AND THE MORE WE THINK ABOUT 
THAT, THE CLEARER PICTURE WE AS 
CONSUMERS HAVE AROUND WHAT OUR 
ACTIVITY WILL BE.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, BUSINESSES 
ARE GOING TO BE THINKING ABOUT 
THAT AND FACTORING IT IN TO HOW 
QUICKLY THEY RAMP BACK UP.
ARE THEY GOING TO GO BACK TO 
FULL EMPLOYMENT RIGHT AWAY?
IT SURE DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT 
BECAUSE I THINK MOST OF US 
AREN'T GOING TO DO THAT.
SO THAT'S WHY THAT FLEXIBILITY 
IN THE PROGRAM LIKE WE SAW TODAY
WITH THE PRIME MINISTER ADDING 
IN EXTRA MONTHS OF CAPACITY TO 
THE CERB AND TO OTHER PROGRAMS 
IS SO IMPORTANT, BECAUSE THIS IS
NOT GOING TO BE WHAT THEY CALL 
THAT V-SHAPED RECOVERY.
IT'S MUCH MORE LIKELY TO BE A 
LONG CHECKMARK OF SORTS THAT'S 
JUST GOING TO TAKE TIME.
AND I THINK A LOT OF THAT IS 
GOING TO BE ON US AS CONSUMERS 
AS WE REVISIT WHAT WE'RE WILLING
TO SPEND OUR MONEY ON, WHERE 
WE'RE WILLING TO GO AND HOW SAFE
WE FEEL GOING BACK INTO A LOT OF
BUSINESSES WE USED TO GO TO 
EVERY DAY.
>> Rosemary: WELL, AND AS THE 
PRIME MINISTER TALKED ABOUT, THE
WAGE SUBSIDY PROGRAM BEING 
EXTENDED, HE ALSO MENTIONED THAT
THIS IS NOT ABOUT STIMULUS AT 
THIS POINT.
ALTHOUGH WE ALSO KNOW THAT THE 
STIMULUS PART OF THIS WILL LOOK 
VERY DIFFERENT THAN IT WOULD 
LOOK OUTSIDE OF ANOTHER SORT OF 
MORE TYPICAL RECESSION, LIKE THE
ONE WE EXPERIENCED IN 2008.
>> Peter: THAT IS SUCH AN 
IMPORTANT POINT HERE, BECAUSE 
REMEMBER, LIKE, THE STIMULUS 
PROGRAM IN 2008 WAS A BUNCH OF 
SHOVEL-READY PROGRAMS, JUST GET 
PEOPLE WORKING AGAIN AND, HEY, 
LET'S LOWER INTEREST RATES AND 
ENCOURAGE CONSUMERS TO BORROW 
AND SPEND.
AND WE DID.
WE DID REALLY WELL IN THAT.
WE TOOK ON RECORD LEVELS OF 
DEBT, BUT WE PROBABLY SAVED THE 
ECONOMY IN DOING THAT, AND IT'S 
AN IMPORTANT POINT, BECAUSE 
WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO 
COUNT ON THE CONSUMER TO SPEND 
OUR WAY OUT OF THIS RECESSION 
THIS TIME.
AND WHATEVER SORT OF STIMULUS 
PROGRAMS WE'RE LOOKING AT, IN 
TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, LIKE, 
SHOVEL-READY PROGRAMS, THEY ARE 
NOT GOING TO ADDRESS THOSE 
PEOPLE THAT YOU GUYS WERE JUST 
TALKING ABOUT WITH VASSY, THE 
MOST VULNERABLE, THE WOMEN, THE 
SERVICES SECTOR DOESN'T RESPOND 
THE SAME WAY AS, YOU KNOW, 
MANUFACTURING AND CONSTRUCTION 
WILL.
AND SO THEY NEED TO REALLY THINK
CREATIVELY ABOUT HOW CAN WE USE 
THE FEDERAL WEIGHT AND POWER AND
MONEY TO GET THOSE SORT OF 
SERVICES SECTOR JOBS BACK UP AND
RUNNING.
AND IS THAT MORE OF A PROGRAM OF
AWARENESS AND OF HELP IN GETTING
THOSE BUSINESSES TO A PLACE 
WHERE THEY DO MAKE PEOPLE FEEL 
MORE COMFORTABLE TO GO BACK IN 
AND INCREASING THEIR CAPACITY 
AND CHANGING SORT OF SIDEWALK 
PATTERNS AND ROAD PATTERNS SO 
YOU CAN HAVE MORE, YOU KNOW, 
SORT OF PATIO AND TERRACE 
CAPACITY FOR RESTAURANTS AND 
CAFÉS.
IT'S GOING TO TAKE CREATIVE 
THINKING BECAUSE THERE HAS NEVER
BEEN A SERVICES-DRIVEN RECESSION
BEFORE.
THEY ARE ALWAYS SORT OF 
GOODS-PRODUCING SECTORS TO GET 
HIT FIRST AND THEN SERVICES GET 
DRAGGED INTO IT LATER.
THIS IS DIFFERENT AND WILL 
REQUIRE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT 
RESPONSE.
>> Rosemary: OKAY, PETER 
ARMSTRONG, GOOD TO HEAR YOU EVEN
IF WE COULDN'T SEE YOU.
>>> WANT TO TAKE US TO SOMEONE 
WHO IS EXPERIENCING UNEMPLOYMENT
IN SASKATOON, REBECCA ZURK.
SHE WANTS TO RETURN TO HER WORK 
AS A HAIRSTYLEST.
WE TALKED TO HER ABOUT A MONTH 
AGO, BUT SHE HAS SOME CONCERNS 
ABOUT HOW HER INDUSTRY IS GOING 
TO ADJUST.
GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN, REBECCA. 
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME BACK.
>> Rosemary: SO YOU ARE STILL ON
CERB, I WOULD IMAGINE, IF YOU'RE
INTO PROBABLY -- YEAH, SO YOU'RE
ON YOUR THIRD PAYMENT OR YOUR 
LAST PAYMENT?
>> THIS WILL BE MY SECOND.
THE DAYS BLEND TOGETHER. 
>> Rosemary: I KNOW, THAT'S 
TRUE.
I SHOULDN'T BE ASKING TIMELINE 
QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT.
NOW SASKATCHEWAN IS SLOWLY 
MOVING TO REOPEN A BIT.
WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE HAIR 
SALON INDUSTRY?
CAN YOU GO BACK?
IS IT SAFE TO GO BACK?
>> SO THEY OPENED PHASE ONE 
WHICH STARTS WITH, LIKE, AN 
OUTDOOR ACTIVITY, THINGS LIKE 
THAT, SOME VERY SIMPLE THINGS TO
KIND OF MAINTAIN SOCIAL 
DISTANCING.
HAIR DRESSING IS ONE OF THE 
PERSONAL SERVICES THAT'S 
INCLUDED IN PHASE TWO ALONG WITH
THINGS LIKE MASSAGE THERAPY AND 
OTHER SIMILAR SERVICES.
[INDISCERNIBLE] IF YOU CAN 
IMAGINE, I MISS MY WORK SO MUCH.
I'M TIRED OF BEING AT HOME.
I'M TIRED OF BEING AWAY FROM MY 
CLIENTS.
I MISS MY WORK SO MUCH.
HOWEVER, I AM SO CONCERNED ABOUT
THE SAFETY ASPECT OF GOING BACK 
TO WORK.
>> Rosemary: WE SHOULD ALSO ADD 
THAT YOU'RE ALSO PREGNANT, SO 
THAT'S ALSO AN ADDED 
COMPLICATION, I WOULD IMAGINE, 
SOMETHING YOU'RE CONSIDERING AND
THINKING ABOUT.
DO YOU HAVE ANY SENSE OF WHETHER
THERE WOULD BE P.P.E., PERSONAL 
PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, FOR YOU IF
YOU WERE GOING TO GO BACK?
>> SO WE'VE BEEN GIVEN 
GUIDELINES AND SUGGESTIONS FOR 
P.P.E.
HOWEVER, MY CONCERN IS, ONE, 
AFFORDABLE ACCESS, A 
SELF-EMPLOYED PERSON WHO'S BEEN 
OUT OF WORK FOR ALMOST TWO 
MONTHS, WE'RE REDUCING OUR HOURS
AND CAPACITY AND ALSO ADDING AN 
EXTRA COST ON TOP OF OUR 
OPERATING.
AS WELL AS WHERE THE HECK DO I 
GET IT?
I'VE REACHED OUT TO SO MANY 
DIFFERENT SPACES.
HOWEVER, THE AVERAGE COST HAS 
INCREASED, FOR EXAMPLE, A BOX OF
50 SURGICAL MASKS USED TO BE 
AROUND $15.
THE AVERAGE IS NOW 50 TO 60, SO 
IF THAT'S -- IF YOU'RE ABLE TO 
FIND IT, AND MORE THAN ONCE.
SO THE CONCERN IS A REGULAR 
ACCESS TO IT, A LONG-TERM ACCESS
TO IT, AND ALSO HOW TO USE IT.
I'VE NEVER BEEN TRAINED HOW TO 
USE AN N-95.
I'VE NEVER BEEN TRAINED HOW TO 
DO HOSPITAL OR HEALTH CARE FOR A
PATIENT.
MY WORK IS VERY SERVICE LEVEL.
HOWEVER AT TIMES LIKE THIS WE 
HAVE TO REALLY CONSIDER EVERY 
SINGLE AVENUE TO ENSURE THE 
SAFETY OF MYSELF AS WELL AS MY 
CLIENTS AND THE PUBLIC.
>> Rosemary: SO I'M NOT SURE IF 
YOU HEARD THE PRIME MINISTER, 
BUT HE HAS EXTENDED THE WAGE 
SUBSIDY PROGRAM, BUT OF COURSE 
THAT DOESN'T DO ANYTHING FOR 
PEOPLE WHO ARE SELF-EMPLOYED, 
LIKE YOURSELF, AND THE CERB, IT 
DIDN'T SOUND TO ME -- I MEAN, HE
DIDN'T SAY THIS CONCRETELY, BUT 
IT DIDN'T SOUND TO ME LIKE THAT 
WILL BE EXTENDED BECAUSE HE'S 
HOPING THAT COMPANIES WILL USE 
THE WAGE SUBSIDY PROGRAM.
DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE JUST 
GOING TO HAVE TO BE SORT OF 
FORCED BACK TO WORK IN SOME WAY 
BECAUSE YOU'RE JUST NOT GOING TO
HAVE ANY FURTHER SUPPORT 
POSSIBLY?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
THAT IS MY BIGGEST CONCERN.
OBVIOUSLY MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS 
OPERATING SAFELY, THE HEALTH AND
SAFETY OF MYSELF, MY CHILD AND 
MY CLIENTS, AND MY FAMILY ON TOP
OF THAT TOO.
THAT'S TOP PRIORITY.
HOWEVER, I FEEL LIKE I'LL ALMOST
BE FORCED TO GO BACK TO WORK IN 
AN UNSAFE ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE I 
CAN'T FINANCIALLY SUPPORT NOT 
WORKING AND NOT RECEIVING ANY 
KIND OF BENEFIT.
SO WHAT THAT WILL EITHER HAPPEN 
IS PUT ME IN A SITUATION WHERE I
HAVE TO RISK MY HEALTH TO GO 
BACK TO WORK, WHICH IS A DIRECT 
CONTRADICTION OF WHAT HE SAID 
TODAY IN REGARDS TO SAFE WORKING
CONDITIONS FOR ALL CANADIANS, OR
HAVE NO INCOME.
>> Rosemary: WELL, I MEAN, AS 
YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE BEEN SORT OF
CREATING POLICY ON THE FLY.
MAYBE THERE WILL BE SOMETHING 
THAT CAN BE DONE FOR PEOPLE WHO 
ARE SELF-EMPLOYED, LIKE 
YOURSELF, WHO WON'T GET THE WAGE
SUBSIDY BUT MIGHT NEED TO CARRY 
ON WITH THE CERB A LITTLE BIT 
LONGER.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHERE 
THEY ARE AT IN TERMS OF THAT, 
BUT I DO -- I'M SURE THAT THEY 
ARE HEARING YOU BECAUSE AS THE 
PRIME MINISTER SAID NO ONE IS 
WANTING ANYONE TO GO BACK TO 
WORK IF THEY FEEL UNSAFE, AS 
YOU'VE WELL SPOKEN ABOUT THERE.
REBECCA, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
HANG IN THERE.
I'M AT WORK EVERY DAY, SO I CAN 
SYMPATHIZE WITH THE IDEA OF 
BEING AT HOME EVERY DAY.
THAT'S ALSO A DIFFICULT 
ENDEAVOUR.
>> THANK YOU AGAIN FOR HAVING 
ME.
>> Rosemary: OKAY, STAY HEALTHY 
AND LOOK AFTER THAT BABY IN 
THERE.
APPRECIATE IT.
>> THANK YOU, I WILL.
>> Rosemary: ALL RIGHT, I'LL 
BRING BACK MY COLLEAGUES, VASSY 
AND CATHERINE, AS WE STAND BY 
FOR THE UPDATE, THE PRESS 
CONFERENCE FROM MINISTERS AND 
HEALTH OFFICIALS.
AGAIN, THE PRIME MINISTER DIDN'T
SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THE CERB, SO 
MAYBE THERE WILL HAVE TO BE, 
THOUGH, SOME INTERIM MEASURES 
THERE FOR PEOPLE THAT WILL SORT 
OF BE STUCK, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW,
HOW THIS HAS UNFOLDED MANY TIMES
WITH THE POLICY.
A POLICY IS ANNOUNCED, WE FIND 
PEOPLE THAT ARE MISSED OR NOT 
CAPTURED, BUT THE PEOPLE WHO 
CAN'T MOVE TO THE WAGE SUBSIDY, 
LIKE REBECCA, AND MAYBE DON'T 
FEEL OKAY GOING BACK TO WORK, IT
DOES SORT OF LEAVE SOME 
QUESTIONS I THINK FOR THE 
GOVERNMENT ABOUT WHAT THOSE 
PEOPLE SHOULD BE DOING AND 
WHETHER THEY SHOULD GET FURTHER 
RELIEF AND SUPPORT GOING 
FORWARD, VASSY.
>> Vassy: YEAH, AND EVEN TO TAKE
IT A STEP FURTHER, ROSIE, THERE 
ARE PEOPLE WHO, FOR EXAMPLE, CAN
ACCESS THE CERB RIGHT NOW, 
CANNOT ACCESS THE WAGE SUBSIDY, 
ALSO CAN'T ACCESS THE -- AND I 
KNOW I'M BANGING ON A BIT OF A 
DRUM HERE, BUT I KEEP HEARING 
FROM THEM, CAN'T ACCESS THE 
BUSINESS LOAN, SO PEOPLE WHO 
HAVE -- CONTRACTORS, FOR 
EXAMPLE, THEY PAY INSTEAD OF 
PEOPLE ON THE PAYROLL OR WHO ARE
THEMSELVES SELF-EMPLOYED, 
SIMILAR TO THE SITUATION THAT 
YOUR LAST GUEST WAS IN, BUT 
CAN'T ACCESS ANYTHING TO KEEP 
THEIR BUSINESS GOING OR USE 
DIVIDENDS, FOR EXAMPLE, AND THEY
HAVE BEEN ASKING WHERE DO WE FIT
INTO ALL OF THIS.
FOR WEEKS.
THE GOVERNMENT HAS SO FAR NOT 
PROVIDED ANY DETAILS ABOUT HOW 
THEY MIGHT BE HELPED OTHER THAN 
SENDING THEM TO A REGIONAL 
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCY, BUT
EVEN THERE THEY ARE NOT GETTING 
SPECIFIC HELP FOR IT.
SO THERE ARE FURTHER QUESTIONS, 
EXTENDING THE WAGE SUBSIDY I 
THINK WILL BE WELCOME NEWS BY SO
MANY BUSINESSES.
WENOW 96,000 AS OF MONDAY HAD 
APPLIED FOR IT.
THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE 
GETTING, AT LEAST 90% OF THEM, 
THEIR MONEY STARTING YESTERDAY.
SO CERTAINLY THAT'S -- I'M NOT 
TAKING AWAY FROM THAT AT ALL, 
BUT THERE ARE AND THERE CONTINUE
TO BE PEOPLE WHO FALL THROUGH 
THE CRACKS, AND MY GUESS IS, AS 
WE MOVE INTO THIS PHASE WHERE 
THINGS ARE NOT ALL SHUT DOWN, 
YOU'RE GOING TO SEE MORE 
EXAMPLES OF THAT.
SO EVEN FOR PEOPLE, FOR EXAMPLE,
WHERE THE EMERGENCY BUSINESS 
LOAN HAS RUN OUT, $40,000, HOW 
MUCH RENT DOES THAT COVER, 
ESPECIALLY IN A BIG MARKET?
HOW MUCH OF YOUR FIXED COSTS 
DOES THAT COVER?
WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM AFTER THIS?
I JUST -- I THINK THAT, YOU 
KNOW, YOU HIT WITH PETER THE 
POINTS THAT THE PRIME MINISTER 
MADE THAT WERE NOT EVEN IN THE 
STIMULUS -- WE'RE NOT EVEN IN 
THE STIMULUS PART OF THIS, AND I
WONDER HOW LONG IT WILL BE UNTIL
WE ARE IN THAT PART OF IT.
WHAT IF IT IS UNTIL WE HAVE THE 
VACCINE?
THAT'S THE NEXT YEAR AND A HALF 
THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS TO SORT 
OF FIGURE OUT HOW TO SUPPORT ALL
THESE DIFFERENT SEGMENTS OF 
SOCIETY, OF THE ECONOMY IN A WAY
THAT THEY HAVE NEVER HAD TO 
PREVIOUSLY, RIGHT?
NO RECESSION HAS REQUIRED THIS 
LEVEL OF SUPPORT AND PERHAPS FOR
THIS LONG.
AND I CAN'T IMAGINE THE SORT OF 
POLICY CONSIDERATIONS THAT ARE 
BEFORE THEM RIGHT NOW.
>> Rosemary: YEAH, AND A 
REMINDER THAT THIS IS WHAT THE 
GOVERNMENT HAS CALLED THE 
BIGGEST GOVERNMENT AID PACKAGE 
IN HISTORY, CERTAINLY NOT OF 
WAR-TIME PACKAGE, $73 BILLION, 
SO EVEN ADDING ON EXTRA TIME TO 
THE WAGE SUBSIDY PROGRAM MAYBE 
WE'LL GET SOME DETAILS AT THIS 
PRESS CONFERENCE, OR NEXT WEEK, 
BUT THAT OBVIOUSLY -- THE TICKET
BEHIND THAT GROWS FOR THE 
GOVERNMENT, AND IT THEN TAKES ON
MORE DEBT.
SO ALL THESE THINGS HAVE TO BE 
THOUGHT ABOUT.
IT IS INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TO 
NAVIGATE.
THAT'S FOR SURE.
CATHERINE, JUST OVER TO YOU ON 
THOSE POINTS?
>> YEAH, ONE THING I WANT TO 
PICK UP ON SOMETHING ELSE THE 
PRIME MINISTER SAID WHICH IS IN 
SOME WAYS THE OTHER SIDE OF THE 
COIN, AND UNDERSTANDABLY WE ARE 
TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO HAVE 
LOST THEIR JOBS OR WHO ARE NOT 
WORKING, WHO HAVE NO HOURS RIGHT
NOW, BUT HE DID MAKE THAT 
COMMENT THAT NO CANADIAN SHOULD 
WORK SOMEWHERE WHERE THEY ARE 
CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR HEALTH AND
SAFETY, AND HE WAS PRESSED BY 
ONE OF OUR COLLEAGUES ABOUT THE 
SITUATION IN CARGILL.
HE SAID IT IS A PRECEDENT, IT IS
A STANDARD IN CANADA THAT WE 
DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO GO INTO 
JOBS WHERE THEY DO NOT FEEL 
SAFE.
I THINK, THOUGH, IT'S IMPORTANT 
TO REFLECT CERTAINLY THE 
CONDITIONS AT THE CARGILL MEAT 
PLANT ARE ONE EXAMPLE, BUT I 
COULDN'T HELP THINKING AS HE 
SAID THAT THE FIRST TIME OF 
STORIES COMING OUT OF QUEBEC, 
PARTICULARLY ONTARIO AS WELL, 
THERE ARE STORIES IN QUEBEC OF 
NURSES WEARING GARBAGE BAGS AS 
PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT.
THERE ARE STORIES THAT OUR 
COLLEAGUES AT CBC MONTREAL HAVE 
DONE ABOUT SPEECH THERAPISTS, 
SOCIAL WORKERS, PEOPLE WHO ARE 
PART OF THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM 
BUT DO NOT NORMALLY GET 
THEMSELVES INVOLVED IN DIRECT 
PATIENT CARE WHO WERE TOLD IF 
YOU DO NOT GO INTO THESE 
LONG-TERM CARE CENTRES YOU WILL 
BE FIRED.
SO I THINK THE STANDARD THAT THE
PRIME MINISTER IS TALKING ABOUT 
IS CERTAINLY ONE THAT WE AS 
CANADIANS WOULD ALL LIKE TO SEE,
BUT EVEN HIS ANNOUNCEMENT 
YESTERDAY ABOUT TRYING TO 
ENCOURAGE AND PROTECT LET'S SAY 
ESSENTIAL WORKERS BY OFFERING 
THEM A WAGE TOP-UP, WE HAVE TO 
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT MANY OF THE 
PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT THERE WORKING
RIGHT NOW PROBABLY FEEL SOME 
DEGREE OF RISK TO THEIR HEALTH 
AND SAFETY, WHILE WE MIGHT HOPE 
THAT'S THE STANDARD, I THINK FOR
MANY PEOPLE TO SOME EXTENT IT'S 
NOT RIGHT NOW.
>> Rosemary: FOR SURE, AND THERE
ARE, AS THE PRIME MINISTER SAID,
LABOUR STANDARDS INSIDE A 
PROVINCE, AND THEY HAVE TO SORT 
OF -- COMPANIES ARE SUPPOSED TO,
YOU KNOW, ADHERE TO THOSE. 
>> ABIDE BY THEM.
>> Rosemary: EXACTLY, AND 
OBVIOUSLY THAT'S WHAT EVERYONE 
WOULD HOPE IS HAPPENING.
I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH THE 
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CAN DO TO 
ENSURE THAT IT HAPPENS, ALTHOUGH
I SUPPOSE THEY COULD SAY AND 
MAKE IT VERY CLEAR THAT IF YOU 
DON'T WANT TO GO TO WORK AND YOU
DON'T FEEL SAFE THAT YOU WILL 
CONTINUE TO GET A BENEFIT.
THAT SEEMS TO ME THE ONLY WAY 
YOU COULD REALLY SUPPORT THAT 
IDEA THAT SAFETY IS AN ISSUE FOR
A LOT OF PEOPLE AND WILL BE 
GOING FORWARD.
I MEAN, YOU HEARD THERE FROM OUR
FRIEND REBECCA, SHE DOESN'T EVEN
KNOW WHERE TO GET THINGS IF SHE 
WAS GOING TO GO INTO WORK, AND 
I'M SURE SHE'S NOT ALONE IN 
THAT.
WHERE DO YOU GET THE EQUIPMENT 
YOU WOULD NEED TO BE RIGHT IN 
SOMEONE'S FACE?
IT'S A CHALLENGING THING.
YES, VASSY?
>> Vassy: I WAS JUST GOING TO 
SAY I THINK FROM SPEAKING WITH 
SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO WORK AT 
CARGILL AND IN PARTICULAR MORE 
PUBLICLY THE REPRESENTATIVE OF 
THE UNION THERE, THE PRESIDENT 
OF THE UNION WHO REPRESENTS 
THOSE WORKERS, THOUGH WE HEAR 
FROM VARIOUS LEVELS OF 
GOVERNMENT ABOUT JURISDICTION, 
TO THEM, JURISDICTION IS NOT AS 
SALIENT A POINT, RIGHT?
LIKE, THEY ARE LOOKING FOR THE 
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, BECAUSE THEY
DON'T FEEL THAT THEY ARE SAFE AT
THIS POINT, THEY DON'T 
NECESSARILY HAVE THE FAITH IN 
THE REGULATOR THAT DOES EXIST, 
AND I TAKE THE POINT THAT THAT'S
SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN FROM 
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY IN THE 
PROVINCE.
THEY WANT AN INVESTIGATION LED 
BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
THEY ARE HOPING THAT SOMEONE 
INTERVENES, AND I THINK THERE 
ARE A LOT OF ISSUES LIKE THAT 
RIGHT NOW.
FOR EXAMPLE, TRANSIT.
WE HEARD THE PRIME MINISTER SAY,
WELL, THAT'S A PROVINCIAL 
JURISDICTION.
THE PROVINCE IS SAYING WE ARE 
BROKE.
WE ALREADY HAVE A LOT OF DEBT.
PEOPLE WHO NEED TO ACCESS THAT 
AFFORDABLE TRANSIT, AND YOU CAN 
ADD GREYHOUND AND OTHER BUS 
CARRIERS TO THAT WHICH HAVE NOW 
SUSPENDED ALL OF THEIR BUSINESS,
THEY ARE NOT TAKING ANYONE 
ANYWHERE, THEY ARE ASKING FOR 
HELP FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
TOO.
AND I HEAR WHAT THE FEDERAL 
GOVERNMENT IS SAYING IN THAT 
THESE ISSUES ARE, BY AND LARGE, 
PROVINCIAL JURISDICTION, BUT FOR
THE PEOPLE WHO ARE AFFECTED BY 
THEM, THAT JURISDICTION ISN'T 
NECESSARILY PARAMOUNT, AND I 
THINK, YOU KNOW, TO -- HE 
DIDN'T -- THE PRIME MINISTER 
WOULDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT 
CARGILL.
AND MY GUESS IS THOSE WHO WORK 
THERE WERE HOPING FOR A BIT 
MORE. 
>> Rosemary: YEAH, THOSE ARE ALL
FAIR POINTS.
I MEAN, I THINK THERE ARE 
WONDERFUL THINGS ABOUT LIVING IN
A FEDERATION, AND THEN THERE ARE
THINGS THAT ARE CLEARLY 
COMPLICATED TOO.
VASSY AND CATHERINE, THANK YOU.
I WILL GO NOW TO THE PRESS 
CONFERENCE, FEDERAL MINISTERS 
AND HEALTH OFFICIALS GIVING AN 
UPDATE.
THIS IS THE DEPUTY PRIME 
MINISTER, CHRYSTIA FREELAND.
[Speaking French]
[Voice of Interpreter]
-- YOU CAN'T GO OUT TO SEE YOUR 
FRIENDS.
HOWEVER, SUNDAY IS MOTHER'S DAY,
AND IF YOU CAN GIVE YOUR MOM A 
BIG HUG AND MAYBE HELP YOUR 
FAMILY BY CLEANING THE HOUSE, I 
AM SURE THAT ALL MOMS ACROSS THE
COUNTRY WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE 
THAT.
[ End of Interpretation ]
I WOULD LIKE TO START BY SAYING 
SOMETHING TO ALL THE POOR 
CHILDREN OF CANADA.
I KNOW THAT THIS IS SUCH A 
DIFFICULT TIME FOR YOU, COOPED 
UP AT HOME AND NOT ABLE TO GO 
AND PLAY WITH YOUR FRIENDS.
BUT SUNDAY IS MOTHER'S DAY, AND 
I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SAY, IF 
YOU CAN, GIVE YOUR MOTHER A HUG.
GIVE HER A KISS.
IF YOU CAN, MAYBE HELP CLEAN UP 
THE HOUSE A LITTLE BIT.
I KNOW IT'S HARD FOR YOU, BUT IT
IS REALLY ALSO A HARD TIME FOR 
PARENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AND I KNOW YOUR PARENTS AND 
ESPECIALLY YOUR MOTHERS WOULD 
REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
AND IN THE INTERESTS OF 
DISCLOSURE, I MUST SAY I DO HAVE
A PERSONAL INTEREST IN SHARING 
THIS MESSAGE WITH THE CHILDREN 
OF CANADA.
SO TODAY WE WILL HEAR FROM 
CANADA'S CHIEF PUBLIC HEALTH 
OFFICER, DR. THERESA TAM, THE 
DEPUTY CHIEF PUBLIC HEALTH 
OFFICER, DR. HOWARD NJOO, BY 
VIDEO LINK OUR MINISTER OF 
EMPLOYMENT, CARLA QUALTROUGH.
[Speaking French]
[Voice of Interpreter]
VIA VIDEO CONFERENCE, THE 
MINISTER OF CANADIAN HERITAGE. 
[ End of Interpretation ]
AND NAVDEEP BAINS AND. 
[Speaking French]
[Voice of Interpreter]
THE PRESIDENT OF TREASURY BOARD,
JEAN YVES DUCLOS.
[ End of Interpretation ]
>> GOOD AFTERNOON TO ALL OF YOU.
I WILL NOW PRESENT THE NUMBERS 
ON COVID-19 IN CANADA.
THERE ARE NOW 65,399 CONFIRMED 
CASES, INCLUDING 4,471 DEATHS.
AND 29,000, OR 45% OF CASES HAVE
NOW RECOVERED.
LABS ACROSS CANADA HAVE TESTED 
OVER 1.032 MILLION PEOPLE FOR 
COVID-19 WITH ABOUT 6% OF THESE 
TESTING POSITIVE TO DATE.
IN THE PAST WEEK WE HAVE TESTED 
AN AVERAGE OF OVER 26,000 PEOPLE
DAILY.
WE HAVE HAD QUITE A FEW 
QUESTIONS ABOUT LAB TESTING, 
CAPACITY VERSUS OUR DAILY LAB 
TESTING LEVELS.
SO I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO 
EXPLAIN THIS A LITTLE BIT 
FURTHER.
TO BE CLEAR, WHEN WE TALKED 
ABOUT A CURRENT LAB CAPACITY TO 
DO 60,000 TESTS A DAY IN CANADA,
THIS IS ABOUT BUILDING UP OUR 
ABILITY TO DETECT ANY SURGE IN 
CASES AS WE RELAX PUBLIC HEALTH 
MEASURES.
SPECIFICALLY, ROBUST TESTING 
ABILITY IS A COMPONENT OF OUR 
CASE FINDING, CONTACT TRACING, 
ISOLATION AND QUARANTINE 
APPROACH TO RAPIDLY CORNER THE 
VIRUS.
SO HOW DO WE KNOW WE ARE TESTING
ENOUGH?
ONE RELATIVELY SIMPLE 
INTERNATIONAL BENCHMARK FOR 
TESTING IS THE PERCENTAGE OF 
TESTS THAT COME BACK POSITIVE.
THE LOWER THE PERCENTAGE OF 
POSITIVE TESTS, THE BETTER YOUR 
SURVEILLANCE IS.
WHEN THE POSITIVE TEST IS REALLY
HIGH, IT MEANS YOU'RE MISSING A 
LOT OF INFECTIONS.
THE W.H.O. BENCHMARK IS TO AIM 
FOR A POSITIVITY RATE OF 10% OR 
BELOW, STRIKING THE BALANCE 
BETWEEN CASTING THE NET WIDE 
THAT IS HIGH SENSITIVITY WHILE 
TARGETING TESTING WHERE THE 
VIRUS IS MOST LIKELY TO BE 
SPREADING.
CANADA HAS MAINTAINED THE 
PERCENTAGE POSITIVE RATE BELOW 
10% THROUGHOUT THE EPIDEMIC.
ENCOURAGINGLY OUR AVERAGE WEEKLY
POSITIVE RATE HAS BEEN DECLINING
FROM 9.8% IN EARLY APRIL TO 
ABOUT 4% NOW IN EARLY MAY.
AT THE SAME TIME WE HAVE DOUBLED
THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE BEING 
TESTED WEEKLY SINCE EARLY APRIL,
INDICATING WE ARE CASTING THE 
NET WIDE.
RIGHT NOW OUR TESTING STRATEGY 
IS EVOLVING AS THE EPIDEMIC 
SLOWS.
IN MANY AREAS OF CANADA TESTING 
IS BROADENING TO INCLUDE PEOPLE 
WITH A RANGE OF MILDER SYMPTOMS.
PROVINCES AND TERRITORIES ARE 
INCREASING THEIR TESTING TO 
TARGET PEOPLE WORKING OR LIVING 
IN HIGHER-RISK SETTINGS, SUCH AS
HEALTH CARE, LONG-TERM CARE, 
CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES, CERTAIN
WORK AND CONGREGATE LIVING 
SETTINGS.
WHEN IT COMES TO TESTING, IT'S 
NOT THE NUMBER THAT MATTERS SO 
MUCH BUT KNOWING THAT YOU ARE 
TESTING THE RIGHT PEOPLE AT THE 
RIGHT TIME IN THE RIGHT PLACE.
THERE ARE MULTIPLE OTHER WAYS 
THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED TO GAUGE
WHETHER COUNTRIES ARE TESTING 
ENOUGH.
REGARDLESS OF THE METHOD, CANADA
STACKS UP WELL AGAINST OTHER 
COUNTRIES, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS DO 
BETTER.
THIS IS WHY WE CONTINUE TO 
INCREASE OUR TESTING CAPACITY.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DR. TAM.
[Speaking French]
[Voice of Interpreter]
AND NOW DR. HOWARD NJOO.
>> Dr. Howard Njoo: THANK YOU.
AS USUAL, I WILL START WITH THE 
LATEST NUMBERS ON COVID-19 CASES
IN CANADA.
THERE ARE CURRENTLY 65,399 
CONFIRMED CASES, INCLUDING 4,471
DEATHS AND 29,000 NEW RECOVERED,
OR 45%.
LABS ACROSS CANADA HAVE TESTED 
OVER 1,032,000 FOR COVID-19 TO 
DATE WITH ABOUT 6% OF THESE 
TESTING POSITIVE OVERALL.
IN THE PAST WEEK WE'VE TESTED AN
AVERAGE OF OVER 26,000 PEOPLE 
PER DAY.
WE'VE HAD QUITE A FEW QUESTIONS 
ABOUT LABORATORY CAPACITY VERSUS
OUR DAILY LABORATORY TESTING 
LEVELS, SO I WANT TO TAKE A 
MOMENT TO EXPLAIN THIS FURTHER.
TO BE CLEAR, WHEN WE TALKED 
ABOUT A CURRENT LAB CAPACITY, TO
DO 60,000 TESTS A DAY IN CANADA,
THIS WAS ABOUT BUILDING UP OUR 
ABILITY TO DETECT ANY SURGE IN 
CASES AS WE RELAX PUBLIC HEALTH 
MEASURES, SPECIFICALLY A ROBUST 
TESTING CAPACITY IS A VITAL 
COMPONENT OF OUR CASE FINDINGS, 
CONTACT TRACING, ISOLATION AND 
QUARANTINE APPROACH TO RAPIDLY 
CORNER THE VIRUS.
SO HOW DO WE KNOW WE ARE TESTING
ENOUGH?
ONE RELATIVELY SIMPLY 
INTERNATIONAL BENCHMARK FOR 
TESTING IS THE PERCENTAGE OF 
TESTS THAT COME BACK POSITIVE.
THE LOWER THE PERCENTAGE OF 
POSITIVE TESTS THE BETTER YOUR 
SURVEILLANCE IS.
WHEN THE POSITIVITY RATE IS 
REALLY HIGH, IT MEANS YOU'RE 
MISSING A LOT OF INFECTIONS.
THE W.H.O. BENCHMARK IS TO AIM 
FOR POSITIVITY RATE OF 10% OR 
BELOW STRIKING THE BALANCE 
BETWEEN CASTING THE NET WIDE, 
HIGH SENSITIVITY WHILE TARGETING
TESTING WHERE THE VIRUS IS MOST 
LIKELY TO BE SPREADING.
CANADA HAS MAINTAINED A 
PERCENTAGE -- RATHER HAS 
MAINTAINED PERCENTAGE POSITIVE 
RATES BELOW 10% THROUGHOUT THE 
EPIDEMIC, AND MOST ENCOURAGINGLY
OUR WEEKLY AVERAGE POSITIVE RATE
HAS BEEN STEADILY DECLINING FROM
9.8% IN EARLY APRIL TO ABOUT 4% 
IN EARLY MAY.
AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE 
DOUBLED THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE 
BEING TESTED WEEKLY.
SINCE EARLY APRIL, INDICATING WE
ARE CASTING THE NET WIDE.
RIGHT NOW OUR TESTING STRATEGY 
IS EVOLVING AS THE EPIDEMIC 
SLOWS IN MANY AREAS OF CANADA 
TESTING IS BROADENING TO INCLUDE
PEOPLE WITH A RANGE OF MILDER 
SYMPTOMS.
PROVINCES AND TERRITORIES HAVE 
INCREASED THEIR TESTING CAPACITY
TO TARGET PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING
IN AND LIVING IN HIGH-RISK 
AREAS, SUCH AS THOSE WORKING IN 
HEALTH CARE, LONG-TERM CARE, 
CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES AND 
CERTAIN WORK AND CONGREGATE 
LIVING SETTINGS.
WHEN IT COMES TO TESTING, IT'S 
NOT THE NUMBER THAT MATTERS SO 
MUCH BUT KNOWING THAT YOU ARE 
TESTING THE RIGHT PEOPLE AT THE 
RIGHT TIME IN THE RIGHT PLACE.
THERE ARE MANY OTHER WAYS THAT 
HAVE BEEN PROPOSED TO GAUGE 
WHETHER COUNTRIES ARE TESTING 
ENOUGH.
REGARDLESS OF THE METHOD, CANADA
STACKS UP WELL AGAINST OTHER 
COUNTRIES, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS DO 
BETTER, WHICH IS WHY WE CONTINUE
TO INCREASE OUR TESTING 
CAPACITY.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, DR. NJOO.
[ End of Interpretation ]
AND NOW I WILL TURN IT OVER TO 
CARLA QUALTROUGH.
CARLA, PLEASE.
>> THANK YOU AND GOOD AFTERNOON,
EVERYONE.
TODAY'S NUMBER OF 2 MILLION JOB 
LOSS IN APRIL SHOW THAT COVID-19
IS HAVING A REAL IMPACT ON 
COMMUNITIES AND FAMILIES RIGHT 
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS 
CRISIS, WE HAVE BEEN FOCUSED ON 
PROVIDING CANADIANS WITH THE 
SUPPORT THEY NEED AS WE WORK 
TOGETHER TO CONTAIN THE SPREAD 
OF THE VIRUS AND ON ENSURING WE 
HAVE THE TOOLS IN PLACE TO KEEP 
OUR PEOPLE SAFE.
[Speaking French]
[Voice of Interpreter]
THAT'S WHY OUR GOVERNMENT HAS 
TAKEN UNPRECEDENTED MEASURES TO 
SUPPORT CANADIANS AND THEIR 
FAMILIES DURING THIS DIFFICULT 
TIME.
[ End of Interpretation ]
WE INTRODUCED THE CANADA 
EMERGENCY WAGE SUBSIDY TO HELP 
KEEP AS MANY CANADIANS AS 
POSSIBLE WORKING.
TO HELP CANADIANS WHO HAVE LOST 
INCOME DUE TO COVID-19, WE 
INTRODUCED THE CANADA EMERGENCY 
RESPONSE BENEFIT WHICH PROVIDES 
$2,000 A MONTH TO THOSE WHO NEED
IT MOST.
ALONG THE WAY WE HAVE WORKED TO 
ENSURE THAT BENEFIT IS AS 
INCLUSIVE AS POSSIBLE TO REFLECT
THE DIFFERENT REALITIES THAT 
CANADIANS FACE.
TO DATE, OVER 7 MILLION 
CANADIANS HAVE ACCESSED THE 
CERB.
WE KNOW THAT TODAY'S JOB NUMBERS
ALSO DEMONSTRATE THE REAL 
CHALLENGES THAT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE
CURRENTLY FACING IN OUR COUNTRY.
WHILE MANY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO 
ACCESS THE CERB, MANY OF THE 
YOUNG CANADIANS ARE ANXIOUS 
ABOUT THEIR EMPLOYMENT 
PROSPECTS, ESPECIALLY THIS 
SUMMER.
THAT'S WHY WE ANNOUNCED THE 
CANADA EMERGENCY STUDENT 
BENEFIT.
STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT ELIGIBLE 
FOR THE CERB WILL BE ABLE TO 
APPLY TO RECEIVE $1250 PER MONTH
BETWEEN MAY AND AUGUST.
STUDENTS WITH PERMANENT 
DISABILITIES AND THOSE WITH 
DEPENDENTS COULD RECEIVE AN 
ADDITIONAL $750 PER MONTH.
WE KNOW THAT YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL
EXPENSES DURING THIS CRISIS AND 
WE ARE HERE TO SUPPORT YOU.
I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT WE WILL 
HAVE MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE 
APPLICATION PROCESS FOR THE CESB
SOON.
IN THE MEANTIME, ELIGIBLE 
STUDENTS SHOULD SET UP THEIR MAY
CRA ACCOUNT AND SET THEMSELVES 
FOR DIRECT DEPOSIT SO THAT WHEN 
APPLICATIONS BEGIN THEY CAN GET 
THEIR FIRST PAYMENT VERY, VERY 
SHORTLY.
[Speaking French]
[Voice of Interpreter]
THESE INITIATIVES AS WELL AS THE
TOP-UP FOR THE CANADA CHILD 
BENEFIT AND THE GST CREDIT WILL 
QUICKLY GET MORE MONEY TO 
CANADIANS WHEN THEY NEED IT THE 
MOST.
[ End of Interpretation ]
AS PROVINCES BEGIN TO LIFT 
RESTRICTIONS AND OUR GOVERNMENT 
CONTINUES TO TAKE STEPS TOWARD 
ECONOMIC RECOVERY, WE WILL BE 
THERE FOR CANADIANS.
WE WILL GET THROUGH THESE 
CHALLENGES TIMES TOGETHER.
THANK YOU, MERCI.
>> OKAY.
THANK YOU, CARLA.
[Speaking French]
[Voice of Interpreter]
AND NOW I WILL GIVE THE FLOOR TO
MINISTER GUILBEAULT, THE 
MINISTER OF HERITAGE.
GO AHEAD, MINISTER.
[ End of Interpretation ]
>> HELLO, EVERYONE.
OUR CULTURE, HERITAGE AND SPORTS
SECTORS ARE GOING THROUGH A 
MAJOR CRISIS.
THEY ARE UNDER ENORMOUS 
FINANCIAL PRESSURE Z BECAUSE OF 
THE ISOLATION MEASURES THAT 
DEPRIVE THEM OF THEIR AUDIENCE 
AND THEIR INCOME.
THE SITUATION IS CRITICAL.
WE HAVE MOVED QUICKLY TO 
STABILIZE THESE SECTORS WHICH 
ARE AN IMPORTANT DRIVER OF THE 
CANADIAN ECONOMY.
ON APRIL 17, THE GOVERNMENT OF 
CANADA ANNOUNCED A FUND OF UP TO
$500 MILLION TO HELP THE 
CULTURAL HERITAGE AND SPORT 
SECTORS.
TODAY I'M PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE 
THE DETAILS.
AS I NOTED, MANY ARE EAGER TO 
HEAR MORE.
[Speaking French]
[Voice of Interpreter]
THE FUND WILL BE PAID OUT INTO 
STAGES AND WILL HELP, AMONGST 
OTHER THINGS, MEET THE NEEDS OF 
ORGANIZATIONS WHICH HAVE BEEN 
TOUCHED TO HELP MAINTAIN JOBS 
AND WILL HELP KEEP ORGANIZATIONS
GOING WHOSE CASH FLOW AND 
OPERATIONAL VIABILITY IN THE 
SHORT TERM ARE UNDERMINED BY THE
PANDEMIC.
THE FUND COMES ON TOP OF 
CANADA'S COVID-19 ECONOMIC 
RESPONSE PLAN TO MAKE SURE THAT 
NO ONE IS LEFT BEHIND.
[ End of Interpretation ]
CANADIAN HERITAGE WILL 
DISTRIBUTE FINANCIAL SUPPORT 
THROUGH ITS PROGRAM AND WILL 
WORK CLOSELY WITH ITS PARTNERS, 
SPECIFICALLY THE CANADA COUNCIL 
FOR THE ARTS, THE CANADA MEDIA 
FUND, FACTOR, MUSIC ACTION AND 
[ FRENCH ] CANADA. 
[Speaking French]
[Voice of Interpreter]
OUR DECISIONS WITH REGARD TO 
FUNDING WILL TAKE INTO ACTION 
TRADITIONALLY MARGINALIZED 
COMMUNITIES AS WELL AS THE 
LGTBQ2, ABORIGINAL AND MINORITY 
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE COMMUNITIES.
[ End of Interpretation ]
FULL DETAILS CAN BE FOUND ON THE
CANADIAN HERITAGE WEBSITE.
OUR PROGRAM OFFICERS WILL BE IN 
DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE 
ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH THE USUAL 
COMMUNICATIONS CHANNELS STARTING
TODAY.
THEY WILL DO EVERYTHING THEY CAN
TO ADDRESS THE MOST PRESSING 
CONCERNS.
WE KNOW THAT ORGANIZATIONS ARE 
FACING ALL KINDS OF SERIOUS 
CHALLENGES RIGHT NOW AND ARE 
DOING THEIR BEST TO GET THROUGH 
IT ALL.
THIS IS WHY WE'VE PUT IN 
PLACE -- PUT TOGETHER A 
STREAMLINED PROCESS TO 
DISTRIBUTE THESE FUNDS.
[Speaking French]
[Voice of Interpreter]
OUR ARTISTS, CREATORS AND 
ATHLETES ARE KEY TO BUILDING 
HEALTHY, TIGHT, INCLUSIVE AND 
PROUD CANADIAN COMMUNITIES.
DURING THE LOCKDOWN, THEY HELPED
US FEEL A LITTLE LESS ALONE.
THEIR RESILIENCE AND THEIR ACTS 
OF SOLIDARITY HAVE TOUCHED US 
ALL.
THEY ARE STILL THERE FOR US AND 
WE WANT TO BE THERE FOR THEM.
[ End of Interpretation ]
CANADIANS STAND BEHIND OUR 
CREATORS, ARTISTS AND ATHLETES, 
AND WE HAVE A MESSAGE FOR THEM.
WE MISS YOU.
WE NEED YOU.
AND WE WILL MEET AGAIN IN 
PERSON.
>> OKAY.
MERCI, STEPHEN.
NOW WE ARE GOING TO HEAR FROM 
THE MINISTER OF INNOVATION, 
SIGNS AND INDUSTRY, NAVDEEP 
BAINS.
PLEASE.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, 
CHRYSTIA, AND GOOD AFTERNOON, 
EVERYONE.
SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS 
CRISIS OUR GOAL HAS BEEN TO DO 
EVERYTHING WE CAN TO ASSIST OUR 
FRONT-LINE WORKERS AND TO ENSURE
THE SAFETY AND SUPPORT OF 
CANADIANS AS WE NAVIGATE THIS 
PANDEMIC IN THESE UNPRECEDENTED 
ECONOMIC TIMES.
AS TODAY'S JOB NUMBERS SHOW, 
MANY PEOPLE ARE HURTING BECAUSE 
OF COVID-19.
[Speaking French]
[Voice of Interpreter]
WE KNOW THAT WORKERS IN CERTAIN 
SECTORS WERE HIT VERY HARD.
WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THEIR 
CHALLENGES AND WE HAVE TO 
CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THEM.
[ End of Interpretation ]
OUR APPROACH IS TO BE PROACTIVE 
AND STRATEGIC AND DESIGN TO 
BRING THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO THE 
TABLE TO DIRECTLY SHARE THEIR 
PERSPECTIVE ON THE SCOPE OF THE 
CHALLENGES BEING FACED.
AS OUR GOVERNMENT EXAMINES WHAT 
IS NEEDED IN THIS IMMEDIATE 
CRISIS, WE NEED TO FULLY 
UNDERSTAND ALL OF THE 
CHALLENGES.
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, WE'RE 
ESTABLISHING AN INDUSTRY 
STRATEGY COUNCIL TASKED WITH 
HELPING US IDENTIFY THESE 
CHALLENGES.
THE COUNCIL WILL LEVERAGE AN 
EXISTING AND TRUSTED 
PUBLIC-PRIVATE FORUM KNOWN AS 
CANADA'S ECONOMIC STRATEGY 
TABLES, WHERE BUSINESS LEADERS 
CAN SHARE PERSPECTIVES REGARDING
THE CHALLENGES THEY ARE FACING 
AS A RESULT OF COVID-19.
IN RESPONSE TO SOME PARTICULAR 
PRESSURES RELATED TO THE 
PANDEMIC, WE ARE ADDING TWO NEW 
TABLES REPRESENTING THE RETAIL 
AND TRANSPORTATION SECTORS.
THEY JOIN OUR EXISTING TABLES 
WHICH HAVE BEEN REPRESENTED BY 
ADVANCED MANUFACTURING, 
AGRI-FOOD, GREEN TECHNOLOGY, 
DIGITAL INDUSTRIES, HEALTH AND 
BIO-SCIENCE, TOURISM AND 
HOSPITALITY AND RESOURCES OF THE
FUTURE.
[Speaking French]
[Voice of Interpreter]
OVER THE NEXT 90 DAYS, THE 
COUNCIL WILL MEET REGULARLY TO 
IDENTIFY AND UNDERSTAND SECTORAL
PRESSURES THAT ARE COMMON ACROSS
OUR ECONOMY, AND MEMBERS OF THE 
COUNCIL WILL HELP US BETTER 
UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES.
[ End of Interpretation ]
THESE PRESSURES RANGE FROM 
WORKFORCE DISRUPTIONS TO 
RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF SUPPLY 
CHAINS AND CONSUMER CONFIDENCE, 
TO NAME A FEW.
[Speaking French]
[Voice of Interpreter]
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MONIQUE 
L'HEUREUX, WHO HAS ACCEPTED OUR 
INVITATION TO CHAIR THE COUNCIL.
MS. L'HEUREUX HAS ONE OF THE 
MOST DISTINGUISHED CAREERS IN 
CANADIAN FINANCE, AND HER 
IMPRESSIVE BACKGROUND MAKES HER 
THE PERFECT FIT TO LEAD THIS 
COUNCIL.
[ End of Interpretation ]
AND WE WILL BE ANNOUNCING THE 
REST OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS IN 
THE COMING DAYS.
JUST AS WE'VE SEEN WITH INDUSTRY
STEPPING UP TO ASSIST WITH 
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT 
PRODUCTION AND MEDICAL 
COUNTERMEASURES, WE ARE GOING TO
WORK IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR 
INDUSTRY TO UNDERSTAND AND TO 
MAKE SURE THAT WE COME OUT OF 
THIS STRONGER AND WE COME OUT OF
THIS TOGETHER.
AND WITH THE HELP OF THE 
INDUSTRY STRATEGY COUNCIL, WE'LL
DO EXACTLY THAT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MERCI.
>> OKAY, THANK YOU, NAV.
[Speaking French]
[Voice of Interpreter]
AND NOW I WILL GIVE THE FLOOR TO
JEAN-YVES DUCLOS, THE PRESIDENT 
OF TREASURY BOARD.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, 
CHRYSTIA, AND HELLO TO EVERYONE.
THE MESSAGE THIS MORNING FROM 
THE PRIME MINISTER IS A MESSAGE 
OF HOPE AND COURAGE FOLLOWING 
THE RECENT STATISTICS CANADA 
SURVEY ON UNEMPLOYMENT.
I'M AN ECONOMIST, AND FOR ME THE
STATISTICS ARE SHOCKING, BUT AS 
A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, THIS IS 
UNBELIEVABLE, BECAUSE BEHIND THE
NUMBERS ARE THOUSANDS OF 
FAMILIES AND WORKERS AFFECTED BY
THE CRISIS.
THANKFULLY WE CAN COUNT ON EACH 
OTHER TO COME THROUGH THIS 
PANDEMIC, THANKS TO THE MEASURES
THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT HAS 
ALREADY ANNOUNCED, INCLUDING THE
CANADA EMERGENCY RESPONSE 
BENEFIT, THE EMERGENCY WAGE 
BENEFIT AS WELL AS, WHICH WAS 
MENTIONED AGAIN BY THE PRIME 
MINISTER THIS MORNING, AND WHICH
WILL BE EXTENDED.
SO IT IS IN A CONTEXT WHERE WE 
KNOW THAT AFTER THE CRISIS, IF 
WE KEEP ON TAKING CARE OF EACH 
OTHER, NOT ONLY WILL WE ALL BE 
STRONGER BUT WE WILL ALWAYS KEEP
ON LOOKING AFTER EACH OTHER.
THANK YOU, CHRYSTIA.
>> THANK YOU, JEAN-YVES.
WE ARE NOW READY TO TAKE 
QUESTIONS. 
[ End of Interpretation ]
>> AS USUAL WE'LL START ON THE 
PHONE WITH THREE QUESTIONS, ONE 
QUESTION, ONE FOLLOW-UP, AND 
THEN WE'LL TURN TO THE ROOM.
OPERATOR?
>> Operator: THANK YOU.
PLEASE PRESS STAR 1 AT THIS TIME
IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION.
THE FIRST QUESTION [ No 
Interpretation ]
[Speaking French]
[Voice of Interpreter]
>> Reporter: YES, HELLO.
MY QUESTION IS FOR MINISTER 
QUALTROUGH, AND IT IS ABOUT THE 
CANADA EMERGENCY RESPONSE 
BENEFIT.
SCHOOLS AND DAYCARES ARE 
STARTING TO OPEN.
IN QUEBEC IT WILL BE ON MONDAY, 
AND YET SOME TEACHERS AND 
DAYCARE WORKERS FEEL THAT GOING 
BACK TO WORK WOULD BE A THREAT 
TO THEIR OWN HEALTH AND SAFETY.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHETHER 
A PERSONAL ASSESSMENT SHOULD BE 
CARRIED OUT IF A PERSON FEELS 
THEY MIGHT BE IN DANGER IF THEY 
GO BACK TO WORK.
AND IF SO, WOULD THAT PERSON 
STILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE CERB 
IF IT IS DEEMED THEY CAN STAY 
HOME?
>> CARLA?
>> THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
IT IS AN IMPORTANT QUESTION.
OF COURSE WE WANT TO BE SURE 
THAT CANADIANS -- THAT CANADIAN 
WORKERS ARE SAFE WHEN THEY GO 
BACK TO WORK, AND WE EXPECT 
WORKPLACES TO DO EVERYTHING THEY
CAN TO ENSURE THE HEALTH AND 
SAFETY OF THEIR EMPLOYEES BY 
WORKING WITH PUBLIC HEALTH 
AUTHORITIES.
THERE ARE GUIDES FOR EMPLOYERS 
TO ENSURE THAT THEIR WORKPLACES 
ARE SAFE.
NOW OF COURSE A WORKER HAS THE 
RIGHT TO REFUSE TO WORK IF HE OR
SHE DOES NOT FEEL SAFE IN THE 
WORKPLACE, BUT FOR US THE POINT 
IS TO WORK WITH EMPLOYERS TO 
ENSURE THAT THE WORKPLACES ARE 
INDEED SAFE SO THAT ALL WORKERS 
CAN FEEL CONFIDENT THAT THEIR 
HEALTH AND SAFETY ARE THE 
PRIORITY OF THE EMPLOYERS.
>> FOLLOW-UP?
>> Reporter: SO YOU ARE SAYING 
THAT A PERSON HAS THE RIGHT TO 
REFUSE TO GO BACK TO WORK?
IN OTHER WORDS, CAN DAYCARE 
WORKERS DECIDE NOT TO GO TO WORK
AND STILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE 
CANADA EMERGENCY RESPONSE 
BENEFIT?
WOULD SUCH AN APPLICATION BE 
ACCEPTED?
>> WELL, THE CERB IS AVAILABLE 
TO ANYONE NOT ABLE TO WORK FOR 
REASONS RELATED TO COVID-19.
AGAIN, IF YOU CANNOT WORK 
BECAUSE OF COVID, YOU ARE 
ELIGIBLE.
IT'S A PERSONAL CHOICE, BUT I 
WANT TO REINFORCE THE MESSAGE 
THAT WE WANT CANADIANS TO GO 
BACK TO WORK, AND WE WANT 
EMPLOYERS TO CREATE SAFE 
WORKPLACES WHERE THE HEALTH AND 
SAFETY OF THEIR WORKERS IS OF 
UTMOST PRIORITY.
[ End of Interpretation ]
>> Operator: THE NEXT QUESTION 
IS FROM MIKE BLANCHFIELD FROM 
THE CANADIAN PRESS.
PLEASE GO AHEAD.
>> Reporter: HELLO, DEPUTY PRIME
MINISTER.
THIS QUESTION IS FOR YOU.
THE JOB LOSS NUMBERS OUT TODAY 
ARE AT HISTORIC LEVELS IN BOTH 
CANADA AND THE U.S., AND YET 
WE'RE SEEING DRAMATICALLY 
DIFFERENT RESPONSES.
THERE'S PRESSURE IN THE U.S. TO 
REOPEN THE ECONOMY AND GET BACK 
TO WORK, BUT THAT HASN'T SEEMED 
TO MANIFESTED ITSELF IN CANADA 
IN THE SAME WAY.
HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THE 
DIFFERENCE?
>> THANKS FOR THE QUESTION, 
MIKE, AND IT'S NICE TO HEAR YOUR
VOICE.
YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT THAT 
THE JOBS NUMBERS ARE HISTORIC 
AND ARE AND SHOULD BE PROFOUNDLY
WORRYING FOR ALL CANADIANS.
OUR COUNTRY IS GOING THROUGH A 
VERY, VERY TRYING ECONOMIC TIME.
IN TERMS OF WHAT THAT MEANS WHEN
IT COMES TO OUR GOVERNMENT 
RESPONSE, AND TO THE RESPONSE OF
CANADIANS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, I 
THINK CANADIANS ARE SO SMART AND
THEY ARE SO SENSIBLE.
WE ALL KNEW, WE ALL UNDERSTOOD 
THAT PHYSICAL DISTANCING, THAT 
SHUTTING THE COUNTRY DOWN WAS AN
ESSENTIAL RESPONSE TO THE 
CORONAVIRUS.
WE UNDERSTOOD THAT.
WE GOT THAT, AND I'M SO PROUD OF
CANADIANS FOR FOLLOWING THAT 
ADVICE, AND THE GOOD NEWS IS, AS
A RESULT OF FOLLOWING THAT 
ADVICE, WE ARE MAKING REAL 
PROGRESS IN BEATING THE VIRUS.
THE SAME SENSIBLE, PRUDENT, 
SMART APPROACH NEEDS TO GUIDE 
THE RE-START, AND I THINK 
CANADIANS UNDERSTAND PROFOUNDLY 
THAT THE BIGGEST MISTAKE WE 
COULD MAKE RIGHT NOW WOULD BE TO
SQUANDER OUR HARD-WON GAINS.
IT HAS BEEN REALLY TOUGH TO GET 
HERE, AND THE JOB NUMBERS TODAY 
SHOW WHAT A BIG SACRIFICE WE 
HAVE BEEN MAKING.
OUR JOB NOW COLLECTIVELY IS TO 
BUILD ON THAT PROGRESS AND TO BE
SURE THAT AS WE LOOK TOWARDS 
RE-STARTING THE ECONOMY WE DO IT
VERY CAREFULLY, VERY PRUDENTLY 
AND IN A WAY THAT WILL PREVENT 
THE VIRUS FROM SURGING BACK AND 
ENVELOPING US ALL.
WHAT THAT DOES MEAN, THAT 
CAREFUL, PRUDENT, SMART APPROACH
IS THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS TO BE
THERE TO SUPPORT CANADIANS WHO 
ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING, AND 
THAT IS WHY OUR GOVERNMENT HAS 
PUT IN PLACE THE LARGEST 
ECONOMIC PROGRAM IN CANADIAN 
HISTORY TO SUPPORT CANADIANS AND
TO SUPPORT CANADIAN COMPANIES.
WE ARE MAKING REALLY GOOD 
PROGRESS.
THERE IS STILL A WAY TO GO IN 
THE FIGHT AGAINST THE VIRUS.
AND AS THE PRIME MINISTER SAID 
EARLIER TODAY, THE GOVERNMENT IS
HERE TO SUPPORT CANADIANS, TO 
SUPPORT BUSINESSES AS WE FINISH 
OFF THAT FIGHT.
WE'RE GONNA GET THERE.
>> MIKE, FOLLOW-UP?
>> Reporter: YES, DEPUTY PRIME 
MINISTER.
GIVEN THIS HARD EFFORT THAT HAS 
GONE INTO ALL THIS TO GET US TO 
THIS POINT, WHAT ARE YOU SAYING 
IN YOUR DISCUSSIONS TO THE 
UNITED STATES ABOUT THE UNEVEN 
APPROACH THAT'S TAKING PLACE 
DOWN THERE, AND WHAT CONCERNS 
ARE YOU EXPRESSING ABOUT HOW 
THIS MIGHT AFFECT CANADA, GIVEN 
THAT IT'S OUR LARGEST ECONOMIC 
PARTNER, OUR NEIGHBOUR, AND WE 
SHARE A BORDER WITH THEM?
>> WELL, LET ME JUST SAY, MIKE, 
FIRST OF ALL THAT WE HAD A VERY 
PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION 
YESTERDAY, THE PRIME MINISTER 
AND THE PREMIERS.
I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE 
PART OF THAT CONVERSATION TOO, 
ABOUT THE RE-START, ABOUT THE 
CONTINUED EFFORTS TO FIGHT THE 
CORONAVIRUS, AND ALSO ABOUT OUR 
BORDER WITH THE UNITED STATES.
IN TERMS OF OUR CONVERSATIONS 
WITH THE UNITED STATES, YOU 
KNOW, THEY HAVE BEEN VERY 
APPROPRIATE TO OUR RELATIONSHIP.
THEY HAVE BEEN REALLY 
NEIGHBOURLY.
THEY HAVE BEEN REALLY PRACTICAL 
AND REALLY EFFECTIVE.
THE BORDER MEASURES THAT WE HAVE
PUT IN PLACE, WHICH ARE 
UNPRECEDENTED AND HAVE 
RESTRICTED NON-ESSENTIAL TRAVEL 
BUT HAVE ALLOWED ESSENTIAL 
TRAVEL TO CONTINUE, HAVE REALLY 
WORKED.
AND OUR EXPERIENCE OF THEM IN 
CANADA IS THAT THOSE BORDER 
MEASURES HAVE CUT DOWN TRAVEL 
ACROSS THE BORDER VERY, VERY 
MUCH, BUT AT THE SAME TIME 
ESSENTIAL TRAVEL CONTINUES.
WE HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH OUR 
AMERICAN PARTNERS, AND THEY HAVE
EXACTLY THE SAME EXPERIENCE ON 
THEIR SIDE OF THE BORDER.
SO THAT SHOWS THAT THEY ARE 
REALLY EFFECTIVE, AND I THINK 
THAT THAT IS REALLY POSITIVE FOR
CANADA, FOR CANADIANS, FOR OUR 
ECONOMY, AND IT SPEAKS WELL OF 
OUR RELATIONSHIP.
>> THANK YOU, DEPUTY PRIME 
MINISTER.
OPERATOR, NEXT QUESTION, PLEASE.
>> Operator: THANK YOU, MERCI.
THE NEXT QUESTION. 
[ No Interpretation ]
[Speaking French]
[Voice of Interpreter]
>> Reporter: THANK YOU.
MR. BAINS, YOU CHAIRED THE 
INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY COUNCIL.
WHAT DO YOU EXPECT OF THIS 
COUNCIL?
WHAT WILL IT DO IN THE NEXT 90 
DAYS?
ARE YOU EXPECTING SHORT-TERM 
RECOMMENDATIONS?
AND WHAT ECONOMIC SECTORS WILL 
BE A PRIORITY FOR THE INDUSTRY 
STRATEGY COUNCIL?
>> THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION.
I WOULD LIKE TO POINT TO THE 
IMPORTANCE TO THE EXCEPTIONAL 
LEADERSHIP OF THE COUNCIL, 
MONIQUE L'HEUREUX, HAS 
EXPERIENCE IN THE RETAIL AND 
AUTO SECTORS, AMONGST OTHERS.
SHE HAS A LOT OF EXPERIENCE, AND
I AM SURE THAT SHE WILL WORK 
WITH MYSELF AND MY COLLEAGUES TO
PINPOINT THE CHALLENGES IN EACH 
OF THESE SECTORS.
FOR THE MOMENT, WE WILL -- WE 
ARE FOCUSING ON ADDRESSING THE 
CRISIS NOW BECAUSE THE SITUATION
IS VERY SERIOUS.
OVER TIME, HOWEVER, I HOPE THAT 
WE WILL BE ABLE TO FIND 
SOLUTIONS TO HELP IMPROVE THE 
CONDITIONS FOR WORKERS.
>> MICHELINE, A FOLLOW-UP?
>> Reporter: MS. FREELAND OR 
MR. BAINS, WE KNOW THAT LARGE 
AMERICAN AUTOMANUFACTURERS WILL 
SOON OPEN UP THEIR PLANTS AGAIN.
HAVE YOU SPOKEN WITH YOUR 
AMERICAN COUNTERPARTS, AND HOW 
ARE PLANTS GOING TO BE REOPENED 
IN CANADA?
AUTO PLANTS?
>> WELL, ALLOW ME TO BEGIN AND 
NAV CAN COMPLETE THE ANSWER 
BECAUSE HE'S WORKING VERY 
CLOSELY WITH THE AUTOMOTIVE 
SECTOR.
THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION.
IT IS KEY FOR US TO WORK WITH 
OUR AMERICAN PARTNERS.
I KNOW THAT THE CANADIAN 
AUTOMOTIVE SECTOR IS VERY 
INTEGRATED WITH THE AMERICAN 
AUTO SECTOR.
OUR INDUSTRY ALSO HAS A GREAT 
DEAL OF INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE 
CORONAVIRUS.
MANY CANADIANS COMPANIES TODAY 
ARE WORKING IN CHINA IN 
CONDITIONS WHERE COVID-19 IS 
PRESENT, SO I KNOW THAT OUR 
SECTOR HAS A LOT OF EXPERIENCE.
IT WILL FIND A WAY FORWARD, AND 
WE ARE -- OUR SECTOR IS WORKING 
CLOSELY WITH THE FEDERAL 
GOVERNMENT, WITH THE AMERICANS 
AND WITH THE PROVINCES.
NAV, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD 
SOMETHING?
>> YES.
I AGREE WITH WHAT MY COLLEAGUE 
JUST SAID.
SHE IS RIGHT.
SO IT'SUITE STRAIGHTFORWARD.
WE HAVE TO WORK WITH OUR 
AMERICAN PARTNERS AS THE AUTO 
SECTOR IS AS PRESENT IN CANADA 
AS IT IS IN THE U.S., AND BOTH 
SECTORS ARE INTEGRATED.
HOWEVER, OUR FIRST PRIORITY IS 
THE SAFETY OF CANADIAN WORKERS, 
SO WE WILL LOOK AT THE SITUATION
CLOSELY EVERY DAY.
HOWEVER, I AM SURE THAT THE 
SECTOR WILL FIND SOLUTIONS WHICH
WILL BE TO THE BENEFIT OF 
WORKERS.
[ End of Interpretation ]
>> WE WILL TURN TO THE ROOM 
STARTING WITH RACHEL HAINES FROM
CTV.
>> Reporter: HI, MINISTERS, AND 
DOCTORS, RACHEL HAINES FROM CTV 
NATIONAL NEWS.
MY FIRST QUESTION ACTUALLY GOES 
TO DR. TAM ABOUT THE OUTBREAK AT
THE CARGILL MEAT FACILITY AND 
THE OUTBREAK IN HIGH RIVER WELL.
WE HAVE SEEN A LARGE NUMBER OF 
PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN INFECTED 
THERE, BUT A SMALL NUMBER OF 
DEATHS IN THAT COMMUNITY.
CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT 
ABOUT WHY YOU THINK THAT IS, 
WHEN THERE IS SUCH A LARGE 
OUTBREAK THAT THERE WOULD BE 
SUCH A SMALL NUMBER OF 
FATALITIES?
>> SO OBVIOUSLY THE PROVINCE OF 
ALBERTA IS WORKING EXTREMELY 
HARD, AND MY COLLEAGUE, THE 
CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH 
THERE.
SO THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING
GUIDANCE TO THE INDUSTRY AND 
TRYING TO, AS RAPIDLY AS 
POSSIBLE, GET THESE OUTBREAKS 
UNDER CONTROL.
IN TERMS OF DEATHS, I MEAN, 
OBVIOUSLY RIGHT NOW THE OUTBREAK
IS STILL UNDERGOING EVOLUTION, 
BUT WE KNOW THAT THE FATALITIES 
MAINLY ARE IN PEOPLE OVER A 
CERTAIN AGE, SO DEFINITELY OVER 
60, BUT OBVIOUSLY AT 70 OR 80 
YEARS OLD YOU'RE AT A HIGHER 
RISK.
SO I THINK PART OF THIS MIGHT BE
RELATED TO THE AGE GROUPS THAT 
MIGHT BE AFFECTED.
BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT IT'S NOT 
JUST THE WORKERS.
IT COULD BE THEIR FAMILIES, SO 
IT MAY DEPEND ON WHAT FAMILIES 
THE WORKERS MIGHT BE LIVING 
WITH, FOR EXAMPLE.
BUT WE DO KNOW THAT THE CASE 
[INDISCERNIBLE] IS DRIVEN VERY 
MUCH BY THE LONG-TERM CARE 
FACILITY OUTBREAKS RIGHT NOW.
I THINK THE WORK ENVIRONMENT IS 
DIFFERENT, BUT IT IS DEFINITELY 
A WORK -- A SETTING WHERE, YOU 
KNOW, REALLY RAPID RESPONSE WHEN
WE GET CASES, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS
OF TESTING AND CASE FINDING AND 
CONTACT TRACING IS VERY 
IMPORTANT.
>> Reporter: THANK YOU.
AND MY NEXT QUESTION IS A BIT OF
A TWO-PARTER.
IT'S FOR MR. DUCLOS AND MINISTER
FREELAND.
ABOUT THE WAGE SUBSIDY, 
MR. DUCLOS, YOU SAID A FEW DAYS 
AGO THAT BUSINESSES WOULD START 
SEEING THAT WAGE SUBSIDY.
SO HAVE ALL BUSINESSES WHO HAVE 
BEEN APPROVED GOTTEN THAT MONEY?
AND AS WELL, THE PRIME MINISTER 
DID SAY EARLIER TODAY THAT AS WE
START TO REOPEN ECONOMIES MORE 
PEOPLE WILL BE GOING BACK TO 
WORK AND WILL NEED THE WAGE 
SUBSIDY MORE SO THAN THE CERB.
BUT FOR BUSINESSES WHO HAVE HAD 
TO SHUDDER COMPLETELY, FOR THOSE
PEOPLE AND AFTER JUNE WHEN THEY 
DON'T GET THE CERB ANYMORE, WHAT
IS AVAILABLE TO THEM?
>> THANK YOU.
IF I MAY START WITH THE 
STATISTICS ON THE EMERGENCY WAGE
SUBSIDY.
SO AS OF YESTERDAY, 120,000 
BUSINESSES HAD APPLIED AND 
ALMOST 100,000, I THINK THE 
PRECISE NUMBER IS 97,000 OF 
THEM, HAD THEIR APPLICATION 
APPROVED FOR A TOTAL OF 1.7 
MILLION WORKERS.
SO THESE ARE A LARGE NUMBER OF 
WORKERS, AND WE ARE VERY NOT 
ONLY PROUD OF THE IMPACT OF THAT
PROGRAM, BUT WE ARE ALSO VERY 
MINDFUL THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE
IMPORTANT AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AS YOU SAID, THE VALUE AND THE 
OBJECTIVE OF THAT PROGRAM WAS TO
MAINTAIN THE IMPORTANT 
RELATIONSHIP, WORKER-EMPLOYER 
RELATIONSHIP AS WE MOVE THROUGH 
THE CRISIS, AND THE GREAT NEWS 
IS THAT A NUMBER OF BUSINESSES, 
AND WE EXPECT THAT TO BE 
CONTINUINGLY IMPROVING A NUMBER 
OF THESE BUSINESSES ARE GOING TO
BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THAT 
IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP.
AND AS THE PRIME MINISTER 
ANNOUNCED THIS MORNING, WE 
BELIEVE THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO 
EXTEND THAT WAGE SUBSIDY SO THAT
BUSINESSES HAVE THE ABILITY TO 
HIRE EVEN MORE WORKERS ON THE 
WAGE SUBSIDIES.
>> AND I'LL JUST ADD, I VERY 
MUCH AGREE WITH JEAN-YVES, AND I
WOULD JUST ADD, THE WAGE SUBSIDY
PROGRAM IS REALLY, REALLY 
IMPORTANT, PARTICULARLY NOW AS 
WE ARE ABLE TO BEGIN LOOKING 
CAUTIOUSLY WITH GREAT PRUDENCE 
TOWARDS ECONOMIC REOPENING.
BECAUSE WE REALLY ALL APPRECIATE
THAT THE REOPENING IS GOING TO 
HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL AND VERY
GRADUAL, AND WHAT THE WAGE 
SUBSIDY DOES IS IT ALLOWS A 
BUSINESS TO OPERATE EVEN NOT AT 
FULL CAPACITY.
AND IT ALLOWS THAT BUSINESS, 
WHICH IS OPERATING NOT AT FULL 
CAPACITY TO CONTINUE TO EMPLOY 
AND PAY ITS WORKERS, AND I THINK
THAT IT HAS BEEN -- THE WAGE 
SUBSIDY HAS BEEN A GREAT TOOL SO
FAR.
I THINK WE'RE GOING TO FIND IT 
TO BE AN EVEN MORE VALUABLE TOOL
AS WE CAREFULLY MOVE TOWARDS 
REOPENING OUR ECONOMY.
>> Reporter: BUSINESSES WHO HAVE
SHUDDERED AND WON'T BE REOPENING
EVEN IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS?
>> WELL, THERE IS AN ABILITY FOR
NOT ONLY RE-HIRING BUT HIRING 
WORKERS, AND NEW WORKERS 
INCLUDED.
SO IT'S DESIGNED IN A MANNER 
THAT GIVES THE BUSINESSES THE 
FLEXIBILITY ON THE DECISION, IN 
THE TIME OF A DECISION THAT THEY
WANT TO USE.
SO IT'S DESIGNED FOR THAT 
PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT BUSINESSES 
HAVE FACED THE CRISIS IN MANY 
DIFFERENT WAYS, THAT THEY MAY 
WANT TO START HIRING NEW WORKERS
AT DIFFERENT TIMES, AND THAT'S 
WHY EXTENDING THIS WAGE SUBSIDY 
IS IMPORTANT.
[Speaking French]
[Voice of Interpreter]
>> THANK YOU, MR. MINISTER.
WE WILL MOVE TO THE LINES FOR 
THREE MORE QUESTIONS.
[ End of Interpretation ]
>> Operator: THANK YOU, THE NEXT
QUESTION. 
[Speaking French]
[Voice of Interpreter]
EMILY BERGERON. 
>> Reporter: THANK YOU, MY 
QUESTION IS FOR MR. DUCLOS.
AS FAR AS THE WAGE SUBSIDY IS 
CONCERNED, OR PERHAPS FOR 
MS. QUALTROUGH, NOW THIS PROGRAM
IS BEING EXTENDED, AND SO WHAT 
IS THE POTENTIAL COST OF THIS 
MEASURE?
ACCORDING TO THE PARLIAMENTARY 
BUDGET OFFICER, WE ARE UP TO A 
COST OF $75 BILLION, SO BY 
EXTENDING THIS PROGRAM, HOW MUCH
COULD IT POTENTIALLY COST?
OF THE APPLICATIONS RECEIVED, 
HOW MANY HAVE BEEN PROCESSED SO 
FAR?
>> NOW WITH REGARD TO THE FISCAL
IMPACT OF THIS MEASURE, EVEN 
THOUGH WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AN 
EXACT FIGURE, IT'S HARD TO KNOW 
WHAT THE NUMBER WOULD BE BECAUSE
WE'RE IN A PERIOD OF 
UNCERTAINTY.
THE PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET OFFICER
HAS DONE VERY GOOD WORK 
FORECASTING, BUT THERE IS NO 
ACCURACY IN THE CURRENT 
UNCERTAIN CONTEXT AND WE DON'T 
KNOW WHAT THE NUMBER WILL BE 
UNTIL JUNE 6, OR WHAT THE NUMBER
WILL BE AFTER IT IS EXTENDED 
BEYOND JUNE 6.
OR RATHER, EMILY, WOULD YOU MIND
REPEATING THE QUESTION?
[ End of Interpretation ]
>> Rosemary: WE ARE GOING TO 
PULL AWAY FROM THIS FEDERAL 
BRIEFING ON THE RESPONSE OF THE 
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO COVID-19 
AS WELL AS AN UPDATE OF PUBLIC 
HEALTH OFFICIALS ON THE STATE OF
THE PANDEMIC.
IF YOU WANT TO KEEP WATCHING, GO
TO OUR WEBSITE, cbc.ca/POLITICS.
>>> THE FOCUS TODAY NOT ONLY ON 
THE MASSIVE AMOUNT OF JOB LOSS 
THAT HAS HAPPENED IN THIS 
COUNTRY BUT ALSO ON THE 
GOVERNMENT'S DECISION TO MAKE 
THE WAGE SUBSIDY PROGRAM MOVE 
PAST THE MONTH OF JUNE.
WE GOT SOME UPDATED NUMBERS 
THERE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE 
TREASURY BOARD SAYING THAT NOW 
120,000 BUSINESSES HAVE APPLIED 
TO USE THAT SUBSIDY, WHICH 
REMEMBER ALLOWS THEM TO PAY -- 
WHICH ALLOWS THEM TO GET SOME 
AID FROM THE GOVERNMENT TO PAY 
THEIR EMPLOYEES.
AND THEY SAY THAT WILL HELP 1.7 
MILLION WORKERS IN THIS COUNTRY,
WHICH IS PROBABLY MUCH NEEDED 
BECAUSE THE LABOUR MARKET REPORT
OUT THIS MORNING TELLS US THAT 
ANOTHER 2 MILLION CANADIANS LOST
THEIR JOBS IN THE MONTH OF APRIL
AS THE ECONOMY WENT INTO A DEEP 
FREEZE.
NOW WE'RE AT 3 MILLION CANADIANS
WHO NO LONGER HAVE EMPLOYMENT.
ADD TO THAT, THOUGH, THE LARGE 
NUMBER OF CANADIANS WHO HAVE 
LOST SIGNIFICANT HOURS IN THEIR 
WORK.
WE ARE MORE AT 5.5 MILLION 
PEOPLE WHO ARE SUFFERING BECAUSE
OF THAT AND USING EITHER THE 
EMERGENCY RELIEF BENEFIT OR, AND
THE GOVERNMENT HOPES SOON, THE 
WAGE SUBSIDY PROGRAM AS WE MOVE 
TO THE NEXT PHASE OF THIS.
AND I SHOULD JUST MENTION THAT 
IN THOSE UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS 
SOME AREAS, SOME PEOPLE HIT MUCH
HARDER THAN OTHERS.
STUDENTS, VULNERABLE -- MORE 
VULNERABLE WORKERS, NEW 
CANADIANS AND WOMEN.
SO SOMETHING TO FOCUS ON IN THE 
DAYS AHEAD, OF COURSE.
OUR COVERAGE CONTINUES HERE AN 
"CBC NEWS NETWORK" WITH ANDREW 
NICHOLS.
I'M ROSEMARY BARTON.
I'LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW.
♪
♪
