Government’s focus is on health and economic recovery: MP

October 1, 2020 · 0 Comments

With the possibility of an imminent fall election taken off the table on Friday afternoon after the Liberal government and New Democrats reached a deal on paid sick leave following last Wednesday’s Throne Speech, Federal lawmakers will focus on economic recovery and the health of Canadians.

This, according to Newmarket-Aurora MP Tony Van Bynen who was one of the few Members of Parliament selected to witness the September 23 Throne Speech live in Ottawa.

The Throne Speech, an address prepared by the government of the day and relayed by the Sovereign’s representative in Canada, outlines the legislative program for the year ahead.

Among the highlights were new measures to combat climate change, to address income inequality, and address systemic racism; increased funding for the national housing strategy, a commitment to increasing high-speed internet across the country, and a number of measures to “build back better” after the COVID-19 storm clouds pass.

“First and foremost, we need to get on top of this pandemic because without a medical solution, without a medical victory, bringing the economy back is going to continue to be a challenge,” said Mr. Van Bynen. “My years as a banker and my years as mayor [of Newmarket] taught me the prudence of fiscal restraint and I think that is important [but] what we need to do firstly is to make sure we get the economy back on its feet. Without those kinds of investments, we will be railing into a very serious recession and I don’t think we can afford that. I think the investments we’re making now will avoid substantially greater investments if we don’t do that.

“I think this has to be a long-term perspective and we need to, over time, take a look at our taxation system. For example, there are a lot of digital giants that are not being taxed currently and we need to look at some of those areas where the extremely wealthy situation pays their fair share of taxes. Staying focused on trying to deal with tax avoidance will be some of the things that need to be given further consideration.”

From the constituency perspective, one of the things Mr. Van Bynen said he advocated for were “a green recovery, a Green New Deal,” which he said is “an absolute necessity,” along with myriad issues surrounding healthcare.

“I am looking at the way we care for our senior citizens,” he said. “National standards for long-term care I think is an absolute necessity. Building back with a green environment…but also I think we need to be compassionate and supportive and understand that Canada has a lot of dynamics to it. What has made Canada what it is today is we have been inclusive and I want to make sure that we advance the agenda with respect to anti-racism – both anti-Black racism and anti-Indigenous racism. I am happy to see that we have made some very significant commitments to creating opportunities for the Black community. That’s the stuff Canada is made of; it’s the Canada I believe in and it is the Canada that brought my parents and my family here. I think we have an obligation to carry that through.

“The obligation is to build unity across the nation and I think that is what this has done. This pandemic has reminded us that notwithstanding the different provincial legislations we have, we need to come together as a country because that is the only way we’re going to get on top of this pandemic.”

To that end, Mr. Van Bynen hailed the extension of the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) through to next summer.

“I think there have been a lot of businesses that have been relying on the wage subsidy to make it viable and to continue to keep as many people on the payroll,” he said. “Specifically, there has been some investments within Aurora in terms of manufacturing PPEs. There has been an investment in Newmarket in terms of making face masks from pulp, which I think is a very interesting and innovative approach and totally recyclable – and it supports an industry. The directions we will be going into I think will create opportunities. I am really excited about the direction we’re heading into. The things that this pandemic has created opportunities for is things like advancing technology.

“I think the real key is to make sure we’re significantly investing into research and making sure that we’re exploring all options to advance the availability of a vaccine as soon as possible. To be candid, I think this is just the beginning of a number of situations we’ll be faced with over the next few decades. We need to make sure we’re investing in the solutions for the long-term.”

Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill MP Leona Alleslev was unavailable to comment on the Throne Speech by press time.

By Brock Weir
Editor
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter