On COVID-19, Ottawa needs to be much bigger and bolder
“Yes, this will cost a great deal of money, but our future depends on it.”
“…Now is not the time for low interest rates and infrastructure spending. That time will come. The focus now must be on ensuring that Canadians are free to do what they need to do right now — stay home, stay healthy and limit the spread of the virus so that we do not overwhelm our healthcare system.
This means we need to remove the largest worries, which are income, rent and mortgages, and liquidity in the system.
To do so, the government should be considering large-scale responses, such as:
A coordinated, unified large-scale national response that ensures consistent funding, programs and messaging across the country;
Issuing a temporary basic income to all Canadians over 18 for an interim period, taking the pressure off business owners and organizations from having to provide payroll when business is impaired or closed. This can be recaptured in future tax returns for those that earn above a certain threshold;…”
