Medical experts must take the lead role in “flattening the curve” to reduce the spread and brutal impact of the pandemic. But we must also give the citizens of our province a voice.
An all-of-government approach must be guided and informed by strong citizen participation, combined with non-partisan leadership. Clearly the pandemic threatens the health and safety of our people, whose protection must receive the highest priority. The daily press conferences provide a welcome opportunity for information sharing and accountability. They also provide a platform where exemplary deeds, both by citizens and caregivers, can be recognized.
All citizens have an important role to play, as do political leaders of all stripes who must set aside partisan politics. Decisions must be based on facts and not laced with the partisan politics we are witnessing south of the border.
We need to take full advantage of our isolated location. We must tighten up our measures to quarantine people arriving from out of province. I am suggesting some additional measures:
• All parties should come together through a coalition government, which was the action taken in wartime by the United Kingdom. The leaders of the Opposition and the New Democratic Party should be brought into the cabinet. This would inspire greater public confidence and compliance with the social distancing which is so essential.
• Government should create two special advisory councils, each drawn from the community as volunteers. The first would deal with the medical and social impact and how to flatten the curve with least adverse impact on vulnerable people. The second would deal with the economic and fiscal impact by advising how economic and fiscal recovery can be achieved. The two councils will together deal with the major medical issues but also with the social and economic impact on the province, including our growing debt and our inability to borrow.
• The chair of the advisory council on medical and social issues should be a practicing or retired health care professional, with experience in health care management. Members should be appointed based on their expertise in dealing with medical and social issues. The council should consult broadly on how to control the spread of coronavirus and how to minimize the impact on people.
• The chair of the economic and financial council should be a person with strong business, economic and financial credentials. The council should be diverse and include business, labor, and community leaders as well as economists. The council should advise on ways of keeping independent businesses solvent and able to operate as soon as the operating ban is lifted so that employment can be quickly restored. It should advise government on measures to bring our expenditures into balance with our revenues after the pandemic.
• Each of these two advisory councils should reach out to solicit advice from private citizens, from business and from community organizations. They should also keep abreast of measures being taken in other jurisdictions.
• Each of these advisory councils should meet frequently and have access to the premier, to ministers and to key decision makers, including the premier, all ministers, the chief medical officer and the clerk of the Executive Council.
• Both councils should report to the coalition government through the Premier.
• The national armed forces should be asked to work with the province on the logistics of enforcing social distancing and to help mobilize special clinics by repurposing buildings as temporary hospitals.
• Government should also move act to increase the number of people who stay at home. Australian research indicates that at least eight of 10 people should be staying at home. By keeping too many businesses running we have no chance. Truly essential services probably account for the full two out of 10 allowable people, but with construction and major industrial sites still operating our number will be well short of the goal.
Each of us bears responsibility to prevent the spread of the pandemic. It stands to reason that we as citizens must have a say in the collective decisions which will protect us.
If so, why don’t you tell your MHA that you want to be heard.
David Vardy
St. John’s
