As long as Donald Trump is in office, he will continue to promote despots and dictators over democrats. He would rather befriend Russian president Vladimir Putin and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.

By Sheila Copps
First published in The Hill Times on March 30, 2020.

OTTAWA—Donald Trump’s border threat confirms what we already know.

The president of the United States is no friend of ours.

Of course, our prime minister cannot say that publicly. Deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland tied herself into a pretzel to avoid commenting on internal American border patrol decisions.

She wants to ensure that we have a working relationship with friends in the administration who believe in the friendship between the two countries.

But Trump obviously does not.

There is a significant amount of irony in the president’s threat to send the army to protect his northern borders.

The protection on the northern border is really needed on the Canadian side, because the confused, chaotic COVID-19 response in the United States has the potential to infect Canada.

Frankly the fewer American travellers crossing over into our country, the better.

Canada has done a decent job of trying to flatten the curve, and the federal/provincial cooperation on our side of the border is visible.

Daily press conferences from the federal government and various provincial leaders have been harmonized, both in messaging and delivery.

Compare that to the American tragicomedy unfolding between the president and the country’s top specialist in infectious diseases.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, had provided advice to six successive presidents, and was called upon to join the president’s task force on the coronavirus.

The collaboration was fine until Trump decided that he would ignore the science and encourage people to stop self-isolating and socialize more.

To Fauci’s credit, he publicly contradicted the president, succinctly stating the government doesn’t decide the timeframe, the virus does.

But as soon as Fauci crossed the president, he suddenly disappeared from any joint announcements on the White House coronavirus strategy.

Fauci will obviously not support the president’s attempts to minimize the benefits of self-isolation. The notion that Americans should flock to public gatherings at Easter is akin to signing a death warrant for thousands of people who are vulnerable to the virus.

But the president’s crazy claims have lots of support. Just last week, the lieutenant-governor of Texas backed the president’s call to shorten the social distancing timeframe, even though he acknowledged that it could cost lives. Dan Patrick stepped in to back Trump’s call to end the social isolation in favour of the economy, stating that grandparents would be willing to sacrifice their lives for the economy.

Patrick claimed the United States would be finished if the coronavirus keeps people in their homes for another three months.

But the scientists tell us that if we refuse to keep our distance from others, the virus will simply rebound and gather more strength.

The last few weeks have provided a pretty good snapshot of the benefits of universal health care versus the American health hodgepodge.

In our country, federal and provincial health ministers are working together to provide the support for frontline workers fighting the spread of this disease.

The prime minister and premiers are collaborating to ensure the economic damage to workers and companies is backstopped with government support.

One only needs to switch between Canadian and American television networks to witness the difference in our approaches to COVID-19-virus fighting.

And if you don’t believe the anecdotal evidence, just review the numbers. The United States has now become the epicentre of the virus. As of last Thursday, more than 1,000 Americans had died from the virus, compared to 35 Canadians. One-third of the American deaths occurred in New York, which borders our country.

So, the one thing that soldiers at the border could accomplish is keeping Americans on their side of the fence.

It is a sad day when the world’s longest undefended border reverts to army protection. And it also is a testament to the fragility of our bilateral relationship.

But at the end of the day, anything that discourages traffic between Canada and the United States can only benefit us.

As long as Donald Trump is in office, he will continue to promote despots and dictators over democrats. He would rather befriend Russian president Vladimir Putin and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.

The North Korean despot was reported on social media to have executed the first corona virus sufferer in his country, although that posting has not been confirmed.

If Trump proceeds with his plan to arm his northern border, we can return the favour by limiting American traffic.

Trump’s plan may actually help keep COVID-19 out of Canada.

Sheila Copps is a former Jean Chrétien-era cabinet minister and a former deputy prime minister. Follow her on Twitter at @Sheila_Copps.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is getting an early shot at the new form of communication. Self-isolation has not prevented him from getting his message out.

By Sheila Copps
First published in The Hill Times on March 23, 2020.

OTTAWA—Social distancing to a politician is akin to a hand sanitizer ban for germaphobes.

Politicians thrive on contact with people.

But in the new normal, public figures may have to learn to campaign in a germ-free bubble.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is getting an early shot at the new form of communication. Self-isolation has not prevented him from getting his message out.

His government’s handling of the situation to date has the potential to enhance his political capital.

Daily press availability and the major national stimulus package could calm the growing fears of worried Canadians.

Trudeau’s new beard has been graying quickly, given the nature of the stresses he must be feeling at his wife’s side while she manages her infection. The graying has added a hint of gravitas to what is obviously a very grave situation.

I was a latecomer to the panic room. But I could not responsibly ignore the appeal of Canada’s foreign minister to get back home.

Last week, I was hoping to continue plans for a two-week anniversary cruise, but the request by the Canadian government to get back home could not be ignored.

My husband and I managed to get wait-listed on one of the last international flights still landing in Ottawa, and after traveling for two days, arrived to a ghost town last Tuesday.

It is worth mentioning that Canadian border officials appear a lot more prepared to manage this crisis than our American counterparts.

En route to Canada, we transited through two American airports, landing first in San Francisco and next in Washington.

In neither airport was there a single reference, verbal or written, to the coronavirus. We were not asked whether we had experienced a cough, or any symptoms. Nor were we warned to self-isolate when we reached our final destination.

It was a totally different story when we arrived in Canada. We were questioned at the border about health symptoms and travel history, and then given an information sheet with all of the contact numbers for reporting any potential infection.

We were asked to undertake a voluntary 14-day self-isolation plan, and signed a form agreeing to do so.

The Canadian message is clear. In order to stem the flow of the virus, we all need to limit social contact as much as possible. But the same warnings do not seem to have made their way to some parts of the United States.

An American friend just underwent a mastectomy operation in Houston and she actually went out to celebrate the surgery at an Irish bar with her family on St. Patrick’s Day. She seemed oblivious to the notion that her own health could be at risk by gathering in a bar.

Most Canadian bars and restaurants are closed but it seems to be business as usual in some parts of the United States.

An aggressive Canadian lockdown may limit the spread here, but the laissez-faire approach of some American states could have a negative rebound effect on our country. As of last Thursday, there were 736 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Canada, while in the United States, the reported number of infections surpassed 11,000.

The difference in infection rate may be partially explained by the capacity of a public health system to respond in a coordinated fashion. Many Americans have no health care, and they are obviously at risk when it comes to curbing the transmission curve.

China is now in recovery mode but, according to media reports, hospitals across the United States have been asking health professionals to reuse single-use masks.

Beaches in Florida are still packed with young people who appear to be generally ignoring the warning to stay home. And bars in New York are still operating, with state governor Andrew Cuomo stating publicly that he will not exercise his legal options to keep people home.

At home, the prime minister is considering all options, including the implementation of a War Measures Act to ensure compliance with social distancing requests.

The thought of spending months in isolation is not something anyone looks forward to.

Netflix has been bending under the weight of millions of downloaders. The strain on their system has been so great that they just eliminated high definition transmission in favour of preserving bandwidth. Being restricted in close quarters can also be a challenge for families.

Puzzles and games have been flying off store shelves, purchased by harried parents looking to keep their children busy.

Isolation is the new normal.

Sheila Copps is a former Jean Chrétien-era cabinet minister and a former deputy prime minister. Follow her on Twitter at @Sheila_Copps.