O'Toole, Blanchet throne speech responses complicated by COVID-19 infections
With Erin O’Toole, leader of the Conservative party and Yves-François Blanchet, leader of the Bloc Québécois, in quarantine because of COVID-19, staff were scrambling on Wednesday to figure out how they were going to respond to the throne speech and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s televised address to Canadians.
Trudeau, in an unusual step, spoke to Canadians just hours after his government gave its Speech from the Throne. The speech represents a new parliamentary session, and is a time for a government to lay out its priorities and promises to Canadians.
Broadcast networks gave slots to Opposition politicians to respond to Trudeau’s statement, which was expected to rehash details from the Throne Speech, delivered mid-afternoon in Ottawa by the Governor-General, Julie Payette, and discuss the ongoing pandemic.
Jagmeet Singh, the NDP leader, responded to reporters shortly after the speech in Parliament. He was also due to speak after Trudeau, live from Parliament Hill.
“A throne speech is just words on paper and this PM has shown us that his actions don’t match his empty words,” he said Wednesday afternoon.
But, for two of the other leaders, it was somewhat more complicated.
O’Toole, the Conservative party’s new leader, is self-isolating at home after a positive test for COVID-19. His is the largest cohort of Opposition seats in Parliament.
Deputy House Leader Candice Bergen delivered the party’s response, slamming the Throne Speech.
“We are not happy with the speech. We don’t believe it’s what Canadians need,” she said.
As for the opposition leader’s response to Trudeau, a statement from a party spokesperson said, “As you know Mr. O’Toole and his wife have COVID-19 and they will not risk exposing other people to the virus.”
“As such, he will not be responding live to the Prime Minister tonight.”
Blanchet, the Bloc leader, is in similar straits, but The Canadian Press reported he’d speak outside of his home.
Shortly after the speech, Blanchet tweeted “Ottawa has not listened to the urgent and legitimate demands of Quebec and the provinces.”
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