Author: Bambi

Ms. Hajdu, our federal health Minister, said in response to a question from a reporter asking “… whether the WHO’s data could be relied upon if China’s isn’t accurate”:

 “Your question is feeding into conspiracy theories that many people have been perpetuating on the Internet”.

If this is not intimidation to reporters, what is it? Mr. Lorrie Goldstein may be right on this one:

GOLDSTEIN: Patty Hajdu’s China Syndrome

In an apparent response to a similar question by a reporter last Wednesday, Mr. Trudeau said:

“…”.

With all due respect to our PM, the “…” above is his usual beautiful yet empty blahblahblah.

You may wish to fill the dots with whatever words you like. Words that sound politically correct, perhaps “inclusive”, socially or… even globally acceptable. Regardless of your choice of words, Bambi bets they will likely not provide any real answer (yes, regardless of the question).

This is a rather classical Trudeau communication style, at least in politics. It was like that pre-pandemic. It will continue to be so post-pandemic (for those who will survive to witness).

His minority government will likely continue to throw money at us, now more than ever… from our own taxes, taking it from one pocket to the other. Of course, regardless, it is nice for us to have a government that has the willingness to support citizens in this awful economic crisis. Bambi remains a grateful “deer”, just like her fellow “human” Canadian citizens.

This being said, despite people’s incredible capacity to learn, Bambi is convinced that what would predict human behaviour the best in life remains perhaps simple (no need for fancy statistical modelling to estimate it): In general, if she may generalize to all human beings including Mr. Trudeau, past behaviour tends to the best predictor of future behaviour.

In other terms, what we have seen from Mr. Trudeau in past crises, in the pre-pandemic era, will likely be his approach during a pandemic. If we are seeing a promising difference now, we should always remember the wise French saying that goes like this: “Chassez le naturel, il revient au galop”. In English, it means: “what is bred in the bone will come out in the flesh”.

Of course, this saying applies to anyone, including former Drama teachers, despite their better skills in hiding what would be “bred in the bone”.  

Today, Mr. Trudeau’s tweet account shows part of his daily speech, saying to healthcare providers: “…… Know that we are there for you. Our government will continue to work hard to ensure you have the personal protective equipment you need”.

Beautiful words that sound reassuring. Go Canada go!

However, the reality on the ground may not seem to be that efficient, especially in a world of harsh competition for medical supplies sold by China.

Talking about China, the latter is doing good business nowadays after its own tragedy, followed by OURS here/around the world. Perhaps this tragedy has been significantly delayed after the Chinese authorities tried to hide the pandemic from their own people and from the rest of us (through the WHO). Anyhow, what is done is done…

Bearing this comment in mind, before presenting a translation of the Journal de Montréal (March 4, 2020)’s article below, Bambi thinks the following: Perhaps Canada must first act FAST to bring equipment and deal with quality testing/check upon arrival at our end. This would perhaps help remove Canadian self-barriers to efficacy.

This being said, here is the original article (in French) followed by a quick translation:

https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2020/04/03/masques-bloques-en-chine-par-le-canada

“Masks blocked in China … by Canada [Masques bloqués en Chine… par le Canada]

The 300,000 products are intended for hospitals.

“A Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu entrepreneur who ordered nearly 300,000 masks from China in the hope of supplying Québec health workers is furious that Canadian authorities are blocking his cargo transport on the pretext that he does not have not the required permit.

“This is a complete disappointment for me,” said Dominique Plouffe, the owner of Marine Service Canada. I do not make a penny with that, I buy them and I sell them at cost, I really do that to help. “

Talking to one of his suppliers, the businessman realized about a week ago that it was possible for him to order thousands of masks and receive them quickly. Seeing the crying need, he made calls to offer assistance to the provincial government.

Many orders

A lady from the Montérégie Integrated Health and Social Services Centre [“Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de la Montérégie-Centre”] finally confirmed to him that she would buy 100,000 equipment from him. Then, organizations in his region also ordered them to make donations in healthcare system.

However, the situation became complex when the Americans began to buy masks, destined for other countries, directly on the tarmac of Chinese airports.

To make sure he received his order, Mr. Plouffe found a Québec-based transport company, which is located in China, that agreed to bring the masks directly to a Canadian cargo plane.

No certificate, no masks.

The products were to arrive in the country Friday morning, but Canadian authorities would block the process on the pretext that Mr. Plouffe does not hold the certificate of importer of medical equipment.

“We are now filling out a 15-page-long form which we will send to the government, which will analyze our request within three to five working days. If we pass the test, we will end up having our masks, but the deadlines are ridiculous when there is a need here, “he said, deploring this unnecessary bureaucracy in times of crisis.

Dominique Plouffe has already received numerous requests to order more, particularly from certain hospitals and residences for the elderly.”

What an inspiring interview with Dr. De Civita by Ms. Isil from “Unique Careers, Unique Lives“! If you are looking for a wise use of your time during this COVID-19 pandemic, Bambi highly recommends the podcast below.

For Bambi, listening to this podcast was clearly more informative, inspiring, and surely less frustrating than some daily press conferences. It was therapeutic, in comparison :). Seriously, Bambi made up her mind. As of tomorrow, she will stop listening to press conferences from Ottawa in order to keep feeling zen whilst working. She will keep listening to NB press conferences. They do have a nicer effect on her deer’s body :).

To come back to Dr. Mirella De Civita, thank you for sharing your wisdom combined to your knowledge and life experiences, both joyful and tragic. Your words are filled with authenticity combined with practical intelligence. Bambi liked how you talked about the merit of being flexible in life to allow ourselves the freedom of more choices. She smiled to the example from your childhood :).

As usual, perhaps even more than ever, Bambi has learned so much from you.

Please be SAFE, you and your family, and keep up the great work!

Prototype Yourself with Dr. Mirella De Civita

By definition, a pandemic is “global” (a word likely so appealing to both Hadju and her boss ?), to which she added that it will require a global response.

Well, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH), “a pandemic is an epidemic of disease, or other health condition, that occurs over a widespread area (multiple countries or continents) and usually affects a sizeable part of the population” (https://aidsinfo.nih.gov/understanding-hiv-aids/glossary/545/pandemic).

Perhaps later stages of a pandemic would likely require even more coordinated global efforts (i.e., when we get to a vaccine stage, etc.). This being said, one must consult data of other countries and from the World Health Organization (WHO) at all times, that is before, during early and throughout a pandemic, as well as after it ends.

However, one must know how to look at data with a critical eye and a grain of salt.

Obviously, not one of Ms. Hajdu’s strengths as she literally said:

“There is no indication that the data that came out of China in terms of the infection rate and their death rate was falsified in any way” – Health Minister Hajdu

Again, more ideology than science. Luckily there is Dr. Tam in the Public Health Canada team ?.

Now more seriously, Ms. Hajdu recognized the following: “Canada likely did not stockpile enough masks, other protective equipment”(https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/canada-likely-did-not-stockpile-enough-masks-other-protective-equipment-health-minister-1.4877856).

Plus, Canada sent medical equipment to China earlier on…

http://bambisafkar.ca/index.php/2020/03/23/canada-china-sometimes-too-much-generosity-can-literally-kill/

So, whose fault is that? Trudeau, Hajdu, or a predecessor?

Who should resign over this public health negligence, after the pandemic is over?

Who is putting his people first here, the PM of Canada or the President of the USA?

Bambi is not particularly fond of Mr. Trump with his often silly or vulgar language… however, after waking up, he seems to be using his power to ensure a production of medical equipment for his own people. Should we blame him for that? He is thinking of America before any other nation, even his neighbours… oups, quite the opposite of what Mr. Trudeau did actually.

If we extrapolate from nations to individuals, in a survival mode, we think of ourselves (and our families) first before our neighbours. If we care too much for others, we may die.

Bambi hopes Canadians will remember this when they will be called to vote again in the future. In her case, she does not need to remember anything.

Because of Mr. Trudeau, she did not vote Liberal in the last election… as she has always done.

Bambi will start with Ms. Catherine McKenna who describes herself on her Twitter account as: “Mom. Swimmer. Climate advocate. Ottawa Centre MP/Députée. Minister of Infrastructure and Communities/Ministre de l’Infrastructure et des Collectivités”.

It seems that she is organizing online courses to kids called “Climate Change 101”. We can see her in short videos even (April 1, 2020) and read: “Get ready for round 2 of homeschooling with a Climate 101 class tomorrow on Facebook Live at 1 PM. Come along and LEARN on this fantastic voyage. Get your questions ready! / Préparez vos questions!”.

Why doesn’t she use her time like her peers (e.g., Mr. François-Phillipe Champagne who seems to have worked tirelessly to bring stranded Canadians back home; or her peer from the Green party, Ms. Elizabeth May, who also seems to have pushed on this file, at least as per her Twitter account, along with her party-related ideas and this is expected. Thank you both)?

Perhaps climate change is really the new religion of our current times? And Ms. McKenna is a true believer? At least, we can give her a credit for her “authenticity”. One can wonder though the following: Why is she doing so to our kids with our own tax money? Plus, is she working as seriously on her governmental files?

This being said, below is a translation of Mr. Dumont’s article. A topic that Ms. McKenna should have been expert in, given her role of former Minister of Environment (oups sorry of “Minister of Environment and Climate Change”, with the name change).

“The barrel at the bottom of the barrel [le baril au fond du baril], published in the Journal de Montréal on April 3, 2020.

https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2020/04/03/le-baril-au-fond-du-baril

“You saw the price of oil go down at the pump. It is tempting for the consumer to applaud this respite. Some would even say that this is a consolation in this coronavirus crisis. In fact, behind the pump, an economic catastrophe for Canada is looming.

Please understand one thing: a lot of what you spend on a litre of gas is made up of taxes, including fixed taxes. For the price at the pump to drop below 80 cents, the barrel really has to be cheap.

And that’s the case. Western Canadian Select, Western Canadian oil closed last week at $ 7.20. This is an 80% drop since mid-February, when it was selling for around $ 38. This week, he temporarily received $ 5!

Before the crisis

Do I have to remind you that in recent years, when Canadian oil was trading between $ 40 and $ 50 a barrel, people in Western Canada were crying for help? Because Canadian oil was landlocked, its price remained around twenty dollars below the main comparable on the world market.

The Alberta government complained of considerable losses, estimated at $ 20 billion annually. Losses to the economy in general, but also a shortfall for governments that derive significant oil revenues. Can you imagine the losses with a barrel under $ 10?

Collective unrealism

Because oil has a bad reputation, we quickly forget its importance in the Canadian economy. What does such a ridiculously low-price mean? Falling revenues for the federal government, sharply declining revenues in three provinces that contribute to equalization, a fall in the Canadian dollar and a collapse of private investment in the country.

This is in addition to the other woes that plague the Canadian economy. As elsewhere in the world, sectors such as tourism and air transport have stalled. Containment measures also bring about a paralysis of the economy, the costs of which are barely measurable.

The economic crisis and the health crisis will be followed by an unimaginable public finance crisis. Those who were worried about the Trudeau government’s $ 30 billion annual deficit are better off clinging to their seats. The Parliamentary Budget Officer announced last week a probable deficit of 113 billion. And the government has announced tens of billions of additional measures since then.

Everything indicates that the travel industry is not about to recover, and general economic activity is likely to slow down for some time. So, the price of oil will stay low and the consequences for our economy will continue.

I can already hear the easy answer: Canada must get out of its dependence on oil. In the land of unicorns, it is done overnight. In reality, it takes years. For now, the crisis is a painful reminder of the importance of oil in our real economy”.

We are in the middle of a pandemic, at war against a potentially deadly virus.

As our PM, we would have imagined Mr. Trudeau to be too busy, leading our country in such turbulent times. Yet, he has the time for a video conference… with our kids?

https://www.cbc.ca/kidsnews/post/do-you-have-a-question-about-the-coronavirus-for-trudeau

If parents are well informed, through full and genuine transparency, they would feel less anxious. In turn, they can be better equipped to reassure their kids themselves.

So, why doesn’t Mr. Trudeau focus his energy on his PM-related job only, letting families take care of their own kids’ concerns (if any)?

In Bambi’s mind, from an evolutionary perspective, those Swedish folks featured in the video below can be called “coviidiots”… unless they are simply extreme death deniers. Who knows?

Perhaps this is what happens to brains after hearing ideologies for too long? They end up ignoring both science and common sense.

This being said, they are reminding Bambi of risky behaviours of religious freaks elsewhere on the planet (e.g., Lebanon, Israel, NY, and even Montreal, etc.).

Perhaps these people truly believe that they are more superior, not just to the novel (thus dangerous) virus but also to the rest of us?

There is a Planet B after all… it is Planet S ?!

In his daily press conference of March 30, 2020, Mr. Trudeau told Canadians: “Fortunately, Canada has taken responsible decision over the past many years to have one of the best balance sheets in the G7, we’ve been making sure we have money set aside for a rainy day. Well, it’s raining we are now able to invest in Canadians” .

Although these words seem reassuring, to what extent is this statement accurate?

Well, according to a report, which was published by the “Centre of Productivity and Prosperity, Walters J. Somers Foundation, HEC” (Montreal, QC, Canada):  “The situation is changing from 2015. At the cost of four consecutive budget deficits totaling $ 56.5 billion, the government is taking program spending to an all-time high in 2018, or $ 8,714 per capita.”

Source of the above data: https://cpp.hec.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/PP-2019-05.pdf (report in French).

For fun, after reading the above, Bambi became interested in comparing Canadian and Lebanese financial indicators. Mind you, this comparison would not be glorious for Canada, being as Lebanon defaulted on eurobonds on March 8, 2020.

Anyhow, for a quick comparison, she consulted the following informative CIA website to explore their most recent data, as of today (or rather tonight ?): https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2186rank.html

Canada’s public debt, calculated as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), was: “89.70% in 2017” (27th highest debt in the world; the USA was at the 34th position, if you are curious to know, like Bambi).

According to the same CIA website, Lebanon’s public debt was: “152.70% in 2017” (third highest debt in the world, after Greece and Japan).

For detailed statistics on Canada, you may wish to read the “economy” sub-part of this page: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ca.html

Based on the data cited above, to what extent are PM Trudeau’s words accurate?

You may perhaps wish to draw your own conclusion…

“Donald Trump should take a lesson from Justin Trudeau — and even Doug Ford — on coronavirus leadership” :

https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2020/03/31/donald-trump-should-take-a-lesson-from-justin-trudeau-and-even-doug-ford-on-coronavirus-leadership.html

Bambi does not know much about Mr. Ford to have an opinion. She only sees two politicians every day and that’s more than enough :).

The title of this post refers to airlines’ wisdom. When we are in a survival mode (e.g., COVID-19 pandemic or airplane emergencies, wars, etc.), if we do not put ourselves first, we die. This would be especially tragic, if we want to keep living.

This does not mean we do not think or love others. This does not mean we cannot be human toward other countries. We have a human responsibility, for sure. However, we must be “smart”, to use Mr. Trudeau’s own words today (Bambi’s word for this is “coviwise” ?).

Mr. Trudeau, you are asking Canadians to be smart (“you are serving by staying at home”, well said again, as usual). The problem is not the beauty of your words, it is rather their emptiness or their disconnect with your people.  

This being said, Mr. Trudeau is absolutely right. Thanks for the smart advice. However, Bambi wonders why our federal government is not acting “smartly” as well, in order to protect our first-line health workers, and by extension all of us!?

This brings Bambi to Dr. Tam (Canada Chief Public Health Officer). Too much on her shoulders… Mr. Trudeau and Ms. Freeland (Deputy Prime Minister) both keep referring journalists to her, when they do not want to answer or when they do not have any clue what to say.

For Bambi, Dr. Tam seemed, from the beginning, the most competent in this ministry. Sadly, she is not the Health Minister herself. Despite Bambi’s latter remark, Dr. Tam seems to be limited with what to say or not to say (normal after all, despite her intelligence, she is being respectful to her bosses).

Now that our federal government woke up (bravo, it is a start!), everyone in that government seems to be relying on Dr. Tam. Let’s hope she will keep on being wise and honest.

Yesterday, one of our federal ministers said that “we do not just protect Canadians but we also have a responsibility toward other countries”. Although he is absolutely right about our collective responsibility to humanity, Canada should be concerned about Canadians’ safety BEFORE anything or anyone else in the world.

Where are the masks, Mr. Trudeau, that will protect our first-line health workers? Where are they also to protect border agents at our still-open airports? Why aren’t we distributing them to travellers who may have symptoms, as your health minister has stated, and as written in the government’s official documents?

On a different topic bur related to COVID-19, Mr. Trudeau (or his helping staff) tweeted yesterday the following: “While many of us are working from home, there are others who aren’t able to do that – like the truck drivers who are working day and night to make sure our shelves are stocked. So when you can, please #ThankATrucker for everything they’re doing and help them however you can”.

Beautiful words, as usual. Sadly, they are not just empty. They sound hypocritical, especially to our truck drivers, given the carbon tax increase on April 1, despite the pandemic.

Canada’s carbon tax increasing April 1 despite coronavirus economic crunch

As explained in the Global News article above:

“That scheduled rise from $20 per tonne to $30 per tonne is in keeping with the plan to raise it by $10 per tonne each year until 2022. For consumers, that translates to roughly an extra 2.5 cents per litre of gasoline at the pumps.

The prime minister repeatedly refused to give a yes or no answer to whether the increase would go ahead during days of recent questioning by journalists”.

When dealing with journalists’ amazing efforts to get transparency for all of us, Mr. Trudeau showed an ability to admit that some questions are difficult. This is a new start for him. Journalists managed to “corner” him on the mask issues.

The truth of the matter is that we are not prepared for the pandemic, as we should have been, as a G7 country. We have the scientific capacity and the economic means. We have NO EXCUSE like other bankrupt countries, like Lebanon. In all honesty, the latter country seems to be behaving now more wisely AND honestly. Let’s give them this credit, for once.

They are considering building field hospital for Syrian refugees, in coordination with the UNHCR… because “the virus’s spread within refugee communities “would be a catastrophe for both, the displaced and the Lebanese population” (Orient Le Jour, March 31^, 2020).

Mr. Trudeau, we are all being as smart as we can to protect ourselves AND others.

What are you doing to protect us when it comes to masks and medical equipment?

For an earlier post on the topic, please read:

Canada & China: Sometimes too much “generosity” can literally kill