It’s been a year no one will ever forget, says Foothills MP John Barlow.
“I don’t think when you get involved in politics you ever expect to endure a pandemic that basically brings the global economy to its knees and you have to find ways to adapt,” he said.
He said the Canadian government made some necessary moves to implement programs that would help citizens and business owners get through the spring and summer, which were challenging months for many.
His office was busy taking calls and emails from constituents trying to manoeuvre their way through programs and keep their heads above water.
“It’s certainly what I remember from this past year,” said Barlow. “It’s really hard to think of anything else because it’s really dominated everything we do.”
There were certainly some lessons learned along the way, he said.
In the beginning, the situation was fraught with mixed messages and people began to mistrust many levels of government, he said.
“At the beginning we were asking the federal government to shut our borders and they were saying, ‘You’re just being racist,’ and they were saying don’t wear masks, it doesn’t help anything, and then obviously that message has changed,” said Barlow. “They were saying rapid testing is not effective and makes matters worse, and now they’re trying to get rapid testing out.”
If the messaging had been consistent from the get-go, a lot of the distrust and misinformation could have been avoided, he said.
The approach to COVID-19 response was rocky from the start, with programs like the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) payments and wage subsidy, which took a long time to get right, he said.
“We’re still working on some of those things now, but I don’t think anyone would argue – overall, these programs had to happen,” said Barlow. “We had to have an injection of funds into especially small businesses to keep them afloat and try to keep as many Canadians working as possible, and those who weren’t ensure they had the means to pay their mortgages and put food on the table.”
He said those programs were a coup for everyone in parliament as all MPs worked together to roll them out quickly and adjust on the fly as necessary.
There were some people who fell through the cracks, and he said the federal government is still trying to address certain issues, but that doesn’t detract from the important work done to-date.
Aside from COVID, he said there were some other important steps taken this year, including putting his private member’s bill on the table. Bill C-205 seeks to amend the Health of Animals Act, something that came about after protestors trespassed on a turkey farm in Fort Macleod in 2019.
It includes stronger penalties for those who break into private property and focuses on the protection of animals and livestock, for food safety and security.
He said it looks like the bill will get past second reading in February, which is unusual for a private member’s bill from an opposition member.
“I have the support of the Bloq and the NDP and some Liberal members right now,” said Barlow. “I’m confident and guardedly optimistic that I’ll get it through third reading and into the senate.”
One of the positives to come out of COVID was the development of the Foothills Business Recovery Task Force in the spring, he said. It includes representatives from several industries coming together to work on solutions to recovery in the Foothills region.
“We always talk about agriculture in this riding, which is of huge importance, and energy, but I think now we understand how important travel and tourism is, manufacturing, value-added agri-business,” said Barlow.
He hopes the connections made and work done by the task force will have long-term benefits for businesses in the riding.
Moving forward, he said a big focus for 2021 needs to be on the mental health of Canadians.
While the medical side of the issue is being addressed with rapid testing and vaccines coming online, he said there are other statistics that point to the effects of the pandemic on Canadians.
In Alberta, the number of opioid overdose deaths and suicides nearly tripled from January to July, he said. In addition, the statistical report from the Canadian Mental Health Association in December revealed 40 per cent of Canadians have felt their mental health has deteriorated in the last year and one in 10 have had suicidal thoughts, he said.
“The numbers were staggering,” said Barlow. “I think we have to really turn our focus next year into ensuring there are resources for mental health, focus on the opioid crisis.”
