Chaos is the last thing we need
Cornwall. Peterborough. Guelph. Ottawa. Niagara. Peel. Toronto. And now police forces right across the province are refusing to make use of the new powers authorized by the Ontario government yesterday. And with good reason; randomly stopping citizens and ticketing those who don’t comply won’t stop the COVID-19 pandemic. These measures could lead to racialized, homeless and vulnerable communities already disproportionately impacted from this virus to now be living in fear and apprehension. What’s now labelled as the back of napkin efforts of a government furiously trying to stop the spread of the virus are leading to ineffective measures and chaos. And chaos is the last thing we need.
Ontarians don’t know who to trust on the issue of COVID-19. No matter where we look, there is conflicting information about masks, about safety, about vaccines. They are confused by the lockdowns, followed by the easing of restrictions, followed by more lockdowns. Businesses are mandated to close, then opened next month, then closed again the next week. The economy is teetering on the brink of the next announcement. And Ontarians are left feeling insecure and unsafe.
When the police refuse to follow the instructions of the government, we have the beginnings of civil unrest. We are already seeing parents tearing down yellow tape to get into playgrounds and visiting elderly family members despite orders. It’s been more than a year of announcements that don’t fully work and measures that only temporarily curb the pandemic or protect the public.
As the leader of Ontario’s public service union, I am most concerned with public safety. Thousands of OPSEU/SEFPO members have been in the front lines of this pandemic, risking life and limb for the protection and safety of all Ontarians. To protect them, and the rest of us, we need a return to public trust and measures that work.
I am also concerned with how politicized the issue has become. There is no easy answer to ending the pandemic. If there were, surely we would see evidence around the world, not just in a few select places. If we are to get through this, we are going to have to rely on a few things, starting with available vaccines into as many arms as possible, regardless of the name on the label.
We are going to need capacity, both in terms of infrastructure and skilled, trained human resources.
We need treatment options for early onset symptoms for high-risk individuals.
Education, not enforcement, will see us through.
And we need collaboration.
Accusing the Premier of being uncaring, callous and more concerned with finances than health is simply dishonest.
I have come to know the Premier. I know he is distraught. I know he cares. I know he is working around the clock. The burden of leadership, whether he signed up for it or not, weighs heavy in life or death decisions. Armchair quarterbacking is far cozier.
Stop lobbing rhetorical bombs, end the name calling and hostility. Now is not the time for posturing along party lines that has been so front and centre.
We must come together now.
I am calling on the Premier to share the burden, widen the tent and bring all voices into a room where egos can be checked at the door for the good of Ontario. Let’s hash it out; determine a course, develop a narrative everyone can trust and understand. And finally let’s implement it once and for all.
With nearly 4,500 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Ontario today, it’s clear that the answers must come quickly. Real answers from leaders who care more about people than their own futures.
OPSEU/SEFPO President Warren (Smokey) Thomas
For more information: Warren (Smokey) Thomas, 613-329-1931; OPSEUCommunications@opseu.org