We look to our politicians for leadership. We hold them to higher standards. Our leading health care officials of all ten provinces and the government of Canada asked Canadians to not travel outside of the country.
The Ford government of Ontario put in rules asking Ontarians to not host meals in their homes for anyone beyond household members. The instructions were clear. There were no reasons for exceptions to the rules. Yet some members of parliament and legislatures across Canada and some provincial cabinet members seemed to feel that they were exceptions to the requests of health officials.
Ontario’s Minister of Finance Rod Phillips chose to ignore the request to travel and not to travel and was discovered on St. Barts in the Caribbean. He tried to hide his travel with pre-recorded videos from his home wishing his constituents and happy holiday season. Ordered to return to Ontario, Ford stripped him of his portfolio.
In Alberta the Minister of Municipal Affairs was caught vacationing in Hawaii and on return to her Grand Prairie riding submitted her resignation from the Alberta Cabinet.
In Manitoba MP Nicki Ashton had travelled to Greece to visit her ailing grandfather. The NDP member was stripped of her critics role by the leader of the NDP even through she had sought advise on the safest way to travel.
There are many more members of legislatures and Canadian parliament who chose to disregard the requests not to travel beyond Canada’s borders. All today are paying the consequences for disregarding the recommendations of Canada’s senior Public Health official Theresa Tam.
Does the stripping of titles and positions fit the crime?
Each member of a legislature, council or board is looked on with esteem. Each is a role model for every citizen of the community or riding. We may not have voted for them, but each member took on the role of leadership and their actions speak louder than words. They become the example for others to follow. Elected officials choosing to disregard the recommendations of public health officials undermines the recommendations.
Failing to isolate following the rules of the province or failing to heed the travel advise of health officials hurts the efforts of everyone who follows the rules to keep their neighbours and relatives safe.
It is good to know that there are consequences for not following rules. It is good to know that large gatherings at New Year’s have resulted in fines to participants. COVID-19 is not going away. COVID-19 will call upon us all to continue making sacrifices. Our traditional southern or European vacation will not happen in 2021. Only with the sacrifices of not visiting and sharing meals with families, friends, and neighbours will we in the future be able to celebrate the end of this pandemic.
Jim Cumming
Former publisher
Fort Frances Times
