Let’s examine O’Toole’s response in closer detail.

A lockdown was required for preservation of human lives through limiting the spread of the virus during this pandemic. https://twitter.com/gtlem/status/1259548568572039168

O’Toole is opining that getting money to people so they could feed themselves, pay their utilities (it was still early spring and quite cold in many of the areas of the nation) and pay rent or mortgage was less of a priority than saving small businesses.

He’s stating that the government should have prioritized small businesses over the millions of people helped by CERB to eat, stay warm, keep the power on and keep their primary shelter.

Does that make sense? Not if preserving human life is the top priority.

But let’s dive further into the issue. Many have criticized Liberals for delaying the actual benefits to people by tying benefits to loss of the ability to make an income. By no means has it been perfect. But there is a motive.

By pairing CERB benefits with COVid-19 impact on small and large non-essential businesses, employees continue to maintain ties to their employer. The lockdown is temporary. When restrictions are lifted, many CERB recipients can return to their jobs they had prior to the lockdown.

Had the government just issued a universal benefit to every worker, some essential workers would receive a paycheque and CERB. And many workers would have been permanently laid off, severing ties with their employees.

Making training staff to open at end of lockdown an odious task for small and large businesses alike.

In fact, many employers who had laid off their employees at the beginning of the lockdown were encouraged to rehire their employees & feds offered incentives to those employers.

Sure, the CERB isn’t perfect. There are gaps. New workers, self employed, graduating students, were all overlooked upon first roll out of CERB.

But the outcome of retaining employees financially and maintaining ties to their most recent employment was achieved.

Businesses needs WERE factored into the policy and decision to offer CERB as a benefit for traditional paid workers. Who make up the majority of the workforce.

This policy put people’s immediate and long term survival as a priority. And addressed business needs upon reopening.

It’s a balanced approach.

Criticize the Liberals for the gaps that have left many, but still a minority, without access to the CERB benefits.

But the needs of small businesses were considered, though O’Toole tries to convince the public otherwise.

Criticize the Liberals for offering too small of an incentive for employers who wanted to remain tethered to their employees for ease of reopening.

Ten percent was initially offered. With negative feedback, it’s now 75%.

Criticize Liberals for excluding the unemployed and those on limited incomes.

Employment insurance was extended for those on EI. Many EI claims were processed in the beginning of lockdown to accommodate those who lost employment. The two week waiting period was waived.

Criticize Liberals for leaving out students in initial CERB role out.

Post secondary shuts down at the end of April annually. Students financial need was not until the end of April. The student assistance was implemented before the end of April 2020.

Criticize Liberals for leaving out Welfare recipients and leaving them on subsistence benefits.

Provinces administer social welfare & set benefit amounts. Other than AB, provinces maintained welfare payments to recipients. It’s not up to feds to comment on benefit adequacy.

Criticize Liberals for ignoring self employed individuals.

Liberals dealt with the millions of out of work Canadians reliant on employers for wages first. Millions come before self employed because they have no capital resources. Standard fare in emergencies. Triage most needy.

Has the Canadian response to COVid-19 been perfect?

No.

Expecting any emergency response to be textbook perfect is unreasonable. It’s an emergency. Mistakes and delays happen, and did.

But overall, every Canadian is safe, has access to food, utilities and shelter.

No one has been intentionally left behind. The most urgent needs were met first. Some gaps remain, but the government continues to roll out benefit packages to smaller targeted recipients daily.

O’Toole is criticizing to maintain his relevance. Nothing more.

His suggestion that economic needs were ignored is groundless. His opinion they should have been the first priority is morally & ethically repugnant.

Businesses can be rebuilt. But dead people can not be revived.

Perhaps conservatives need to reexamine their priorities.

You’d think that a party full of people that whine incessantly about the sanctity of life and the value of the family would be clear on the ethics of emergency response priorities.

Sadly, that’s not their main priority. That is abundantly clear.

If that’s what O’Toole believes; that most Canadians will prioritize the economy over the lives of their children, spouses, parents, neighbours, co-workers and community, he’s out of touch with reality.

Expect nothing more from an ideologue endorsed by Jason Kenney.