Tomorrow, I’ll be wearing a face mask when I take my seat in the House of Commons. Why? Well, it makes things safer, it sets a good example for Canadians, and---as is so often the case for MPs---it’s totally free. 1/16
Masks have been available free to all MPs for 2 wks: Here’s a May 4 memo from House Services: “Disposable, non-medical masks are available to Members or their staff…. Masks are available in West Block, just outside Room 149-A.” (ie a few steps from the Commons chamber.) 2/16
So it turns out that unconstitutional orders to MPs from party whips, telling us to ‘Go Home and Stay Home’ are not the only way of ensuring safety. Maybe Whips should have informed their MPs that a safe alternative is already in place. 3/16
As shown in this photo from last wk, physical distancing in the Commons has been more theoretical than real. The PM and Bill Morneau are 6’ apart, but what happens when Chrystia Freeland takes another step forward? Wouldn’t they set a better example by all wearing masks? 4/16
And last week, I saw ministers sitting only 4’ apart in the House. This suggests that bringing the Commons down to 30-odd members has more to do with making sure Parliament can’t fully scrutinize gov’t COVID-19 policies, than with serious concerns about safety. 5/16
PM Trudeau’s reluctance to wear a mask in the Commons (or anywhere else on Parliament Hill) is at odds with what he is required to do when someone else makes the rules-—as at this ramp ceremony in Trenton last week. 6/16
And by now, look which countries are way ahead of Canada. For example unlike the Commons, the US Congress is NOT mask-free. Nor has it been since late April, when this photo was taken. 7/16
Likewise, Japan’s Diet is NOT mask-free. Japanese MPs sit much closer together than would feel safe in Canada’s Commons, but it works. The # of COVID cases per million population in Japan is less than 10% Canada’s rate. 8/16
Germany’s Bundestag is NOT mask-free. Here, leadership members of the German Left Party wear masks in the Bundestag in April. 9/16
Singapore made the tragic error of taking WHO’s advice and discouraging mask use, then reversed itself in April, after COVID cases spiked. Masks are being used as what they call a “circuit-breaker.” Singapore’s Parliament is NO LONGER mask-free. 10/16
Israel too let things get out of hand, early in the epidemic. But they’ve learned their lesson, and members of the Knesset now wear masks on the job. 11/16
Likewise, Austria’s Parliament is NOT mask-free. Austria implemented mask use early, and has had a per-capita COVID death-rate 85% lower than neighbouring Italy. 12/16
But Austria only looks good until you compare it to the Czech Republic, where public officials (and everybody else) adopted masks before the rest of Europe. Their infection rate is less than half Austria’s Here’s a Czech press conference---all officials wear masks. 13/16
Better yet: The results in the neighboring state, Slovakia, where the infection rate is 274 per million (10% Canada’s rate). Guess what? The legislators set an example for the whole country, by wearing masks in Parliament. 14/16
Maybe this is why the European Parliament made mask-wearing in their Chamber mandatory, back in April. 15/16
Maybe it’s time to end the House of Commons’ status as a mask-free zone when so much of the rest of the world has followed the evidence? Maybe we should let far more MPs return to Ottawa, and just require them to do what so many others have already done? 16/16
You can follow @ScottReidCPC.
Tip: mention @twtextapp on a Twitter thread with the keyword “unroll” to get a link to it.

Latest Threads Unrolled: