Think tank calls for governments to share ‘playbook’ on reopening economy

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – What’s the plan for re-opening the economy? That question is coming from a leading think tank, which is urging governments to share a detailed “playbook” on what the road to recovery looks like.

Governments across the country need to establish clear metrics and milestones so that businesses can plan accordingly on getting people working again, at something closer to full capacity.

That’s the call from the C.D. Howe Institute, with its associate director of research Grant Bishop saying there’s a real need for a strategy.

“It has to be driven by public health, but take account of the economic costs of continued shut down,” Bishop explains, adding companies should know what needs to happen for certain restrictions to be lifted, and what that phased approach will look like.

“What we see as desirable are thresholds for public health indicators at which certain restrictions can be lifted, certain standards that would need to be in place in different workplaces, to enable return to work,” he says. “We’ve been given, sort of, outside lengths of years, potentially, until we have a vaccine for an absolute return to normal, but obviously there’s going to be a need for Canadians to continue to work, to get back to work, before that time.”

The institute backs various support programs put forward by the federal government, but feels they could be simpler — in particular when it comes to how companies qualify for the wage subsidy.

“What we’re calling for here is transparent principles for managing risks of transmission and impact on economic activity, we see that being achieved through collaboration with industry,” Bishop says, explaining that could be done through task forces, or developed standards.

The C.D. Howe Institute Crisis Working Group, which is a group made up of economists and industry experts, has made a number of other recommendations:

  • Federal-provincial collaboration on pan-Canadian principles with continuing responsibility for emergency measures by provincial and municipal governments;
  • Collaboration with industry (e.g., through task forces) to develop workplace-level standards and protocols to mitigate transmission risks;
  • Thresholds for public health indicators at which certain restrictions can be lifted; and
  • Timely tracking for epidemiological indicators and pressures on healthcare system.

Along with its recommendation for a “playbook,” the C.D. Howe Institute has also stressed the importance of recognizing the “role of Canada’s resilient telecommunications services during this crisis.”

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