Liberals open to providing more pandemic support if COVID worsens, says Trudeau in CityNews year-end interview

The federal government is open to providing additional economic support for Canadians that may need it if the country faces another COVID-19 surge this winter.

CityNews, along with our colleagues from Breakfast Television and OMNI News, got the chance to sit down with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to look back at some of the biggest stories from 2021, including the government’s overall pandemic response and the vaccine rollout in Canada.

The prime minister warned of a continuing threat of COVID-19 with the arrival of the Omicron variant in Canada, spiking cases as the holidays approach and the possibility of further lockdowns.

Trudeau did not rule out the reintroduction of “economic support” in the event public-health measures made shutdowns necessary in the future.

READ: Trudeau talks China and Quebec’s Bill 21 in CityNews year-end interview

“If we need to bring back more supports, we will,” he said. “We’ve actually got a bill before the House right now to make sure that there are lockdown supports as people have to face difficult decisions so that there is support for people if municipalities or regions have to bring in more lockdowns, which nobody wants, but might happen.

“Because we know that supporting people with economic support to get through this is the best thing, not just for the health outcomes, it’s also the best thing to make sure that our economy comes back as quick as possible and people get through this with as little economic pain as possible.”

The $7.4-billion aid bill before the House of Commons is known as C-2. The Liberals are proposing to extend pandemic aid until May 2022 to help struggling businesses. The bill would also provide a $300-a-week benefit to workers subject to a lockdown – an economic insurance policy if the virus surges again.

The Liberals want the bill to get approval before the end of the week.

“I made a simple promise that we would have Canadians’ backs as long as it took, as much as it took,” said Trudeau. “That’s what we’ve been doing. That’s what we’ll continue to do.”

WATCH: Pandemic benefits coming to an end (Oct. 22, 2021)

Trudeau defended the Liberals’ pandemic response. Ottawa made pandemic recovery the foremost issue during last month’s throne speech: improving health accessibility, reducing surgical delays, more economic support for businesses and a push to increase vaccination rates.

Part of the government’s ongoing pandemic response is ensuring the country has enough vaccines and boosters, says the prime minister.

Trudeau repeatedly praised Canada’s vaccination rate – more than 85 per cent of eligible Canadians have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and more than 80 per cent of eligible Canadians are fully vaccinated.

He beamed with pride when talking about how his seven-year-old son Hadrien got the COVID-19 vaccine earlier this month. Children aged five to 11 recently became eligible for pediatric doses of the shot.

When asked about Canadians unwilling to be vaccinated, or those unhappy with some of the government’s decisions, the prime minister refused to accept the premise that Canadians have been fundamentally divided by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think one of the things we saw through this pandemic is just how Canadians pulled together, how much people are there for each other, not just our front-line workers, who were extraordinary,” Trudeau said. “But neighbours helping neighbours, young people helping their elders. People focus on being there for each other.

“And the proof is the fact that we have one of the highest double vaccination rates of any country in the world right now. Yes, there’s some people who have chosen not to believe in science and who are putting others at risk. But they are a small minority. The vast majority of Canadians made it through this pandemic by doing the right thing and being there for each other.”

To watch the full interview – “A Conversation with the Prime Minister” – tune into CityNews on Wednesday, Dec. 15, at 7 p.m. local time.