
Separate from the culture of blind political bias, the Canadian homeland, like the nations around the world, is dealing with a threat the likes of which the country has never seen since the establishment of the Confederation in 1867.
This kind of special circumstance requires a special kind of leadership to manage the situation that Canada has found itself in. The Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, and the federal government are being watched under a microscope by the nation that is assessing how they manage the details of this exceptional situation in all its political, financial and social security aspects.
With the lack of reliable information about the spread and seriousness of COVID-19, the bitter truth knocked on Canada’s doors and the epidemic began to spread steadily and quickly across the country. This led to a state of fear among Canadian citizens, and severe pressure on the medical systems administered by the provinces, which served to increase the state of tension.
At that moment of time, the federal government agencies mobilized with all of their ministries and departments to deal with the situation, which had not even been considered in the most difficult scenarios that governments plan for. The first surprise was the necessity that Prime Minister Trudeau be forced into confinement after his wife was infected with the virus after returning from a visit to Britain.
In light of these special and general circumstances, Justin Trudeau rose up to lead the stage with the utmost calm and confidence. He began appearing daily in front of millions of Canadians, addressing them in a tranquil tone, depending on the transparency of the information provided. In addition, his appearances have always been beneficial in keeping citizens informed of the latest details, medical guidelines, and required preventive measures.
In addition, Trudeau’s plan involved the continuous offers of billions of dollars in financial aid, aiming firstly at the employees who lost their jobs due to the mass closures and then expanding to many segments of society also involved in the economy. With this plan, the prime minister tried to ease the anxiety that has affected so many in the country.
Political sophistication and talent are strongly required in dealing with the Canadian provincial governments because of the diverse political backgrounds of all the parties that govern them. Requests from provinces continue to pour in, especially in terms of urgent medical materials to deal with the spread of the epidemic. Furthermore, the federal government showed a lot of flexibility in dealing with the opposition and some of its requests to review and amend laws that had to be passed unanimously because of their importance.
No one can deny that the self-confident dialect that characterized the prime minister, the daily appearances, the support of a strong team and experts in the field, and a culture of respect helped Canadians psychologically deal with this deadly, indiscriminate pandemic. Certainty, the measures taken by the federal government eased the Canadian people’s frustration and despair and reassured them that there is an authority that will look after them and address their fears.
*Samer Majzoub