The Bridge with Peter Mansbridge - The Weekend Special #21 -- Enjoy

Episode Date: August 7, 2020

Your thoughts, questions and comments.

And hello there, Peter Mansbridge here with the latest episode of the Bridge Daily. It's Friday, that means weekend special for week 21. And the weekend special, as you know, is all about your letters and your comments and some of your questions. So let's get at it with the reminders that these letters are not read in any particular order. They're basically read in the way they come off the printer. So there's no favoritism here.

And there's no guarantee your whole letter will be read. I usually just try to isolate a couple of sentences and go with that. Although I know some of you give me options because you have a number of different topics, and that's all very good. That's usually what I do is pick one of those topics and go with it. So let's get started here. First one comes from Erin Conser in Sherwood Park, Alberta and we've heard from Erin before. It's good to hear from her again. My husband and I are trying to get our oldest daughter ready for kindergarten in a few short weeks. And it's an evolving circle of stress, self-doubt, excitement, and more doubt.

Boy, I hear that from so many people. And I get it. You know, my son turned 21 last week. My two daughters are older than that. They have grandkids, so I worry about the grandkids and school and university, which one of my granddaughters is going to starting this year. Has to do it online. That's no fun.

But, you know, I think if they were living at home, they'd be going through the same kind of stress that so many of you are going through, trying to make the decisions about school. And on the one hand, the need for school, and on the other hand, the fear of school. Aaron goes on, our school board has just announced their re-entry plan, and it is so well done that my bigger fears are mostly abated. But my daughter is almost five, and while she understands to an

extent, I know she won't be as vigilant in keeping her mask on all day as I am. I want to keep her safe, but I also want her to experience learning with her peers, and I'm not sure which will do the most damage in the long term, the potential illness from COVID, or the social isolation from her friends. I hope we're making the right decision, and I hope she can forgive us in the future if we aren't. Boy, that's a tough position to be in. The other day I mentioned something that I noticed has come up in more discussions and some media are starting to do stories on it and good for them because I

think it's an important story and it's a good story and it also underlines the dilemma in this whole issue and that is the on the part of some parents who are banding together in small pods hiring a teacher and kind of homeschooling in a sense with just four or five students as opposed to sending them to a school where they're fearful of what the consequences may be. Now, you know, on the face of it,

that sounds like a good idea. But it's only a good idea for some people, right? Who can afford to do that. You know, I was cruising on Twitter yesterday, as dangerous as that can be. But I saw a tweet from Sarah Pauly. You know Sarah Pauly? Great Canadian actor, director, producer.

Sarah's some kind of smart. Anyway, she tweeted, If you are forming a homeschool pod because school seems unsafe for your child, please consider putting time into continuing to fight for the kids whose parents don't have that option. An exodus of parent advocates would be terrible right now. Hashtag unsafe September. Sarah Pauley. And if you're looking for Sarah's tweets,

they're at real Sarah Pauley. P-O-L-L-E-Y. Sarah with an H. Laura Burt from Calgary. So many Canadians want to get back to work and cannot for various reasons. For many, their jobs have disappeared and they're suffering dearly. And then there are those of us who have been asked

or required to go back to work in order to serve the public and get the economy going again. We are all at risk as workers of increased COVID exposure, but if we're fortunate enough to have jobs to return to, we should be courageous and get back to it. Being cautious, of course, and taking appropriate safety precautions. We cannot let fear stop us from being productive Canadians. Teachers are no different than the rest of us who are so very fortunate to still have jobs. They need to get back into the classrooms where they can do good for the benefit of our children and our future. Let's all be courageous and set an example for our children of courage, resilience, and optimism. Let's all get back to work if we have the option to do so and be positive about it.

So Laura has been very constructive in her concerns and in her advice, just as others on the opposite side of that argument are trying to be constructive as well. And that's why I say this is a tough one. I'm not sure what's right and what's wrong. I mean, I think I believe at the end of the day the most important thing is the safety of our kids, the safety of our teachers. There seems to be on the part of some that it's not safe yet, while on the part of others who feel, in fact, it is.

And gosh, parents got tough, tough decisions, and it's different in different parts of the country. David Oliver, who's written to us before, writes from Victoria. One issue in the Wee scandal is the payments made to the prime minister's wife, brother, and mother. And then he lists a number of the figures that he's heard mentioned. I'm not going to run through them because I don't know whether they're right or not.

And they are for cumulative totals for numbers of speeches. And Alexandre, Justin Trudeau's brother, and they are cumulative totals for numbers of speeches. Alexandre, Justin Trudeau's brother, apparently gave eight speeches. His mother, Margaret Trudeau, gave 28. And his wife, Sophie, gave a speech, didn't get paid for it, but did have some kind of expenses paid for. Anyway, David's question is this. These seem like large amounts of money, but most of us have no way to judge whether they are unusually high. I wonder if you could give us some background on this. Well, I can give you some background. I'm not going to get into numbers,

but there is a healthy and vigorous, at least it was until four or five months ago, public speaking kind of circuit in Canada just as there is in the U.S., just as there is in Britain and in Europe. And certain speakers do very well on that circuit because they're requested and asked for and have a good reputation. And in the normal times, when there are conventions and association meetings

and all that going on all the time, there are lots of opportunities for public speakers. And depending on who they are and who they're speaking to, those fees can range anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few hundred thousand dollars. And at the top end of those scale are, you know, like former presidents, in some cases, some former prime ministers.

And there are levels all the way in between, the few hundred and the few hundred thousand. And putting the issue aside about whether there was a conflict of interest, put that issue aside and just on your question, David, are these reasonable fees that we're being paid? They're very much at the lower end of the scale. Very much at the lower end of the public speaking scale. I don't know how long they spoke for.

I don't know what else they did, whether they took questions, whether they met with audience members. I don't know what they did. But the amounts that I've seen and that you mentioned certainly aren't outrageous in terms of the public speaking business, which is a legitimate, real business in Canada. And I speak from experience. For years, the CBC encouraged me to take public speaking engagements and to be paid for them.

Then they decided in the last few years that I was at the CBC that it wouldn't be appropriate to accept fees. This is after encouraging me to accept fees in the past. Anyway, I went along with the new rules, and so did everybody else at the CBC. Other broadcasters claim they don't, but I know that's not the case. Anyway, after I left the CBC,

I went back on the public speaking circuit. To me, it's no different than writing a book. Oh, by the way, if I told you, I have a book coming out later this year. It's called Extraordinary Canadians that I've written with Mark Bulgich, and you can read more about it on my website at thepetermansbridge.com.

It's coming out with Simon & Schuster. It doesn't come out until November, but you can pre-order it and it's going to be a great book about some really fascinating people. Anyway, but these days there's no public speaking going on. I've actually got a speech booked in Calgary next month. It was booked about a year ago, and it hasn't been canceled yet. And it may not be canceled. They're hoping it will go on. I was in Alberta in February speaking to a teacher's convention. There's a teacher's convention. A lot of speeches, I get a lot of speeches anyway in Alberta, British Columbia,

lots in Ontario, some on the East Coast, and then some outside of the country as well. And I've always enjoyed giving them. But I haven't given a speech since, I think, February, or it might have been early March was the last one. Everything since then has been, when I say canceled, that's probably too strong a word. They've been delayed. Most of these groups have delayed until next year's association, convention, or whatever it may be. And that's all good, because I'm sure we'll have lots to talk about then.

Last couple of nights I've talked about the Democratic vice presidential decision around who that nominee should be. Who Joe Biden will pick. I've kind of narrowed it down to two people. I've kind of narrowed it down to two people. I've kind of narrowed it down. The general consensus is, the short list, is Kamala Harris or Susan Rice. And if you want to hear my thinking on those two,

just listen to the last two nights of podcasts. Anyway, from Grand Bend, Ontario, Bill Chitrart. Biden's choice for a VP is coming down to the wire, as you noted. You suggested there are likely two frontrunners, Kamala Harris and your friend Susan Rice. I'm a big fan of both women and even more so to learn of their Canadian connections. You also mentioned that both women might not be upset if they're not the choice for VP as they're so suited for two positions in a Biden cabinet, attorney general and secretary of state, respectively. If Biden were to pick up the phone to ask me my thoughts, this is Bill talking, I'd say, Joe, you can have the best of all worlds by not choosing either Harris or Rice. Both will bring some election baggage to the campaign.

I don't buy that. I know they both have pass, but baggage? Really, baggage? We're talking about who's running against Donald Trump and Mike Pence. Baggage? Just give me a break. Anyway, Bill says the baggage could be a problem. So, as more election-friendly vice presidential candidate who has demonstrated many of the same qualities of Harrison Rice, my choice would be the mayor of Atlanta,

Keisha Lyons-Bottoms. She's a very attractive candidate, no doubt about that. But she's basically unknown. And Bill, what do you know about her? What do you know about her potential baggage? She's distinguished herself in the pandemic. Well, she sure has, by standing up to the governor of Georgia. But you know what? There's more to this election than the pandemic. I don't know enough about her. I do know that when I've watched her and seen her on television, she's been great.

And she's certainly on the list. Many people have talked about her. Kathy Wills from Calgary. After listening to Harrison Rice's Canadian connections, my first thought was, sheesh, well, there goes their VP hopes down the drain. I sure hope neither one of them have dual citizenship. I don't think either one of them do. Ted Cruz took a lot of heat, as did Scheer. Seems neither Americans or Canadians want their leaders dual citizens. That's too bad for both women. But I'd put dollars on it that neither one will be offered

the job. We'll see. Okay, pony up to the bar there, Kathy. We'll make a bet on that one. And Kamala Harris and Susan Rice. I'm sorry. I think they have a little more going for them than Ted Cruz or Andrew Scheer. Anyway. Ted Cruz or Andrew Scheer. Anyway, I hear you, Kathy. You may be right. And if you are, I'll be the first to say she was right and I was wrong.

I'll say it quickly and quietly, but I'll say it. Jean-Luc Thomas from St. Albert, Ontario. I can't wait for your weekly special on the U.S. election. Keep the great work. Well, thanks, Jean-Luc. We are looking forward to starting that, too. The race next door, we're going to call the segment. That'll be part of the Bridge Daily,

and we'll start, I think, sometime next week, and that's with Bruce Anderson, who's been on this podcast more than a few times, the chairman of Abacus Data Research Analysis. But we're going to try and find a way of doing a segment on the U.S. election that doesn't just kind of mimic what you can see on any of the American stations or podcasts. We're going to try and find a kind of mimic what you can see on any of the American stations or podcasts. We're going to try and find a kind of area that we can discuss, maybe debate at times, on what to watch for or what we're watching.

It should be interesting. And speaking of Bruce, if you heard him on the last podcast that he was featured on, which was, I think, last week, when we just kind of broke down the we controversy in terms of the prime minister's performance at a parliamentary committee. And I ended it by saying that it was great to have Bruce on, but please, enough with the fawn and comments about how great he is. So, of course, Jim Stewart from Cambridge, Ontario wrote,

Please accept my fawning compliment for a very insightful discussion with Bruce Anderson following yesterday's committee hearing to which the Prime Minister attended. I appreciate a sober, serious, unbiased, and objective appraisal of the PM's testimony. It was a refreshing respite from the partisan backbiting reporting to which we are exposed daily. All right, Jim. I'll send that to Bruce and make sure he gets all the fun and compliments. Actually, I did send it to him and he wrote back to me.

I love Uncle Jim. Okay. Okay. What would a podcast in this point of the discussions around COVID-19 be without some discussion of masks. So Brian Lork from Sarnia writes, why don't you preach testing as much as you preach masks? Negative tests within five days of getting onto an airplane

should be mandatory. A passport is. Testing is free in Canada. Yes, free. And takes less than five minutes in my town. Instead of mandatory quarantine, why not mandatory testing? Two tests over a four to six day period should, would prove you did pick up COVID in the States. I've been making this argument,

and get told testing doesn't matter, yet it does matter because that is what is used to go from phase to phase as we reopen. Sorry, that's kind of a breakup on the printer here, so I'm not quite sure how you finished that, Brian. But anyway, I hear your point on testing. And I think it is important. And it's absolutely important in making decisions about phases. No doubt about that.

I still think masks are more important. And when I talk about masks, I'm talking about the personal responsibility each of us have. Washing our hands, wearing masks, socially distant. Those are all, to me, critical. Those three are the critical things that we as people have to keep in mind. Testing is something that we should all be concerned about. Governments need to implement and do it with reliable information.

I mean, did you see what happened yesterday? I mean, when Trump travels around, they test everybody who could bump into him because he's the president. I get it. I understand that. So the governor of wherever it was he was going to yesterday, and I can't remember now where it was. Anyway, the governor suddenly tested positive in one of these things because the governor was going to welcome him at the airport

when his plane landed, when the Air Force One landed. And so everybody had to be tested. It was in the line, including the governor. And these are the instant tests that tell you right away. And they said, well, out of the line, buddy. You just tested positive. You got to go home. You're in quarantine.

His whole family tested negative, but he tested positive, and so they were very concerned, and obviously the governor was concerned. He went with the rule. No way he was going to meet with the president. So he goes home, and he gets tested again when he gets home. Negative. So one of those two is wrong.

The assumption is that the positive test was wrong. Let's hope that was the case. But whatever, one of them was wrong. And that's one of the continuing fears about testing, as important as testing is. But I think as individuals, masks are the most important thing. And I don't care what people said four months ago, what the advice was around masks four months ago.

I care that I wear one now. And when I'm out and about in areas that are where there are a lot of people that others are wearing masks as well. That's important to me. Peter Hondry. Just want to give a shout out to our mayor of Sarnia. Hey, two letters from Sarnia.

You two guys should get together. Because you obviously have kind of differing opinions. Our county council voted not to mandate masks. Our mayor surveyed our city council and many said no mask mandate. The mayor kept on it until he got a vote at a council meeting. Well, many changed their mind when it was a registered vote and it passed with only two disagreeing. Bravo to our mayor. Now he wants a countywide ban.

And he's working on that. So that's from Peter Andre, also in Sarnia. Spencer Stinson in Blenheim, Ontario. A lot of Ontario letters this week. Ontario and Alberta. Nothing from Vancouver

or British Columbia this week, and they usually kind of lead the pack. Or Atlantic Canada. Or Quebec. Spencer Stinson from Blenheim, Ontario. I know it was last week now, but I thought your episode on masks was just great. We had a special on masks about 10 days ago. If you haven't heard it, you should look that one up on the past podcasts.

They're all there on the website at thepetermansbridge.com. Anyway, Spencer writes, I know it was last week now, but I thought your episode on masks was just great. The public in general needs to hear articles and information like this presented in a clear and concise manner. Unfortunately, the leader of the public health authority here in Blenheim, Ontario, I guess locally in Chathheim, Ontario, I guess locally in Chatham, Kent,

that's where Blenheim is, has decided to not make wearing a mask mandatory. It's his direction that social distancing is more effective. Together, they're really effective. While I agree with this to a point I'm sorry if I'm kind of reading slowly here but I gotta put some new ink in the old printer here because I can barely see this while I agree with this to a point once society begins going back to some sense of normalcy, masks are required in order to add another layer of preventative when social distancing simply isn't always possible. Pair that with a number of people getting pandemic fatigue and you start to see cases rising here, sorry, in my local areas to numbers we did not have

before reopening. You know, that's interesting, but quite frankly, there was a fear about two weeks ago that numbers started to spike in Ontario. And I was not impressed with what was happening. But they've settled down again. We've got, I think, four or five days in a row now in Ontario where the number of new cases has been below 100 on a daily basis. And for a province this size, that is pretty good. It's very good. If they start to go up after that,

all bets are off on a lot of things, including the school reopening. Doug Ford, the Premier of Ontario, who's had a pretty good run here for the last four or five months and has been supported by a lot of people, including a lot of people who never thought they would ever support Doug Ford on anything, some of them are anxious about the school situation.

As we talked about at the beginning of this podcast today, it is a situation where many of us are anxious. And some are challenging Premier Ford, as is happening in some other provinces, about the notion of reopening some of the schools. Anyway, the last letter of the day comes from Jerry and Erin Poirier from Oshawa, Ontario, another Ontario one.

She says, thank you for your mask-wearing campaign. I don't know whether I'm on a campaign. Maybe I am because I mention it a lot, but I think it's really important. We've been wearing our masks since they became available. The mandated wearing of masks when indoors in public places can only help in reducing the transmission of COVID-19. I'm troubled, however, with the general lack of social distancing by store patrons. Most people adhere to the six feet rule while lining up outside or at cashiers. But while shopping, people will walk right through you to get to where they want to go. I find very few of us are trying to keep our distance, any distance, let alone six feet.

Some don't even follow directional indicators in store aisles, you know, those ones on the floors. These behaviors appear more commonplace now that masks have been mandated. It's masks and social distancing whenever possible, not masks or social distancing. Thanks again for doing what you do. We appreciate you. And thank you, Jerry and Erin Poirier from Oshawa, Ontario. Well, there you go.

Another weekend special into the books. The weekend special number 21. Looking ahead to next week, at some point next week, we'll do our first of the Race Next Door segments on the podcast that will deal with the U.S. election.

This week we've actually, last couple of weeks, there have been days where we've barely mentioned COVID-19. That's not because it doesn't exist. It does. It still does. And it's still front of mind for all of us.

I guess it's just that we've had the opportunity to do a few other things and talk about a few other things in the last little while and for some of us that's been kind of a nice interruption I thought we were going to be able to talk about hockey for quite a while but that season may be over. Tonight. Can you believe the Leafs blew that game last night on Thursday night?

Of course you could. They had a three-goal lead. That's the worst lead the Leaf team can ever have. If you're up three goals, you might as well pack it up and leave the arena. You're going to lose. So tonight, Friday night, I know some of you will already know the score in the game tonight when you listen this weekend to the weekend special.

But in this moment, I don't know. But I got to tell you, my confidence is low. I really don't like this feeling. And it'll be difficult for me to watch hockey again this year. With the Jets out, the Leafs out, if that's what happens. Man. Don't like that. But you got the Flames, the Canucks, the Habs.

They're all still around. So unlike last year when there were no Canadian teams in the playoffs after the first round, their chances are there could very well be here. And you got the Raptors. Come on, Kyle. Come on, Freddie. Pascal.

Pascal. The whole group. They're so fun to watch. They're such a good team. Anyway, I digress. Phone call. Oh. Where's my phone?

I'll have to take that. So right now I'll just push message button. So that person is now listening to me say I'm not available. Actually, I am available, but I'm talking to you. So I'll call them back as soon as I sign this podcast off. This has been the weekend special number 21 for the Bridge Daily. I'm Peter Mansbridge.

Thanks for listening. And I will talk to you again on Monday. Thank you.