Why the end of austerity, rather than a military presence, is the best way to protect Canadians from COVID-19
Written by: Lahari Nanda
Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan recently passed an order to deploy 24,000 troops across the country to help Canadians during the COVID-19 crisis.
“During these unprecedented times, those who wear the uniform will be there for Canadians when called upon,” Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said was quoted saying, according to the National Post.
The armed forces across the country, including both regular and reserve forces, will be deployed to protect isolated communities. Their operations will focus on the domestic requirements of Canadians, especially of those in the far north.
But with the military comes a degree of authority and consequently the fear thereof. Uniforms can be intimidating for many in Canada, especially for those who have historically been the target of violence and indifference by troops.
The Canadian military has been appointed to this crisis for two main reasons: to reach and assist remote access communities and to provide for the local needs of Canadian communities, especially the most vulnerable ones like many communities living on Indigenous reserves, geographically isolated areas and those living in poverty.
However, military personnel’s intimidating presence has the potential to stop people from asking for assistance. An alternative to this caused by armed presence is the universalization of the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit (CERB).
Other options
The CERB provides $2,000 over a period of four weeks to eligible applicants. It excludes children under 15 years of age, people who quit their jobs voluntarily, Canadians outside Canada, and those who are still making more than $1000 per month, during the COVID-19 crisis.
This format for the CERB forces vulnerable communities to rely on outside monetary and physical aid received ex-gratia from sources outside the Canadian government. This will not be consistent or guaranteed.
For instance, CERB currently does not support Canada’s nearly 225,000 homeless people, according to Homeless Hub, who will not be able to afford medical supplies or other “domestic” needs.
This need for care is neither solved by CERB in its current configuration nor by military presence. Instead, a patching of the holes in the CERB will address the demand for shelter, food and other essential services during this crisis.
The military’s ability to transport people from remote areas, where only aid will not protect Canadians, to areas with better medical facilities makes their presence a desirable situation for potential CERB recipients.
Thus far, Canadian Armed Forces have been deployed to care homes in Quebec. The Canadian Rangers will be building medical facilities in remote northern Quebec, according to Jonathan Vance, chief of the Canadian Armed Force’ defence staff.
Despite this, a military presence is not the only way to safeguard the Canadian population from COVID-19.
Along with it must come the universalization of the CERB, the recognition of those foreign medical degrees and training to increase the medical workforce at this time of dire need and engaging community volunteers to support the needs of their community. These volunteers can be those who have lost employment due to COVID-19.
Vance added that the military will be “augmenting volunteer efforts,” and won’t necessarily be armed in all cases.
A Closer Look
For the military to provide a security net for the frontline workers currently working during the crisis, the existing healthcare system would have to have been secure.
However, there are gaps in the healthcare system that differ by province which prevent the military from being seen as a solution for the glaring gaps in the system.
In Ontario and Quebec, the major flaw lies in underpaid orderlies, nurses and other public health providers in spaces like nursing homes. In 2018, doctors in Quebec demanded a halt on their pay raise and asked instead for that money to be used for improving the patchy healthcare system.
In the context of the military now required to supplement healthcare staff, better construction of a public healthcare system would have reduced the need for armed forces being present.
Despite a significant provincial expenditure on healthcare in Alberta, much higher than British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec, Albertans received worse healthcare than in Ontario, according to a Blue Ribbon Panel in 2019.
Ontario’s lack of attention towards its homelessness crisis increases the risk of the virus spreading, which an increased presence of people outside their homes, even if they are the military, is conducive to an exacerbation of the crisis. It is also worth noting that the armed forces now will not solve the crisis that persists in the province.
From a federal perspective
Federal gaps in healthcare overshadow the provincial gaps in healthcare, both of which Canada’s Armed Forces cannot fill.
Several First Nations, Metis and Inuit communities are systemically underfunded, while federal funding during this time is being directed towards mobilizing 24,000 troops to help the fight against COVID-19. A federally overseen improvement in Reserves’ healthcare systems would be a stronger and more permanent solution than this Band-Aid support.
Some Indigenous communities also face a high risk of the virus spreading because of underlying health conditions created by unsafe drinking water, hazardous resource extraction projects and environmental degradation.
According to “Alternative Level of Care: Canada's Hospital Beds, the Evidence and Options,” Canada’s total hospital bed count has remained nearly constant while federal medical expenditure has grown by 5.9 per cent% over a five-year period.
The inconsistency between beds in numbers and the number of incoming patients might only be worsened by an increased social presence of people, even if the people are armed forces.
The armed forces might end up being a liability for the already burdened and patchy healthcare system as more and more personnel are exposed to the virus without absolute necessity.
The challenged posed by an increased presence, whether obvious or subtle, of the military is an increased likelihood of the spread of the virus amongst soldiers themselves. In construction sites like those in northern Quebec, social-distancing is not easy to follow.
The point remains that a military presence simply means more personnel who bring with them necessary supplies: water purification, medevac, transport and technical backup. Yet, due to austerity, it is not enough by itself.
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