Re-opening plans, gun control measures and choosing someone to lead a political party...these things may look like very different decisions, but they all have one thing in common. A cost, and a consequence.

It’s week who knows what and god knows which month since social distancing measures were put into place by provincial governments and there may finally be a light at the end of the COVID tunnel. Many of the provincial governments are beginning the process of easing some of the restrictions and taking measures to re-open and re-start the economy. Premier Doug Ford has announced that Ontario will open as a whole in phases, while Quebec Premier Francois Legault has announced that his government will take a regional approach. COVID has affected every province differently each province has a different plan for how they intend to get back to the new normal but is one plan or approach better than another and at what cost to people’s health and the health of the economy.

The right to bear arms is not a right that is entrenched in Canada, however the right to life, liberty and security of person is. Two weeks ago, tragically saw Canada’s worst mass shooting to date in Nova Scotia, where 22 people lost their lives. During the election the Liberals campaigned on a platform that included stronger measures for gun control including the banning of certain types of assault style weapons. Last week the Trudeau government made good on that promise and passed an Order in Council banning 1,500 types of military-style assault firearms in Canada, which has now re-ignited the debate over gun ownership and control in our country. The majority of Canadians want to see stricter gun control measures put into place, however there is a segment of our population that believes that these measures are uncalled for an are a punishment against responsible gun owners. Will this Order cost the Liberals some of their support and what are the consequences for not tackling the underlying issues of how illegal firearms get into our country in the first place?

Two out of four opposition parties are technically leaderless and currently involved in a leadership race which to be honest, you may not have known about until this past week. Glen Murray has entered the race for the Greens, brining with him both government experience and name recognition, which could potentially save the Greens from fading into obscurity with the vacuum left by Elizabeth May. However, his past as a Liberal Minster responsible for the introduction of cap and trade in Ontario may come back to haunt him amongst the party faithful. So the question has to be asked, does his entering the race spell trouble for the other parties and offer a home to the disaffected?

Speaking of disaffected, the Conservative Party of Canada’s leadership race is back up and running after a brief suspension and Peter McKay, who was once thought to be a shoe-in for leader has become a one man wrecking ball. Unfortunately, he’s been doing the most damage to his own campaign, and Erin O’Toole has been more than happy to break through the wreckage. With the backing of Jason Kenney and some media outlets, the race now has two horses  and a distinct right leaning presence. What is the cost of McKay’s blunders and could the party lose members as a consequence.

Over the next few weeks, there will be many decisions made about how to get back to the new normal, who our leaders will be and how to keep Canadians safe, and many of us will read these headlines and articles in the media. But what if there was no media, or the media’s capacity to actually investigate and report was crippled to the point of non-existence. Unfortunately, this “what if” is becoming a “when”. On our next episode of the Fourth Estate we’ll look at the costs and consequences of our local media outlets crumbling around us.