Editorial

When it comes time to make big decisions on how to respond to the pandemic, where is Premier Brian Pallister getting his technical and scientific advice?

There are certainly many qualified experts within government in areas such as public health, epidemiology and emergency management and they should be applauded for their dedication to the pandemic effort. However, if Mr. Pallister is basing all of his pandemic-response decisions on their advice, then why are so many equally qualified experts outside government at odds with those decisions?

Throughout the pandemic, prominent physicians, scientists and other health-care professionals have sounded the alarm about a pandemic response that seems inherently reactive, and almost never proactive. As the Pallister government has demurred over lockdowns and instead chosen small tweaks to social and economic restrictions, these outside experts have demanded more be done, much earlier, to stop or moderate the intensity of the various waves of COVID-19 that have crashed upon Manitoba.

Perhaps it’s a reflection of the premier himself. Renowned for his self-confidence, Mr. Pallister has rarely shown interest in outside advice. The premier has forged ahead with his strategy, seemingly oblivious to the warnings from non-governmental experts.

But here’s the thing: in almost every instance, the outside experts have been right in their predictions of the tragic consequences of the Pallister government’s pandemic strategy.

The physicians and scientists who have openly challenged government have been batting nearly 1,000 in terms of predicting both the timing and the magnitude of the second and third waves of the pandemic. Mr. Pallister may not listen to them, but there is clearly value in what they are saying.

Given that he won’t listen to outside experts of his own, it’s unlikely the premier will look to the example set by other countries. But if he did, for example, look to a country like New Zealand, he would see the enormous value of bringing in the best experts from outside government.

In the first few weeks of the pandemic, the Kiwi government established an independent technical advisory committee comprising the best medical and scientific minds in the country. That committee served as the architect of New Zealand’s elimination strategy, which has made it one of a handful of countries to truly contain COVID-19.

These experts not only informed government policy. They were allowed to speak openly to the public about their ideas and offer reviews of government performance. That, in turn, helped build overwhelming public support for restrictions and other invasive pandemic-management strategies.

Mr. Pallister’s only retort to the outside criticism is to claim, almost always without factual basis, that Manitoba’s pandemic response is the best, the toughest, the strictest and the best managed in the country. However, these claims have been repeatedly undermined by hard epidemiological evidence showing we have suffered more cases and deaths than we should have for a province of this size.

The premier has argued that what his government has done represents its best effort. If that’s the case, then he must open his ears and mind to the chorus of outside experts who are telling him, in urgent terms, that his best is not good enough.

Editorials are the consensus view of the Winnipeg Free Press’ editorial board.