Marni Soupcoff: Ontario finally gets it right and hires Jane Philpott soupcoff
The province has been doing so many things wrong in its management of the COVID-19 pandemic that it was beginning to look as though it would never get it together. There are the unfailingly hazy communications from Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. David Williams — as indeterminate and lacking in solid metrics today as they were three months ago.
Ontario is a mess, and it has been lacking competent, inspired and decisive leadership to clean itself up. Now, by appointing former Liberal MP Jane Philpott as a special adviser on the Ontario Health Data platform, it will get that leadership at last. Announcing her new role, Philpott tweeted: “Access to timely, reliable, cohesive data is critical to stop the spread of COVID-19, and save lives.” She is right. Of course she is right. But a what relief to hear the words from someone with the integrity, smarts and grit to do something about it. What a relief to know that our painful days of bumbling around in the dark — not knowing where infections are concentrated or who is most at risk — are coming to an end.
Rather than standing idly by as her colleagues did, then federal health minister Philpott resigned from the federal Liberal cabinet during Justin Trudeau’s disgraceful handling of the SNC-Lavalin affair last year. She had too much integrity to look the other way when a friend and colleague was being bullied. She called the prime minister out for breaching his obligations.
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