What happens if our political leaders get sick from COVID-19 and can’t do their jobs?
It’s not a speculative question anymore, now that we know Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s wife contracted the virus while visiting England. The whole Trudeau family is currently shuttered inside their home.
We also know that both Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford were at the PDAC mining conference where at least one man contracted the virus.
So if either leader takes ill, what happens?
This is something long thought of and therefore there is an order of precedence for cabinet members detailing who is in charge if the PM or premier fall ill, though it does not mean that any particular cabinet minister takes over.
While for the most part in our Westminster system a government will govern as a cabinet, there is a list of ministers who sit at the top of the pecking order.
Canadas Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks at a news conference at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on Friday, March 13, 2020. (REUTERS/Blair Gable)
FEDERAL CABINET
The Right Honourable Justin TrudeauPrime Minister
The Honourable Chrystia FreelandDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
The Honourable Lawrence MacAulayMinister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence
The Honourable Carolyn BennettMinister of Crown-Indigenous Relations
The Honourable Dominic LeBlancPresident of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada
The Honourable Navdeep Singh BainsMinister of Innovation, Science and Industry
Ontario Premier Doug Ford delivers a message via video to Ontario residents from his office regarding the provinces efforts to manage the coronavirus pandemic on Friday, March 13, 2020. (Stan Behal/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network)
ONTARIO GOVERNMENT
Doug FordPremier and President of the CouncilMinister of Intergovernmental Affairs
Christine J. ElliottDeputy Premier, Minister of Health
Victor FedeliMinister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, Chair of Cabinet
Ernie HardemanMinister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
John YakabuskiMinister of Natural Resources and Forestry
Laurie ScottMinister of Infrastructure
More Stories
A teenager from Co Offaly has been “inundated” with orders for his handmade reindeer decorations after his mother put up a post in a popular Facebook group.
Run Windows apps such as Microsoft Office in Linux (Ubuntu) and GNOME as if they were a part of the native OS, including Nautilus integration. – Fmstrat/winapps
With Australia’s relationship with China at a very dangerous stage, the timing of what is expected to be a ‘more nuanced’ approach from a Biden administration could not be more welcome.