Pandemic messaging shows governments don't trust the governed

National Post, 24 April 2021

Governments haven’t been frank with people because they don’t trust the people to do what is sensible.

Among the many casualties of this pandemic is public trust in government, a problem that has been precipitated by the clear lack of trust our elected officials have in those who elected them to office, as evidenced by recent events in Ontario.

It was just a week ago that Ontario’s provincial cabinet deployed the apparatus of the totalitarian state, authorizing the police to stop citizens at any time outside of their home. It wasn’t long before police forces across the province saw massive anti-racist protests in the offing and declined the provincial offer to stalk the citizenry.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government was understandably taken aback by the response. After all, totalitarian methods have been used by all governments — including banning grandparents from having Easter dinner at home with their grandchildren — to deal with the health emergency.

The Atlantic provinces abolished mobility rights a year ago, and British Columbia completely abolished religious liberty six months ago. It has all proved enormously popular. The courts, to the limited extent that they have been consulted, are more or less cool with it.

But it wasn’t the police that tripped up the Ford government as much as the playgrounds. It ordered them shut down. Parents were furious. The government retreated quicker than a teeter-totter reverses direction.

Then came the signal moment: the cabinet admitted that it had been lying to the people all along. Not exactly, but close enough, and the damage will be significant.

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