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Canadian AG Criticizes Govt. Preparedness

 

# 3944

 

 

I’ll leave it to a far more qualified Crof over at Crofsblog to weigh in on the growing debate over the Canadian government’s handling of the H1N1 crisis (and Canadian politics in general).  

 

I have enough trouble ignoring American politics.

 

This Auditor General’s report, however, is certain to add fuel to the fire.

 

 

AG targets weakness in government's emergency preparedness

 

OTTAWA — The federal department charged with disaster planning is itself a disaster when it comes to preparing for emergencies as varied as the swine flu pandemic, floods and terrorist attacks, says Auditor General Sheila Fraser.

 

"We found that Public Safety Canada has not exercised the leadership necessary to co-ordinate emergency management activities," Fraser concluded in her latest report, tabled in the House of Commons on Tuesday.

 

Her department did not study the current H1N1 crisis, but Fraser believes that had Public Safety Canada put pandemic management plans in place, there would have been less confusion.

 

"Certainly an approved plan would have clearly indicated what the role was for Public Safety Canada, what the roles of the other departments and the federal government would be, and would also have brought in the co-ordination with the provinces, municipalities and territories," Fraser told reporters. "So it's important — very important — that the role and responsibilities of Public Safety Canada be agreed to and endorsed in these emergencies."

 

In her report, she highlighted not only H1N1, but also severe acute respiratory syndrome, the 2003 eastern seaboard power blackout massive flooding and terrorist threats as examples of emergencies that fall under the co-ordination of the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.

 

Her audit comes amid intense criticism from federal opposition parties and from the general public on the troubled rollout of the H1N1 vaccine, which the federal government purchases and distributes to the provinces.

 

(Continue . . . )

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