Like you, we at the Conservative Party are deeply concerned about the COVID-19 (“coronavirus”), outbreak and the effects it may have on our families, our communities, and the nation as a whole.

Above all else, we are committed to ensuring the health and well-being of all Canadians.

And like so many Canadians, we are listening closely to public health agencies and professionals as we chart our course forward.

If you haven’t had the chance to read up on it yet, these are some of the important suggestions, from Health Canada, that can help reduce the spread of the coronavirus:

  • Thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water for at least 30 seconds and do so frequently throughout the day.
  • As much as possible, avoid touching your mouth, nose, and eyes.
  • When coughing or sneezing: cover your mouth and nose with your arm or tissues to reduce the spread of germs.
  • Immediately dispose of any tissues you have used into the garbage as soon as possible and wash your hands afterwards.
  • Make healthy lifestyle choices to keep your immune system strong.
  • Follow Health Canada guidelines, if you have been travelling.
  • Stay home if you are sick.

As we look to the future, we are monitoring the situation closely and considering how it may affect the 2020 Conservative Leadership race. With our leadership event not scheduled for another three months, we have no changes to announce at this time, but continue to discuss options on how to best mitigate concerns, and keep all of our members safe.

In relation to our planned leadership debates next month, we are actively exploring contingencies, up to and including holding these debates without attendees. We will ensure that these debates are accessible for all members by providing live streams of the event on Facebook, Conservative.ca, and other platforms.

Although we have not reached any decisions yet, we’ll be in touch in the event of any changes.

Additionally, the Secretariat Committee of National Council has authorized the Executive Director to allow EDAs to delay their Annual General Meetings up to July 31, 2020, out of concern for the health and wellbeing of our members.

To be clear, this motion does not delay or cancel all AGMs, but it does allow us to work collaboratively with our Local EDA volunteers to make the call that is right for their community.

We are committed to ensuring that no volunteer is asked to or feels obliged to pursue activities that compromise their personal safety, security, and health.

These are trying times for everyone and we encourage you to take care of yourselves, your loved ones and your community and we share our wishes for your good health.

Sincerely,

Jaime Girard
Acting Executive Director
The Conservative Party of Canada