Reopening plan prioritizes economic recovery, mainly benefits the wealthy: experts

CALGARY – Why are certain businesses being prioritized in the province’s reopening plan?

A couple of economists say the decision over who gets to reopen first seems to come down to whether or not it will help the economy–and that motivation could backfire.

In-person dining and one-on-one personal training will soon be available again to Albertans, with retail, banquet halls, and conference centres up next if things go well. Things like libraries and museums are further down the list.

“It is a plan which prioritizes places where people who have a lot of disposable income dispose of their income,” said Amy Kaler, a professor at the University of Alberta’s department of sociology.

“It was always an issue of the health of the people versus the health of the economy,” said Moshe Lander, an economist at Concordia University.

Lander says deciding what opens and what stays closed is a matter of which ones are going to generate revenue save businesses.

“Which does not make sense unless your definition of economic recovery refers only to high-end consumer spending and the people who make money off high-end consumer spending,” said Kaler.

Alberta has consistently shown–and not just with this pandemic–it will tend to favour the economy over other considerations.

“Most economies kind of recognize that there are certain sectors; retail, food and beverage, tourism and things like that that are the money makes for their economies and so as soon as possible, they want to get those things up and running,” said Lander.

“There’s no reasonable public health justification for opening restaurants before libraries, for opening conference venues and hotels before museums and galleries,” said Kaler.

Some of these decisions could leave behind those with the lowest means but the greatest need.

“Returning some books and getting some new ones, some people are using the internet terminal, some people are picking up movies to watch with their kids – none of us are spending a whole lot of money,” said Kaler.

But if there is any concern from the government that these businesses may need to close again, this priority treatment may backfire.

“If they don’t communicate that this is a temporary phenomenon, businesses are going to be caught off guard when they’re told to lockdown again,” said Lander.

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