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In public, Justin Trudeau was being slammed for not getting COVID-19 vaccines. Behind closed doors, Anita Anand was closing the deal.
A #StarExclusive interview on how Canada secured the vaccine, behind-the-scenes. http://torstar.co/81ZF50CQqFb
A #StarExclusive interview on how Canada secured the vaccine, behind-the-scenes. http://torstar.co/81ZF50CQqFb
“I agree the opposition has a role to ensure accountability of the governing party,” minister Anita Anand said in an exclusive interview with the Star. “But the continued reference to Canada being at the back of the line was clearly wrong." http://torstar.co/81ZF50CQqFb
In July, Treasury Board President Jean-Yves Duclos wrote Anand to green-light the vaccine purchases, giving her approval to make what would eventually be more than $1 billion in deals. http://torstar.co/81ZF50CQqFb
Then, they nailed down contracts one after the other. A deal with Moderna was reached July 24. A week later, they made one with Pfizer. http://torstar.co/81ZF50CQqFb
So as it was being politically hammered throughout November, the government knew it had delivery dates in hand for January through March with Pfizer, and separately with Moderna, for initial supplies of six million doses. http://torstar.co/81ZF50CQqFb
In November, the Pfizer-BioNTech team reported a 90 per cent effectiveness rate. Then, Moderna, reported a 94.5 per cent effectiveness rate. “I picked up the phone and I called (Pfizer Canada president) and I said, ‘We need doses in December," Anand said. http://torstar.co/81ZF50CQqFb
The minister of public services and procurement knew Canada wasn’t at the back of the line — she just couldn’t tell anyone.
An exclusive interview from @TondaMacC http://torstar.co/81ZF50CQqFb
An exclusive interview from @TondaMacC http://torstar.co/81ZF50CQqFb
