Opposition Leader Scheer Calls for More Transparency in Government’s COVID-19 Response

US Ambassador Calls on Countries to Release Religious Prisoners Amid Pandemic

The U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom called on governments to release their religious prisoners amid the current pandemic. One of the countries singled out by the ambassador was China. “It’s a good public health move for their nations and it’s morally obviously the right thing to do. We, unfortunately, have a number of religious prisoners around the world in various countries that are being held,” ambassador Sam Brownback said during a briefing on April 2. He explained that COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP virus, could easily spread in prisons given the tight space. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus as the CCP virus because the Party’s coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. Brownback called on several…

OTTAWA—Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer is calling for the Liberals to be more transparent about their response to the COVID-19 crisis.

He wants the government to release all its data on the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus and its implications, as well provide regular updates with facts and figures on the stockpile of supplies, the availability of hospital beds, and other response measures.

“Mr. Trudeau says his government is being guided by the evidence,” Scheer said during a news conference from his home town of Regina.

“So it’s time to release that evidence.”

Scheer also called for the daily briefings from the prime minister and government ministers to start looking more like statements in the House of Commons.

He said the Opposition ought to be able to directly question the government, and wants video sessions that would give that opportunity.

Scheer said his party is ready to be part of a Team Canada approach to pandemic response.

“Taking a Team Canada approach does not mean no tough questions or oversight. In fact the opposite is true,” he said.

“Rigorous scrutiny and accountability ensures that the right decisions are made on behalf of Canadians.”

Parliament is expected to reconvene to handle the government’s wage subsidy program; the original legislation passed by the House of Commons did not allow for the government’s plan to provide a 75 per cent subsidy to a wide range of employers. It allowed a much smaller subsidy targeted at small businesses.

Scheer said Friday he is hopeful there will not be a repeat of how the government handled the original bill—surprising the opposition parties with provisions in that gave the Liberals broad spending and taxation powers for upwards of a year.

The opposition got the provisions axed, and got included a requirement for the House of Commons finance and health committee to provide oversight.

Epoch times staff contributed to this report

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China Probes Alleged Fraud at Luckin Coffee, Banks Review IPO Work

HONG KONG/BEIJING—China’s securities regulator said on April 3 it would investigate claims of fraud at Luckin Coffee Inc., and sources said some of the banks involved in the Chinese chain’s successful U.S. IPO last year were reviewing their work in the listing. Shares of Luckin, which competes in China with Starbucks Corp, sank as much as 81 percent on Thursday in New York after it announced an internal investigation had shown its chief operating officer and other employees fabricated sales deals. The company said it had suspended COO Jian Liu and employees reporting to him, following initial recommendations from a special committee that was appointed to investigate issues in its financial statements for the fiscal year ended Dec. 31, 2019. The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) said on Friday it…