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in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, F eb ru ar y 24 ,2 02 2 | 32 Many people will tell you they want "less gov- ernment" -- until they need it. During the CO- VID-19 pandemic we needed government in a way we haven't experi- enced before in our life- times. But the real issue looking forward is not as simple as less or more, it's the need for "better" gov- ernment -- small or large. And COVID has ex- posed the weakness of populism in responding to today's challenges. Certainly there are ar- eas of public policy where COVID shows "more" gov- ernment is needed, par- ticularly in long-term care. Our current system has failed our elderly and those who work in long- term care; what hap- pened during the pan- demic is a source of na- tional shame. But even this failing is part of a broader issue -- the diffi- cult task of reinforcing and building the funda- mental building blocks of good government through accountability, pragmatism and a focus on outcomes. For the past two years, governments at all levels were challenged to moti- vate a collective response to a virus that cares not at all about any political considerations. What was being asked of us re- quired us to trust those in power, a trust being un- dermined by the pandem- ic of misinformation. It's no surprise, then, that the pandemic be- came a breeding ground for populism. Populism cares for symbols, not outcomes, even though outcomes are what should ultimate- ly matter. Populism trades in anger, but what is needed is compassion and empathy. If we aspire to better government, the larger issue of what generates political currency can't be ignored any longer. The broader civic engage- ment of society, holding government accountable for outcomes, needs to win the day. If there isn't currency in truth and pragmatism, all else that follows will be detached from actual outcomes. Pragmatism will re- quire us to do things pop- ulists won't like, such as delegating authority to experts, using positive and negative incentives to change behaviour and focusing political dis- course on things that matter, as boring as they might be. It will also require the silent majority to weigh in by supporting prag- matic governments, and holding them to account for their performance, not the performative. We should never ig- nore that Canada's CO- VID response, while im- perfect, has demonstrat- ed a remarkable degree of collective purpose. If we can turn that sense of purpose to broad- er issues in our society, we can achieve great things. We'll need govern- ment focused on getting things done, and a politi- cal culture focused on outcomes, to succeed. Jeff Lehman is mayor of the City of Barrie, chair of Ontario's Big City May- ors and a member of Tor- star's Barrie Adivsory Council. PANDEMIC HIGHLIGHTS NEED FOR 'BETTER' GOVERNMENT HOLDING GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABLE FOR OUTCOMES NEEDS TO WIN THE DAY, SAYS JEFF LEHMAN JEFF LEHMAN Column SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT INSIDEHALTON.COM During the pandemic, many of us have been working, learning and so- cializing remotely from home. Our homes are no lon- ger the places where we spend our after-work and after-school hours. In- stead, it has become the focal setting where every aspect of our lives occurs. Inequalities in CO- VID-19 infection and fatal- ity rates across neigh- bourhoods have also illu- minated the importance of our neighbourhood contexts for shaping our health. Low-income neigh- bourhoods with high pop- ulation density, large shares of overcrowded households, and limited green space and walkabil- ity proved to be particu- larly vulnerable to CO- VID-19 infections. These developments have revealed that living in homes and neighbour- hoods with sufficient health-promoting ameni- ties is essential to ensure our well-being and health. They have also exposed problems in our housing and urban planning poli- cies that deprive large segments of Canadians from exercising this basic right. What problems must we address to build living environments that pro- mote our health and re- duce our vulnerability to infectious diseases? We must increase the supply of affordable hous- ing. Soaring real estate prices and limited hous- ing affordability meant a rise in the share of work- ing- and middle-class families who had to reside in overcrowded house- holds with lower quality amenities. Residents of over- crowded households have a higher risk of COVID-19 transmission because they cannot self-isolate if they become infected. Our efforts to rebuild our towns and cities must also strive for the creation of sustainable neighbour- hoods with sufficient green space and other health-promoting ameni- ties. Not only does green space improve the esthet- ics of neighbourhoods, but it also promotes an ac- tive and healthier life- style. Highly walkable neighbourhoods also re- duce their residents' vul- nerability to infectious diseases by reducing the amount of time they spend running errands. Finally, policy efforts to rebuild cities must de- viate from a one-size-fits- all approach and tailor their rebuilding respons- es to meet the needs of res- idents of each neighbour- hood. A recent study found that neighbour- hood walkability was more important for resi- dents of poorer neigh- bourhoods largely be- cause they had lower car ownership rates and ran their errands on foot. This finding illustrates that residents of lower-in- come neighbourhoods may depend more on com- munal resources because they lack personal re- sources. We must use the in- sights obtained from the pandemic to inform hous- ing and urban planning policies. How successful we are in incorporating these insights may hold the key to preventing fu- ture pandemics. Kate Choi, PhD., is associate professor in sociology and director of the Centre for Research on Social Inequality at West- ern University. POST-PANDEMIC EFFORTS TO REBUILD OPINION: OUR CHANGED WORLD THE IMPORTANCE OF INCREASING HOUSING SUPPLY, BUILDING SUSTAINABLE NEIGHBOURHOODS, AND TAILORING SOLUTIONS KATE CHOI Column