Letters to the editor: 'This is the era of Donald Trump and Pierre Poilievre.' Populist politics, plus other letters to the ... - The Globe and Mail | Canada News Media
Canadians enjoy abundance, freedom and security virtually unmatched elsewhere. Yet we seem intent on frittering it away.
Government indecision and incompetence are rampant. Politicians seem to offer nothing but petty-minded demagoguery. Parochialism and divisiveness define our politics.
Where are leaders to encourage us to act as a unified nation? Who will exhort us to meet head-on myriad challenges? I look around, but I can’t see anybody.
Our nation’s future – and self-respect – are on the line. If our leaders won’t hold us to account, then maybe we need to do it ourselves. Perhaps Mr. Clark’s “modest suggestion,” that public-policy organizations convene “constructive discussions,” offers a way forward. Nothing else seems to be working.
Where do I sign up?
Neil MacdonaldToronto
Joe Clark’s thoughtful piece reminds me of a fear expressed by Robert Stanfield as he ended his career.
Mr. Stanfield said political parties, which historically built compromise among disparate Canadians, were being displaced by single-issue groups with no tolerance for compromise. He feared where that would lead us.
Mr. Stanfield was prescient. So what do we do now? Further to Mr. Clark’s experience, could ordinary Canadians, supported by experts who only provide the facts and the pros and cons, come up with sensible compromises to some of our nation’s most pressing issues?
How green, how soon? More immigration, less immigration? Higher deficits, lower deficits? Maybe ordinary Canadians could do that. They certainly couldn’t do worse than Parliament or the uncompromising “activists” who dominate national discussions.
Ian ThompsonHalifax
Civil debate
Re “When should protest be considered offside?” (Opinion, Nov. 18): Columnist Marsha Lederman continues to present balanced and thoughtful ideas based on fact and reason. But someone should tell her the days of moderation and respect look over.
This is the era of Donald Trump and Pierre Poilievre, when partisan obscenities are flown on flags. Elsewhere, I hear Justin Trudeau telling Canadians which thoughts or opinions are unacceptable. Debating in a civilized and truthful manner seems over.
On the other hand, having reached the ripe, old age of 60, I find Ms. Lederman’s columns have that warm glow of nostalgia. We can dream of a time when sharing reasonable viewpoints didn’t jeopardize personal safety or job security.
My only question is: Can we go back in time?
Robert McManusHamilton
Doctor in the house?
Re “Canada needs doctors – so why is the country forcing Canadian physicians into exile?” (Opinion, Nov. 18): I hope our federal and provincial health ministers read this. It points out that applying to medical school in most countries is highly competitive, but applying to Canadian medical schools is even more restrictive, with only about 3,000 positions available a year.
The consequences of this restrictive policy is that many well-qualified applicants have to study abroad. A former dean of medicine at the University of Toronto states that “many Canadian schools could triple their intake with no measurable change in the capability of their graduates.” Yet international graduates still face barriers and red tape in trying to return to Canada, while at the same time we have significant shortages of physicians.
In my opinion, it is time for our health ministers to have the political will and courage to facilitate change, to alleviate physician shortages and strain on the health care system.
Eric PaineLondon, Ont.
Canada absolutely needs more physicians (and nurses, social workers and myriad other health professionals). But leaving aside whether a “calling” for medicine is sufficient to be guaranteed a residency spot, Canadians studying medicine abroad should be aware of limited domestic residency spots before embarking on training in places such as Ireland or the Caribbean, at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Residency programs are a critical part of medical education and need capacity to accommodate all qualified Canadian medical graduates. If training capacity could be increased, it would still be limited by the availability of educators and clinical encounters.
It should be noted that the second round of the residency-matching process is generally open to all applicants. This round is still very competitive, certainly. But having reviewed and interviewed residency applicants who completed MDs outside Canada, I’d suggest that these candidates review match-eligibility criteria more thoroughly.
Are we prepared to put a new medical school in Cornwall, Kawartha Lakes, Manitoulin Island etc.? New medical schools should provide new graduates to all jurisdictions in need, in all of Canada.
China is well documented to be engaging in uncontrolled fishing all over the world. Given the precarious state of many seafood stocks, we should send a message that China’s way of doing business is unacceptable.
I personally never eat seafood that comes from China, whether it is produced by slave labour or not.
Jane McCallDelta, B.C.
Aside from the wrenching issue of forced labour, I lost trust in the safety of any food sourced from China more than a decade ago, after the scandal of infant formula contaminated with melamine.
Consequently, we go to considerable lengths to avoid buying any foodstuffs originating in China. Period.
A local missionary family, who happened to be Canadian, invited us to a teetotal lunch which featured Kool-Aid and a jellied salad. “If that’s what they eat in Canada, we’re not going,” declared my father.
My mother calmed him down, and a year later we did arrive in Canada. But a jellied salad was never seen on our table.
Anne Moon Victoria
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Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
MONTREAL – NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he will not be taking advice from Pierre Poilievre after the Conservative leader challenged him to bring down government.
“I say directly to Pierre Poilievre: I’m not going to listen to you,” said Singh on Wednesday, accusing Poilievre of wanting to take away dental-care coverage from Canadians, among other things.
“I’m not going to listen to your advice. You want to destroy people’s lives, I want to build up a brighter future.”
Earlier in the day, Poilievre challenged Singh to commit to voting non-confidence in the government, saying his party will force a vote in the House of Commons “at the earliest possibly opportunity.”
“I’m asking Jagmeet Singh and the NDP to commit unequivocally before Monday’s byelections: will they vote non-confidence to bring down the costly coalition and trigger a carbon tax election, or will Jagmeet Singh sell out Canadians again?” Poilievre said.
“It’s put up or shut up time for the NDP.”
While Singh rejected the idea he would ever listen to Poilievre, he did not say how the NDP would vote on a non-confidence motion.
“I’ve said on any vote, we’re going to look at the vote and we’ll make our decision. I’m not going to say our decision ahead of time,” he said.
Singh’s top adviser said on Tuesday the NDP leader is not particularly eager to trigger an election, even as the Conservatives challenge him to do just that.
Anne McGrath, Singh’s principal secretary, says there will be more volatility in Parliament and the odds of an early election have risen.
“I don’t think he is anxious to launch one, or chomping at the bit to have one, but it can happen,” she said in an interview.
New Democrat MPs are in a second day of meetings in Montreal as they nail down a plan for how to navigate the minority Parliament this fall.
The caucus retreat comes one week after Singh announced the party has left the supply-and-confidence agreement with the governing Liberals.
It’s also taking place in the very city where New Democrats are hoping to pick up a seat on Monday, when voters go to the polls in Montreal’s LaSalle—Émard—Verdun. A second byelection is being held that day in the Winnipeg riding of Elmwood—Transcona, where the NDP is hoping to hold onto a seat the Conservatives are also vying for.
While New Democrats are seeking to distance themselves from the Liberals, they don’t appear ready to trigger a general election.
Singh signalled on Tuesday that he will have more to say Wednesday about the party’s strategy for the upcoming sitting.
He is hoping to convince Canadians that his party can defeat the federal Conservatives, who have been riding high in the polls over the last year.
Singh has attacked Poilievre as someone who would bring back Harper-style cuts to programs that Canadians rely on, including the national dental-care program that was part of the supply-and-confidence agreement.
The Canadian Press has asked Poilievre’s office whether the Conservative leader intends to keep the program in place, if he forms government after the next election.
With the return of Parliament just days away, the NDP is also keeping in mind how other parties will look to capitalize on the new makeup of the House of Commons.
The Bloc Québécois has already indicated that it’s written up a list of demands for the Liberals in exchange for support on votes.
The next federal election must take place by October 2025 at the latest.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante is defending her decision to turn off comments on her social media accounts — with an announcement on social media.
She posted screenshots to X this morning of vulgar names she’s been called on the platform, and says comments on her posts for months have been dominated by insults, to the point that she decided to block them.
Montreal’s Opposition leader and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association have criticized Plante for limiting freedom of expression by restricting comments on her X and Instagram accounts.
They say elected officials who use social media should be willing to hear from constituents on those platforms.
However, Plante says some people may believe there is a fundamental right to call someone offensive names and to normalize violence online, but she disagrees.
Her statement on X is closed to comments.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
