New promises nothing but opportunistic drivel
In 2021, abortion should be an election issue — just not in the way Justin Trudeau thinks. He pulls the topic out of his back pocket and whacks Conservatives over the head with it when polls don’t go his way, but what, exactly, has his government done to improve access over the last six years?
The answer is not much. What he has done, however, is capitalize on its contentious status in the U.S. to paint abortion as a winners-take-all issue, where victory simply means maintaining the status quo of legality and “not reopening the issue.” That’s not nearly good enough for a leader who claims to care deeply about women’s rights.
Abortion has been decriminalized in Canada since 1988, but actual access to reproductive health care remains limited to non-existent in many parts of the country. After six years of governing, Trudeau hasn’t made any significant strides on accessibility — rather, he hops on the abortion merry-go-round during campaigns and hops right off again when he wins. Case in point: this April’s federal budget was the first under Trudeau to even mention the word “abortion.”
Now the Liberal platform has some shiny new promises, which include establishing regulations about accessibility for sexual and reproductive health services under the Canada Health Act, providing funds for youth-led organizations that address sexual and reproductive health needs, and axing anti-abortion organizations’ charity status.
However, Trudeau’s last two stints in office show he isn’t particularly good at following through on big promises, particularly ones mostly included for political convenience. Savvy platform readers may notice that, for example, universal pharmacare, which was a major Liberal campaign pledge in 2015 and 2019, is gone without a trace in 2021. This is also the Liberals’ third time campaigning on a conversion therapy ban — one which would already be in place if Trudeau hadn’t recently dissolved parliament.
When such promises magically appear after over half a decade of inaction, right when it looks like the Conservatives have a real shot at winning in September, and right when the Liberals are trending down with women and young people, it’s hard not to be skeptical.
By the way, that disappeared pharmacare promise would’ve gone a long way to making birth control more affordable and accessible in Canada. It comes as a surprise to many, but birth control and contraceptive devices are actually cheaper and easier to get in most parts of the U.S. and some parts of the Middle East. You won’t hear Trudeau mention this neat little fact, but we’re also one of the only Western nations to not offer universal access to birth control. Australia, New Zealand, Britain, and 10 other European countries do.
Trudeau’s Liberals have also ignored calls by women’s rights advocates to provide proper reproductive health care, including abortion services, access to contraception, prenatal care, basic health education, and menstrual products, in federal women’s prisons. But, of course, adequate care for female inmates, who are disproportionately Indigenous, isn’t as fun as bashing one’s political opponents for the headlines.
A woman’s right to choose goes both ways, and there’s also been a disturbing lack of action on reports of coerced and forced sterilizations of Indigenous women in Canadian hospitals. While the issue made headlines again this year, Senators and advocates have been pushing Trudeau to act on the problem since at least 2019. Yet, it continues.
When it comes to reproductive and sexual health, decriminalized abortions are basically the bottom of the barrel. That Canada hasn’t moved significantly forward on the issue in 30-plus years comes down to a lack of leadership and politicians who’d rather obfuscate the issue to score points than engage in thoughtful, ongoing, nuanced dialogue.
Had Trudeau meaningfully addressed or spoken about even a third of the issues mentioned in this column prior to this week, I’d be more inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt. But, outside of campaign season, there’s barely been a peep. Thus it’s difficult to see his newest promises as anything but opportunistic drivel, here until election day then gone the next.
PHOENIX (AP) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent proponent of debunked public health claims whom Donald Trump has promised to put in charge of health initiatives, said Saturday that Trump would push to remove fluoride from drinking water on his first day in office if elected president.
Fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The addition of low levels of fluoride to drinking water has long been considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century.
Kennedy made the declaration Saturday on the social media platform X alongside a variety of claims about the heath effects of fluoride.
“On January 20, the Trump White House will advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water,” Kennedy wrote. Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, “want to Make America Healthy Again,” he added, repeating a phrase Trump often uses and links to Kennedy.
Trump told NBC News on Sunday that he had not spoken to Kennedy about fluoride yet, “but it sounds OK to me. You know it’s possible.”
The former president declined to say whether he would seek a Cabinet role for Kennedy, a job that would require Senate confirmation, but added, “He’s going to have a big role in the administration.”
Asked whether banning certain vaccines would be on the table, Trump said he would talk to Kennedy and others about that. Trump described Kennedy as “a very talented guy and has strong views.”
The sudden and unexpected weekend social media post evoked the chaotic policymaking that defined Trump’s White House tenure, when he would issue policy declarations on Twitter at virtually all hours. It also underscored the concerns many experts have about Kennedy, who has long promoted debunked theories about vaccine safety, having influence over U.S. public health.
In 1950, federal officials endorsed water fluoridation to prevent tooth decay, and continued to promote it even after fluoride toothpaste brands hit the market several years later. Though fluoride can come from a number of sources, drinking water is the main source for Americans, researchers say.
Officials lowered their recommendation for drinking water fluoride levels in 2015 to address a tooth condition called fluorosis, that can cause splotches on teeth and was becoming more common in U.S. kids.
In August, a federal agency determined “with moderate confidence” that there is a link between higher levels of fluoride exposure and lower IQ in kids. The National Toxicology Program based its conclusion on studies involving fluoride levels at about twice the recommended limit for drinking water.
A federal judge later cited that study in ordering the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to further regulate fluoride in drinking water. U.S. District Judge Edward Chen cautioned that it’s not certain that the amount of fluoride typically added to water is causing lower IQ in kids, but he concluded that mounting research points to an unreasonable risk that it could be. He ordered the EPA to take steps to lower that risk, but didn’t say what those measures should be.
In his X post Saturday, Kennedy tagged Michael Connett, the lead attorney representing the plaintiff in that lawsuit, the environmental advocacy group Food & Water Watch.
Kennedy’s anti-vaccine organization has a lawsuit pending against news organizations including The Associated Press, accusing them of violating antitrust laws by taking action to identify misinformation, including about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines. Kennedy is on leave from the group but is listed as one of its attorneys in the lawsuit.
What role Kennedy might hold if Trump wins on Tuesday remains unclear. Kennedy recently told NewsNation that Trump asked him to “reorganize” agencies including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration and some agencies under the Department of Agriculture.
But for now, the former independent presidential candidate has become one of Trump’s top surrogates. Trump frequently mentions having the support of Kennedy, a scion of a Democratic dynasty and the son of former Attorney General Robert Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy.
Kennedy traveled with Trump Friday and spoke at his rallies in Michigan and Wisconsin.
Trump said Saturday that he told Kennedy: “You can work on food, you can work on anything you want” except oil policy.
“He wants health, he wants women’s health, he wants men’s health, he wants kids, he wants everything,” Trump added.
Americans and Canadians are cousins that is true. Allies today but long ago people were at loggerheads mostly because of the British Empire and American ambitions.
Canadians appreciate our cousins down south enough to visit them many millions of times over the year. America is Canada’s largest and most important trading partner. As a manufacturer, I can attest to this personally. My American clients have allowed our firm to grow and prosper over the past few decades. There is a problem we have been seeing, a problem where nationalism, both political and economic has been creating a roadblock to our trade relationship.
Both Democrats and Republicans have shown a willingness to play the “buy only American Made product” card, a sounding board for all things isolationist, nationalistic and small-mindedness. We all live on this small planet, and purchase items made from all over the world. Preferences as to what to buy and where it is made are personal choices, never should they become a platform of national pride and thuggery. This has brought fear into the hearts of many Canadians who manufacture for and service the American Economy in some way. This fear will be apparent when the election is over next week.
Canadians are not enemies of America, but allies and friends with a long tradition of supporting our cousins back when bad sh*t happens. We have had enough of the American claim that they want free trade, only to realize that they do so long as it is to their benefit. Tariffs, and undue regulations applied to exporters into America are applied, yet American industry complains when other nations do the very same to them. Seriously! Democrats have said they would place a preference upon doing business with American firms before foreign ones, and Republicans wish to tariff many foreign nations into oblivion. Rhetoric perhaps, but we need to take these threats seriously. As to you the repercussions that will come should America close its doors to us.
Tit for tat neighbors. Tariff for tariff, true selfish competition with no fear of the American Giant. Do you want to build homes in America? Over 33% of all wood comes from Canada. Tit for tat. Canada’s mineral wealth can be sold to others and place preference upon the highest bidder always. You know who will win there don’t you America, the deep-pocketed Chinese.
Reshaping our alliances with others. If America responds as has been threatened, Canadians will find ways to entertain themselves elsewhere. Imagine no Canadian dollars flowing into the Northern States, Florida or California? The Big Apple without its friendly Maple Syrup dip. Canadians will realize just how significant their spending is to America and use it to our benefit, not theirs.
Clearly we will know if you prefer Canadian friendship to Donald Trumps Bravado.
China, Saudi Arabia & Russia are not your friends in America. Canada, Japan, Taiwan the EU and many other nations most definitely are. Stop playing politics, and carry out business in an unethical fashion. Treat allies as they should be treated.
Steven Kaszab
Bradford, Ontario
skaszab@yahoo.ca
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