Letters, Dec. 18

Serious challenge

Re: “Cultivating a better political culture” (Letters, Dec. 17)

It was most heartening to read the letter by former MLA and cabinet minister Leonard Harapiak. His advocacy for citizen engagement is sorely needed in these turbulent times.

Harapiak’s challenge either to “stand back or become engaged” ought to be taken seriously. I am reminded of the term “bread and circuses,” which can be traced back to first- and second-century Rome. It refers to appeasement; citizens are kept well fed, docile and happy so that dissent fails to materialize. Some might call it infantilizing the masses.

It is indeed unfortunate that the “good and honourable” efforts of those holding public office are so easily overlooked in the reporting by some media and digital networks. These are politicians who are not afraid to walk in the tension of important issues and questions.

The Association of Former Manitoba MLAs is most certainly a welcome step towards encouraging honest, open and non-partisan policy making in this province. One hopes the group will actively seek input from all Manitobans.

Edwin Buettner

Winnipeg

Loss of safety

As a longtime Winnipeg resident with a family member working the front lines as a firefighter/primary care paramedic with the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service, I am deeply concerned about the direction of the 2026 budget and what it signals for the future of the WFPS.

At a time when our city is growing, our call volumes are rising and our front-line responders are stretched to their limits, this budget appears to move in the opposite direction of what public safety demands.

Winnipeggers rely on firefighters and paramedics during the worst moments of their lives. These are not abstract services; they are the difference between life and death, between a contained emergency and a community tragedy. Yet, year after year, we hear about increasing response times, understaffed stations and crews forced to do more with less. Budget 2026 does not meaningfully address these pressures. Instead, it risks normalizing a level of service that falls short of what residents deserve.

I worry that we are losing sight of the essential truth: public safety is not a luxury item to be trimmed when convenient. It is a core responsibility of municipal government. When a fire engine or ambulance arrives late, the consequences are immediate and irreversible.

No amount of post‑incident analysis can undo the harm caused by inadequate staffing or delayed response.

Winnipeg’s firefighters and paramedics show up for us every single day. They run toward danger, they protect our homes and they care for our families. The least we can do is ensure they have the staffing, resources and support required to do their jobs safely and effectively.

I urge city council to reconsider the current direction of the budget. Investing in WFPS is not optional. It is foundational to a safe, functioning and compassionate city. Winnipeg deserves a budget that reflects that.

Angela Tod

Winnipeg

Reality of stretched system

Re: Union decries Crown prosecutors’ crushing workload (Dec. 15)

When people hear that only a small number of criminal cases in Manitoba have been stayed because of Jordan limits, it can sound reassuring. But those numbers don’t reflect the reality behind the scenes.

Crown prosecutors are carrying heavy caseloads under strict timelines, often working long hours to keep cases moving. Since the Jordan decision, there is constant pressure to assess risk, manage delay and make early decisions to prevent files from collapsing. Many Crowns review disclosure at night, double-book courts and give up personal time so cases can proceed.

The work itself has also become more demanding. Today’s prosecutions involve large volumes of digital evidence, from video to electronic records, all of which must be reviewed carefully and fairly. At the same time, Crowns are often the ones explaining delays to victims and managing difficult expectations.

The low number of Jordan stays is not a sign of a system with spare capacity. It is a reflection of the professionalism and commitment of Crown prosecutors who are holding it together. That effort deserves recognition.

Marc Robichaud

Winnipeg

Strengthen lobby laws

Re: Digging in (Dec. 12)

Thanks to Julia-Simone Rutgers for her impressive detailed analysis of the Sio Silica campaign to gain approval of its proposed sand mine project. Mention was made of the efforts of various lobbyists trying to push the project forward.

However, the full story of those efforts could not be told in large part because of the weakness of Manitoba’s lobbyist registry. The registry is based on the premise that lobbying is a legitimate and useful activity, but requires publicity and potential sanctions to deter misconduct.

Unfortunately, the registry provides such limited information as to be almost useless in terms of transparency about the hidden process by which organizations and individuals seek to influence government decision-making.

In an otherwise thorough and forceful report from the ethics commissioner (who doubles as the registrar for lobbying), which led to a former premier and two ministers being fined for violating the caretaker convention, there was no sustained discussion of who failed to register as a lobbyist and how adequately those who did register disclosed the targets and the contents of their lobbying efforts

It is long past time for the Manitoba legislature to follow other jurisdictions by modernizing and strengthening the lobbying law.

Paul G. Thomas

Winnipeg

Flexibility in action

Re: “Ideological shift” (Letters, Dec. 16)

I can see how Evan Marnoch (and others, I am sure) could conclude that the Liberal Party of Canada’s focus could be interpreted as an ideological shift. However, I think that it could also be viewed differently.

While I am concerned about the state of various social programs as a result of budget cuts, I am even more concerned about the fate of Canada in the hands of the United States if we do not quickly build a robust enough economy to withstand its greedy interest in us. We are currently in a critical time, similar to wartime, when resources were directed towards the war effort at the expense of the needs on the home front.

Rather than describing the current situation as an ideological shift, I see it as the ability of a flexible political party to take action where it is most needed. Even if it appears to be an ideological shift.

An ideological shift, to me, implies that the focus of the party is permanently changing. I see no evidence of that. Carney has stated that he is not a career politician, and I do not see him as a long-term leader of the political party.

Art Quanbury

River Hills