Letters, Sept. 16

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This article was published 16/09/2023 (945 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Plethora of promises

One would think our province has money to burn and time to spare with all the campaign promises. It appears the premier has no problem saying “yes” to pretty much everyone but unionized public servants, seniors in care and families of MMIWG. Evidently, filmmakers who use Manitoba-made music and consumers of flowers and trees are more worthy of the premier’s attention.

Who is paying for all this free spending? All of us, including the regular folks who do their best to provide services to Manitobans, many who are currently waiting for fair deals from this government. Surely, by now, this government would be competent enough to prioritize resources to ensuring the safety and fair treatment of all citizens, rather than these boutique items.

Or, maybe they just don’t care.

Michelle Burdz

Winnipeg

 

Build, don’t brawl

So many election signs claiming the PCs are fighting! ‘Fighting for Manitobans.’ ‘Fighting for parental rights.’ ‘Fighting for Manitoba film & music.’

But who are they fighting against? Are there secret ninjas out to get us? Aliens? Orcs? All I see is the PCs fighting Manitobans. Fighting health-care workers. Fighting MPI and MLCC workers. Fighting Indigenous children.

We need leaders who will work with us; leaders who are bridge-builders and who foster reconciliation. More fighting? That’s where I draw the line.

James deBeer

Winnipeg

 

Be careful at the plate

I found it odd that Heather Stefanson thought that increasing the tax deduction for charitable donations would actually benefit her campaign. It suggested to me she was a little out of touch with the average voter. Unless people are earning enough money to donate more, they simply can’t afford to. This would be nothing more than another tax shelter for high-income earners. Strike one!

Secondly, no taxes on plant purchases. Another major savings for the average voter? If I had read this on a social media platform I would have ignored it, but seeing it in the Free Press, I had to assume she was being serious. Strike two!

I would strongly suggest that if she has any more of these amazing tax-saving epiphanies, just remember Heather, strike three and you’re out.

Mary Coran

Winnipeg

 

Poor climate outlook

Re: Building Blocks for a greener Manitoba (Sept. 12)

It seems the current Manitoba provincial election is unfolding as a “change election”, and that health care has become the undeniable ballot question. I was pleased therefore to see the contribution to these election discussions from the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) addressing some of the urgent environmental issues facing us today.

In medicine we are familiar with the Hippocratic Oath, i.e. “Do No Harm.” This dictum has its parallel in Sustainable Development practice and environmental decision making, namely the “Precautionary Principle.” It states that in the absence of scientific certainty, conservation measures should be taken when there is knowledge of possible risk of serious or irreversible environmental harm. Tragically however, Manitoba’s Sustainable Development Act, which provided this precautionary lens, was repealed by the Pallister Conservatives in 2018.

It’s a truism that environmental and climate change action can’t only be the responsibility of a single Environment or Conservation (or Sustainable Development) department, but rather must be included in the mandate of all departments working together. Specifically in Health and Environment, Manitoba’s SD Act provided this collaborative cross-government and public sector framework.

The repeal of the Sustainable Development Act was all the more surprising in that it was an act of the Filmon government in 1998 and essentially a bipartisan effort built on the work of the previous NDP government. The SD Act provided support for bringing the IISD to Winnipeg which then, among other things, was instrumental in saving the Experimental Lakes Project.

Today’s Pallister / Stefanson Conservatives are not your grandad’s Progressive Conservatives. The party’s rightward shift mirrors that of Brian Pallister’s, from Blue Tory to Reformer to Canadian Alliance MP. In my less charitable moments I think of this version of conservatism as an Albertan virus infecting both Manitoba and Canadian politics.

We have little to hope for on climate change and environmental issues from this brand of conservatism. The nightmare scenario keeping me awake nights is the possibility of a Poilievre federal government with Conservatives in power in Manitoba. Thankfully Oct. 3 gives us a choice!

Sig Laser

Winnipeg

 

Statesmen’s legacies solid

Re: Axworthy, Doer old news (Letters, Sept. 14)

Joyce Wolfe’s letter to the editor “Axworthy, Doer old news” seeks to diminish the importance of these elder statesmen lending support to Wab Kinew.

I beg to differ. Aside from their name recognition, these gentlemen have much to offer in their many areas of expertise.

As to Ms Wolfe’s statement “Many voters under the age of 50 would be challenged to recognize their names or accomplishments,” this may be true; but only if the voters in question are oblivious of the history of our province and country or of a political persuasion that ascribes to wilful ignorance and bias.

Tom Pearson

Winnipeg

 

Running business not so easy

Re: Celebrations theatre shuts doors permanently amid strike (Sept. 8)

The remarks made by the President of the UFCW show just how little unions know about running a business. The UFCW blames the owner for the closure, saying it is shameful he did not have a better business plan. In their mind they obviously think this is a simple process.

In actual fact operating a business like Celebrations would be a very complicated process. They have to control a multitude of costs as best they can while pricing their product in such a way that they can be profitable without overpricing and driving customers away.

Business owners do not make the decision to close lightly. Generally owners have poured their heart and soul into a business and closing is a last resort. I suspect the potential closure was conveyed to the UFCW at some point in the negotiations and they chose to ignore it.

The staff that lost their jobs should be looking at their union bosses, not the owner of the company.

Jim Ross

Winnipeg

 

Proportional representation best

Re: Vote, don’t complain (Editorial, Sept. 6)

The editorial uses a great analogy:

“The easiest thing in the world is to sit back and listen, offering nothing, while a group tries to figure out where to go for dinner — and then grouse, after the fact, about the restaurant that everyone else picked.”

What the editorial doesn’t tell you is that even though you participate in the discussion about what restaurant to go to, your voice may have little power in the final decision. Perhaps you’re a vegetarian, no meat or seafood. Everyone else, except for perhaps one more vegetarian, is a meat eater. Sorry, your choice was recorded but because you were in the minority, it was ignored.

This is what happens in provincial and federal elections with an electoral system called first past the post.

First past the post rewards the larger parties and penalizes the smaller parties who are not concentrated enough in ridings even though they populate Manitoba in the tens of thousands. That’s how we get governments elected with only 40 per cent or less of the vote.

Proportional representation means almost everyone’s voice is heard. What good is having a “democracy” when a mockery is made of the meaning of the word?

Daryl Sturdy

Vancouver