Letters, Feb. 1

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/02/2024 (953 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Canada in the right

Re: “Canada’s silence deafening” (Letters, Jan. 30)

In Jennifer Rahman’s Jan. 30 letter, she claims that the Jan. 26 interim ruling from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) represents “a landmark statement reiterating many of the key points delivered by South Africa” in their accusation of genocide against Israel.

This is a creative misrepresentation of the ICJ ruling on Rahman’s part.

South Africa demanded that the world court call for an immediate ceasefire. It rejected that demand completely.

As for South Africa’s ridiculous claim that Israel is committing genocide, as a recent legal analysis pointed out, “nothing in the ICJ’s decision concludes — or even implies — that Israel has violated its obligations under the Genocide Convention.”

The court also demanded that Hamas release the hostages it kidnapped, but Rahman says nothing of this.

Rahman’s letter also lambastes the decision of a growing number of countries to suspend payments to UNRWA, a UN agency which saw a number of its staffers participate in Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre in Israel, part of a long string of the organization’s ties to Palestinian terrorism.

Canada, alongside many of its allies around the world, made the right decision in suspending payments to UNRWA. It’s time that terrorists face punishment for their actions, and not — like South Africa is attempting to achieve — punish the victims for defending themselves.

Jeff Lieberman

Jewish Federation of Winnipeg

Avoid double standards

Re: A modest proposal, 2024 (Editorial, Jan. 30)

I was a bit alarmed by the strong editorial stance recently undertaken against Pierre Poilievre by the Free Press, involving a mixture of dire assertions and pointed questions. Regrettably, this editorial appears to underscore a repeated concern voiced by Conservatives of a double standard. This is well illustrated based on just one policy among many, namely in this case emission reductions.

It is becoming ever more clear under Justin Trudeau that Canada will fail to reach the Liberals’ 2030 target. Trend analysis suggests Canada might, if we are lucky, achieve 10 per cent reduction, not even close to what we were promised. If anyone deserves a sharp rebuke and a barrage of demands for explanation, it is Mr. Trudeau. Yet, the media remains relatively quiet in voicing concerns, despite an ongoing record of failure.

It is against the shoddy Liberal record that both Mr. Poilievre and Mr. Singh alike should be judged, not any aspirational wishful-thinking on decarbonization that the Liberals themselves are completely unable to achieve. The carbon tax, notably, has never produced any decisive emission reductions, such that its removal would not cause any consequential impact on emissions one way or another. As even noted by the Liberals themselves, the tax has become more of an impediment to improvements.

Meanwhile, the U.S. has never imposed such a tax nationally, yet boasts a better record than Canada under Mr. Trudeau, bizarrely even including under Donald Trump. Eliminating the carbon tax, especially on essential home heating as proposed in Parliament by Mr. Poilievre, is a positive measure benefiting Canadians, especially those with lower incomes. More broadly, as evidenced by the debacle of the past week, Mr. Trudeau really does need to step down for the sake of the Liberal party.

Robert Parsons

Winnipeg

Not much bang for policing buck

As Winnipeg has just experienced yet another George Floyd-type incident at the hands of the police, we have to ask ourselves what we’re getting for the enormous chunk of the city’s budget? I’m certainly not naive enough to call for “defunding the police” in an era when violent crime seems rampant, yet I’m appalled by the status quo.

Clearly there must be a major overhaul, starting at the top. Overall it would seem we need more community supports, more mental health care, more training on helping people and less aggression from those with badges and guns.

I understand it’s a tough job, likely very frustrating at times. But you can’t treat someone’s life this callously. And the last thing we need is $7 million worth of body cameras the police themselves control or we’ll never see the truth again. Only “fake news” from a fake police chief.

Keith Gordon

Winnipeg

Push back on pharma deals

Re: Manulife-Loblaw deal to deliver specialty drugs sparks access, competition concerns (Jan. 30)

So Manulife and Loblaw have cooked up this arrangement that forces people insured by Manulife and who use certain drugs covered by Manulife will be forced to fill prescriptions for those drugs at a Loblaws store or forgo coverage.

If, for instance, I live in Carman and support the pharmacy there, thereby helping the local economy of that community, I will now be forced to no longer support my local pharmacy. Not to mention, rather than driving five blocks to my local pharmacy, I will now be forced to drive at least an hour round trip to Winnipeg, wasting money and burning fossil fuels and taking business from my local pharmacy. How does this make sense for anybody except Manulife and Loblaws?

It’s time for Manitoba to follow Quebec’s lead and outlaw this madness.

Thanks

Ken McLean

Starbuck

Prioritize safety

Re: Arbitrator opens hearings on Manitoba Nurses Union grievance over safety in, around HSC (Jan. 29)

Safety issues are not exclusive to nurses at the Health Sciences Centre. They exist at all hospitals, personal care homes and assisted living facilities and they affect staff other than nurses. Staff are coming and going at all hours.

Some shifts start at 4 a.m. There is often no security staff monitoring the doors and parking lots. It can be very scary getting to work in the very early morning hours or the late evening hours — at any time, but these are times when there are fewer people around if you need help.

This is one of the factors affecting recruitment and retainment of nurses and other health care staff. Security needs to be a priority in the system.

Ariel Lee

Winnipeg

CBC president out of touch

I may abandon the CBC completely. I believe our country needs a strong public broadcaster, one that informs rather than entertains. Over the past decade I have become more ambivalent about the CBC. I am not alone.

Many Canadians have switched the channel as well, as other news programs have gained viewers.

The final straw was the suggestion made by CBC’s president Catherine Tait that she may be giving bonuses to top CBC executives while laying off hundreds of staff. Tait herself earns around $450,000 a year. With working people struggling to pay for rent and groceries, the suggestion that CBC executives — who earn above average salaries across the board — need a bonus is so out of touch it is staggering.

If the minister responsible has any courage, Tait, and perhaps the CBC board of directors who apparently support her, should be “encouraged” to find work elsewhere.

Jerry Storie

Winnipeg

Beautiful ballet

At the fabulous venue of the Burton Cummings Theatre, my wife and I had the pleasure of attending the performance of Ukraine’s National Ballet. Beautiful! Not only is one impressed by the sheer beauty of the dancers, one also tends to become somewhat envious of the skill that they can show us.

How sad that such artistry comes to us during this uncalled-for, unprovoked attack on Ukraine by Russia.

Ostap Hawaleshka

Winnipeg