Letters, Nov. 12

Canadian kindness

I recently arrived back in Canada after being away for a couple of days. I was traveling alone as an unaccompanied minor and was glad to see that Canadians are still so friendly. While purchasing a water bottle, a woman overheard me asking how much it cost and whether the store accepted my airline voucher. When she realized they didn’t, she kindly offered to buy the water for me since I was on my own. This reminded me that, at our core, we Canadians still look out for one another.

Later, when my flight was delayed, I got into a conversation with two retired Canadians. They were also very kind, and we talked about our travels. Before long, more people joined in on our conversation.

These experiences reaffirm the true Canadian principles of kindness and empathy.

Noah Strauss

Winnipeg

A solid budget

I applaud the Liberal federal budget under Prime Minister Mark Carney that takes us in a new positive direction. Justin Trudeau’s government severely neglected our economy and needed investments while burning relationships with China and India with devastating consequences for trade.

The lack of funding for our military has been embarrassing and became problematic as the U.S. is no longer a reliable support of Allied defense partnerships, necessitating a huge catchup investment.

Our federal government services have become bloated with excess staffing that is terribly inefficient, and which is overdue for some significant reductions which the budget calls for. Effective implementation of artificial intelligence has the potential to greatly increase government productivity while improving levels of service delivery with less employees. A page our provincial government should look at copying.

However, our whopping deficit is a serious concern. There is no room to increase taxes, and we cannot grow our economy fast enough to arrest the deficit. Portions attributed to capital expenditures that yield future benefits can be justified. The deficit related to government operations must be eliminated in the most expeditious manner possible.

Bill Speers

Winnipeg

The right thing to do

Re: Undaunted defiance amid raw remembrance (Nov. 8)

Melissa Martin has a way of stirring not just my interest but my emotions as well. While the war in Ukraine gets scant attention these days in the printed media, Melissa’s articles remind us that there are still thousands of Ukrainians being killed or wounded each week and millions being traumatized by the incessant destruction of Ukraine by the Russians.

The statue of Oleksandr Matsievskyi is a stunning reflection of the heroic Ukrainian people who are defending their country against overwhelming odds. They must be so tired of not getting enough help to throw back the Russians after years of fighting. His stoic acceptance of his fate and his defiance are heartbreaking.

U.S. President Donald Trump seems to have walked away from any pretence of helping stop the war or supporting the heroic Ukrainian defence of an illegal and immoral invasion. Let’s not forget that Trump “promised” to stop the war one day after he became president, one of his many lies to get back into office.

I guess he thought Russian President Vladimir Putin was his friend and admirer. What he has been saying to Zelenskyy is that the U.S. holds most of the “cards” to play while trying to extort critical minerals from them and who knows what else. What he won’t admit is that his idol, Putin, is playing his cards very cynically and effectively. Trump is losing the game.

I hope Canada and NATO continue to support the defence of Ukraine and ramp up their efforts despite Trump abandoning the Ukrainian people. Why? Because it is the right thing to do, not a matter of quid pro quo!

Gary McGimpsey

Winnipeg

Brutality on the farm

Re: B.C. ostrich farm is ‘ground zero for change’ as family reels from shooting cull (Nov. 8)

This story has laid bare another ugly truth about animal agriculture: the mass killing of sentient beings on farms. The public interest and outrage it generated was largely due to the species of the victims whose deaths occurred out in the open and not behind closed doors of industrial buildings, as is the case for millions of animals such as chickens, turkeys and pigs.

Euphemistically known as “depopulation” or “culling,” some of the brutal methods of killing include suffocation using foam and ventilation shut-down where air supplies are turned off, driving up temperatures, leading to a prolonged death due to asphyxiation and hyperthermia. And this is not limited to disease outbreaks. In the egg industry, it is routine to wipe out entire flocks consisting of thousands of hens when their production begins to significantly decline at only 12 to 14 months into a life that could span up to 10 years.

How is this reflective of our Canadian values? What we do to our fellow animals is nothing short of an atrocity. Yet it is one we could end by merely making compassionate choices.

Debbie Wall

Winnipeg

Choose independence

Re: Countdown to Christmas Election? (Nov. 5); Second Conservative MP quits party (Nov. 7)

One Conservative MP has recently left the Conservative Party by “crossing the floor” and joining the Liberal Party and another has indicated that he is resigning his seat and will not run in the next general election.

Many people, understandably especially in the Conservative Party, have roundly condemned the “floor-crossing” as a betrayal of the party and the people who voted for him under its banner. Some people have even suggested that this should not be allowed; that if an MP quits the party they were a member of when elected, then they should resign as an MP thereby triggering a byelection.

I too don’t think “crossing the floor” is appropriate after being elected as a member of a different party. Nor, however, do I think an MP should be compelled to resign if they have a change of heart and/or mind and can no longer abide the policies and/or leader of the party they were elected as a member of.

I think that if they are going to leave their party and not resign their seat they should sit as an independent member of Parliament until there is a general election.

Gerald Farthing

Winnipeg

Important work ignored

Re: Mother horrified as changed name hides sex crimes (Nov. 5); Province makes quick U-turn on sex criminal name change legislation (Nov. 6)

I was left shaking my head after reading the article where “Lisa,” the parent of a child who was befriended by a convicted pedophile, later discovered this man had legally changed his name.

I can only imagine what this mother is dealing with, along with any possible emotional damages her son has endured. My heart goes out to her and her family.

I was astounded to further read that Bill 23 which would prevent convicted pedophiles from legally changing their names, received royal assent becoming law, more than one year ago. Although I was happy to read later in the week that the law was now in force, there should be more questions asked of Public Services Delivery Minister Mintu Sandhu regarding the timing of this law coming into effect.

Does anyone else out there have the feeling that the legislation was sitting on a desk until the Free Press article was published? I can’t imagine how the “consultations” were completed within 24 hours of the article being published.

I should think that protecting our children from harm would be a priority issue for our government.

Laurie Lazer-McCorrie

Winnipeg