Letters, Dec. 8

Criminal behaviour

Re: Fare enforcement doesn’t equal safety (Think Tank, Dec. 5); “On rushing to judgment” (Letters, Dec. 5)

After reading the letter to the editor from Jeremy Zehr and the opinion piece by Dagen Perrott, I have comments.

If someone steals my bicycle from my garage or knocks down an elderly lady to steal her purse, that person is a criminal, period.

If a small percentage of people who skip paying a fare on the bus commit acts of violence, one way to prevent this is to stop non-payers from getting on in the first place. Yes it may have a cost, but at least riders are safe.

I am amazed at the mental gymnastics people will engage in to excuse criminal, yes criminal, behaviour by individuals who know better but don’t care.

Randy Rasmussen

Winnipeg

How much is enough?

Re: RBC posts record Q4 profit of $5.43B, ends fiscal year up $20.4B (Dec. 4); Food insecurity ‘requires more than charity’ (Dec. 4)

You’d be hard-pressed to read two more conflicting articles than RBC posts record Q4 profit of $5.43B, ends fiscal year up $20.4B and Food insecurity ‘requires more than charity.’

Even in a world where we’ve become numb to the shocking level of inequality in the income and living conditions of working people versus the rising profits of large corporations, these two articles clearly point out what’s wrong with the world and specifically our homeland of Canada today.

RBC made an obscene profit of over $20 billion last year, an increase of 25 per cent from the previous year. I don’t know of too many working people who received a 25 per cent wage increase in total in the last 10 years, let alone one.

In 2025, Manitoba Harvest reported the number of people using the food bank increased from 50,000 to 60,000.

In 1980, RBC made $327 million in profit. In 2005 its profit was $3.3 billion. And now in 2025, RBC is announcing a profit of over $20 billion.

Manitoba Harvest, for which I am a proud volunteer with my brother Doug from 2020 to 2023, wasn’t even around in 1980. It originated as Winnipeg Harvest in July of 1985 and served only 600 families that year. In 2005 40,000 people used Winnipeg Harvest. In 2025 that total is now 50 per cent higher and climbing.

Just like RBC’s profits.

Which raises the question: how much is enough for large corporations like RBC?

A $1-billion profit would seem to be an enormously large amount of money for a company to make in one year.

But a billion-dollar profit isn’t enough for large corporations. Next they want two, then five, then 10, then 20.

By comparison, Manitoba Harvest spent $7.4 million on food distribution in 2024.

Imagine if even a small amount of large corporations’ profits were taxed at a slightly higher rate (Canada’s current federal corporate tax rate is 15 per cent).

More money for health care, education and support for those most in need.

Canadians are people who always step up and help one another in times of need. Ordinary Canadians are always willing to pay their fair share for the good of everyone.

This is a country of we, not me.

We just have to demand our government do its job and make sure large corporations like RBC start paying their share as well.

John Brownlee

Winnipeg

Licences outsourced again

Re: CGI acquires local digital services business (Dec. 4)

It is with great disdain and much eye rolling that once again Manitobans and visitors to our province will not be patronizing a pure Manitoba-born-and-raised business for park passes and hunting and fishing licences.

The sale of Winnipeg-based Online Business Systems to a Montreal-based corporation has only one slight benefit — the money stays in Canada. Why can’t we as a province sell these passes and licences in-house?

Why do we need an outside entity to do simple, straightforward transactions?

Roll again. Spin again. Go fish!

Steve McMahon

Winnipeg

Putting public safety first

I am an unequivocal supporter of programs designed to help drug users trying to escape the grip of their addiction. I believe such a program should be designed using the knowledge of those who have experience gained in the trenches of the battle against the addictions crisis, together with science-based strategies. Both should be considered paramount over political considerations. Despite being a pensioner on an income only marginally linked to inflation, I am prepared to pay higher taxes if they are directly assigned to funding such a program.

However, I believe public safety should be the prime consideration in all policy decisions.

It seems addiction is the common denominator driving the increase in a wide range of criminal activities. One has a direct correlation — organized drug trafficking. This is a crime that results in the loss of human life in a variety of ways, from the consumers themselves to gang-related violence among lower-tier dealers. To me, this is no different than first-degree murder, given the element of premeditation. The penalty should be the same: life in prison with no possibility of parole for 25 years. The same premeditation involved in the crime might actually act as a deterrent.

Although not as frequently associated with addiction, I believe the crime of child sexual abuse should be treated the same way. Although victims usually don’t die (unless by suicide), they lose their lives in a different way.

The prospect of a life sentence would not likely deter offenders, since they seem to be driven by internal motivations most of us find impossible to understand. It would, however, make sure that the perpetrator would not be able to offend again, as they often do, once released.

If such sentences violate Charter rights, I would support the federal government invoking the notwithstanding clause.

I would be prepared to pay a further tax increase specifically assigned to the necessary incarceration costs.

Terry Dann

Winnipeg

The battle ahead

Let’s state the obvious — Prime Minister Mark Carney is not going to please everyone. People of all stripes are going to take issue with his policies and actions with regard to trade, energy, environment, military spending and foreign policy to name a few areas.

But let’s admit it, the hand he was dealt wasn’t exactly ideal. From the outset he has had to deal with a U.S. administration that is openly hostile to Canada. To be blunt, Donald Trump declared economic war against Canada for the sole purpose of crushing its economy and forcing it to accept annexation as a wholly owned territory of the U.S. Forget the statehood nonsense. Further, Carney has had to deal with the baggage left over from past governments, both liberal and conservative.

We as Canadian citizens need to accept this “war” will be hard-fought and long. There will be casualties in the form of lost jobs, failed businesses and economic hardships to some extent. But fighting among ourselves, casting aspersions and blame makes Canada appear weak and divided. Let’s win the “war” and once done then we can deal with our differences in a civilized and polite environment.

Don Reed

Winnipeg