Letters, Aug. 17

Be statesmanlike, Pierre

Re: Canadians have moved on, Poilievre hasn’t (Aug. 7); Poilievre’s trade bluster a desperate bid for attention (Aug. 12)

If I were Pierre Poilievre, I wouldn’t be just thinking about becoming the next prime minister. I’d be thinking about legacy in larger terms — meaning how would I ultimately want to be remembered.

And I would want to be remembered as the politician who, even if not having achieved the ultimate goal of becoming prime minister, left the political world as a respected statesman. As such, with respect to trade and the relationship with the United States, I would be guided by the following maxim found in Tom Brodbeck’s Aug. 12 column: The goal should be to maximize Canada’s leverage while reducing its vulnerability.

This means, among other things, politicians from across the political spectrum working together to show a united front. So, on this file at least, I think Mr. Poilievre should indicate that he will be looking to find common ground with the prime minister whenever possible. He can still critique, but not about everything, and certainly not in the manner he currently does.

This is his opportunity to establish himself as a statesman, rather than just another politician, and go down in the history books as such.

Gerald Farthing

Winnipeg

City as corporation

Re: Democracy is a civic election issue (Think Tank, Aug. 13)

By no means am I about to support Mayor Gillingham’s approach to running what he likely considers to be “his city” (my words, not his). Not at all. Rather, my issue is with one line in Erna Buffie’s piece: “Did this city suddenly morph into a corporation?”

From the sound of it, (Gillingham) lacks trust in the process, which appears to include the expertise of those duly elected by the residents of Winnipeg and perhaps even those employed by the city for their relative expertise.

A tad surprising (shocking?) would you not say, given his previous life?

To quote the English poet and cleric, John Donne, “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.”

Now if Mayor Gillingham prefers a biblical quote, there are certainly a few he could draw upon. I am not about to preach to a preacher, so I will leave it at that.

So, back to Buffie’s question and my take on it. Yes, it should morph into a corporation if it intends to succeed and by succeed, I mean: meet its obligations to its residents (and) manage its resources and the business of being a city.

And you know what happens if a leader does not succeed? Yup, that’s right — I hate to quote ‘our friend’ from the south, but “you’re fired!”.

Back to the ballot box, where our democracy will play out as it is intended to. So, go out and vote.

Debbie Ristimaki

Winnipeg

All things must be considered

Re: Making the right move on rail lines (Editorial, Aug. 14)

Nothing has been written about the hundreds of Winnipeg industries and businesses who depend on getting goods delivered, and shipped out, by rail directly to and from their facilities. What is the plan for moving the contents of those rail cars each week?

If service by rail is left in play, many of the hundreds of crossings and miles of track will not be relocated. If the plan is to replace rail with trucks, it is worth noting each rail car carries roughly the same amount of goods as three semi-trailers. Will Winnipeg see an explosive growth in daily heavy truck traffic to replace the several hundreds of rail car movements starting or ending in Winnipeg each week? Are Winnipeggers aware moving dangerous goods by rail is significantly safer than moving the same goods by truck?

Will rail-served industries demand, and get, compensation so they can move their facilities out of the city? How much will the loss of those industries impact Winnipeg’s tax base? How many businesses will chose to abandon Manitoba completely? How many non-rail jobs are potentially at risk from rail relocation?

Winnipeg, and all Manitoba taxpayers, deserve to know all the potential risks as well as the potential benefits of rail relocation, before the city and province commit to rail relocation.

Lucien Guay

Winnipeg

Hail Count Binface

So, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage “won” the completely unnecessary byelection in Clacton, over a guy with a trash can on his head, Count Binface. The tally of votes was around 22,000 for Farage and over 9,000 for Count Binface; the byelection itself cost over 300,000 pounds, with an additional 150,000 pounds spent by Reform UK so that Farage could win … against a bin.

This U.K. political sideshow has been enormously entertaining, but also instructive. I believe instructive for Canadian politics, as well. We need candidates like Count Binface in this country’s elections, someone who can stir things up, to make the stodgy legacy media wake up from blissful slumber and start asking the right questions rather than stock questions, someone who can tackle divisive rhetoric with humour that completely deflates the politicians seeking to divide us.

One can only imagine how a Binface/Farage debate would have gone, but you can substitute Farage with any of our Conservative rabble rousers. We need a Binface to run in every byelection across our country, challenging people and making us all laugh at the same time.

Joke candidates like Farage need to be tossed in the bin!

Will Jones

Winnipeg

A look in the mirror

Re: “Carbon inferno” (Letters, Aug. 14)

The letter from Anne Christine Chisholm emphasizes how environmental responsibility has changed over time.

Once upon a time the person or industry that released contaminants into the environment was considered responsible for their behaviour. If you got into your big truck and drove down the block to get a loaf of bread, you were responsible for the emissions.

Today this has changed. Individuals are not held responsible for their behaviour. Responsibility is with the company that provided you with the opportunity to contaminate the world if you decide to do so. You are not responsible not for your bad decision. You are no longer responsible for the emissions from your truck, it is petroleum industries’ responsibility, or the pipeline’s, or both.

You can drive to the next pipeline protest with a clear conscience; it is not your fault. More pipelines are needed to ensure that we have enough fuel for our chosen lifestyles.

“We have met the enemy and he is us.” — Pogo

John Elias

Winnipeg

Shocking

Re: Plan to give officers electric shock gloves draws outrage and fears of misuse (Aug. 13)

A bald, muscular male standing over a seated woman while demonstrating electric shock gloves? Really?

Vic Unruh

Winnipeg