LETTER

Canada, brave & free, progressive & smart? 

We Canadians believe we are one of the world’s most progressive countries, and every newly elected MP will repeat that truism. But it is not true!  Let’s just cut to the chase: Does Canada recognize UNDRIP, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples? Do we have an environmental bill of rights, recognizing a legal right to a clean environment?  Do we have a national ban on single-use plastics? Those are the easy ones, and we are nowhere near them.  

Yes, Alberta’s oil industry provides plenty of jobs – and wealth for American corporations – but does that mean they hold Canada hostage for those jobs and profits?  When the internet killed so much paper usage, including newspapers, and the eastern paper mills closed down, was it Canada’s responsibility to replace those jobs – or subsidize production of unusable paper for years?  But we are supposed to guarantee oil jobs so the Northern Republicans (CPC) will not get nasty?

Wexit is next?  The West is going to exit from Canada, right behind Quebec, I suppose. And all because Canada gives too much to Quebec in transfer payments?  They should go to Alberta? Or just stay there in the first place?  Rather, Alberta (and the feds) gave away all those resources to American oil companies years ago – shouldn’t those revenues have gone to Alberta’s future, as Norway did?  Oh, no, the Americans wouldn’t like that. So Canada gets Wexit. That’s smart.  Canada, progressive and smart!  Brave and not-so-free!

Stuart Reynolds,

Pontiac (Luskville)