LETTER
Election comment
With the polls closed, we want to comment on the election campaign here in the Outaouais. First, congratulations to the winner, who we are guessing is from the front-running party in West Quebec. We seem unable to think beyond the Pavlovian response taught us from grade school that separatism is the greatest evil ever imagined. Forget all the news of the world, focus on separatism! So, wonderful, we are saved from the separatist hordes once again.
On the subject of issues raised, we were struck by how little was said about the highly praised tram or light-rail fantasy promoted by local poiticians during the municipal election. Given that our MNA was also Minister of Transport – and of electrification – isn’t it bizarre that we would sail right through with only the tiniest of mentions? Is he for light rail here or not? We don’t even hear much about light rail now that our councillors have been elected. I presume that none of our Aylmer councillors travel the Lower Road every morning and evening as we used to do.
Also, your newspaper has carried reports of the radioactive dump proposed upstream at Chalk River. That is the most alarming prospect we’ve heard and we cannot believe it will go through – but that’s just what Harper’s corporate friends now running that show want us to think. And then we’ll get it in our front yard, or in our water source, because everyone shrugged. Please keep plugging away.
The health system in our city and the whole region is very poorly managed. Aylmer, a major city if it stood alone, has a smallish CLSC and a clinic. Quebec’s two most poorly-managed health centres – Gatineau and Hull – have been given more responsibilities, including for us. Good thing we have Ontario across the bridge. Does our MNA like the idea of extending the Ontario health system into Quebec? That’s what has happened, in effect.
It seemed to us a year ago that the Couillard government was cutting whatever it could, wherever it could, so as to run up a surplus to sway votes of regions and to give itself the title of “good money managers”. They should be called comedians. And now we live with more self-serving comedians for another four years.
Noel & Mary Ratton, Aylmer
