LETTER

Election: “The Feds are feeding our addictions”

 

A lot of people like to criticize Albertans for their redneck attitudes, but Alberta just established “the world’s largest continuous boreal protected forest”, beside their huge Woods Buffalo National Park. Meanwhile here in Quebec, our government refuses to protect caribou herds in the mid and north parts of the province because protecting them “might” impact forestry and mining operations. Very progressive of us -- or of our current government!

I can see some of your readers rising from their seats in fury at this suggestion that Québec is even compared to another province, but let’s try being adults.  Our environment is under siege, no question, and it’s not just the Arctic that’s the issue.

We are already the richest province in the confederation – based on our resources, industry and our people. Why are we also one of Canada’s “under-priveleged” provinces, and, please, it’s not because the Feds are ripping us off.  They are supporting our inability to look after our own riches!  The Feds are feeding our addiction to political exceptionalism, racism, and mis-management.

We have the only opportunity to make our voices heard coming in a few months: a provincial election. We must make environmental protections an issue, including protecting some of the last and dwindling herds of caribou in Eastern North America. Every time the candidates speak to us from today forward we ought to grill them about their lack of environmental protections in their past, because their past tells us about their future plans, no matter how grand their campaign promises. Nor should we let ourselves be bulldozed into a mass grave called “vote against Separation”.  There is not going to be any separation, people, in today’s globalized world. It would leave us as sitting ducks for Trump’s hostile government just next door.

Would it not be a miracle for us to wake up and say no to more of the same manipulative “promises” from these bombastic jerks who have decimated our health system, let our infrastructure erode, and our education system to sink below the nation’s average?  I’m not afraid to say it loud: so far Québec solidaire looks the best, despite several letters on these pages hostile to them and to change. Give it some real thought, people!

Andy Black
Aylmer north