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Indigenous MPs must speak out
Re: Randy Boissonnault stepping down from cabinet, Nov. 20.
Eight Liberal MPs constitute the Indigenous caucus of the federal Liberal government. Their mandate is to pressure the government to address the many problems Indigenous peoples face. One is the fact that some white Canadians claim Indigenous ancestry to advance their personal interests.
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One Pretendian, apparently, is MP Randy Boissonnault, who joined that caucus, made conflicting statements about his ancestry and status, and allowed the Liberal government to say for years that he was Indigenous. He has now resigned from cabinet, but when will this caucus exercise its mandate to deal with Pretendians by demanding that Boissonnault be expelled from the Liberal caucus? If they do not stand up for the integrity of Indigenous identity, who will?
Ed Whitcomb, Ottawa (author, Understanding First Nations: the Legacy of Canadian Colonialism)
Political timing on wastewater plant
Re: Kemptville jail closer to reality after province puts up $21.8M for wastewater plant, Nov. 14.
Ontario Sol. Gen. Michael Kerzner has announced $21.8 million to upgrade Kemptville’s wastewater treatment plant. This is to serve the widely criticized proposed jail, announced in August 2020. More than four years later, he has suddenly discovered that this plant is “an essential step” to getting the jail built. Yet another example of the hypocrisy of the Ford government.
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John Edmond, Ottawa
Premier’s cycling bill ignores the data
Premier Doug Ford’s “Reducing gridlock, saving your time” bill is a stark example of how populism anathematizes science-based policy. This is a bad-faith bill, clearly designed to roil the party base before an election while sticking it to the “urban elites” whom Doug Ford blames for gridlock, crime global warming, war, poverty and possibly the Lindbergh kidnapping.
This anti-democratic power grab is designed to neuter what little power municipalities have with no regard for these indisputable facts: Bike lanes save lives, reduce emissions and enable poorer people to navigate cities. It will cost millions for cities to remove existing cycling infrastructure, without tangible benefit.
If Ford wanted to reduce gridlock, he would take steps to remove the bulky, emission-emitting, mostly single-use vehicles that impede high-capacity transit and routinely kill pedestrians and cyclists. For the people, indeed.
Glenn Rigby, Kanata
Condolences as you enter the Trump era, America
I would like to express my sincere condolences to the American people for what they will have to endure over the next four years with Trump as president. This includes: continuing governmental chaos; imposed tariffs that will spike inflation; unwarranted acts of retribution against senior Democrats; impulse decisions that serve the vengeful interests of the president; appointments of totally unqualified Republican loyalists to key cabinet positions; friction with leaders of other allied countries; praise for oppressive leaders such as Vladimir Putin; and drastic and uncalled for changes to the government bureaucracy to appease his own interest and agenda.
Although Trump’s victory was the result of a fair and democratic election process, I am sure that many Americans who voted for him are already having second thoughts based solely on the numerous controversial appointments he is making to his cabinet. There is no doubt that the years from 2025 to 2028 should be appropriately dubbed “The Trumpmaniac Era.”
John P. Carroccetto, Ottawa
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