When the next federal election comes, there are those who will vote with a certitude we all should be wary of. Because they are sick of Justin Trudeau, many will eagerly cast their vote for Pierre Poilievre, the putative prime minister-in-waiting. On the other hand, those of us possessed of at least a modicum of thinking skills will vote, not with eagerness, but with deliberation, braced by the knowledge that our choice could very well have a long-lasting impact on Canada's trajectory.
Two letter-writers in today's Star offer a reality check for those who vote, not out of careful consideration, but rather spite and weariness:
How long it will take to become really sick of Pierre Poilievre?
Those in the riding of St. Paul’s who are “sick, really sick of Justin Trudeau,” ask yourselves how long it will take you to become really sick of Pierre Poilievre. The federal Conservatives will weaken, not advance the urgent battle to limit climate change, they will pull back on Truth and Reconciliation initiatives, which will eventually lead to renewed blockades and hostility, and they will weaken gun control, even though the scourge of antisemitism has recently included shots fired at a synagogue and Jewish community centre. Poilievre will, of course, not talk about any of this. Nor may voters recall just how well the Trudeau government shepherded Canada through the pandemic, giving us one of the most minimized death tolls in the developed world. Many may be in the mood to break up with their feminist boyfriend, but waiting in the wings is a wolf in sheep’s clothing who squints when he looks you in the eyes. And did no one tell the dental hygienist who can’t bear to look at Trudeau about the new dental care program?
Ron Charach, Toronto
No real alternative to Trudeau
Most people agree Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is past his best-buy date. But what are the alternatives? Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has never had a real job outside politics. He proffers no policies just personal attacks and vacuous statements such as “common sense revolutions” a la Mike Harris, who destroyed education and other social supports. We look south and despair of common sense. The hard-working class listens to populist statements from politicians because they despair … but these politicians do them no favours.
John Bullick, Mississauga
We have always been taught that voting is a civic responsibility. Let us hope that our fellow Canadians cast measured ballots in the next election rather than following the lemming-like directives of those for whom thinking is but an optional, occasional and, apparently, a painful activity.
