In Ontario, We Are Not A Happy Family

Here in Ontario, it is Family Day, but all is not well. We have an unnecessary election pending, the premier has cloaked himself in his Captain Canada regalia, and he has done everything he can to buy votes, plunging the province into even deeper debt while education, housing and healthcare, to name but three deep, go vastly unnourished.

Yet according to polls, despite his malfeasance, Mr. Ford will be romping to another electoral victory, thanks both to the current crisis with the Amerikans and the fact that the march to the ballot box is in the dead of winter. Apparently, despite all the talk about rising patriotism and supporting our country, voting is not part of the calculus, with pundits predicting a very low turnout.

Come February 27, heedless Ontarians will undoubtedly and, unfortunately, get the government they deserve.

The only bright spot in this morass of indifference is the knowledge that not all are fooled, as evidenced by these letters to the editor:

Well, it seems clear from election polls Premier Doug Ford will be re-elected in a landslide even though most Ontarians were not happy with the early election. He’s done a masterful job. The hat slogan “Canada is not for sale,” $200 cheques before an election and mentioning possibly 500,000 lost jobs likely all contribute to his strong poll numbers. He has rushed to Washington to plead Ontario’s case regarding tariffs with seemingly little success as the U.S. has just announced a 25 per cent tariff on our steel and aluminum. He’s promised billions for infrastructures and a tunnel under Hwy. 401 but has completely forgotten to support our health-care system, end the long wait times in ERs. A four-year mandate to fight tariffs seems to be in the cards. Voters are forgetting his health care and housing failures, feeling he’ll fight for them even though it’s the federal government that has the power to counter the U.S.A.‘s tariff attack.

Peter J. Middlemore Sr., Windsor

I have just seen Premier Doug Ford’s latest campaign ad, and I am livid. The Premier’s Washington, D.C. visit was supposed to be about defending Canada’s interests, but instead it appears Ford’s main focus was creating sparkling footage for a campaign ad. It’s bad enough that the Premiers emerged empty-handed from their meeting with mid-level White House staffers, but Ford’s new campaign ad rubs salt in our collective wounds. In the voice-over for the ad, Ford repeatedly puts America first — “made in the USA” before “made in Canada,” pride in the work of American workers before the work of Canadians, and the push for his Fortress Am-Can. That’s right, even the name of Ford’s economic plan puts America first. Where’s your hat, Doug? Did it blow off while you were busy bending the knee to Trump?

Carol Kroeger, Ottawa

UPDATED: A Repository Of Wisdom

I read a letter to the editor the other day to the effect that policy-makers would be wise to consult the op-ed pages for inspiration. Good journals offer repositories of wisdom, and we could do far worse than consider their perspectives and advice.

Here are three letters from today's Star that amply illustrate the above:

America has always preached from the bully pulpit

Canada won’t back down, will scale up retaliation against Trump’s tariffs as needed, government says, Feb. 2

It truly boggles my mind to now see politicians of all stripes, decision makers, businesses and many Canadians are belatedly stepping on the Canada First bandwagon, now that Donald Trump coughed, metaphorically.

Where were you when it was downright evident for decades past that America was and is a selfish and self-centred bully that does everything and anything to suit herself and her interests only, the world be damned?

You were all sleepwalking, singing the praises about our southern neighbour, visiting the country on a regular basis, patronizing their businesses, rather than shopping locally, to save a few pennies. A little jolt by a bully has now awakened you all.

All our interests, economically and otherwise, were put into the giant’s basket for sheer laziness on the part of politicians and businesses instead of large-scale diversifying to other countries years ago. Not a single automobile is made of 100 per cent Canadian parts. Why? Relying too much on our “friends” to the south?

I told you so, I can now say. I am not being a hypocrite, as I have not visited the United States since 2000, do not own property there, do not buy a return trip by air to another country via America, do not cross the border to shop.

I have consciously been patronizing local businesses and Canadian goods exclusively, as best I can.

Aquil Ali, Toronto

Canada must stand its ground in the face of aggression

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau must choose whether he should follow the course of Neville Chamberlain or Winston Churchill.

For the survival of Canadians, and of people throughout the world, I hope he chooses the latter.

Canadians can lead the world to show the American would-be dictator that no matter the economic hardship or individual sacrifice, Canadians will stand together, stand strong and wield their sword to protect their homes and rights.

Millions of Americans are with you.

Jeff C. Tavares, Greenwood, Indiana

Hit Trump where it hurts: the wallet

Well, Ding Dong Don got his desired result and has everyone running around in a tizzy.

It’s obvious diplomacy doesn’t work with him but firmness, discomfort, fear of strong negotiators like Chrystia Freeland, pushback from his base, other oligarchs and organized, unrelenting vocal protest groups do.

Canadians haven’t been this united in a long time and seem to be embracing the boycott principle.

This is an excellent strategy, as long as we don’t weaken.

I am 85 and have travelled all 50 states, many times, since the age of nine and have always found the citizens to be kind and generous. I will not travel across the border until sanity is restored in Washington.

My plan is to contact newspaper editors, chambers of commerce, travel associations, politicians and any other organization with a vested interest in restoring sanity and let them know what non-American car, machine or product I purchased. I would also supply the cost of my latest travel to a non-U.S. country.

Sad to say, but the only thing worthy of respect in Trump’s world is money. So if the bottom line deteriorates, he will respond.

He’s a coward. Stand up to him.

John Russell, Fonthill, Ont.

Given the outpouring of patriotic fervour and new consumer boycotts of American goods and travel, we can only hope the momentum continues to build and unites all of us in the face of a common foe.

UPDATE: Now a word from Charlie Angus:

Some Plausible Canadian Responses

With the unhinged one who is now leading the U.S. seemingly intent on wreaking economic havoc upon Canada, astute readers of newspapers have a panoply of suggestions as to how to respond:

How everyday people can respond to Trump’s tariffs

Donald Trump signals 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports could be coming Feb. 1, Jan. 21

While others ponder an appropriate national response to Trump’s tariffs, here is something we can all do now: Cancel plans to holiday in the U.S.A. That won’t cost Canada a dime in lost trade.

Gregory Sorbara, Toronto

Don’t buy American 

In Canada we vote with our ballots. On the international stage we vote with our wallets. Why are we waiting for the threatened “tariff axe” to fall? We as consumers can take action now by boycotting U.S. products and buying Canadian, wherever possible. Win/win. We pump more money into the local economy, encourage Canadian entrepreneurship and innovation, and send a clear message that we will not be cowed by the threats of a misinformed despot. And then we can talk about retaliation.

Michael Bines, Toronto

It’s already easy to shop Canadian

Make it easy to buy Canadian, Jan. 27

It may be nice, but Canadians do not need a maple leaf sticker to buy Canadian products. I have been shopping Canadian as my first choice for years, followed by products from developing countries and other Western countries, besides the U.S. Fortunately, products available in Canada from perishables, to jams, oils, washer/dryers, furniture, etc., all have country of origin labels so making a choice is very easy. To further respond to Trump’s tariffs, Canadians should stop crossing the border to buy groceries, gas, etc., and not patronize American companies, e.g. Walmart, Costco, Uber, etc.

Aquil Ali, Toronto 

Cancel military contracts with U.S.

Donald Trump’s press secretary says Feb. 1 deadline for tariffs ‘still on the books, Jan. 28’

Why are we buying 88 F35A fighters from Lockheed-Martin and 14 to 16 P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft from Boeing when U.S. President Donald Trump has started a trade war with Canada? Time to cancel these contracts due to “force majeure.” I doubt Trump has included our military spending in his trade deficit “analysis,” not to mention the lower CAD.

Craig Steels, Calgary, Alta.

Re “Is it effective to boycott U.S. products? Evidence is mixed, but here’s what you can do to shop more Canadian” (Report on Business, Jan. 24): I will stop buying U.S. fruit, vegetables, beer and wine. I am also writing to food retailers and my provincial liquor board to ask them to stop importing these products.

Americans take commerce very seriously. It would take a concerted effort, but if U.S. businesses start seeing large export orders cancelled, they would wake up and complain to their government.

Paul Poscente Calgary

Re “Canada should respond to Trump by relaxing regulations, passing a ‘Buy Canada’ act, says National Bank CEO” (Report on Business, Jan. 24): It may be time to dust off protectionism as a potential economic survival strategy for Canada.

The global economy is increasingly dominated by large countries and mammoth global companies. Smaller countries are left with little to do other than supply commodities and cheap labour to the more powerful.

If we are to avoid this fate as open access to the U.S. market is lost, Canada should embrace both trade protectionism and ownership protectionism. Trade protectionism stops foreign interests from cornering the Canadian market, while ownership protectionism insists on keeping Canadian-owned corporations in Canadian hands.

Protectionism definitely has its downsides. But it could also result in a Canadian economy that is more resilient, diversified and dynamic, less vulnerable to economic blackmail by the United States or anyone else, and better able to provide good jobs for Canadians.

Jim Paulin Ottawa

As Canadians, we all have skin in this game. It remains to be seen whether or not we are up for the fight.

A Transparent Ploy

H/t Moudakis

Well, that stalwart 'steward' of the Ontario economy has called an early election. Flush with confidence that his $200 rebates (which only cost us $3.2 billion) and his beer everywhere policy (at a cost of $621 million and counting) will notch him a new majority before the walls come tumbling down, Mr. Ford claims he needs a new, strong mandate.

That blatant balderdash is the sorry excuse for a trip to the polls in February, a cruel choice in a cruel month where people are either huddling in their homes or fleeing to warmer climes. (However, I have been informed that there is a vote-by-mail option, a link to which I shall put at the end of this post.) Am I rash in predicting a record low turnout that will cost us at least $150 million, and the spectre of four more years of economic mismanagement?

However, judging by some letters to the editor, I don't think I am the only one feeling deep disenchantment over Ford's contempt for the citizens and taxpayers of Ontario.

With an Ontario election looming, it’s time to reflect on what has gone on under Doug Ford’s premiership. Anybody been to the hospital recently? How were the wait times? I hear ORs at SickKids are not able to function properly due to a lack of nurses. Anybody have a kid in public school or at an Ontario college? Given the chronic lack of funding during Ford’s tenure, how’s that working out ? Have you been to the grocery store? We know consumers are being gouged, but has Ford stepped in to help us? Instead of listening to voters, Ford pushed through with the closure of the Ontario Science Centre, and he plans to add a foreign-owned luxury spa to Ontario Place. People need to recognize that other leaders are as well suited to talk business with Trump, or even better. Ford is not the people’s premier. He’s in it to make himself and his buddies rich at the expense of public education, health care, and affordability. He’s not our guy.

Jennifer Chambers, Toronto

 Dear Doug Ford: do not call an early election. Ontario is facing a threat of epic proportions in President Donald Trump. You already have a mandate to deal with him. Aware of the seriousness of the current situation, the opposition parties have pledged to work with you. Do not get distracted. This is not the time for crass, self-serving politicking. A real Captain Canada wouldn’t abandon the fight just as it was about to begin.

Trish Plant, Toronto

Ford’s plan to announce a provincial election on January 29 is a sham. He is again wasting taxpayers’ money to keep himself in power, and he is clearly using Trump’s tariff threats as a pretext for doing so. Ford already has a clear majority to do as he and his party see fit. Why does he need a “clear mandate” to address potential American tariffs? I feel that this just an excuse to deflect attention away from the issues Ford is facing. These include the RCMP investigation into the Greenbelt scandal; the underfunding of health care, education, and social programs; the closing of safe-injection sites; and delays to the Ontario Line and the Eglinton Crosstown LRT. Ford may get a clear mandate to fight the tariffs, but that will take his government away from dealing with issues that are more relevant to Ontarians.

Joe Bortolussi, Toronto

The election Ford craves will reportedly cost between $150 million and $175 million. If you include the total cost of the $200 buy-a-vote cheques that the government is sending out now — which will add about $3.2 billion to the deficit and thus the total debt — the election will really cost nearly $3.4 billion. Last election, about 4.7 million votes were cast. To allow for some population growth, let’s estimate that maybe 5 million votes will be cast. That would make this the most expensive election ever, at about $700 per vote.

My cheque, labelled the “Ontario Taxpayer Rebate,” arrived today. It will be pinned to the wall and never cashed so that I will not be responsible for having added to the debt that Ford is using his existing strong mandate to create. Goodness knows how much more debt he can create with a “very” strong mandate. Curiously, the blurb attached to the cheque says, “to help with the costs of the federal carbon tax and interest rates, the Ontario government is putting money back into peoples’ pockets by providing a tax-free, $200 rebate....” I already get a much, much better rebate on the federal carbon price from the federal government.

Say, wasn’t it Doug Ford who, during his first strong mandate, scrapped the cap-and-trade plan that existed when he took office and thus forced the federal carbon tax on the people of Ontario? Can we afford any more mandates for Doug Ford?

Graeme Elliott, Toronto

This is the link providing information on how to vote by mail in Ontario:

https://www.elections.on.ca/en/voting-in-ontario/voting-in-provincial-elections.html

Who To Choose?

While I and many others consider the possibility of a Mark Carney-led Liberal Party, there are some obvious hurdles. While his appearance on The Daily Show, which I wrote about yesterday, may help, according to Leland Cecco, 76% of Canadians in an Abacus poll could not identify him.

But that may change, if letter writers and pundits are any indication of things political. The Star's Linda McQuaig has this to say about Carney:

Among possible contenders for the Liberal leadership, Carney seems the best bet to take on the menacing Donald Trump. Carney is smart, unflappable and has experience dealing with foolish loudmouths. His international stature as a respected former governor of the Bank of England and Bank of Canada might even intimidate the ignorant American bully. 

Unlike conventional central bankers, Carney used his influence to push hard for climate action, serving as UN Special Envoy for Climate and Finance, and pressuring financial interests to divest from fossil fuels. Carney has also condemned “staggering wealth inequalities,” and criticized Canada’s corporate elite for sitting on “dead money” rather than investing its enormous profits in Canada.

Carney ... has actually stood up to the establishment; in 2019, he enraged then-president Trump by advocating scrapping the US dollar as the world’s reserve currency — a reform that would threaten U.S. global economic and political dominance.

Carney has never held elected office (whereas Poilievre has done nothing but hold elected office). So Carney will be compared to political novice Michael Ignatieff, who was crushed in the 2011 federal election. But Ignatieff was a pompous lightweight (he publicly insisted it was George W. Bush’s deep commitment to democracy that motivated him to invade Iraq). Carney is no such fool. 

Letters to the editor reflect some thoughts on Carney after his Daily Show appearance:

When a former central banker walks onto The Daily Show and actually kills it, you’d think we’d celebrate. Instead, critics such as Tonda McCharles dismiss Mark Carney’s viral moment as a low-risk no-show. 

Let’s be clear: comedy is a high-wire act, especially for someone eyeing the Prime Minister’s Office. One awkward pause, one failed joke, and you’re a cringeworthy meme, immortalized on the internet as a loser’s punchline. Given that Carney is a banker fighting the stuffed-suit stereotype, his appearance with Jon Stewart was a revelation. An economist with a spreadsheet mindset stepped into the arena of comedy — and somehow walked away having won the audience’s approval. That’s a big deal.

While Trudeau prorogued and Poilievre complained, Carney showed up with actual substance wrapped in wit. He demonstrated a depth of economic knowledge that went beyond the tax-cut talking points conservatives recycle every election, but without putting everyone to sleep. He framed climate change as a solvable crisis without sounding like a doomsday prophet. And he managed to be progressive without merely parroting a script. That’s leadership without the usual political theatre.

The cynics can sneer all they want. Carney has shown us that maybe, just maybe, the current Canadian political race has been altered. Perhaps Poilievre is no longer a sure thing: progressive Canadian voters now have a real chance to avoid political disaster.

Tony D’Andrea, Toronto

Mark Carney and Jon Stewart appeared to have so much fun sparring about the Canada-U.S. relationship this week on The Daily Show. When asked what he thought about the idea of turning Canada into the 51st state, Carney told Stewart, “You’re attractive, but we’re not moving in with you. It’s not you; it’s us.”

Carney was funny, humble, well-spoken and knowledgeable about Canadian affairs and politics. He displayed his skills as an economist and banker, and I believe he would be the perfect prime minister to deal with President-elect Donald Trump’s massive tariffs. Carney was the governor of the Bank of Canada during the 2008 financial crisis and helped get the United Kingdom through Brexit as governor of the Bank of England from 2013 to 2020.

It was wonderful to see two men so quick on their feet!

Ellie McCaig, Kitchener

Will any of this make a difference in the next federal election? Your guess is as good as mine, but my suspicion is that the predicted decimation of the Liberal Party may be mitigated by a leader who stands in sharp contrast to the shrill, dour, aphoristic and repetitive PP,  a man who seems to take pleasure in cutting down our country, not unlike the shrill schoolmarm who, by accident, receives an invitation to a party and casts a very wet blanket over all the festivities.

Content Warning

You should be advised, even belatedly, that looking upon this picture of Danielle Smith, Don Trump and the always obnoxious Kevin O' Leary can be damaging to the soul. At least it was to mine, surprised as I was to discover that even at my age, I am still capable of darkly imagining the collective fate that should befall them.

O' Leary was there as a kind of amicus curiae of the Trump kangaroo court, offering his 'good offices' to facilitate an American-Canadian economic merger. Smith was there to ostensibly talk up Canada as an energy powerhouse - no need for tariffs on oil and gas.

Moving on from the detritus depicted above, an antidote of sorts to my ravaged psyche arrived in the form of some letters to the editor from real Canadians, a few of which I reproduce below:

Canada must be prepared to shut our doors 

We need to let it be known that we will react immediately if the U.S. Head Fool implements his threats against Canada. The U.S. will be in a nasty position when he does his usual foolish stuff but we need to be ready to immediately shut our doors. This includes our exports of fuel, water, etc … so that Americans realize they made a huge mistake bringing the old, crooked guy back. Stand up Canada, support your governments and make the U.S. understand their mistake.

Chris Andrews, Vaughan, ON

 

Why no comment from Poilievre on Trump’s diatribes?

Threats, insults, and misinformation by Donald Trump towards Canada on a daily basis. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Premier Doug Ford, and Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly have put up a fight for Canada. Meanwhile, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, an insulter and bully to Canadians, curled up cowardly in a corner. Instead of making a meaningful comment, he is busy preparing to go to Trump’s inauguration to suck up to Trump and Elon Musk. I have no doubt whatsoever, that Poilievre, Danielle Smith, and Scott Moe will sell out Canada to Donald Trump. They have the same ideologies as the Republicans — they do not believe in climate change or vaccines; they support religious extremists and conspiracy theories and align themselves with racist groups and personalities like Tucker Carlton. Where are you Poilievre?

Taij Chand, Toronto

And there is this missive from The Globe: 

In the early 1970s, Canada considered diversifying trade relationships away from the United States.

The concern was that the U.S. had undue economic and cultural influence over Canada, which made our great nation vulnerable. The “Third Option” did not materialize and instead free-trade agreements with the U.S., and eventually Mexico, were established. Through these agreements, Canada has become even more reliant on the U.S.

Fast-forward to the present and Donald Trump is threatening significant trade tariffs. We should reconsider the Third Option. We should undertake various actions such as joining the European Union, restarting trade negotiations with Britain, creating a bilateral-trade agreement with Mexico and developing new trade opportunities with other Commonwealth nations and emerging economies in Africa and Asia. If successful, our trade relationships would be diversified.

The best way to insulate the Canadian economy from Donald Trump is to make Canada less reliant on the U.S. for trade.

Lance Alexander Toronto

Oh, I almost forgot to include a picture of yet another rogue at the Trump love fest who, I understand, is a refugee from the woke police in Canada and currently residing in the home of the free and the brave: 

Public Forum Roundup

Over the years, I have been a regular writer of letters to newspapers. My first one, I believe, was when I was about 13, and for the next 50 years or so I had a consistent output. That output has waned in recent years, probably because I no longer have the fire in the belly I had in my younger days, as well as the fact that this blog allows me to exercise my writing muscles on a regular basis.

I still, however, read letters to the editor on a regular basis, and with great interest, sometimes reproducing them here. Many are succinct gems that I hope get people thinking. Today i shall reproduce three of them. The first one especially resonates with me. Although we give happily to a number of charitable causes annually, I have never, to my knowledge, given a penny to hospital fund-raising efforts. The letter encapsulates my reasoning:

Ontario hospitals should not be begging for donations

On Dec 28, there was full page ad in the Star, placed by Lakeridge Health Foundation, soliciting donations towards the purchase of five life-saving devices: Automated External Defibrillators (AED). I pay taxes. Those should be sufficient to equip a hospital in Ontario. That is the bargain between me and the government; tax me and take care of the health and education and general well-being of the citizens of Ontario. If the taxes don’t cover the costs, raise the taxes.

Needed hospital equipment purchases should not require the hospital to put a tin cup on the sidewalk begging for donations.  Perhaps Premier Doug Ford could redirect the $200 vote-buying bribe cheques he has promised us and spend the $3 billion-plus on AEDs. They apparently cost $3,200 each. He could buy a million of them. They could be in every hospital ward, every bus, every subway car, every long-term-care facility, every beer and wine selling grocery store.  Even at the Ontario Place spa, maybe.

Graeme Elliott, Toronto

The ironic tone in the following, dealing with the travails of our current prime minister, especially appealed to me:

Trudeau’s chosen female ministers have failed him

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau must be so disappointed. In 2015, he made international headlines by naming a cabinet that was 50 per cent women. Sadly, every single one turned out to be a dud. After what I can only imagine were heartfelt efforts to position one of them as his successor, they all failed to demonstrate the necessary intelligence, character, and gravitas for the job: Jody Wilson-Raybould, a crown prosecutor who held leadership positions in both Kwak’wala and Canadian governments. Not a team player. Joyce Murray, who made a fortune planting trees. Can’t think outside the box. And Chrystia Freeland, who found common ground with Ontario Premier Doug Ford and defended Liberal trade policies from a Trump attack in 2017, couldn’t see the upside in a few trifling Christmas gifts for all Canadians. The woman simply does not understand politics. Sad. Facing a second Donald Trump presidency, Trudeau and his small circle of like-minded advisers stand alone, grimly shouldering the weight of Canada’s future. On behalf of all Canadian women, I want to apologize for leaving this lonely burden to them.

Catherine Murton Stoehr, North Bay

Finally, a letter about Kevin O'leary, the toad who leaves warts on all he touches:

Kevin O’Leary represents his own interests, not Canada’s

Kevin O’Leary posted on X that he is willing to go to Mar-a-Lago to negotiate on Canada’s behalf to unify Canada and the U.S. O’Leary’s right to negotiate on our behalf exists only in his ego. He is no elected official. In fact, he recently became a citizen of the United Arab Emirates. Not only is there no income tax in the UAE, but there is also no need to file any report on your income. Pack your ego away Mr. O’Leary. You don’t represent anyone’s interest but your own. Remember, we are the true north strong and free.

Bruce Kerr, Toronto

Not a bad cross section of Canadian opinion, eh?

For Love Of Country

 

It seems, at least to me, that this day and age has seen a debasement in the concept of loving and standing by one's country. We see it in the constant derogation of Canada (under Trudeau) by PP, who incessantly insists to us that everything is broken. Indeed, some might be inclined to say that his efforts are in accord with the attempts of the incoming U.S. president to paint Canada in a very negative light. Love of country and grace seem to be singularly absent in PP's makeup.

But of course, PP is a politician, doing everything he can to disaffect Canadians so that he can be our next national 'leader'. More worrisome is those ordinary citizens who seem to see our nationhood as both provisional and transactional. While those people are surely in a minority, my life experience has taught me that bad ideas, if spread and repeated enough times, sometimes become a form of reality.

Take, for example, the following letters that I culled from the National Post, a journal that I almost never read, its extreme right-wing bent an offence to the normal spirit.

‘A small price to pay for the economic benefits’

At his recent meeting with our prime minister, President-elect Donald Trump mused that Canada could become the 51st state. Let’s consider the possible benefits.

Article content

Under the American taxation system, Canadians would get to keep more of their hard-earned cash (no GST holidays needed).

We would finally have a leader who would unwaveringly support the only democracy in the Middle East (and not UNRWA) against the terrorist bullies who battle for Israel’s demise, and a leader who would stand up to the dangerous despots in Russia, China and North Korea and shackle Iran’s nuclear aspirations. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu would be welcomed without fear of being arrested. (The U.S. is not a member of the International Criminal Court.)

Our armed forces would proudly serve with a technologically-advanced and well-funded military.

And our ever-falling loonie would be exchanged for the greenback, which is currently worth Cdn $1.40.

If it means not having cannabis shops on every street corner, that’s a small price to pay for the economic benefits that would accrue to the average Canadian family.

Susan Silverman, Toronto

Canada becoming the 51st U.S. state is a great idea. Given its population of almost 40 million, Canada would have a large block of votes in the electoral college and therefore a large say in picking the president. There would be no worries about tariffs on exports to the U.S., which would allow our economy to flourish. There would be no more worries about the protection of the border, and the costs associated with it. And our military would finally be well-equipped with modern armament.

Article content

It is indeed food for thought, laced with maple syrup.

Roger Cyr, Victoria, B.C.

It is indeed sad to see citizenship reduced to a transactional mentality. I pray that such sentiments will always remain in the minority. 

A Novel Suggestion

In my more fantasy-laden moments, I imagine a response from Canada to Trump's tariff threats that would really get through to the Americans. Since appeasement never works, how about meeting their tactics with some of our own?

Canada needs to review trading relationships

A quick fix to bring Donald Trump’s bullying tactics to heel would be an equivalent export tax on all energy resources and raw materials exported to the United States. [Empahsis mine] Canada is America’s  largest energy source and  number two supplier of nonenergy mineral resources after China. Canada should not cringe in fear of Trump’s tactics of bullying and misinformation or cave in to his demands. We need to use whatever tools we have available to work out a reasonable fair-trade deal that benefits both partners. Without that, it is no longer a trade deal but exploitation and no partnership. Trump will try a workaround to existing agreements and we must be prepared to act in kind.

We also need to review our trading relationships. Expanding our trading relationships with other partners would make us far less susceptible to Trump’s tactics. We must also expand our military capacity. National service and our own military supply chain and sources could create thousands of new jobs across Canada in manufacturing. If we love our country, is it not worth defending it economically and militarily?

Robert Holden, Keswick, ON

Apply Trump’s logic to our illegal gun problem

Countries have been fighting drugs for a very long time. The Opium War was in the 1840s. No one has figured out how to solve the drug problem, including Donald Trump in his first term in office. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should tell Donald Trump he is putting a 25 per cent tariff on U.S. products until he stops the thousands of guns entering Canada through the United States bringing higher levels of violent crime. Last time I checked, countries are responsible for securing their own borders. This is not something you outsource to another country.

Michael Yaffe, Toronto  

Of course, the above scenarios will never come to pass, but I can dream, can't I?

UPDATED: Vying For The Biggest Santa Hat

Tis the season to be jolly. The question is, who gets to wear the biggest Santa hat, Doug Ford or Justin Trudeau? Since I have already dealt with Doug Ford's attempt at securing the prized possession in a previous post, today I'll look at Justin Trudeau's efforts to reverse-engineer The Grinch and emerge victorious.

Tonda MacCharles writes about the Trudeau Liberals'

....GST two-month “holiday” on so-called essential goods plus a $250 cheque for anyone who earned under $150,000 last year...

 It borrows heavily from the Liberals’ rivals. The Conservatives campaigned on a December sales tax break like this in 2021. (The Liberals opposed it then.) The NDP pitched a similar cut last week. 

One thing is for sure, the 2024 Liberal version carries a hefty price tag of $6.28 billion — according to early calculations — at a time when Canada’s annual deficit, which Justin Trudeau’s government promised would clock in at around $40 billion, is certain to spike.

But after all, this is the season to give, isn't it? However, the Liberal largesse also comes with a big bill:

....the kiddies who get cheaper diapers or Christmas toys for the next two months will be the ones paying the tab plus interest, for years to come.

David Macdonalt, of the Canadian Centre for Policy alternatives, suggests the money could have been put to better use through 'targetted giving':

 Instead of sending $250 to “basically everybody,” Macdonald said the government could have sent $500 or $1,000 to the lowest-earning 30 per cent of workers, or the lower half of workers, and concentrated the help to those most in need of a boost right now.

“Presumably it’s the visibility is what’s important here, more so than necessarily substantially helping folks that are maybe turning to food banks because they can’t afford food.”

Will the Trudeau payout reap the obvious political dividends he is hoping for? Letters to the editor suggest otherwise:

Now the PM is attempting to buy votes

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is taking a page from Premier Doug Ford’s election playbook and attempting to buy votes. A GST tax holiday that will cost $1.6 billion and a working Canadian rebate, for those earning less than $150,000 that is estimated to cost $4.68 billion. Would it not be better to use this money to assist those who cannot afford to eat in restaurants or buy prepared foods and must rely on food banks, and those who are unemployed or retired and financially struggling who are not eligible for the rebate because they are not working Canadians?

Greg Sheehan, Mississauga

 

Debt of Christmas splurge will live on long after its recipients are gone

 The federal Liberal government was projected to incur a whopping $39.8 billion national financial deficit in 2024/25. This was before handing out a Christmas splurge of a $1.6 billion in GST alleviation, plus a $4.68 billion cash handout to most Canadians. To put this in the context of an individual, it is tantamount to someone with enormous credit card debt celebrating the taking out of a cash advance to increase their debt to enable them to go out on a holiday spending spree and whoop it up. There is one significant difference, however. The principle and interest on the credit card debt must be paid off in the near future by the errant borrower. With a national debt already at $1,453 billion our grandchildren will be paying for this largesse many years after we recipients are long gone.

Anthony Moscrop, Willowdale 

Santa is coming, kiddies. As a bonus, all of you get to ultimately decide who deserves to lay claim to his much-coveted head covering.

UPDATE: Seems apt.

H/t Moudakis