Express your views on global press freedom
On May 4, as part of its ongoing coverage of World Press Freedom Day, The Globe and Mail will devote the Opinion Section to examining the state of press freedom around the globe. We invite letter writers to share your views on the role of a free press, and will publish a cross-section of responses in the Letters to the Editor section on May 4. Letters addressing the role of a free press should be submitted no later than April 29, and be kept under 200 words. Letters to the editor must include a name and city of residence. E-mail: letters@globeandmail.com
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Jason Kenney, Alberta's premier-designate and leader of the United Conservative Party (UCP), meets with the media in front of the Legislature Building in Edmonton on April 17, 2019.CANDACE ELLIOTT/Reuters
Angry in Alberta
UCP Leader Jason Kenney’s appeal to anger in the Alberta election campaign is reminiscent of other examples of the politics of fear and rage fomented by distortion and blame (Anger Wins Votes. Now It’s Time For Reason – editorial, April 18).
Mr. Kenney has applied the playbook of the shameless populist – driving about the province in a pickup, a well-heeled career politician masquerading as an Everyman, blaming others for Alberta’s bottoming-out in the cycles of a boom-and-bust, resource-dependent economy.
The premier-elect’s latest salvo to stop oil and gas shipments to British Columbia smacks of economic blackmail, and verges on waging economic warfare in the heart of Canada, fuelling a potentially greater conflict among disparate parts of our nation.
Perhaps the words of Lucien Bouchard that “Canada is not a real country” were prescient. It’s a little late to call for reason.
Moses Wuggenig, Toronto
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Yes, it’s about Alberta’s economy. But it’s also about respect and some basic understanding of the interconnectedness of Canada’s economy. To assume that if the approval of the Trans Mountain expansion had been in place before this election, it might have changed the outcome is frighteningly simplistic (Economic Worries Trumped Concerns About UCP. Now What? – April 17).
When B.C. Premier John Horgan said he would use every tool in the box to stop the pipeline, he changed everything. He pitted one province against another.
When Quebec misguidedly put its foot down to prevent Energy East, not only Albertans, but many economically literate Canadians shook their heads.
When Victoria’s mayor and council endorsed a class-action lawsuit against energy companies to help pay for the cost of climate change, the extent of opposition to all things energy-related truly became a farce. As has been said before, it may be time to sue farmers for obesity.
It’s time someone stood up for Albertans, but it is also critical to explain, in simple terms, to all Canadians how energy affects each of our standards of living.
Jason Kenney and the UCP are being given a chance, in no small part because the message coming from Edmonton recently has been muted and unclear. Albertans have now spoken.
John McMullen, Victoria
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By electing Jason Kenney’s United Conservative Party, Albertans have made their anger abundantly clear. They’ve had a tough ride, and Mr. Kenney will do his utmost to bring back “the glory years,” even if it means turning the rest of the country upside down. Unfortunately, the glory years ain’t coming back. Back when Alberta “was the envy of the country,” climate change was an ugly rumour and few took environmentalists seriously. Things are different now. Albertans know that. They can see that the world is investing heavily in technologies that are steadily reducing the reliance on oil.
Alberta’s biggest problem isn’t Justin Trudeau, or the intransigence of B.C. or Quebec, or unfair equalization formulas. Alberta’s problem is that it is saddled with a resource that is tightly bound to its prosperity and identity, and which much of the rest of the world reviles.
It’s no wonder Albertans are on the defensive. They believe their way of life is under siege, and that’s the real source of their anger.
Neil Macdonald, Toronto
Did she understand?
Re Did Jody Wilson-Raybould Understand Her Role As Attorney-General (April 17): Beyond understanding her role as attorney-general, did Jody Wilson-Raybould understand her role in the entire political, institutional and professional process? I say no, she did not. She abdicated her role for vigorous oversight.
Our system of governance and our institutions have matured through the dialogue and reflections of all professional players and decision-makers, whose participation strengthens our institutions. Undermining these people through mistrust and secret recordings simply weakens the role they play.
We need to ensure that the elected office-holders understand their role in the full sense of the word. To do otherwise weakens our institutions.
Annie Demirjian, director, Glendon School of Public and International Affairs
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The core objective of prosecutorial independence in our Constitution and legislation is to protect against arbitrary use of the power of the state against individuals. In our system, that power is heavily concentrated in the office of the Prime Minister. Brian Greenspan and defence lawyers in general do not wield the powers of the state, and so their interactions with prosecutors on behalf of their clients, while legitimate, are in no way comparable to pressure by the PMO on the attorney-general.
The evidence and the strength of the narrative so far suggests that, far from having “abdicated her responsibility for vigorous and independent oversight,” Jody Wilson-Raybould had a number of robust discussions within government and heard nothing new to convince her to overturn a discretionary decision, properly taken by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Donald W. Smith, Ottawa
Access to alcohol
Re Ontario Has An Alcohol Crisis. The Ford Government Is Making It Worse (Aug. 15): Making alcohol ubiquitous is as morally bereft as making guns ubiquitous. For many people – and their families – there will be hell to pay. Did Doug Ford learn nothing from his late brother’s heartbreaking problems with addiction?
Ron Charach, MD, Toronto
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What is it with our politicians these days? Our Prime Minister has made legalization of marijuana a priority. Now, Ontario’s Premier’s idea of new legislation is to make liquor more widely available, even in parks. Perhaps it is just a sign of these stressful times. But as a taxpayer, I would like our politicians to focus on the real issues of the day – while sober and with all of their faculties intact.
Lucille Joseph, Toronto
At a theatre near you ...
Re What To Celebrate, And Worry About, On National Canadian Film Day (April 17): It seems that the Canadian film industry has always had a problem in adequately promoting and marketing to Canadians.
Some years ago, This Magazine launched a Canadian Film Club for its subscribers and other interested film-goers. A very simple newsletter arrived in my inbox every month or so, listing Canadian films that were Opening This Month in cities across the country, each with a small plot precis, list of core cast and creative team, and date and place of opening; also included was an even briefer listing of films Opening Soon.
I don’t know about everyone else but just that reminder helped me triple the number of Canadian films I saw, and very much enjoyed. I’ve often wondered why no one else picked up on this idea after the Film Club ended. Sometimes the easiest, low-cost and highly targeted solutions are the most effective.
Jini Stolk, Toronto
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Letters to the Editor should be exclusive to The Globe and Mail. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. Try to keep letters to fewer than 150 words. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. To submit a letter by e-mail, click here: letters@globeandmail.com