Toronto-St Paul's Liberal Party candidate Leslie Church, third from left, and Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau speak to supporters at a campaign volunteer event, in Toronto on May 30.Arlyn McAdorey/The Canadian Press
Ride away
Re “Regardless of leader, the Liberals are at risk of a worse fate after Toronto-St. Paul’s by-election” (June 26): With the loss of the Toronto-St. Paul’s riding, the writing seems to be on the wall for the Liberal Party. I believe it faces an existential crisis that must be addressed during the upcoming months to avert catastrophe in the next federal election.
If the by-election results are predictive, the most that the Liberals can hope for is the loss of dozens of seats and becoming a shadow of its former self. At worst, the party faces decimation in the polls and its possible elimination as a major federal party.
How the party responds to this potential calamity may determine Canada’s federal scene for decades to come.
John Shepherd Richmond, B.C.
Shame. I understand frustration with current politicians and the need for change, but the voters of Toronto-St. Paul’s have handed their riding to a party whose so-called populist leader is seen by many as a voice for extremism.
D.J. Baptist Toronto
I voted Liberal in Toronto-St. Paul’s in 2015, based on Justin Trudeau’s promise to get rid of the first-past-the-post electoral system. By 2017, he declared there was no consensus on that particular promise and walked away from it.
Now, the MP for Toronto-St. Paul’s resigned early in order to take up a post as ambassador to Denmark. I was delighted to see the Liberals lose by a small margin; they would have likely won had they instituted a ranked ballot.
Mr. Trudeau, hoisted by his own petard.
Paul White Toronto
Political priorities
Re “Liberal MP calls out Ottawa on moment of silence on anniversary of Nijjar slaying” (June 25): What is clear to me is that Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar never had any allegiance to Canada, and so I believe he lied when taking his oath of citizenship; Canada served only as a safe haven in pursuit of his political goals in India. Should Khalistan have gained independence from India, does anyone doubt he would have abandoned Canada on the first available flight?
I am a strong supporter of immigration and believe Canada should be generous in admitting refugees fleeing persecution. Permanent residency status and citizenship, however, should be granted only when there is compelling evidence the recipient will actually exercise strong allegiance to this country.
Mark Roberts Gananoque, Ont.
June 23 marked the 39th anniversary of the largest terrorist mass murder in Canadian history: the bombing of Air India 182, killing 329 people including 280 Canadian citizens. Since then, the Air India Victims’ Families Association has organized annual memorial services to remember those killed.
This year, that was challenged. The focus to honour these lives was overshadowed by political ignorance and special interest groups. So forgotten and neglected by our government, the Prime Minister didn’t even respond to an invitation to attend memorial services. While thankful that one elected official attended the memorial in Toronto, we were disheartened there was not one provincial or municipal official.
With the lack of respect and attention on the day designated by the government as the National Day of Remembrance to all Victims of Terrorism, is it any wonder that others are trying to fill the vacuum and rewrite history with misinformation?
Deepak Khandelwal Oakville, Ont.
Heads up
Re “Canada is heading for humiliation at the coming NATO summit” (Opinion, June 22): Canada may become an ally that cannot be depended upon. We should all be embarrassed.
Longstanding disregard for financial commitments to our allies are near impossible to defend. It lead to the bizarre comments of the previous defence minister saying, in March 2022, when asked about Ukraine, “What we’re good at is convening” and “convincing other countries to do more.” It is difficult for me to imagine her advice being taken seriously when it comes from a country with reduced status and influence as a result of not honouring promises.
On this issue, NATO funding should not be driven by whether one is a hawk or dove on military spending. This should be seen as a question of our national integrity.
The free ride is coming to an end. If we make the wrong choice, humiliation in NATO and on the world stage would be the least of our worries.
Robert Pruden Winnipeg
I believe it’s important to recognize that our commitments to international alliances, including NATO, are multifaceted.
While defence spending is a metric often scrutinized, our contributions go beyond mere financial figures. Canada plays a significant role in NATO operations, peacekeeping missions and humanitarian efforts globally. Our military’s capabilities and deployments are tailored to contribute effectively to collective security, while prioritizing international co-operation and diplomacy.
While criticisms are valid and constructive debate is essential, there are also complexities involved in balancing defence priorities with diplomatic engagement. Let’s engage in discussions that foster informed dialogue, and seek solutions that uphold our values of peace, democracy and global co-operation.
Ediriweera Desapriya Vancouver
I’ve read comments by others who say we need a special tax toward upgrading our military.
There are more than 16.5 million full-time workers in Canada. If each paid $5 a month toward modernizing our military, that would generate almost $1-billion a year. Even better would be a tax geared to income, so that baby boomers (like me) are also contributing.
If there is a problem with initiating a tax like this, I think it’s because there is no trust from taxpayers that the proceeds will be solely spent on our military.
Alison Dennis Calgary
So Canada is heading for humiliation because we cannot possibly afford to commit 2 per cent of GDP for defence. I submit we could have had that much and more, had we not reduced the GST from 7 per cent to 6 per cent then to 5 per cent.
What were we thinking?
Rick Walker Toronto
Perhaps Bill Blair and his cabinet colleagues have a secret strategy to achieve the spending objective of 2 per cent of GDP – by addressing the denominator rather than the numerator in the equation, and focusing on policies to reduce Canada’s GDP.
Rod Taylor Halton Hills, Ont.
Runners-up
To the Liberals in Toronto-St. Paul’s and the Edmonton Oilers (”Devastated by Stanley Cup loss, Edmonton Oilers fans are still holding hope for team’s next act” – June 25): Nice try.
Peter Woolstencroft Waterloo, Ont.
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