Visas for Mexicans, plus other letters for March 5: ‘Where have our principles gone?’

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Abandoning our amigos

Re “Canada reimposes Mexican visas after surge in claims” (March 1): I am deeply discouraged by our government’s decision to require visas from Mexicans. The decision does nothing for us except undermine our relationship with Mexico. It feels as if our government has become a simpering yes-man to U.S. policy.

At the same time, while I am uninspired by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, I am disgusted by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s meanness and constant reversion to personal attacks and lack of substance. Nastiness, not common sense.

We are in a time when Canada should and could be serving a constructive middle role in the world, championing collaboration instead of confrontation. It’s a tough role to play. But so many of our past prime ministers and party leaders, including Brian Mulroney, understood that. Where have our principles gone? Where has our voice gone?

R. Anthony Hodge Victoria

The power to unite

Re “Leaders pay tribute to ‘ultimate statesman’” (March 1): Through the sadness and pain, grief has an astounding ability to unite. For Canadians across the country – especially his wife, children, grandchildren, family and friends – former prime minister Brian Mulroney’s death represents a difficult loss.

But in the aftermath, the collective outpouring of support from all sides of the aisle shows the lasting effects of Mr. Mulroney’s personal character. He had the ability to vehemently defend political positions, and then shake hands and leave the debate stage arm in arm.

Perhaps this overpowering of division is the last cry of a bygone age. But if Canadians collectively pause during this time to reflect, then it is possible the country can move forward with a united collective identity, a greater embrace of the personal values Mr. Mulroney channelled, and a renewed emphasis on the bonds that unite us, not the differences that divide us.

Ian McKenzie Ottawa

Making a difference

Re “Canada’s key role in the fight against apartheid” (March 2): I was so very proud of Brian Mulroney when he stopped the Canadian government from importing South African wines in 1986 to insist on dignity for South Africa’s Black and voteless people. He stood firm on the issue of sanctions to urge the apartheid government into recognition that Black people must have access to the power structures that controlled their lives. I no longer had to be dismayed over my country’s lack of response on this moral issue.

Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 1990. In June, he and his wife, Winnie, came to Queen’s Park in Toronto to a large cheering crowd. I was there. It remains one of the most significant events of my life. Canada can make a difference. Good people can make a difference.

Diane Taylor Port Hope, Ont.

Darker shades of green

Re “Magazine called him Canada’s greenest prime minister” (March 1): I understand that we say nice things about people when they die, but some of the tributes to Brian Mulroney over the past week have been over the top. Among the most grating claims is that he was Canada’s greenest prime minister, mostly because he helped to pass the acid rain treaty.

Sorry, but Mr. Mulroney pushed us headlong into the neo-liberal period with a wave of deregulation, privatizations and trade liberalization, and the links between neo-liberalism and climate collapse are beyond dispute. During this period, polluting corporations shook off government oversight, and levels of needless consumption went through the roof. Maybe worst of all, we fell victim to the myth that only individual action matters and that talk of a common good and collective action is, at best, for losers – at worst, a dangerous threat to personal freedom. We would have reached this point without Mr. Mulroney, but he sped us on our journey.

Scott Staring Toronto

Troubled skies

Re “Thursday marked the passing of this country’s unabashed champion of free enterprise” (Opinion, March 2): Jon Hartley celebrates Brian Mulroney’s privatization and deregulation agenda, including the privatization of Air Canada. But has this agenda really been a success in the airline industry?

We have tinier airplanes crammed full of passengers with oversized carry-on baggage because they do not want to pay high fees for the privilege of checking their luggage, fees that both major Canadian airlines recently increased.

It is now harder to get from one part of the country to another as direct flights between smaller cities have been curtailed or eliminated. Meanwhile, an airline pilot writes that Canadian airports are a disaster and “are not up to the task of serving the travelling public” (”Fight or flight,” Letters, March 3).

So who has benefitted from this agenda? Not much of the Canadian flying public, it seems. I guess success is in the eye of the beholder.

Richard Nimijean Rockville, Md.

Profit over people

Re “Air Canada’s executive bonuses fly higher after a profitable year” (Report on Business, Feb. 28): I am sure it is gratifying for Air Canada executives to receive “healthy bonuses after a very profitable year.” As for customer satisfaction, it would be gratifying if at least part of any executive bonus could be tied to on-time performance, which remains very poor. In most businesses, tying bonuses to performance is a normal standard.

David Powell Toronto

Died too young

Re “Measles spreading in Ontario, Quebec communities” (March 2): I recommend that vaccine deniers and hesitaters take a stroll through any cemetery where 19th-century and early 20th-century Canadians repose. There they can ponder gravestones of the many children who never reached school age. Inscriptions such as “Died at 18 months” or “Gone, age 3″ are a sobering reminder that childhood diseases can be deadly and that vaccines save young lives.

Anne Holloway Toronto

Help for hire

Re “Inspired by Chinese trend, U of T graduate rents out her time to the socially anxious and isolated” (March 4): This article is about the important service Helen Li is providing to people who otherwise have no one to help them with personal tasks. This will be a growth industry that can complement the care agencies out there that provide weekly services. Ms. Li is to be praised to recognize the gap in services and her eagerness to help people.

Ada Hallett Ottawa

I hope this service booms and goes beyond the socially isolated. My wife would pay $20 an hour to someone who would listen to me talk about my various ailments.

Rudy Buller Toronto

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