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In his column this week, Jamie Watt fails to address the biggest elephant in the room. Yes, the federal government needs to be more “strategic” in terms of financial planning, but it’s also worth noting that massive amounts of taxable funds are lost to the state yearly. In 2024 alone, billions of dollars effectively went uncollected from big corporations and the wealthy elite. Canada is now staring down huge cuts to social spending; that’s why we need as much tax revenue flowing into government coffers as possible. How is it fair, as the American multibillionaire Warren Buffett once famously said, that guys like him should pay less in taxes than their servants do? This isn’t about envy or pie-in-the-sky progressivism; it’s about democracy. Enrico Cumbo, Toronto The cure for our doctor shortage is common sense I am embarrassed by Canada’s immigration regulations. We are in desperate need of doctors in this country, yet the system makes it inordinately difficult for foreign doctors to qualify to work here. Where’s the common sense? Can’t we correct this situation? Norma Morassutti, Toronto Thanks to the Star for this insightful article on Dr. Michael Antil’s Kafkaesque experience with Canada’s employment system. It’s certainly bizarre, given Ontario’s well-documented need for physicians. As with many older people in this province, I experienced less-than-ideal primary health care after my family physician of 40-plus years retired. Fortunately, Antil more than filled the gap. He’s a highly trained and impressively qualified physician who has excellent people skills and is an attentive listener. I am grateful to have him, and I was shocked to learn that he, along with more than 3,000 other foreign doctors just like him, doesn’t qualify for permanent residency. Surely this can be fixed. It’s shocking to know that bureaucracy run amok is apparently exacerbating our desperate need for qualified physicians. Judith Finlayson, Toronto Bidding farewell to another goaltending great I was heartbroken to learn of the death of former NHL goaltender Bernie Parent. A true hockey legend, he was one of the most famous and beloved players in the history of the Philadelphia Flyers. Parent helped deliver the Flyers their first two championships, in 1974 and ‘75, performing flawlessly in the deciding game of each series. He earned a pair of shutouts, as well as the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the most valuable player in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Parent also won the Vezina Trophy for best goaltender in the league twice and was the first Flyers player to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, in 1984. He’s one of only six Flyers to have had his jersey number retired and hoisted up into the rafters. Yet the legend of Parent went far beyond the ice and his goaltending accolades. He truly loved Philadelphia and the Flyers’ many supporters. He inspired an entire generation of fans by dedicating so much of his time, energy and enthusiasm to growing the game and spreading the joy of hockey to whomever he encountered. Anyone who had the chance to meet Parent would’ve walked away with a smile on their face. He will be dearly missed. I’d like to offer my condolences to his beloved wife, Gini, and the rest of the Parent family. Paul Bacon, Hallandale Beach, FL Time for Canada to take the lead on global health Canada has long been recognized on the world stage as a champion of human dignity, yet that reputation is now under threat. Worldwide, malnutrition claims the lives of nearly half of all kids under five years old and also disproportionately affects women, older children and adolescents. Behind every statistic, there’s a life lost, a grieving family, a foregone future — but Canada can help. The federal government could act now to invest millions of dollars in proven nutrition programs, such as the Child Nutrition Fund, which directly supports maternal and kids’ health. This isn’t a matter of charity but strategy: research has indicated that every dollar spent on nutrition can yield as much as $23 in economic returns. Investing in nutrition can help to strengthen the global health system, prevent conflict and stabilize unsteady regions of the world. With the United States seemingly intent on shirking its international obligations, Canada needs to step forward. That’s why I’m calling on Ottawa to show some leadership and prioritize global nutrition in the 2025 federal budget. Tanner Bergsma, Waterloo, ON Meet the new boss, same as the old boss Perhaps the electorate is shifting because voters have given up on expecting their elected officials to be innovative, to be consistent and to take the necessary risks to address the problems that Susan Delacourt outlines in her column: a lack of jobs, environmental issues, etc. So are Canadians really becoming “less progressive”? Could the fact that most of us know the federal government needs more financial resources be fomenting indecisiveness and fear among voters? Research tells us that we need more tax dollars, but Ottawa keeps rehashing the same old tax policies. Rhonda Collis, Brampton, ON Can’t we all just get along? It’s sad to be reminded that book bans are not new in Canada. It seems that “Giant, or Waiting for the Thursday Boat,” a children’s book by Robert Munsch, was banned by several Ontario schools in 1990. The story is a progressive one, however, and it includes the now-commonly held view that the concept of God can be expressed and understood in many different ways. Munsch’s book even contends with the notion that it’s okay to be angry with God and with the way things are sometimes. Especially timely nowadays is the author’s simple plea for humans to play nice and get along. Barry Pridham, Brantford, ON
