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I’m a former senior aide to Stephen Harper. Pierre Poilievre is dismantling the Conservative party we tried to build, Oct. 22 I too am a lifelong conservative voter, who since I cast my first vote at 18 (I am now 64), has voted for the PC Party of Ontario and the PC/CP of Canada with one exception … the last election. While I was eager to be rid of Justin Trudeau and his damaging policies, I took a hard look at the platforms of both the Liberal party of Canada and the Conservative party of Canada. To my pleasant surprise, I noted that not only had Liberal Leader Mark Carney shifted the Liberal party back to its traditional centre, but did so in such a way that old time progressive conservatives like me could vote for him. Prior to the election he cancelled the consumer carbon tax and did us all a favour by dispatching Trudeau to political oblivion. The platforms of both the federal Conservatives and the Liberals were almost the same. My vote then came down to who I thought was better to lead Canada going forward: The man who ran two central banks, worked at Goldman Sachs and ran Brookfield or the man who since the age of 23 has never worked in the private sector. Finally, I could not and cannot stand the ongoing negativity, hectoring and sloganeering by Poilievre. The last thing Canada needs now is an election. Poilievre should get serious and sit down with the prime minister and help craft a budget that encompasses the issues that both parties agree on, which represents some 85 per cent who voted in the last election. Finally, the Conservative party needs a leader who will promote a positive vision for Canada. Poilievre is not that person. Until this is rectified, I will stand in agreement with Dimitri Soudas. Mark Greenberg, Toronto The country isn’t broken but Poilievre’s credibility is Liberals, Greens, NDP call on Poilievre to apologize over RCMP comments, Oct. 20 Pierre Poilievre’s recent “clarification” about the RCMP was no apology. It was a “sorry, not sorry” attempt to rewrite a reckless accusation. He claimed the RCMP “covered up” for then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, then, after backlash, tried to deflect by blaming former Commissioner Brenda Lucki. The RCMP and several reviews have confirmed there was no political interference. Such false claims weaken public confidence and erode respect for Canada’s institutions. Canadians should also remember that Poilievre still refuses to obtain top secret security clearance, the same clearance every other federal leader has responsibly accepted. How can someone who refuses national security access lecture the country about threats or law enforcement integrity while attacking the RCMP’s credibility? Perhaps the RCMP should be asking what he is hiding. Canada is not broken, but Poilievre’s credibility surely is. If his caucus refuses to hold him accountable out of political fear, then Parliament and the Ethics Commissioner must. His fixation on the past and his arrogance have left his credibility in ashes. It is now dust, carried away by his own dishonesty. Zahra Remtulla, Vaughan, ON Speed camera tax grab? Not so fast Premier Ford Doug Ford blasts speed cameras as ‘a tax grab’ and promises new measures to slow drivers, Sept. 19 So, Premier Doug Ford decides to protect us all from a tax grab by putting an end to speed cameras. OK thanks Mr. Ford, except that loss of revenue to the municipalities must be replaced by another revenue stream. Ford decides to end the tolls on the eastern portion of Highway 407. OK, but those dollars will also have to be replaced. Ford decides to end licence plate renewal charges. Thanks again, but where are we going to find those additional revenue dollars? Instead of speeders paying fines, we all pay and as a bonus we get more dangerous city streets. Just like the drivers on Highway 407, we will all pay. And just like the plate renewals, instead of only those who own a vehicle paying, we will all pay. This in the name of helping Ontarians. Richard Graff, Brampton, ON Doug Ford knows bullies and uses many of their tactics Trump terminates trade talks with Canada over Ontario government ad blasting tariffs, Oct. 23 I don’t know if Shohei Ohtani is the best baseball player who ever lived, but I wonder if U.S. President Donald Trump is the most powerful bully who ever lived. The man who tore into the White House once boasted that he could shoot a man on Fifth Avenue, (à la Luigi Mangione on Wall Street), and not pay a price. As for Premier Doug Ford’s having sunk the trade talks with his “Ronald Reagan denouncing tariffs ads,” I believe that if it wasn’t that, it would have been something else. Ford, of course, knows bullies, and uses many of their tactics, albeit with a broad smile and a sense of humour. Trump is addicted to social media and makes impulsive, aggressive internet posts that get taken as policy. He hates Canada because in his ICE-y heart. He hates everyone (“lowlives”) who refuse to bow down to him. There’s no appeasing a bully; one can only hope to contain him and consequencing those who have given up and given in out of fear, including GM and Stelantis, may be the best way to proceed. Ron Charach, Toronto Postal delivery system has always been inequitable so why keep it? Postal workers to put pressure on Liberals, Oct. 23 My husband of 52 years never realized that everyone in Canada did not get mail delivery to their home. I grew up in Northern Alberta and he in Prince Edward Island where every rural address has a post box at the end of the driveway. We always had to drive into our small-town post office — be it one km or 20 kms — to collect our mail. He only had to walk to the end of the driveway. Why on earth should we maintain such an inequitable system just because that is how it has always been? Times change and we have to face the reality of how much it costs to maintain such an inequitable system for a privileged few. Lola Pridham Brantford, ON Private insurers cannot cover drugs covered by government pharmacare Here is what we stand to lose if we let private insurers write Canada’s pharmacare plan, Oct. 20 The Pharmacare Act is clear that insurers cannot cover any drugs that are covered by single-payer government pharmacare. In provinces that have signed deals with the federal government to date, including New Brunswick, GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic — used to treat type 2 diabetes — are not covered by pharmacare. As such, insurers will continue to cover these drugs in all provinces and territories, including those with federal pharmacare. When it comes to pharmacare, Canada’s life and health insurers agree that all Canadians, regardless of their income or employment, should have access to the drugs they’ve been prescribed. We believe the best way to provide sustainable access that meets the needs of all Canadians is to protect what is already working well for more than 27 million Canadians and to focus any new coverage on those who need it. Stephen Frank, President & CEO, Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association
