Politics
Letters: SUN President playing dangerous politics in election campaign

Politics tamfitronics

Politicking by the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses during the Saskatchewan election creates unnecessary fear among voters, writes Michael Lee.

Published Oct 11, 2024Last updated 1 day ago3 minute read

Politics tamfitronics health care
Politicking by the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses during the Saskatchewan election creates unnecessary fear among voters, writes Michael Lee.

During these uncertain times with an aging population and the many pandemic-traumatized, people want to feel safe and secure about food, shelter, personal safety and health care.

It is immoral and unethical to use health care as a political football and for Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN) president Tracey Zambory to attempt to set panic into our lives. This is absolutely irresponsible.

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She invited Health Minister Everett Hindley to attend SUN’s event while he is residing and campaigning in Swift Current — a good three hours drive away. Obviously, she did not want him to attend.

The population needs to hear from leaders as to what they will accomplish over the next four years. Voters need to know this, without distraction. We need to know if NDP Leader Carla Beck’s proposal for a billion-dollar health package has sufficient, robust details.

Fear mongering does nothing. Raising anxiety levels is not good political strategy. Specifics have impact. Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe is announcing specifics such as the HPV testing and paying as much as $20,000 for fertility tests.

Saskatchewan has added 87 family doctors and 131 specialist physicians and has hired more than 1,400 recent nursing graduates and almost 400 internationally trained nurses since late 2022.

So over the last 24 months, under Hindley’s watch, an average of over nine specialists and family doctors were hired every consecutive week.

As well, an average of 58 nurse graduates from Saskatchewan and other provinces each week plus an average of 16.7 Internationally trained nurses were hired every week. There are only so many hours in a day and there seems to be something very dirty in the SUN president’s agenda.

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During such uncertain times, we need assurances and comfort, not more fear mongering. Why did she not bring all this up with the government when they could have addressed it all ?

Michael Lee, Regina

Radical special interests overtake parties

Have you noticed what has been happening to our country during the last 10 years in politics?

The power within our nation has swung from “the people” to radical political parties of every stripe. It is not the agenda of the people that they are pushing, but rather their own drummed-up radicalism, which ordinary Canadians cannot live with.

To all those political parties: You were elected to office to represent the people — all the people. By design or not, you have forgotten that the people are the taxpayers who pay your salaries and expenses.

The money you spend is not your money. It belongs to the people. Your responsibility is to make this a better country for all Canadians — not to pursue your own or political party agendas.

Peter Susa, Regina

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Share your views

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Politics
Letters: Using the carbon tax to play politics has been wrong, irresponsible

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Letter writers defend the federal carbon tax and Canada Post.

Published Oct 05, 2024Last updated 23 hours ago3 minute read

Politics tamfitronics carbon tax
Writer Randy Graham says the carbon tax has become too much about politics and not enough about needed policy. Photo by Brent Calver /Postmedia

The carbon tax is being treated as a political issue rather than one of responsible governance. It is understood that the carbon tax is primarily a signal to change habits so we can curb forest fires, drought and severe flooding.

When instituted, I believe there is an opportunity for the province to dictate how the carbon tax rebates could be distributed.

Perhaps changes in the redistribution of money collected could be made. For example, there could be zero rebate for the wealthy (who seem to complain the most) and substantially increase the rebate for the low income.

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The redistribution of the carbon tax rebates could also be used to subsidize solar and wind energy projects. 

Saskatchewan once was the  leader in innovation and energy conservation.  It is sad that Canada is being looked upon by other nations as non-compliant with climate change initiatives. It is sad that the facts of the carbon tax effect on inflation are subjected to political posturing.

It is sad that politicians cannot be more creative and caring towards the environment and low-income people. It is sad that Saskatchewan cannot be the leader it once was — the voice and policy setter for responsible governance, addressing everyone’s needs.

Randy Graham, Edenwold

Time to salute Canada Post

I know Canada Post rarely gets any respect, but I would like to salute it. I have a friend who lives in Victoria, B.C. My friend recently wanted to sell a set of wheel rims and posted an ad on Kijiji. He assumed that he’d get a response from someone who could just drive over to pick up the rims.

Well, he got a response from a fellow in Toronto. My friend sent a message back saying something to the effect of: “Uh, dude, you do realize I’m in Victoria, right?” But the fellow really wanted those rims and didn’t mind paying the shipping costs.

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So now the problem was how to get the rims all the way to Toronto.  It’s not like you can ship parcels on Greyhound buses anymore — at least not if you’re in Western Canada.

My friend patched together a bunch of boxes to package up the rims. Then, he took the package to a post office and mailed it. The cost was quite reasonable and the package got to Toronto just fine. My own experiences with the post office have also been mostly positive.

I have family in B.C. and the Christmas parcels and cards I send always get there in a timely manner — even when I wait until the last minute to send them. Who says Canada Post doesn’t deserve any respect?

Petra Seyffarth, Regina

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Politics
Letters to the Editor: September/October 2024

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Politically Incorrect

Justin Ling’s “Justin Trudeau’s Last Stand” (June) was insightful, but I do challenge the overall flavour of its message, starting with that tired old phrase—“it feels like everything is broken in this country . . . ”—which has been thrown around ad infinitum by Pierre Poilievre. Taking a page out of Donald Trump’s pathetic foray into politics, he has repeated this line every chance he gets, knowing that if he says it loud, long, and often enough, it will stick and become a “truth.” So it comes as no surprise that some Canadians are parroting it. Yes, housing has become an issue, our health care system is stretched, and food prices remain high—but this is the case around the world. On the upside, our inflation is down to 2.9 percent, down from what it was a year ago. The price of gas at the pump has stayed steady—still a lot cheaper than what they pay in Europe or Australia. And according to a Reuters poll earlier this year, Canada’s main stock index is set to “notch a record high next year” as banks cut interest rates. So all is not doom and gloom as some would have us believe.

Matthew Marosszeky
Aurora, ON

Found Poem

Brooke Clark’s “Alligator Pie Is Still a Weird, Wonderful Delight” (June) brought back fond memories of my four-year-old son and I trying to make up our own verses of Alligator Piewith hilarious results. The essay also reminded me of my tattered, much-loved copy of Scary Poems for Rotten Kids by John Higgins (also known as sean o huigin). As in Dennis Lee’s poetry, o huigin “dips into the darker elements of children’s behaviour.” “The Body” and “The Visitor” deal with the things that creep about in the shadows, while “The Gerbelgek” and “The Day the Mosquitoes Ate Angela Jane” speak of what happens to mean kids. And “Acid Rain,” needing no explanation, was made into a short film by the National Film Board of Canada in 1986. I have found that children love the cadence and the absurdity of words in these poetry books, and I have enjoyed reading them to two generations of children. Thank you for a most enjoyable walk down memory lane.

Nicole Courchesne
Ottawa, ON

Byting Off More than You Can Chew

I’ve been dreaming about machines and their unintended consequences since reading Navneet Alang’s wonderful and insightful remarks on the hype over artificial intelligence, in “Dream Machines” (July/August). There’s plenty of debate these days on the unexpected consequences of the internet and its future for humanity. Of course, the heads of these hugely financed AI companies insist that science can only proceed. I’m immediately reminded of 1945, when the first atomic bomb was about to be tested in New Mexico. A few of the scientists involved feared the consequences of actually using the bomb. Those few doomsayers were ignored, and the majority of senior physicists probably wanted payoff for their time and money spent. Do AI designers also follow that same method?

George Dunbar
Toronto, ON

Politics tamfitronics Readers

“The time has come,” The Walrus said, “to talk of many things.” Send us a letter or an email ([email protected]) or tag us on social media. Comments may be published in any medium and edited for length, clarity, and accuracy. Mail correspondence to: 411 Richmond St. E., Suite B15, Toronto, Ontario, Canada  M5A 3S5

Politics
Letters: Sask. high school course on oil and gas industry is propaganda

Politics tamfitronics

Readers sound off on the new high school oil and gas class, international politics and the 2024 Pride Parade and Rock Your Roots.

Published Jun 27, 2024Last updated 1 day ago3 minute read

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The Saskatoon StarPhoenix welcomes letters to the editor. Photo by Everyday better to do everything /Getty Images/iStockphoto

I was deeply concerned to read recently that the Saskatchewan government is allowing an oil and gas company to spread fossil fuel propaganda to high school students in the midst of a crisis that is harming our health and endangering the future of our children and grandchildren.

As a retired educator, I am particularly shocked that a government ministry, responsible for educating young people, would even consider allowing the fossil fuel industry to develop this curriculum ”oil and gas theory” courses for high school students.

Politics tamfitronics The Star Phoenix

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Even worse, Teine Energy, the company partnering on the program, is majority-owned by the Canada Pension Plan (CPP). That’s our national pension program.

In this time of fossil-fuelled extreme weather events and forest fires, surely both CPP contributors and pensioners across Saskatchewan and the rest of the country, would be appalled to hear that CPPIB is using our funds to prop up the oil and gas industry and indoctrinate our kids with fossil fuel propaganda.

Karen Weisberg, Toronto
Weisberg is a member, Seniors For Climate Action Now! (SCAN!)

2024 Pride Parade and Rock Your Roots were beautiful

Thanks to those who organized the June 22 Pride Parade. It was my first. The church I attend had a float, and I rode on it, not seeing the parade going by but rather the people on the street watching. It was a beautiful experience.

It was a happy crowd, smiling, waving, applauding, calling “Happy Pride!” Every gender, colour, ethnicity, age and creed were there, a mixed group, as Canada has become. Some colourfully costumed and made up, families with children, people in wheelchairs.

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And the day before was the Rock Your Roots Walk for Reconciliation. Groups who were outcast only a few years ago are now bringing us together in celebration and joy. How far we have come towards acceptance and inclusion.

Our world has become a troubled place, from the cost of living to epidemics to international conflicts. Let’s not allow our challenges to threaten the progress we’ve made. Differences among us are no reason for fear or hatred, they enrich our society.

In the spirit of Pride and Reconciliation, let’s work together and flourish.

David Edney, Saskatoon

Russia-North Korea pact alarming

Kim Jong Un of North Korea and Vladimir Putin of Russia renewed their Cold War pact, providing mutual assistance if either are attacked.

North Korea is accused by the U.S. of sending 6,700 containers carrying five million artillery shells and military equipment to Russia, that ultimately will be used against Ukraine.

Both of course deny any violation of UN sanctions, but past actions speak louder than words.

Sadly, the UN multi-billion-dollar budget is now wasted money.

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It was an institution once revered, but now, due to constant UN Security Council stalemates on multiple issues, Kim Jong Un can violate UN sanctions like his ICBM missile testing and the above accusation without suffering any consequences for his actions.

Peter J Middlemore Sr., Windsor

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