‘This rhetoric does a grave disservice to America’
Re: Shameful professors were quick to make light of Trump’s near-assassination — Jamie Sarkonak, July 15
To compare the failed assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler in 1944 with the recent failed attempt on the life of former president Donald Trump is obscene in the extreme.
The former case was tragic in that the failure led to millions of more lives to be lost in World War Two. The latter is tragic in the ensuing hateful rhetoric from those who wish that the attempted assassination had not failed.
Whatever one thinks of Trump, this rhetoric does a grave disservice to America, the man, and to the millions of people who are neither blind nor cruel, and who will vote for him. And I write this as a non-American who would have preferred that Trump not run for president, if only to avoid the supercharged rhetoric levelled by both sides.
I write this also as one whose Jewish father was arrested in France on July 16, 1942, and whose train left for Auschwitz on July 20, four days later — exactly two years before the truly regrettable failed attempt on Hitler’s life. (According to Nazi records, my father perished there on Sept. 23, 1942.)
Eli Honig, Toronto
PM surfed while Jasper evacuated
Re: Wildfire near Jasper National Park prompts evacuation order — Dean Bennett and David Boles, July 23; and Trudeau deserves a vacation. It’s in his power to make it permanent — Michael Higgins, July 25
While thousands of Canadians fled for their lives this week from wildfires in Jasper National Park — which is totally under federal jurisdiction — it was comforting to know that our prime minister was safely surfing while on holiday in Tofino, B.C. That’s what I call “leadership to remember” the next time you vote in a federal election.
Chris Robertson, Stony Plain, Alta.
Anti-Israel protest over Giller Prize will cost authors
Re: Giller Prize protest is a classic lesson in anti-Israel hypocrisy — Kenneth Sherman, July 24
Kenneth Sherman has done all of us a favour by exposing the political circus that has arisen around the Giller Prize.
Perhaps the National Post could take this one step further and publish the full list of 40 signatories to the letter demanding that companies involved in doing business with Israel be dropped from the prize. I have seen the initial 20 names but not the full 40. I did not recognize any of them, which is fine as I have no intention of either buying or reading their books.
I also hope that Chapters/Indigo, one of the targets of this ignorance, has taken note of the names, and will refuse to carry any of their books. Two can play this game! The big losers would be the signatories to the letter. Not having their books available through Canada’s largest book retailer will result not only in a significant loss of income and promotion, but will resonate with their publishers as well. Authors whose books do not sell well can expect to be dropped by their publishers.
These authors need to learn that stupidity and bigotry come with a hefty price tag.
E. Joan O’Callaghan, Toronto
‘Substantial questions’ about Kamala Harris
Re: There’ll be no DEI gimmes for Kamala Harris in a face-off with Trump — Kamala Harris, John Ivison, July 22
John Ivison’s glowing portrait of Vice-President Kamala Harris neatly skipped over a couple of points.
One, she was so unpopular with her fellow Democrats during her run for the presidency in 2020 that she dropped out before the Iowa caucuses, in 2019.
Two, the staff turnover in her office is well-documented. It appears people can’t stand working for her.
Seeing her as a potential friend of Canada, merely because she spent a few years in Montreal, is asking for disappointment. (Joe Biden was supposed to be our friend and he killed our Keystone pipeline on Day One of his administration).
Lastly, there’s an image of Harris that can’t be unseen: her giggling fit alongside Poland’s president in March of 2022 at a joint press conference about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the fate of Ukrainian refugees. Such behaviour, in a country very much on the front lines, just as the most serious threat to Europe in decades was getting underway, should raise substantial questions about her fitness for office.
Jeffrey Barker, Mississauga, Ont.
No plans to tax Canadians’ primary residences
Re: Tax on home equity is latest proposal in Liberals’ bogeyman approach to housing — Kim Moody, July 9
The bogeyman in this case seems to be opinion writer, Kim Moody. The federal Liberal government has no plans to tax Canadians’ primary residences.
At the House Standing Committee on Finance in 2022, the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) reported that it had asked Canadian organizations to submit innovative housing ideas to its Solutions Lab. It was a way to tap into the Canadian public to get their best ideas to solving the housing crisis. One group — Generation Squeeze — sent in a proposal with numerous ideas, one of which is to tax the primary residences of Canadians. This was one of over 47 Solutions Lab projects submitted to the CMHC. CMHC is not obliged to adopt any of the ideas received, and it does not provide tax advice to the federal government.
So, let me repeat that — CMHC does not provide tax policy advice to our federal government. Yes, many groups make recommendations to our federal government and government agencies, but a recommendation does not mean automatic consideration for adoption.
Julie Dzerowicz, Member of Parliament — Davenport
‘That sculpture belongs elsewhere’
Re: Supreme Court won’t disclose mysterious donor behind expensive gift for chief justice — Christopher Nardi, July 17
The bronze sculpture of Chief Justice Richard Wagner currently on display in the Grand Entrance Hall of the Supreme Court of Canada (SCOC) is wholly inappropriate.
Our social norms do not allow for the deification of people, nor for the memorialization of active members of the civil service. Whilst Chief Justice Wagner sits on the bench, that sculpture belongs elsewhere than in the SCOC.
Mark Sidloi, Cote Saint-Luc, Que.
Trudeau isn’t the only one who hasn’t governed well
Re: Liberal MPs have the power to replace Trudeau — they just have to take it — Christopher Dummitt, July 15; and Bad policies, not poor messaging, will sink the Liberals — Joe Oliver, July 18
In his detailed explanation of what responsible government should look like in Canada, Christopher Dummitt focuses on how the Liberals might oust their leader.
However, who would they choose to replace Justin Trudeau, with cabinet ministers seemingly disliked as well? While Trudeau has — according to polls and a significant recent byelection result — lost the confidence of the electorate, it must be noted that his cabinet ministers and their portfolios, including defence, education and finance, speak loudly to the party’s failure to govern well.
While there is a seldom used mechanism for a party ousting its leader, our system fails to provide a mechanism for changing a government until its term expires when it has a majority or is ably supported by a minority party capable of being bought off by socialist legislation it would put forward itself if in power. A vote of “no confidence” has no chance whatsoever.
Our system leads to this sort of lame-duck situation when the party with the most seats, this Liberal party of ours, no longer stands for anything but clinging to power by any means.
Ron Hoffman, Toronto
Joe Oliver excels with his analysis of the Liberals’ failed policies. In 2015, Conservatives said Justin Trudeau was “simply not ready” to be prime minister. Too few commentators foresaw that he could never become ready.
It’s obvious now there’s no business case for Trudeau, nor any other kind of case.
Colin Alexander, Ottawa
‘No quick fixes to our woke dilemma’
Re: Poilievre can’t stop wokeness on his own — Amy Hamm, July 11
There are no quick fixes to our “woke” dilemma. Relying on one man alone would be like watching a Greek myth unfold. We, the despairing silent majority, shouldn’t be looking for a saviour or a knight in shining armour to give us a well-needed break from this tyrannical dogma.
However, let’s not discount Pierre Poilievre even before he has been given the official green light to give it a try. A definite shift in political ideology at the federal level could be just the catalyst needed to start the unravelling. The prime minister of the country sets the tone. Poilievre has exhibited positive and definitive leadership qualities. We definitely could do with a different melody and a change of the orchestra that is playing. We also need to find a way to start the change now instead of October 2025.
Another essential starting point for eliminating the woke mentality begins with strong and supportive family units. Parents need to have the courage to teach their children the concept of accountability and taking responsibility for their actions. Allow the kids to learn that they have to contribute to helping out around the house. There is a high probability that positive early-life lessons will eventually translate into kids who become responsible, mature, reliable, respectful and productive members of society.
Parenting is an intensive, time-consuming commitment. Leaving that responsibility to public institutions that are engaged in social engineering projects and woke ideologies only leads to mediocre results.
Glynis Van Steen, Burlington, Ont.
When Conservatives fumble
Re: Keir Starmer’s massive majority built on a house of cards — Adam Pankratz, July 6
Adam Pankratz hit the nail on the head. The reason the British Tories got turfed from office by Labour was because the Tories had been not been governing as a right-leaning party. They fumbled the ball on Brexit and then compounded the problem by ruling as a centrist party.
The U.K. Conservatives are a pale version of their former selves, which brings us to Ontario. Doug Ford’s Conservatives have been a huge disappointment. They have had a real opportunity to supercharge the Ontario economy by slashing government spending and lowering taxes. The extra revenue that could have been created could have been put into health care and education. And the Liquor Control Board should have been completely privatized, along with many other initiatives.
Here’s hoping that if federal Tory Leader Pierre Poilievre does become prime minister, he actually governs as a “conservative.” Eliminating the dairy and egg marketing boards and slowing down immigration would be good places to start, along with shrinking the size of the civil service back to pre-2015 levels.
No doubt there are many other ways the Conservatives could improve the country — all without using outside consulting firms to achieve their goals.
Shael Greenwood,Thornhill, Ont.
Attack by Canadian in Israel was no surprise
Re: Canadian behind knife attack in Israel was 21-year-old from Alberta — Ari David Blaff, July 23
Sadly, it cannot be a surprise that a Canadian citizen travelled to Israel to kill.
Since the October 7 attack on innocent Israelis by Hamas, the rise of antisemitism has been all but ignored by our government. When “protesters” are allowed to call for the death of Jews, ignore our laws and feed the public disinformation through our media without repercussions, they come to believe their actions are just. They become emboldened.
How many more Canadian citizens will feel the need to kill Jews to show their support to “the cause?” What is going to stop such a heinous act from happening in Canada? Certainly it will not be the loud voice of our prime minster. We do not hear him shouting out to those who wish to break our laws and change our society, that their actions and rhetoric will not be tolerated. We do not hear him calling out to our law enforcers and courts that these law-breakers and hate-mongers should be held legally accountable for their actions. Unfortunately, we do not hear our prime minister say anything.
Phyllis Levin, Toronto
National Post and Financial Post welcome letters to the editor (200 words or fewer). Please include your name, address and daytime phone number. Email [email protected]. Letters may be edited for length or clarity.