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Home My WebLink AboutThe Times Advocate, 2008-12-24, Page 44 Times -Advocate Wednesday, December 24 2008 CGNA f Editorial Opinion ,.aten = IIMZEM TIMES -ADVOCATE PUBLICATION MAIL REGISTRATION NUMBER 07511 We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada, through the Publications Assistance Program (PAP), toward our mailing costs. Canada CO Zift etroland Media Group Ltd. Deb Lord — Manager Scott Nixon — Editor CNA 2007 BLUE RIBBON The Times -Advocate is owned by Metroland Media Group Ltd. 424 Main Street South, P.O. Box 850 Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S6 • 519-235-1331 Doug Rowe - General Manager, Southwestern Ontario Division EDITORIAL Help was imperative While it may be a hard pill to swallow for some, the recent announced bail- outs for the struggling automotive industry in Canada and the United States was something that had to be done. Indeed, the auto sector means too much to both nations over- all economies to simply let companies such as General Motors, Chrysler and Ford continue to sputter and eventually die. Allow those com- panies to collapse and you lose countless jobs, not only the jobs of employees at the so-called Big Three, but jobs at the thousands of other businesses that depend on the auto makers for business. Communities throughout this prov- ince have businesses tied to auto companies and have an obvious vested interest in this bailout. No, while it could have been tempting for politicians in North America to let the auto mak- ers fall victim to their own inadequate business practices, government intervention was neces- sary. Announced on the weekend, the Canadian plan will see General Motors Canada receive loans of up to $3 billion, while Chrysler Canada will receive up to $1 billion in loans. In the U.S., General Motors and Chrysler will receive emer- gency loans of up to $17.4 billion. Ford has said it doesn t need federal loans at this time. Given this lifeline, it s now up to the auto companies to restructure, rebuild and evolve into something that can survive. How they do that, and whether they can do that, remains to be seen. One thing is sure, though the auto indus- try is a huge part of the economic fabric of this province, with Premier Dalton McGuinty saying Saturday 400,000 people in Ontario rely on the auto industry for their livelihoods. Doing noth- ing for these companies wasn t an option. Now the car companies have no options left but to get their respective acts together. Wanted: the right person for the job One wonders if Barad( Obama still wants the job. The one he signed up for at the outset of his campaign isn t quite the one he Ube left within 2009. The task ahead of him is perhaps the most difficult an American president has faced since the 1930s. The economy, of course, is the main thing, and it shows no sign of getting better. Jobs are disappearing quickly, many industries continues to struggle, and there are whispers a depression might be soon to come. Obama is something of a rock star at the moment, and de- servedly so. He has made Americans passionate about poli- tics again, and he has given them hope. In January he will be sworn in and a huge crowd is expected to be on hand to watch. But soon the honeymoon will be over and the marriage will begin in earnest. What Americans need to know is whether Obama, the most promising political leader in ages, will be the wise young man they expect him to be and cannot afford to be without. In Canada we need to know the same of our own leaders, a group that has been far less inspir- ing of late. In one corner is Stephen Harper, a man with a master s degree in economics who sometimes lacks common sense, and whose much -promoted lead- ership has never resulted in more than a tenuous grip on power. There is Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff, the smartest man in Canadian politics and well aware of it a man who dresses down reporters with ease and has done nearly ev- erything in life except run a country. Canada, from which he has been estranged most of his adult life, would be his next conquest, and many Canadians are yet unsure what to make of it. Then there is Jack Layton, whose best bet at becoming somebody was a coalition government that is no longer a sure thing. He gives the impression he is sincerely interested in the troubles of ordinary Canadians but his efforts to connect with them have been relatively fruitless in terms of national support. Many continue to keep his party at arm s length. These, along with Green Party leader Elizabeth May and Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Ducceppe, are the best our country can manage at the moment. One wonders if they will be enough. Their decisions in the next few years will be as important for average Canadians as any since 9 / 11 and perhaps since Pearl Harbour. It is they who will decide whether the North American auto industry will be bailed out, and how the nation will cope if it is not. It is they who will decide how our ag- ing population will be furnished with medical care when shortages of doctors and nurses are already quite serious. The list of issues is lengthy, and most of them are not new. The problem is that they are more pressing BEN FORRE ST now than they have ever been. Many Canadians think we could use an Obama north of the border someone who is young and inspiring and good at making people believe in things. This is not necessarily true. What Canadians need most these days is exactly what Americans need: someone who is as good with the meat and potatoes of governance as they are with speeches and campaigns. Time will tell if Obama is this sort of leader, as a nation hopes earnestly that this is so. North of the border we hope for a leader that can prom- ise the same. What we need in the meantime is an honest answer to a simple question: do they still want the job, and why? The answer is important, because the job will not be an easy one. About the Times -Advocate Address & Office Hours Time -Advocate, 424 Main Street South, P.O. Box 850, Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S6. Our office is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. CLOSED ON HOLIDAYS. Contact Us By Phone or Fax Classified ad & subscription sales 519-235-1331 24-hour automated attendant 519-235-1336 Fax number 519-235-0766 Fax number for accounting dept. 519-235-2449 Subscription Rates One year rate for addresses in Canada: $42+GST Two year rate for addresses in Canada: $75+GST One year rate for addresses outside Canada: $160+GST Call 519-235-1331 to order a subscription. 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The Times -Advocate Team MANAGER Deb Lord ext. 103 ADVERTISING Deborah Schillemore ext. 112 CUSTOMER SERVICE Jennifer Skonieczny ext. 101 COMPOSITION Nikki Cyr ext. 101 Kelly Gackstetter ext. 102 EDITOR Scott Nixon ext. 105 REPORTERS Pat Bolen ext. 113 Ben Forrest ext. 114 ACCOUNTING STAFF Anita McDonald ext. 104 Ruth Slaght ext. 106 Marg Pertschy ext. 108 Heather Clarke ext. 111