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Huron Expositor, 2014-01-22, Page 66 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, January 22, 2014 letters to the editor Reader disagrees with local MP's assessment of the nation To theEditor; I could not let the oppor- tunity pass by to respond to the article that domi- nated several local papers last week from our MP. It certainly painted an overly rosy picture of the workings of the present federal government, and spun the facts in a very favourable light, leading to the conclusion that Can- ada is "moving in the right direction." Political doublespeak in action, my friends. As millions of Canadians can attest and the polls are saying loud and clear, Can- ada is definitely not mov- ing in the right direction. Canadians, in good faith, entrust the government to use our tax dollars for the betterment of society.The Harper government has been anything but accountable. Our MP is dismissive of this fact, not- ing that an inordinate amount of time was spent on the Mike Duffy issue. Truth is, had Senator Duffy and his compadres acted with a sense of the public trust, and not with a sense of entitlement, they would never have spent public dollars in a dishonest way. This issue is symptomatic of a much deeper ill in a government led by a man who once preached accountability and now allows such travesties to happen under his watch. The most recent example is the government spending of $2.5 million, at a cost of $95,000 per 30 -second spot, on distracting eco- nomic action plan ads in the height of the Senate scandal and the NHL playoffs to advertise job crea- tion opportunities, which, to this day, do not exist. So Mr. Lobb should not be dismiss- ive about spending issues; he should be apologetic. Canadians deserve better. Every one of us would wish the Sen- ators had spent with integrity so real government work could have been done. The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with Europe was touted as a Conservative triumph in the article. We have yet to see whether this will bring jobs or destroy them. We have witnessed the long-term fallout from NAFTA specifically the outsourcing of jobs to Mexico, and the loss of those jobs from Canada and the US. While the removal of tariffs on Canadian goods exported to Europe could be a good thing, one major con- cern is around the protection of sup- ply management agriculture. (Harp- er's past attack on the Wheat Board is an example of his philosophy on this.) There are also major concerns about what impact CETA, like NAFTA, will have on buy local policies and sovereignty of Canadian resources. One Canadian trademark is the affordability of medicines, due to Canadian legislation on generic drugs. Europe is full of major pharmaceu- tical companies that want this protec- tive legislation gone. CETA will take this away. When this happens the provincial governments will receive extra fund- ing from the federal government (our tax dollars subsidizing drug compa- nies, in effect.) The dream of a poten- tial National Pharmacare program, long espoused by progressives, would be lost forever. Economists have pre- dicted that the easiest way to ensure Canadians are ready financially for retirement is to enhance the Canada Pension Plan. The Harper government has dug its heels in on this. Ben Lobb calls it a "payroll tax." Well my friends, pension funds are not a payroll tax. They are a type of insurance plan and the money indi- viduals put into that fund, plus accrued interest, belongs totally to them when they choose to retire. I would beg to differ that folks who are 20 and folks who are 60 cannot both enhance their pensions. Young people, of all Canadians, need espe- cially to have the pension system solidified for their benefit so that this important social net will continue into the future. Lobb also talks about "shrinking the size of government to make it more nimble and quick and efficient." Well, let's take a look at this. The government consists of the peo- ple we elect and of a hired civil serv- ice. While Harper has increased the elected number for the 2015 election by over 30, he has been launching an attack on the civil service to reduce their numbers and their pay and ben- efit packages. What Lobb doesn't mention, is that the Harper government has the largest "shadow civil service" of any Cana- dian mandate to date. These are parti- san advisors, and privatized consult- ing firms paid more expensive rates to basically do the job that the civil serv- ice was created to do in the first place. The Toronto Star reported on Dec. 3 that the Conservatives spend about $10 billion annually on outside serv- ices - a 27.8 per cent increase over 2006. Since assuming power they have spent $67 billion on such services with more than $40 billion of that in the last four years - which coincidentally coincides with their push to cut the civil service. So billions per year of our entrusted Canadian tax dollars go to these priva- tized interests just so the Prime Minis- ter can hear what he wants to hear. Lobb also mentions the economic downturn and how well Canada has fared throughout this time due to our protective economic legislations and policies. Steven Harper is also very quick to take the credit for this, when in reality, his original agenda was to dismantle many of these same poli- cies and to espouse the market driven economics preferred by corporate cronies. Lucky for us the downturn got in the way of his plans. While getting back to a balanced budget is certainly commendable, the Harper government's approach bor- ders on the ridiculous. He is nickel- and-diming some sectors - particu- larly environmental research -while spending billions on economic action plan advertising. The pillaging and destruction of a hundred years of scientific research - the life's work of many Canadian sci- entists- in order to save $400 000 dol- lars in the budget, never mind the closing of research stations such as the world renowned Experimental Lakes (at a cost of $600,000) are exam- ples of where Harper's economic pri- orities are all wrong. Lobb concludes, "we are still mov- ing in the right direction?' Well, mov- ing in the direction of the right per- haps. The truth is that Harper's policies on the environment - what should be one of our most important priorities right now- have caused international derision and frustration during climate talks. His exploit -the -resources -as -fast - as -you -can -before -no -one -wants - them -anymore agenda proves that Harper has his head stuck in the "oil" sands with total disregard for the con- cerns of the environment and its champion, the aboriginal people. Water, a dwindling resource, is allowed to be wasted, polluted and filled with toxins in this rush to pro- duce unsustainable resources. Are 17 gallons of water really worth 1 gallon of oil? Canadian institutions, like our national broadcaster, have fallen prey to budget cuts to the point that they are no longer competitive in bidding for sports broadcasting, they no longer can provide regional news, and they have had to cut their platforms, and their viewing areas. Meantime, a right wing news outlet has been allowed to loom its head in cable package offerings. And why? Because the CBC is obliged to be non- partisan and has been quick to report on things the PM would prefer went under the radar. CTV has been feel- ing the snub too, ever since they broke the Senate scandal. Harper wants us to be more like our American counterparts. His law and order agenda, his building of new mega prisons when crime is at an all time low, his crackdown on immigra- tion, all reflect this. Privatizing the prisons, an invitation into corruption, cannot be far behind. What Harper has done in a hurry, in what I suspect is his last mandate, is to dismantle as much as he can of what makes us distinctly Canadian, so we can never go back. So no, Mr. Lobb, Canada is not heading in the right direction. And election year 2015 cannot come soon enough for Canadians. Wilhelmina Laurie, Clinton Goderich man says the Lord was with him on a snowy night To the Editor; Here's the thing. I'm the same guy who wrote about being stranded and ignored by many along Airport Road during the wicked winter storm four years ago. So, with this recent winter attack, why shouldn't I do it again? Well, I did. This time it was 2:30 a.m. and I had just finished my eight-hour shift at work. I know, I had choices before I set out on this "no-win" trip, but my desire to get home to make sure eve- ryone was okay overwhelmed my common sense. We were expecting movers at 7:30 a.m. Because of this pending move to town, all of our cable services, includ- ing our phone, were down for a cou- ple of days. So, there was no way of getting a hold of anyone at home. So, here I sit, alone with myself on Airport Road in a big drift - except this time was different. I had our Holy Father, Jesus Christ with me, and believe me, we had quite the conversation. I am not one to scare easily, I've been through a lot in my life; but I can tell you honestly, I was thinking this could be my last day on Earth. With a quarter of a tank of gas left, a road covered with three feet of snow, and in the middle of the night - well, I was terrified. CONTINUED > PAGE 6 t "Mr I-1-1 611 0 .-1 e You are invited to attend these area churches ST. THOMAS CHURCH ST. JAMES ROMAN 21Jarvis St. Seaforth CATHOLIC CHURCH Rector The Rev. Karine Farmer WELCOMES YOU Rectory 519-482-9071 14 Victoria Street, Seaforth Church Office 519-527-1522 519-345-2972 Sunday, January 26 Sun. Mass 11 a.m. Worship at 9:30 a.m. ST. PATRICK'S, DUBLIN Followed by Sat. Mass 5 p.m. Annual Vestry Meeting Sun. Mass 9 a.m. Everyone Welcome FR. CHRIS GILLESPIE BETHEL BIBLE CHURCH EGMONDVILLE An Associated Gospel Church UNITED CHURCH 126 Main St. Seaforth 519-527-0982 Pastor Steve Hildebrand Pastor Mark Kennedy Youth Coordinator - Laura Nakamura Sunday School for all ages 9:45-10:45 Guest worshipleader SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICE 11 a.m. Rev. Nick Vandermey Wednesday Evenings Worship Jan. 26th, 11 a.m. • Youth Groups - Junior & Senior High Everyone is Welcome 6:30 to 9 p.m. Youth Sunday School at 11 a.m. • Boys & Girls Club JK to Gr. 6 Adults at 10 a.m. 7 - 8:15 p.m. • Adult Bible Study 7 p.m. Earbuds and elevator available Website:www.egmondvilleunitedchurch.com 6, EVERYONE WELCOME Like us on Facebook NORTHSIDE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH UNITED CHURCH 59 Goderich St. W. Seaforth 519-527-0170 MINISTER MARY FLETCHER Rev. Linda Moffatt Sunday, Jan. 26th, 11 a.m. Lome Baker - Organist Guest speaker: Dev Burghart Worship from Granton Sunday, Jan. 26th, 11 a.m. You are invited to join us in worship. Sat. Jan. 25, 5:30 p.m. Sunday School and Nursery Provided. Robbie Burns Pot Luck & Fun Night 54 Goderich St. W. All Welcome 519-527-1449 66' www.cavannorthsideunited.ca N Sunday School &Nursery Provided. Office Hours Wed. 9 a.m. - noon. the height of the Senate scandal and the NHL playoffs to advertise job crea- tion opportunities, which, to this day, do not exist. So Mr. Lobb should not be dismiss- ive about spending issues; he should be apologetic. Canadians deserve better. Every one of us would wish the Sen- ators had spent with integrity so real government work could have been done. The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with Europe was touted as a Conservative triumph in the article. We have yet to see whether this will bring jobs or destroy them. We have witnessed the long-term fallout from NAFTA specifically the outsourcing of jobs to Mexico, and the loss of those jobs from Canada and the US. While the removal of tariffs on Canadian goods exported to Europe could be a good thing, one major con- cern is around the protection of sup- ply management agriculture. (Harp- er's past attack on the Wheat Board is an example of his philosophy on this.) There are also major concerns about what impact CETA, like NAFTA, will have on buy local policies and sovereignty of Canadian resources. One Canadian trademark is the affordability of medicines, due to Canadian legislation on generic drugs. Europe is full of major pharmaceu- tical companies that want this protec- tive legislation gone. CETA will take this away. When this happens the provincial governments will receive extra fund- ing from the federal government (our tax dollars subsidizing drug compa- nies, in effect.) The dream of a poten- tial National Pharmacare program, long espoused by progressives, would be lost forever. Economists have pre- dicted that the easiest way to ensure Canadians are ready financially for retirement is to enhance the Canada Pension Plan. The Harper government has dug its heels in on this. Ben Lobb calls it a "payroll tax." Well my friends, pension funds are not a payroll tax. They are a type of insurance plan and the money indi- viduals put into that fund, plus accrued interest, belongs totally to them when they choose to retire. I would beg to differ that folks who are 20 and folks who are 60 cannot both enhance their pensions. Young people, of all Canadians, need espe- cially to have the pension system solidified for their benefit so that this important social net will continue into the future. Lobb also talks about "shrinking the size of government to make it more nimble and quick and efficient." Well, let's take a look at this. The government consists of the peo- ple we elect and of a hired civil serv- ice. While Harper has increased the elected number for the 2015 election by over 30, he has been launching an attack on the civil service to reduce their numbers and their pay and ben- efit packages. What Lobb doesn't mention, is that the Harper government has the largest "shadow civil service" of any Cana- dian mandate to date. These are parti- san advisors, and privatized consult- ing firms paid more expensive rates to basically do the job that the civil serv- ice was created to do in the first place. The Toronto Star reported on Dec. 3 that the Conservatives spend about $10 billion annually on outside serv- ices - a 27.8 per cent increase over 2006. Since assuming power they have spent $67 billion on such services with more than $40 billion of that in the last four years - which coincidentally coincides with their push to cut the civil service. So billions per year of our entrusted Canadian tax dollars go to these priva- tized interests just so the Prime Minis- ter can hear what he wants to hear. Lobb also mentions the economic downturn and how well Canada has fared throughout this time due to our protective economic legislations and policies. Steven Harper is also very quick to take the credit for this, when in reality, his original agenda was to dismantle many of these same poli- cies and to espouse the market driven economics preferred by corporate cronies. Lucky for us the downturn got in the way of his plans. While getting back to a balanced budget is certainly commendable, the Harper government's approach bor- ders on the ridiculous. He is nickel- and-diming some sectors - particu- larly environmental research -while spending billions on economic action plan advertising. The pillaging and destruction of a hundred years of scientific research - the life's work of many Canadian sci- entists- in order to save $400 000 dol- lars in the budget, never mind the closing of research stations such as the world renowned Experimental Lakes (at a cost of $600,000) are exam- ples of where Harper's economic pri- orities are all wrong. Lobb concludes, "we are still mov- ing in the right direction?' Well, mov- ing in the direction of the right per- haps. The truth is that Harper's policies on the environment - what should be one of our most important priorities right now- have caused international derision and frustration during climate talks. His exploit -the -resources -as -fast - as -you -can -before -no -one -wants - them -anymore agenda proves that Harper has his head stuck in the "oil" sands with total disregard for the con- cerns of the environment and its champion, the aboriginal people. Water, a dwindling resource, is allowed to be wasted, polluted and filled with toxins in this rush to pro- duce unsustainable resources. Are 17 gallons of water really worth 1 gallon of oil? Canadian institutions, like our national broadcaster, have fallen prey to budget cuts to the point that they are no longer competitive in bidding for sports broadcasting, they no longer can provide regional news, and they have had to cut their platforms, and their viewing areas. Meantime, a right wing news outlet has been allowed to loom its head in cable package offerings. And why? Because the CBC is obliged to be non- partisan and has been quick to report on things the PM would prefer went under the radar. CTV has been feel- ing the snub too, ever since they broke the Senate scandal. Harper wants us to be more like our American counterparts. His law and order agenda, his building of new mega prisons when crime is at an all time low, his crackdown on immigra- tion, all reflect this. Privatizing the prisons, an invitation into corruption, cannot be far behind. What Harper has done in a hurry, in what I suspect is his last mandate, is to dismantle as much as he can of what makes us distinctly Canadian, so we can never go back. So no, Mr. Lobb, Canada is not heading in the right direction. And election year 2015 cannot come soon enough for Canadians. Wilhelmina Laurie, Clinton Goderich man says the Lord was with him on a snowy night To the Editor; Here's the thing. I'm the same guy who wrote about being stranded and ignored by many along Airport Road during the wicked winter storm four years ago. So, with this recent winter attack, why shouldn't I do it again? Well, I did. This time it was 2:30 a.m. and I had just finished my eight-hour shift at work. I know, I had choices before I set out on this "no-win" trip, but my desire to get home to make sure eve- ryone was okay overwhelmed my common sense. We were expecting movers at 7:30 a.m. Because of this pending move to town, all of our cable services, includ- ing our phone, were down for a cou- ple of days. So, there was no way of getting a hold of anyone at home. So, here I sit, alone with myself on Airport Road in a big drift - except this time was different. I had our Holy Father, Jesus Christ with me, and believe me, we had quite the conversation. I am not one to scare easily, I've been through a lot in my life; but I can tell you honestly, I was thinking this could be my last day on Earth. With a quarter of a tank of gas left, a road covered with three feet of snow, and in the middle of the night - well, I was terrified. CONTINUED > PAGE 6