Alberta's afterpains
It was delusional to believe Wildrose would win (Redford's Vision Prevails As PCs Hold Their Majority – April 24). We live in a culture steeped in the belief that government's role is to rob those who are creative, productive and responsible in order to reward those who are not, and call this inversion of justice "social responsibility" instead of theft.
No matter how much capitalism demonstrates its ability to improve our lives, and no matter how much socialism has demonstrated failure and social destruction, people will be guided by the fundamental ideas they have – wrongly or rightly – accepted.
Danielle Smith should be proud of doing as well as she has. As a lover of Alberta, I hope she persists in educating people about the proper function of government and weeds out the bigots and mystics in her party who become whipping boys and girls for the intellectually bankrupt left.
Glenn Woiceshyn, Calgary
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Danielle Smith has, with her explanation of her party's loss in the Alberta election, inadvertently betrayed the underlying weakness that renders her unsuitable for the premier's office. Her own questionable "conscience rights" policy and views on climate change aside, she displays her lack of leadership qualities by now pinning blame on controversial candidates. During the campaign, where was her condemnation of the offensive remarks and those who made them?
D. Philip Cameron, Regina
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So the Tories won again in Alberta, and none of the Wildrose Party's more extreme candidates got elected. I guess the only remaining question is what to do with all the "Don't blame me, I didn't vote Wildrose" buttons I ordered. You know, just in case.
Nigel Brachi, Edmonton
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Political comment on Alberta "firewalls" or the threat of a province taking on provincial responsibilities included such horrors as a provincial police force or pension system. This puzzles me, and I hope that someone can help me out. Ontario has a provincial police force. So does Quebec, as well as a pension plan. These bits of firewall don't seem to generate much national political or media attention.
So, what's the threat when it's considered an option for a western province? Given, for example, the trouble the RCMP is in, perhaps its manpower could be better used in federal crime-fighting than handing out traffic tickets in High River. Just wondering.
Tony Burton, Claresholm, Alta.
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Many of us felt we had no choice but to hold our nose and vote for the "Progressives" – this time around. But make no mistake: Continuing to send unlimited transfer dollars to ungrateful eastern governments holding out one hand, yet slapping our face with the other, will need to be addressed.
Reg McDonald, Edmonton
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An analysis-after-the-fact, explaining why the analysis-before-the-fact that Wildrose would win was so flawed, is surely ironic and self-indicting. Perhaps next time, rather than forecasting the news, the media should try merely to report on it.
L.W. Naylor, Stratford, Ont.
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Maybe the pollsters got it wrong in Alberta because people are lying to them as a result of the bad example set by robo-calls. Why not? It's a demockery anyway.
Barbara Klunder, Toronto
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Ignatieff on Quebec
Re A Year After Running For PM, Ignatieff Warns Of Quebec Separation (online, April 23): Quebec is not and has never been just one of 10 provinces but always a separate lingual and cultural "national" entity in reluctant political partnership with Canada. Separation may not be imminent, but René Lévesque's uncomfortably prescient words will continue to haunt a fragile Canadian federation: "Independence is in the refrigerator, but not in the freezer."
Ironically, perversely, Quebec remains the only cement that precariously and artificially binds a fragile Canada together. If Quebec were to go, the question would arise: How soon will the (other) dominoes fall?
E.W. Bopp, Tsawwassen, B.C.
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Who's paying?
Nine months after her trip, after it hits the news, Bev Oda pays for her choice to upgrade to the Savoy (Bev Oda Apologizes 'Unreservedly' For Pricey London Hotel Upgrade – April 24). What's important, she tells us, is that the taxpayer doesn't pay for her choice.
Good gracious, who pays her so handsomely that she can afford the extra $1,000 for the three-day upgrade? Whoever it is, they should consider paying her less.
Colyn Crawley, Bowmanville, Ont.
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'Hold to the now'
Meditation instructor Maria Gonzalez advises that "life only happens in this moment. If you've missed this moment, you've missed life" (The Joys Of Micro-Meditation – Life, April, 23). James Joyce put it well ( Ulysses) when he said, "Hold to the now, the here, through which all future plunges to the past."
William Doyle, Sarnia, Ont.
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Making 'new nice'
Re The New Nice: Even The Formerly Mean Are For It (April 24): The "new nice," Lynn Crosbie tells us, would have us dismiss Lady Gaga in favour of "the homelier and lovelorn Adele."
Calling Adele homely isn't really that nice, but come to think of it, neither is Adele. She gave the camera the finger at the recent Brit awards when her acceptance speech was cut off, and she was babbling about her "snot" at the Grammies.
If Adele is an example of the new nice, I can't wait for the new, new nice.
Manuel Matas, Winnipeg