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What went wrong
Re Tories Openly Criticize Party Performance (Oct. 23): I am tired of Jason Kenney's reflection on "what went wrong" with the Conservative campaign – "I think our obvious weakness has been in tone, in the way we've often communicated our messages. We need a conservatism that is sunnier and more optimistic than what we have sometimes conveyed." It doesn't matter what tone you use to talk about and set up a "barbaric cultural practices" tip line, it's still racist.
Ruth R. Wolfe, Edmonton
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The Liberals brilliantly positioned themselves (with the help of outside sources such as LeadNow) as the party best able to defeat Stephen Harper. A lack of electoral reform is what decimated the NDP – not Thomas Mulcair, not the balance of left and right, and not the niqab. Voting strategically killed the NDP. Unless Justin Trudeau upholds his promise to reform our voting system, this problem will still exist in 2019.
Stefanie Nicholas, Belleville, Ont.
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Feeling robbed
Re Ontario Never Sought Receipts Before Paying Teacher Unions (Oct. 23): How refreshing to know that the next time I am in Toronto at the Education Ministry's expense, I won't have to submit an itemized expense form. Ontario Education Minister Liz Sandals apparently knows what my costs from Atikokan to Toronto will be, and her office will automatically send me a cheque, based on what she knows about those non-itemized expenses. This surely is the true meaning of "liberal"!
Michael Lewis, Atikokan, Ont.
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Just as I was celebrating the victory of the federal Liberals, the provincial version arrived to deflate my balloon. Gifting various teacher unions $2.5-million of taxpayer funds this year and secretive millions in prior years is the height of chutzpah. It's like being robbed – and having the robber ask me for more money to take a taxi home because it's been a long day.
Steven Diener, Toronto
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Aren't dues there for unions to use to negotiate contracts? Our tax dollars are now being used to keep one party in power, pure and simple.
Bernadine Morris, Toronto
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Who we honour
Re University To Rethink PMs' Statues ( Oct. 22): How about cancelling the Mother Canada statue slated for the shores of Cape Breton Highlands National Park, too, as well as that mistake called the Monument to Victims of Communism on the Supreme Court's doorstep in Ottawa? Let's reconsider what to honour. Let's reconsider where to honour it.
Barbara Klunder, Toronto
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The distinct aroma of political correctness pervades the Wilfrid Laurier campus. Statues of former PMs are unacceptable because of historical crimes against First Nations? Why stop there? Why not flag every historical act, or omission, affecting minorities?
History is littered with laws, practices and standards that are no longer acceptable. The change over time is often referred to as progress. If we are going to judge our past leaders, it is only fair to do so in the context of their times, not ours.
A better question than the transgressions of past PMs might be why we would honour these people at all, because none were selected by the citizens of Canada. They were all appointed leader by their political party.
David Kister, Toronto
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Penalty box, No. 99
Re Gretzky Defends Appearance At Harper Campaign Event (Oct. 22): How shallow does the Great One get, telling Canadians that Stephen Harper was "wonderful to the whole country"?
What on Earth does that even mean? It's as though Wayne Gretzky had been watching Canada from the surface of the moon, making up lines for a Hallmark card. He was much closer to the mark when he described Mr. Harper as "an unreal prime minister." Exactly: That's why so many voters found this mean-spirited, arrogant PM so annoying.
My political cartoon would show Mr. Harper in the penalty box for tripping, wearing the iconic No. 99, the Ford brothers on either side of him, all of then watching as Justin Trudeau scores on a penalty shot in overtime.
John England, Sherwood Park, Alta.