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Panama's reach
Iceland was among the first to fall into the financial abyss of 2008. And it was among the first to emerge stronger, having jailed 26 financiers along the way. Now Iceland's PM is the first leader to fall from the Panama Papers scandal, meaning Iceland will be the first to deal with it and move on.
You have to admire the Viking panache with which Icelanders deal with situations.
Steven Bright, Oakville, Ont.
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One of the most-utilized jurisdictions in which to establish a shell corporation anonymously is the U.S. For a modest fee, many states – Nevada and Delaware are leaders – will incorporate a private corporation, the public records of which will not show its beneficial owners. The media have noticed, en passant, that many provinces offer the same service.
So both Canada and the United States should avoid hypocritical criticism of this device.
Michael Robinson, Toronto
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Teach the teachers
Re Ontario Plan To Improve Student Test Scores Adds Up To At Least 60 Minutes Of Math A Day – April 5): Math and science are the basis of high tech, but the foundation for developing math and science is generally poor in the elementary grades.
Teachers in these grades are often responsible for teaching all subjects, but many of them have had no exposure to math and science at the university level.
Worse than that, too often they have actively avoided these subjects, starting in high school. I would guess this aversion is passed on to their pupils.
Any elementary school teacher should be required to have credits in a university-level math course and a university-level science course. These could be courses of a general nature designed to meet these requirements.
Not only would such courses give a grounding in these subjects, the requirement would weed out aspiring elementary-grade teachers who have no facility in these areas.
Malcolm Stott, Kingston
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Fighting big money
Re It's Too Easy To Blame 'Outsiders' For Vancouver's Woes (April 5): Many overseas purchasers are non-residents who buy houses sight unseen and demolish them. This is taking older homes – many perfectly good, some fully renovated – out of the inventory of reasonably affordable houses.
These buyers outbid people who live and work in Vancouver. They tear down the houses so they can put more money into the property; the new houses are then often left empty, rather than being rented. This means fewer people in a given area to support local shops and the community.
We then have the phenomenon of "demolition by neglect." I have a family home in Vancouver. A house opposite, with a foreign owner, has been empty at least 16 years. The house and garden are deteriorating badly; it is lived in by racoons. This tactic has been going on for a very long time.
If the people who live in Vancouver must compete with the world, they will always be outbid. Yes, there are "natural increases" in the population, but the real problem is with non-residents who want to use residential housing as a commodity. If governments don't care, what hope does an individual or residents' group have of fighting big money?
Betty Cullen, Toronto
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Genetics testing, insurance
Re Why This Could Get You Fired (Life & Arts, April 4): Your article about genetic testing and insurance is not helpful in encouraging a constructive discussion on the topic. Once a person has made full disclosure and purchased a policy, their coverage cannot be impacted in any way by information from genetic tests taken after the policy is in place.
The vast majority of applications for insurance are approved, and genetic testing does not have an impact on group insurance obtained through an employer or other group. The insurance industry's position on genetic testing is readily available on our website.
Frank Swedlove, president, Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association, Toronto
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A basic public right
Re Why Is Ottawa Stalling On Reform? (editorial, April 4): You are right to question why we need to wait until 2018 for Treasury Board President Scott Brison to begin a dialogue about reform of our outdated Access to Information Act. In January, the Canadian Historical Association urged Mr. Brison to consult with stakeholders, then move expeditiously with reform. Access to information is necessary for a full understanding of our history: It is also a cornerstone of an informed democracy, a basic public right.
As researchers, we see on a daily basis how the act is failing to deliver on its intended mandate: On this count, check out our extended letter to Mr. Brison on the CHA/SHC website. An improved act will enhance Canadians' ability to judge current policy decisions, but it is also critical if we wish to enhance an understanding of our shared past. We need other voices to join our call for an expedited process of consultation and revision of the act.
Joan Sangster, president, Canadian Historical Association; Vanier Professor, Trent University
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Trump as symptom
Re Trump Comes Undone (April 5): I suspect Margaret Wente is right when she predicts Donald Trump will ultimately be rejected by a majority of American voters – although we should always be a bit cautious about agreeing with arguments we badly want to hear.
The deeper concern is that Mr. Trump is the symptom more than the problem. Donald Trump may well go away, but the underlying conditions that are fuelling his current trajectory – a growing marginalized underclass angry at income inequality and corporate control of the social agenda – are not so likely to disappear. If these conditions continue, or grow, so will the fear and disaffection they breed, and so will the likelihood that another, even more effective version of Donald Trump will come along to exploit them.
M. Jerry McHale, Victoria
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NDP prospects
Re NDP Needs New Leader, Union Head Says (April 5): According to Canadian Labour Congress president Hassan Yussuff, Tom Mulcair doesn't deserve another term as NDP Leader and must be held accountable for the Liberals "outflanking" the NDP in the election.
Given that the true socialist leaders of the NDP, Tommy Douglas and Ed Broadbent, couldn't gain much traction federally either, it's not surprising the party continues as a runner-up to the grand old parties. It will likely keep being a runner-up, even with union-picked leaders, and even if it had the total support of the 30 per cent of the Canadian work force who are unionized.
John R. McClement, Regina
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Seems the NDP has taken a page from the Conservative playbook: When the going gets tough, circle the wagons – and fire inward.
Sinead Cameron, Edmonton