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Time to act on Saudi arms deal
Re Dion Urged To Use Saudi Arms Deal As Leverage To Free Jailed Blogger (May 23): Raif Badawi's incarceration for blogging on the topic of human rights is exactly the reason why Canada needs to cancel the $15-billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia, rather than use it as leverage.
Canada does not need to appeal on bended knee to Saudi rulers for Mr. Badawi's release – it should demand it. The Trudeau government has the opportunity to shine a light on Saudi Arabia's abysmal human-rights records, its disastrous actions in Bahrain and Yemen, and its sponsorship of Wahhabi-linked terrorism. Cancelling the arms deal would be an important first step.
Ali Manji, Thornhill, Ont.
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It was good news to learn that Sweden is looking at changing the way it exports arms to include restriction of sales to non-democratic governments such as Saudi Arabia (The Swedish Example, Folio, May 21).
Given that the Saudi kingdom is the largest buyer of Canadian-made armaments and technology after the United States, and given the repressive, authoritarian nature of the Saudi regime, Canada could learn from the Swedish example. We can only hope and ask for this if Canada is to have any integrity as a human rights-based, democratic nation.
Don Kossick, Saskatoon
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Fact of the matter
I wholeheartedly agree with Elizabeth Renzetti's column about the proliferation of flat-out lies in modern political campaigns (In Our Brave New 'Post-Truth' World, Every Fact Needs A Fact Checker, May 21). What I want to know is why the media reports them without comment most of the time.
The rebuttals of organizations such as Factcheck.org should be just as newsworthy as the lies of Donald Trump and others. Just because the lies are in quotation marks does not mean reporters should report them without comment. Why can't reporters routinely consult Factcheck the same way they check sources? If they did this regularly, the public would be more likely to hold the liars to account.
Steve Gittins, Toronto
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Believe it, or not
Re The True Believer Behind Ontario's Climate Plan (Focus, May 21): Why is Jeffrey Simpson tearing apart Ontario's climate plan? The program hasn't launched yet and already he says it's complicated, inflexible and "relies on government to force-feed change."
Many good things are complicated – parliamentary democracy and public health care, to name two – so that's not a fatal flaw. The system may or may not be flexible; we won't know until it has had a chance to run for a while.
As for government "force-feeding" climate action: Well, action needs to be taken. Business won't make sufficient carbon reductions on its own so there's a role for politicians. You can call Ontario's interventions – investing billions in transit, electric cars, and energy retrofits – "force-feeding," or you can call them emergency measures for planetary survival.
Gideon Forman, Toronto
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Back in the day
"The Decline Of The Convenience Store" (Globe T.O., May 21) actually began when Ontario changed its laws to allow Sunday shopping at large department stores and supermarkets. My parents' convenience store in the 1960s did 40 per cent of its business on one day – Sunday. So Sunday shopping put a major dent in the profitability of small stores.
One of my more vivid childhood memories involves certain gentlemen who would come to our store on Sunday mornings to purchase aftershave lotion because liquor stores would not be open for another 24 hours.
Norman Rosencwaig, Toronto
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Penalty calls
Re Should The Prime Minister Be Called To The Bar? (May 21): It will be difficult for Parliament to discipline other MPs if the childish situation last Wednesday is not treated more seriously.
A solution would be a Canadian penalty modelled after hockey punishments. Rather than standing behind a bar at the entrance to the House, there could be a removal from the House and a ban on any public official duties for the penalty period:
For Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: Two days for leaving the bench for purposes of physically moving another person, two days for verbal abuse, and two days for elbowing.
For NDP Leader Tom Mulcair: two days for obstruction and verbal abuse.
For Conservative Whip Gord Brown: two days for accessory to obstruction.
After the penalties are served, perhaps everyone can get back to playing the game …or doing what MPs and leaders should be doing.
Richard Perry, Sherwood Park, Alta.
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Given the truly gigantic problems facing today's world, the outcry against Justin Trudeau's faux pas last week is ridiculous. I was glad to read the opinion by Michael Bliss (Does Trudeau Respect The Office He Holds? May 20), drawing attention to the fact that few leaders are blameless, and reminding us that the previous incumbent was no paragon of virtue, possibly rather worse.
Having grown up listening to the "mother of Parliaments" in the U.K. in action, to have any expectation of politeness in politics is naive. The House, wherever it may be, has always been reminiscent of a school playground. Perhaps all of its elected members could try to grow up and do something more useful with their time, such as governing the country?
Natania Wingrave, Gibsons, B.C.
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All MPs should be ashamed of their behaviour over "elbowgate." Pushing, shoving, foul-mouthed taunting, and "over-the-top diving" are not what we expect, and deserve, from our elected representatives.
But even worse, this mass temper tantrum allowed the Trudeau government time to stall debate on the medically-assisted dying legislation, debate that could have forced it to improve the legislation and ensure it passed as quickly as possible. Now MPs are away for the week, and the Senate hasn't even started discussing the bill. Meanwhile, many Canadians are waiting, and suffering.
Tricia Sirrs, Vancouver
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I hope all the Cryptic Crossword fans enjoyed the first clue for Friday's puzzle: "The Spanish weapon that allows arms manoeuvres (5 letters)." Answer: Elbow.
J. Jordan, Sidney, B.C.
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Dive talking
Re Success Of James Shows That Top Players Know When To Walk Away, Know When To Flop (Sports, May 23): Athletes who want to learn how to dive need to look no further than New Democrat MP Ruth Ellen Brosseau's reaction to what appears to be incidental contact with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Now that is how you hit the floor after a tap.
Mike Jones, Calgary