A nurse administers a COVID-19 vaccine at a pop-up clinic at the Masjid Darus Salaam, in the Thorncliffe Park neighbourhood of Toronto, on April 11, 2021.Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press
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Falling behind
Re The COVID-19 Tables Have Turned For Canada (Opinion, April 10): I am disheartened that, for the first time in my adult life, I am not only embarrassed but ashamed of Canada.
As a proud Canadian who resides and works in the United States, I have long extolled the virtues and advantages of Canada’s health care system to my American friends and colleagues. The failure of Justin Trudeau and his government to extract Canada from the strictures of the pandemic seems to have given lie to all that. And now the news that Canada has surpassed the U.S. in terms of cases per capita, even after our year of languish here under Donald Trump.
My two children, who have been looking forward to a return to their beloved summer camps in Algonquin Park this year, now believe camp will not be able to go forward. Their hearts are broken.
What a fiasco and disgrace.
Keith Donahue Raleigh, N.C.
Conservative concern
Re Conservatives In Crisis (Opinion, April 10): On climate change, Globe pollster Nik Nanos suggests that “Conservatives believe a principled policy stand is more important than having a chance to govern.” Does that mean there is only one party in Canada that takes principled stands? While trying to out-Liberal the Liberals will not win an election for the Conservatives, I do believe taking a principled stand will.
Would it not be more prudent if the Conservative platform did not include pipe dreams of no pipelines and zero carbon while destroying our economy? A principled Conservative platform should also well-define other positions: no changes in abortion laws, support for the LGBTQ community, lower taxes, changes to single-payer health care, support for small business, clean water for Indigenous communities, universal university education and, finally, support for what Canada was built on – oil and other natural resources.
If this platform loses an election against the current government, so be it.
Robert Kalina Oakville, Ont.
Cut it out?
Re To Spur The Postpandemic Recovery, Let’s Cut The GST (April 13): I am not sure reducing the GST is necessary to stimulate the economy after the pandemic, but it might help income inequality to reduce a tax on spending while increasing a tax on saving.
Those with savings spend it when they buy financial assets. A tax on the transfer of financial assets, small enough to not disrupt the market, could still yield billions in government revenue, paid by those wealthy enough to be able to save. It might even discourage speculation.
Bill Jennings Kingston
I suggest we pay off the once-in-a-generation government deficits from COVID-19 with a once-in-a-generation special COVID-19 tax assessment.
All Canadian individuals, businesses and organizations would be required, one time only, to contribute 4 per cent of their net worth. This would put government books back into good shape and we’d avoid dragging out payments (and higher tax rates) for decades to come.
James Smythe DPhil (economics), Edmonton
Re Postpandemic Ottawa Should Heed Robert Mundell’s Warnings (April 8): Robert Mundell warns against overtaxing the rich. I’m sure the impact would be much higher than overtaxing the poor and middle class.
The Carter report of 1967 sought fairness in the tax system, and Pierre Trudeau did bring in many measures for tax fairness. This seemed anathema to Brian Mulroney and much of the fairness (relief to the lower ranks) was removed.
One measure of fairness would be if the top 1 per cent of earners receiving 80 per cent of total income paid 80 per cent of the total tax. Statistics Canada should make a study of this and let us know.
A billionaire may well gag at signing a cheque to the government for $20-million, but fair should be fair.
Ron Fast Ancaster, Ont.
Background check
Re Report And Response (Letters, April 8): It’s hard to imagine how Valentina Azarova could more fully have met the requirements for the University of Toronto position.
Dr. Azarova is an internationally recognized human-rights scholar, with dozens of publications on legal issues pertaining to human rights. Those publications were accepted by a range of legal journals after peer review. She has held permanent and visiting positions at various universities and worked with international bodies, including the United Nations.
Human Rights Watch points out that Dr. Azarova received letters of support from numerous legal scholars, including Israeli and Jewish academics. Apart from individual letters, there are also more than 1,300 signatories of group letters.
In challenging Dr. Azarova’s qualifications, it seems that Michael Mostyn of B’nai Brith Canada is also challenging the academic discipline of of human rights and the credibility of its scholars, journals and international forums – the majority of which validate her academic credentials.
Christopher Petty Winnipeg
Testing, testing
Re Ontario To Keep Schools Closed As COVID-19 Infections Soar (April 13): Ontario is planning to institute online education for students indefinitely. Would it not be a good idea to first test all students in June, using prepandemic, non-modified criteria to see what they have retained during this academic year?
Once the results are known and made publicly available, the efficacy of online learning can be evaluated. If the results are similar to those of previous non-pandemic years, online learning could go ahead. But if the results are not up to par, it might be better to put online learning on ice.
It is not a good idea to play roulette with the education of our children.
Julianna Drexler Toronto
All in
Re The Global Chip Shortage Is The Wake-up Call Canada Needs (Report on Business, April 13): The short supply of microchips adds to the number of products that are critical to the welfare of our population and economy, yet we rely on other countries to supply them. Our governments should take decisive action to ensure that these critical products, including medicines, food and industrial items, are produced in Canada.
The pandemic has demonstrated that we cannot always count on other countries for necessary supplies. We should make careful decisions as to what products are provided by global trade. A reduction in global trade would also be beneficial to reducing the effect of excessive transportation on global warming.
Gary Lewis Owen Sound, Ont.
I nearly panicked when I read this headline, but was relieved to learn that recent disruptions to global supply chains have merely affected computer chips.
Mark Bessoudo Rothesay, N.B.
Letters to the Editor should be exclusive to The Globe and Mail. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. Try to keep letters to fewer than 150 words. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. To submit a letter by e-mail, click here: letters@globeandmail.com