Supreme Court Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin is flanked by Justices Michel Bastarache (left) and Ian Binnie upon their arrival for her swearing-in ceremony at the Supreme Court in Ottawa on 17, 2000.TOM HANSON/The Canadian Press
All in
Re “The West must never give up on Ukraine” (Editorial, Dec. 15): Russia should be stopped, even if we have to share Ukraine’s economic burden.
As you say, we must not let Russia retain an inch of Ukraine. They wouldn’t stop there.
Bruce Henry Waterloo, Ont.
Here at home
Re “MPs challenge university chiefs to say if calling for genocide of Jews violates their conduct codes” (Dec. 15): It is imperative that Canadian universities take tangible measures to address discrimination, harassment, abuse and racist incitement against Jewish students, which has long been a problem and has increased in prevalence, intensity and harm since Oct. 7.
Jewish, Muslim, Arab and Israeli students, and all students in Canada, have a right to equality and freedom from abuse, harassment and intimidation. Hate crimes have soared in Canada against minority groups, and Jewish individuals and communities are experiencing rising insecurity due to violent attacks on Jewish schools, synagogues and communal centres, as well as increasing hate speech directed against Jewish people, their identities, affiliations, beliefs and community.
We should act in solidarity with one another across boundaries of ethnic, racial and religious differences, in defence of human rights for everyone and out of respect for the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Noam Schimmel Associate Fellow, Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism, faculty of law, McGill University Berkeley, Calif.
I was birding one day wearing my green “Free Palestine” T-shirt.
A man said I shouldn’t wear that shirt while birdwatching in public, because it might make some people feel uncomfortable. (What he seemed to mean, of course, was that it made him feel uncomfortable.)
I said, “Good. That shows they still have a conscience.”
That shirt didn’t identify me as Jewish. I now have one that does.
Would that have made him less uncomfortable? Or more?
Elizabeth Block Member, Independent Jewish Voices Toronto
In judgment
Re “Beverley McLachlin’s strange lack of judgment on Hong Kong” (Editorial, Dec. 18): If justice must not only be done, but must be seen to be done, then I guess the obverse side of that coin would be: If injustice is being done, it, too, must be seen to be done.
If Beverley McLachlin remains on the bench in Hong Kong, many may falsely assume justice is being done when nothing seems further from the truth. This, then, is not becoming of Canada’s former chief justice and is a black eye for Canada.
Ms. McLachlin seems to believe parts of Hong Kong’s justice system are working quite well. The curate’s egg comes to mind.
Howard Greenfield Montreal
Surely we should reserve judgment, rather than condemn in advance, the role Beverley McLachlin will play in the trial of pro-democracy newspaper publisher Jimmy Lai.
Her track record as Canada’s chief justice is impressive, particularly in matters of human rights. Now she has an opportunity to influence the outcome of this trial in the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal.
For me the jury is still out. I am confident that Ms. McLachlin will use her international reputation as an independent jurist to the best of her ability. That is all we can ask of her.
Patricia Bowles West Vancouver
It feels harsh to accuse Beverley McLachlin of lack of judgment.
She believes in what she is doing, clearly. Despite all the naysayers here, she hasn’t given in, she hasn’t given up. In my book, that’s called courage.
Every day she is on the bench there, she is fighting for justice for the people of Hong Kong. Before people criticize her judgment, they should ask themselves: What have they done for the people of Hong Kong?
Wei Ding Calgary
Political etiquette
Re “Do the Liberals even understand what a conflict of interest is? Does a fish know it’s wet?” (Opinion, Dec. 16): An excellent column that should be tied to the notion that parliamentary debate is not a sports event.
Stop the standing ovations for partisan speeches. Have respect for thoughtfulness.
Is this not what the Speaker is there for? Objectivity?
Robert Marcucci Toronto
Keep out
Re “Canadians log more hours than other countries but the workforce is less productive. What gives?” (Report on Business, Dec. 13): It is regularly argued that Canada could improve productivity by allowing foreign players to participate in what are now protected sectors of the economy, such as banking and transportation.
If this were true, then our economy should be going gangbusters because most of it is already open to foreign competition. Instead not only is productivity declining, but we find ourselves reduced to bribing foreign companies with billions of taxpayer dollars to make investments here.
There can be no certainty that allowing foreign multinationals to swallow protected sectors would do anything for productivity. All I know for sure is that it would shred what little economic sovereignty we have left.
Jim Paulin Ottawa
End goal
Re “François Legault’s true goal is to fundamentally transform Quebec’s English universities” (Dec. 19): Transform or deform?
Shafiq Qaadri Toronto
As a 1970s McGill graduate, I strongly object to The Globe’s reporting on Quebec tuition hikes for out-of-province students.
I had similar objections in the late 1970s, when numerous sky-is-falling reports were published. Since that time, McGill University has been named numerous times as one of the country’s top universities and medical schools.
How did that happen if the sky actually fell back then?
David Winch North Hatley, Que.
Back in the day
Re “High-scoring hockey player George Chin was part of famous Chin line” (Report on Business, Dec. 13): This made me smile and reflect on how society has changed.
It was heartening to learn that the Chin parents (no relation!) made their kids peel potatoes before they were allowed to play ball hockey; that future hockey great Paul Henderson inherited hand-me-down equipment from the Chins.
Children were taught responsibilities and families didn’t spend frivolously, even when they had savings. I doubt many parents make their kids do chores these days, or that many kids would wear secondhand or non-brand-name clothes.
How did it become “normal” for families to spoil their children, and go into debt while spending money they don’t have?
Swire Chin Toronto
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