Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre rises during Question Period, in Ottawa, on Dec. 4.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
Downward spiral
Re “Canada falls short in several areas of health care in comparison to other OECD countries, report says” (Dec. 4): We lag countries such as Britain, Norway, Finland and the Netherlands in many areas of health care.
Here, 14.4 per cent of Canadians have no primary doctor while other countries have mandatory enrolment for patients. Norway has twice as many doctors per population as Canada, a situation that is the result of various provincial policies since the 1990s to cut medical school enrolment to save money. Furthermore, our infant mortality rate is the worst of 10 countries.
Our health care system is crumbling. How long will it take for Canadians to demand a solution?
Without a family doctor, Canadians cannot access specialist care in a timely fashion.
Derryck Smith MD Vancouver
Climate challenge
Re “The holes in Canada’s climate strategy, and how to mend them” (Editorial, Dec. 1): Climate plans should be in two parts: mitigation and adaptation.
The focus now is on mitigation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It is not working well. The latest warnings are that global heating may reach, or even exceed, 4 C.
The big hole in our climate plan is adaptation and preparing for how to survive in a rapidly heating world. We should beef up mitigation efforts, but also invest heavily in adaptation as survival insurance.
Reiner Jaakson Oakville, Ont.
Re “The confounding, depressing hypocrisy of COP28″ (Nov. 29): COP28 speakers stress that humanity’s health and security depend on urgently reducing fossil fuel use and boosting renewable energy.
Yet an article on strong stock performance features fossil fuel companies (”U.S. dividend growth screen uncovers strength in the energy sector” – Report on Business, Dec. 1) and another reports that “investors exit clean energy funds as interest rates bite” (Report on Business, Nov. 30). The market knows best? Really?
So we turn to government. But Doug Ford and Danielle Smith have shut down renewable energy in favour of fossil fuels. Pierre Poilievre has no substantive plans for climate action. The Liberal government has good ideas, but should implement them much faster.
What to do? Remember the climate emergency when we invest and vote.
Elizabeth Snell Guelph, Ont.
Re “Wildfires could be triple Canada’s industrial emissions. But they’re excluded from the official carbon tally” (Dec. 1): This article brings long overdue focus on the impact of forest fires, especially when considering that various government efforts are mostly focused on the margins of the tracked 670 megatons of greenhouse gases.
If the federal government wants to truly fight emissions, it should focus efforts (and our money) on fighting forest fires.
Colyn Steeves Ottawa
Re “Dow Chemical announces $11.5-billion project in Alberta” (Report on Business, Nov. 30): Since Chrystia Freeland was in Alberta this week championing up to $400-million for a plastics factory, does that mean I can have my plastic straws back?
I hate the taste of the cardboard straws that government has forced us to use.
Chris Robertson Stony Plain, Alta.
Good choice
Re “Federal government inks deal with U.S. for new Boeing surveillance aircraft” (Report on Business, Dec. 1): As a Canadian taxpayer, I have little or no appetite to fund another aspirational project at Bombardier, this time to design, develop and deliver a military surveillance aircraft. Although I do like it when we can buy Canadian, alas, there is no Canadian product.
The Boeing P-8A is a real aircraft already operating surveillance flights for many nations. I fully support a sole-sourced procurement from Boeing, as Canada cannot risk another Bombardier failure to deliver.
Ivor Palmer Burnaby, B.C.
Go further
Re “Securities regulators propose dispute settlement system for investors” (Report on Business, Nov 30): Changing the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments from a mediator to an arbitrator is in itself not a bad idea, but its decisions should be appealable, just like the decisions of a trial court are appealable.
More importantly, if a customer goes to the OBSI, they should be precluded from going to court if they are not happy with a decision, something they are free to do today if unhappy with an OBSI recommendation, especially when the amount in question is large.
What is good for the goose is good for the gander.
Richard Austin Toronto
By the numbers
Re “Pension funds need to seek out more investments in Canada” (Report on Business, Dec. 1): The Canadian equity market has delivered average total returns of about 8 per cent during the past decade, versus the S&P 500 which has delivered 13 per cent. During this period, the Canadian dollar has also declined by 18 per cent versus the U.S. dollar.
We should have a more productive economy that allows Canadian pension funds to work with business and government to reverse these numbers – but not to the detriment of pensioners’ financial security.
Eric Tripp Toronto
Better deal
Re “How a rare rental conversion upends a small community” (Real Estate, Dec. 1): “It’s unusual that a developer would convert an existing rental building to condo units.” Perhaps they cannot afford to do otherwise.
The building generates approximately $135,000 a year in gross rental income and was recently priced at $2.88-million. This means the rate of return from operating the building as a rental is, before costs, roughly 4.7 per cent. The return would be lower after taking into account operating costs such as property taxes, insurance, maintenance, etc.
Is this a good investment when risk-free GICs earn around 5 per cent?
Constance Smith Victoria
In peace
Re “Henry Kissinger was America’s secretary of state of paradox” (Dec. 1): I don’t think this article sufficiently indicts this ruthless former U.S. secretary of state.
I would recommend the writings of Christopher Hitchens on the criminal machinations of Henry Kissinger, which caused so much terror and misery to millions, all, paradoxically, in the name of peace.
That such a Machiavellian figure could receive the Nobel Peace Prize boggles my mind.
W. R. McMullen Mississauga
Re “Henry Kissinger leaves behind a poisonous legacy of callous geopolitical calculus” (Dec. 2): This calls to mind musical satirist Tom Lehrer’s famous quip: “Political satire became obsolete when Henry Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.”
Peter Maitland Kawartha Lakes, Ont.
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