Senate 'optics'
Re Senate Eyes Lighter Punishment (Oct. 28): Can Stephen Harper explain how it is that he appointed at least three senators so lacking in "sober second thought" – or even sober first thought?
Senators' standards should be of the highest level, regardless of what the Senate rules actually say. These are our lawmakers, after all. They shouldn't even think about the sorry actions slowly being revealed like layers of an onion.
Why should the good citizens of Canada have to put up with such appalling judgment from the Prime Minister, and such abysmal performance by the senators who have been exposed so far?
Tony Fricke, Calgary
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Senators have been told that if they attend the Conservative convention, "they should not seek reimbursement for the trip because there is concern about the optics." The optics? It is a party function, not part of their duties as a senator. Are these people stupid, arrogant or both?
Ken Duff, Vankleek Hill, Ont.
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Senator Marjory LeBreton, in her defence of the Conservative attempt to punish without due process three accused colleagues accused of breaking Senate rules, repeatedly cites as a precedent a 1641 action by the Long Parliament in England. Does the former leader of the government in the senate mean the well-known case of Archbishop William Laud?
As a member of the House of Lords, Laud was first condemned for treason by the House of Commons in 1641 and sent to the Tower. Four years later, the House of Lords again tried him for treason on largely trumped-up charges and convicted him, 19 members present.
Even then, it still required an arbitrary Bill of Attainder, passed by the House of Commons, to send him to his beheading in 1645. Four years later, Charles I followed his loyal adviser to the same destination. Some precedent, one raising the question of who will be the Canadian king!
In truth, the learned Senator's best precedent is found in Alice in Wonderland: "Let the jury consider their verdict," the King said. "No! No!" said the Queen. "Sentence first – verdict afterwards."
Ramsay Cook, Toronto
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Anybody listening?
Re Obama Was Not Told Of Spying: Official (Oct. 28): With the eavesdropping disclosures, I wonder how many offers of sanctuary Edward Snowden has received lately from so-called political "friends" of the U.S.
Carl Hager, Quyon, Que.
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I thought it a bit harsh when it was reported that the U.S. National Security Agency noted there was "little reportable intelligence" when it tapped foreign leaders' phones. That was, until I read that Conservative senators felt they had to "go with the flow" when it comes to voting. So much for any "sober second thought."
Graham Duncan, Mahone Bay, N.S.
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Broken social trust
Re Lights! Camera! Busted? (Focus, Oct. 26): Have we really reached the point that we no longer trust our police in routine encounters with citizens to do the right thing?
If so, rather address it with a quick technological fix – body-mounted video cameras on officers – perhaps we should be asking far more basic questions, such as: Why is this the case? What's wrong? How can we fix it?
Surveillance is no substitute for social trust. What's next? All authority figures – doctors, teachers, nurses, politicians etc. – will have to film all their activities in case something goes wrong or someone complains? Is this the kind of society we really want?
Christopher Murphy, Halifax
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Block Parent's place
Re Sign Of The Times: How The 21st Century Put Block Parent Into Decline (Oct. 28): A highly structured childhood may be true of middle-income populations in larger urban centres. But in my inner-city neighbourhood, and in most rural and First Nations communities, it's not the norm.
The problem with generalization is the advice it generates: for example, for children to use their cellphone when in need. Many Canadians can't afford even one phone, never mind children's phones, and not all communities have reliable cell coverage. For neighbourhoods like mine, where kids do roam (most happily, and without incident), Block Parent or similar programs are useful.
But should we expect a group of self-described moms and grandmothers to carry the weight of a national initiative alone?
I hope other community-based programs, government or otherwise, reach out and include these moms and grandmas in building safe communities. They're needed.
Patricia Elliott, Regina
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For the kids' sake
Re We Don't All Need To Be Quebec (editorial, Oct. 26): Why is The Globe championing more hodgepodge approaches to child care when its own brilliant series last week showed so clearly there is one good road that all governments can take: enforced regulations, proper public funding, organized to be accessible to all children and delivered by highly trained, decently paid staff?
Thirty years ago, I scrambled to find affordable, quality care for my two young children. The situation is worse today.
The evidence is already in on what works best. It's time we address child care as we do health care. We need a national program that is not "one size fits all" but that requires all provinces and territories to adhere to the same fundamental principles.
Morna Ballantyne, Ottawa
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My wife was at home with our children for 14 years. A number of years ago, a colleague came up to me mid-morning to tell me he was stepping out to the mall to pick up that year's must-have (and correspondingly expensive) electronic toy, as a Christmas present for his children. His challenge was that he and his wife worked, and the toy was selling fast. That toy wasn't in our budget that year, given its cost and our decision to live on one income while our children were young.
I agree with taxpayer-funded support for daycare for families where there is a requirement for two incomes to meet basic needs. I do not agree with publicly funded support for daycare for wealthier, dual-income families.
Matthew Dawe, Calgary
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Tricked or treated?
I wonder what costumes senators will be wearing for Halloween.
Marjory LeBreton as one of the witches from the Wizard of Oz? She sounds like a Glinda, but then again, if Pamela Wallin dresses up as Dorothy wearing the ruby slippers, Ms. LeBreton could opt for the Wicked Witch of the West: "Surrender, Dorothy!"
Mike Duffy as the cowardly lion? Stephen Harper as the wizard behind the curtain? Ottawa decorated as the Emerald City?
The Canadian taxpayer?
With the best costumes cleaned right off the rack, we'd get the stuff that's fallen on the floor – the short pants for the Munchkins. Tap your heels three times: There's no place like home, there's no place like home – whatever principle residence that happens to be.
Doug Warwick, Toronto