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'I will faithfully observe …'
Re Revised Oath Of Citizenship To Reference Indigenous Treaties (Sept. 29): It certainly is a relief to hear that new Canadian citizens will be required to swear an oath to faithfully observe treaties with Indigenous peoples.
I'm sure that like the rest of Canadians, they are totally familiar with the terms of the various treaties.
Perhaps we could have the politicians swear the same oath. Surely this is a joke.
Walter J. Sopinka, Georgetown, Ont.
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Access request? In 1,595 days
It was a delight to see Brian Gable's editorial cartoon (Sept. 28) ridiculing the Liberal government's hypocritical freedom of information promises. As an historian, I regularly face the appalling shortcomings of the Access to Information Act, now 35 years old and desperately in need of an overhaul.
In January, I made a request under the access act to Library and Archives Canada (LAC) seeking information compiled by the RCMP on students, faculty and staff at the Universities of Calgary and Alberta from 1960 to 1985. I was advised that providing information under the act would require a 365-day extension, beyond the 30-day statutory limit. Although I complained to the Office of the Information Commission and was advised my complaint had been assigned to an investigator, I have heard nothing since from either LAC or the investigator.
Even this delay pales in comparison to a request I made in March, asking LAC for all records on the leader of the Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist), Hardial Bains, who died in 1997. Like the records about RCMP surveillance of students at the Universities of Calgary and Alberta, these records are at least two decades old. Many are four or five decades old.
LAC responded to the request for Mr. Bains's files by advising that fulfilling my request would take an extension of 1,565 days, beyond the statutory 30 days. That's more than four years! The extreme delays involved – to say nothing of heavy-handed censorship of decades-old information – would prevent graduate students from considering a thesis that requires such records.
Canada's access to information system is broken. The Liberals must undertake a comprehensive overhaul to eliminate delays, overly broad justifications for censorship and the limited scope of the act.
Larry Hannant, adjunct associate professor, history, University of Victoria
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Passive, not dead, Mr. Morneau
Finance Minister Bill Morneau argues that his tax plan is going to free up "dead" money to grow the economy. I have to wonder: Is that statement deliberately misleading, or does it comes from a lack of understanding? Passive portfolios are invested in stocks and bonds that provide financing to public companies and finance government debt.
Some portfolios have investments in private business activity. Even if passive portfolios are holding cash, the deposits enable banks to lend. Without such financing, business activity would be reduced.
This money can't be used twice at the same time. Companies cannot and will not spend unless they see an attractive investment opportunity. I would like to know how passive portfolios are dead money.
Joel Cohen, FCPA, Toronto
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Women's rights: All women?
Re Liberals Walk Out Of Meeting For Status Of Women Committee (Sept. 27): Liberal MPs walked out of a meeting of the Commons committee on the status of women after Rachael Harder was named chair, ostensibly because she is anti-abortion. Justin Trudeau supports their actions, ostensibly because "this government is unequivocal in defence of women's rights. And, quite frankly, one would hope that the committee for the status of women would have a spokesperson who would be able to stand up and be able to unequivocally defend women's rights."
Doesn't Ms. Harder have the right to express her views? And if they don't accord with those of the Prime Minister, does that necessarily disqualify her from the position? It appears to me that Mr. Trudeau's respect for women's rights only extends to those who share his beliefs.
Michael Kennedy, North Vancouver
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Bad, bad, bad idea
Re Naming A Stadium After Rob Ford Would Be Erasing History (Sept. 29): Why would I want to take my kids to a stadium named after a crack cocaine user? What a horrible, hypocritical example this would set. Bad, bad, bad idea.
Jennifer Saunders, Toronto
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Former Toronto mayor Rob Ford spent years in public life representing the citizens of Etobicoke and then all of Toronto. However, he lied about using drugs, associated (which he denied) with gang members, was a bully, resorted to racial slurs and in general brought ridicule and shame to Toronto.
Despite all of this, he still has loyal supporters who now want to name a sports stadium after him.
It is ironic that when we are debating (rightly or wrongly) whether to rename schools and other public institutions because of the beliefs and deeds of those individuals whose actions, by today's standards, are deemed unacceptable, that we would even consider naming a stadium after such a polarizing person.
Michael Gilman, Toronto
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Isn't there already a "mile high stadium"?
Dave Johnston, Toronto