Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre delivers a speech to the Canadian Club of Toronto in Toronto on Thursday.Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
Weakest link
Re “Carney says close ties to U.S. have become ‘weaknesses’ that must be corrected” (April 20): The vast majority of foreign trade occurs between private companies, not governments.
If a company has chosen the United States over other countries to do business with, it is because it is profitable. Trying to sell to a smaller or further away market could mean decreases in sales and profit at best or, worst case, a failing business model.
Yes, Donald Trump seems unstable and, at times, impossible to deal with. But I want our government to do everything possible to negotiate a deal that prevents decoupling from the U.S., along with the devastating economic damage it would bring to our country.
Robert McCullough Edmonton
Watching Mark Carney use British Major-General Sir Isaac Brock, among others, as inspiration for Canadians of strength, leadership and resistance from our history, I could not help but feel this a rather weird and curious patron saint for our Prime Minister to invoke.
While Brock was undeniably a bold leader, he was also reckless. At Queenston Heights on Oct. 13, 1812, wearing neither body armour nor any kind of disguise, he led a cavalry countercharge up an exposed ridge wearing his full dress uniform, including an attention-getting bright-red coat.
Brock was shot through the chest within minutes, and died before the battle he is credited with winning was actually won. It was Major-General Roger Hale Sheaffe who completed the victory.
I hope Mr. Carney puts his Brock figurine in a drawer and finds other inspiration for resistance, preferably someone who was smart enough to survive.
Karin Bjornson Montreal
Stand on guard
Re “Canada to host September summit in Toronto to help draw billions in foreign investment, Carney says” (Report on Business, April 18): The message is clear: Canada is open for business. That’s welcome, especially as we seek to diversify away from reliance on any single market. But openness alone is not an investment strategy.
International experience shows what can go wrong when large pools of global capital are invited into essential infrastructure without strong governance. Britain’s Thames Water is a cautionary example: Years of financial engineering and dividend extraction paired with deferred maintenance, leaving residents today with sewage spills, environmental damage and massive cleanup costs.
This is not an argument against foreign or private investment. It is an argument for clear rules that align investor incentives with public outcomes.
Canada has strengthened its foreign‑investment review framework in recent years. But as we actively court global capital, Canadians deserve clarity on how economic security, long‑term resilience and public accountability will be enforced.
Welcoming investment is easy. Getting the rules right is what matters.
Gordon Braun-Woodbury Toronto
In other words
Re “More than half of Conservative voters want Poilievre to lead the party into next election” (April 20): The headline could also be written: “Forty-three per cent of Conservative voters do not want Poilievre to lead the party into next election.”
Jack Hicks Sooke, B.C.
Draw us lines
Re “Smith dismisses gerrymandering accusations after rejecting proposed changes to Alberta electoral map” (April 18): I am deeply concerned by the minority report issued by the Alberta Electoral Boundaries Commission.
I took the time to participate in this process, both in person and through a written submission, trusting that public input would meaningfully inform the outcome. At no point were the boundary proposals contained in the minority report presented to Albertans as options for consideration. That alone should disqualify these recommendations.
A process that invites public engagement must also be transparent and consistent. Introducing entirely new boundary concepts after consultations have closed undermines both fairness and public trust.
The majority report best reflects the evidence, submissions and principles that were openly discussed. In contrast, the minority report appears to introduce changes without public scrutiny, raising serious concerns about process and intent.
Recommendations that were never shared with the public should not now be considered. Respect for democratic participation demands nothing less.
Patti Dolan Calgary
Grounded
Re “Doug Ford to sell private government jet days after purchase was revealed” (April 20): Good idea. Now, just reveal to the public the actual cost of buying and selling the aircraft.
Robert Morrow Hamilton
The boss makes more money than their employees because their decisions are more consequential, not because they work longer hours.
At some point, an executive jet becomes a tool to help enable these decisions. Smart organizations know private planes can easily pay for themselves.
Ken Sutton Toronto
Was this asking for forgiveness rather than permission?
How was such a purchase or use condoned in the first place? Decisions involving significant taxpayer funds should meet clear standards of necessity, transparency and sound judgment before being made, not after being exposed.
Are the watchdogs asleep at the switch? Ontario is not without oversight. Institutions such as the Auditor-General exist to safeguard public spending.
Yet too often, scrutiny arrives after the fact, leaving the public to wonder what else may be slipping under the radar. And when decisions are reversed only after outcry, it gives the impression that something is rotten in the province of Ontario.
If public trust is to be maintained, government should ensure that oversight is timely, decisions are justified and no one is left feeling the process is anything less than above board.
Any transactional fees incurred or losses should be personally paid by Doug Ford.
Anne Fraser The Blue Mountains, Ont.
With courage
Re “To honour my father, I have a replica of his Auschwitz tattoo inked on my own arm” (First Person, April 14): Bravo to the essay-writer for the courage to honour his father in this way and tell the story of the horrors of the Holocaust.
For many years, whilst I was teaching, I invited Holocaust survivors to my school to address students. For most of those years, I was the only Jewish person there.
The auditorium would be packed to capacity as students sat shocked and spellbound to hear the gruelling tales of survival endured by the speaker. At the conclusion, they would cluster around their guest to express dismay at the stories just heard and admiration for the frail person standing before them.
Since my retirement, there is sadly no longer anyone to bring Holocaust survivors to speak. More tragic is that there are no longer many survivors left to bear testimony to the most brutal and savage period in our history.
Sheryl Danilowitz Toronto
Letters to the Editor should be exclusive to The Globe and Mail. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. Keep letters to 150 words or fewer. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. To submit a letter by e-mail, click here: letters@globeandmail.com