A new Canadian holds a flag at a citizenship ceremony on Parliament Hill in Ottawa in April, 2019.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
Trump card
Re “U.S. Supreme Court questions legality of Trump’s tariffs” (Nov. 6): Is not speculation that the U.S. Supreme Court will rein in Donald Trump’s tariff initiatives simplistic and shortsighted?
If the court should rule that no “emergency conditions” exist authorizing the President’s use of his emergency powers to impose tariffs, will not Mr. Trump simply seek an act of Congress to authorize and implement his tariff agenda – with a good chance of such an act passing? This is ultimately the path that former president William McKinley (whom Mr. Trump admires) used to pursue his high tariff policy.
This possibility also increases the likelihood that tariff policy will be a major factor in the 2026 congressional elections, with Canadians hoping that candidates committed to “modification” of Mr. Trump’s tariff policy will be successful.
Preston Manning Calgary
Hard right
Re “Mark Carney has turned the Titanic. He needs to keep turning” (Report on Business, Nov. 7): The ship is still afloat, but despite the wan efforts of the new captain, the crew is still the same and we are approaching the iceberg in the way of debt, lack of policy focus and non-commitment to making Canada into an energy superpower. I find this, to say the least, troubling.
There might be a better analogy for the past 10 years of Liberal government and what we have enjoyed since the last election, but I doubt this newspaper would publish it. A publishable one might be something more along the lines of a lead zeppelin.
Clay Atcheson North Vancouver
Bail out
Re “The Liberals tinker, yet again, on bail reform” (Editorial, Nov. 4): Here in Ontario, our jails are so horribly overcrowded and understaffed that judges have started routinely reducing sentences to recognize this hardship, and to send an unheeded message to the provincial government that the situation is unacceptable and they need to act.
So if we do not have sufficient infrastructure and capacity to incarcerate the current number of prisoners under detention, and we refuse to remedy the problem, where exactly do proponents of bail reform expect us to put all these additional people we ought to be detaining?
Daniel Medd Lawyer, criminal and mental health law; Toronto
Denying bail does not reduce crime.
Many who are denied bail suffer from addiction, mental illness, and cognitive impairment. When these persons are locked in an overcrowded cage with other addicted, mentally ill, cognitively impaired persons, it does not reduce criminality. Troves of data show, unsurprisingly, that the opposite occurs.
The Supreme Court has said judges should “give very careful consideration to release plans that involve supervised treatment for individuals with substance abuse and mental health issues,” which may “address the root causes of the accused person’s alleged criminal behaviour and reduce the likelihood of future criminal conduct.”
If the goal is to make society safer, then “bail reform” ought to mean investment in supervised facilities where accused persons can access treatment. For a fraction of the cost of jail, that would result in far greater reductions in recidivism.
Michael Fox Whistler, B.C.
Home is…
Re “There can’t be two types of Canadian citizen” (Editorial, Nov. 3): In the whole debate about proposed changes to citizenship and immigration rules, the real issue should be tax rules.
Regardless of who can become a citizen, they don’t have to pay Canadian taxes for the rest of their lives if they don’t live in Canada and don’t have Canadian sources of income. Paying taxes should be a requirement of citizenship.
This has long been the rule in the United States. This tax rule would eliminate a large group of “citizens of convenience” who only have Canadian citizenship in case of security or economic issues in their home country, or who may move here later in life to use Canadian health care after having not paid their fair share for it.
As an immigration lawyer for more than 32 years, I have seen this motivation far too many times. Citizens should have to “pay to play” with their Canadian citizenship.
Ian Goldman Vancouver
Re “MPs vote to reverse Conservative changes to Lost Canadians bill” (Nov. 4): I’m bewildered by Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel Garner’s insistence that the Lost Canadians bill is “devaluing Canadian citizenship.”
My citizenship is not a baseball card or collectible figurine, and its value does not come from rarity. I suggest that those who seek to punish Canadians for where they choose to live are actually the ones devaluing Canadian citizenship.
David Arthur Cambridge, Ont.
Nature of things
Re “New study examines how best to address species declines in Southern Ontario” (Nov. 3): Can we afford conservation? Keeping wildlife may be laudable, sure, but perhaps it’s simply unaffordable.
Consider the rolling hills of Southern Ontario, where the pressures of development are threatening many species, from spotted turtles to bumble bees. In this densely populated region, securing a future for wildlife will require investment of an estimated $113-million per year.
That sum represents a fraction of what Ontarians spend, for example, on soft drinks. The numbers are telling: Conservation is not just about what we spend but, more fundamentally, what we value.
James Schaefer Professor of biology, Trent University; Peterborough, Ont.
While the cost to salvage these flora and fauna may seem high, their extinction could cause an upward cascade of higher-order creatures suffering similar fates.
For example, bumblebees, butterflies and birds are essential pollinators for much of the fruit that humans grow for food, while destruction of crucial vegetation causes animal extinctions and leaves the way open for unhelpful invasive species.
Humans have brought this on through overextraction of resources and climate change caused by burning fossil fuels. We cannot continue our assault on resources without replacement.
Richard van der Jagt Ottawa
Geoff Strong Climate scientist; Cowichan Bay, B.C.
Come through
Re “Walking through Toronto’s St. James’s Cemetery is like moving through time” (First Person, Nov. 4): “Cemeteries in the mid-19th century were often a destination for Sunday strolls, child’s play and even picnics.”
When my husband and I visited Copenhagen two years ago, our favorite place to walk was the 25-hectare Assistens Cemetery in the heart of the city. Families picnicked, musicians entertained and a constant flow of tall Danish cyclists criss-crossed its many pathways.
A fitting tribute to the thousands of Danes, from author Hans Christian Andersen to unnamed street people, who lie buried there.
Nancy Dorrance Kingston, Ont.
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