Today's topics: gas prices; John Demjanjuk's trial; Liberal leadership; supervised injection sites ... and more
Just the obvious
Let me just ask the obvious question: We are repeatedly told there is no evidence of price-fixing, so why do we see, every morning, identical prices at the pumps at every gas station (Tories Vow To Grill Oil Industry On Soaring Prices At The Pumps - May 13)? Is it coincidence, osmosis, fantastic guesswork, black magic?
I can recall, a few years back, when gas stations would drop prices in the evening; only a few cents, but it gave the appearance of a consumer-friendly business offering a better deal. Even this small gesture has disappeared. I wonder why.
Gordon S. Findlay, Toronto
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Rates for a variety of essential services, such as hydro, are regulated. Regulation prevents suppliers from gouging consumers by charging them whatever price the market will bear. Gas is an essential product. Enough is enough. It's time gas prices were set by some governing body and fully regulated.
Martin Stockton, Carleton Place, Ont.
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So "Big Oil" will be asked to come to Parliament Hill for a grilling on high gas prices. Why? To make us think our government is doing something, it seems.
Will it do anything? Yes, it will cost taxpayers money to run these meetings. Will it lower gas prices? I give it the same odds of a snowball surviving in ... The upshot is that not only will we be hosed at the pumps, we also will be saddled with paying for these meetings to make us feel good. We're being hornswoggled once again. Why do we allow that to happen?
Erik Dravnieks, Ottawa
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Everyone knows individual governments can do little on the supply side to affect gas prices - at least not in a so-called democratic and free enterprise (capitalistic) economy. But there are things governments can do immediately on the demand side that will have an impact. Examples: legislate lower speed limits; tax the hell out of new and existing gas guzzlers; prohibit the sale of gas guzzlers (after defining what a gas guzzler is in today's terms); promote government rebates to purchasers of fuel-efficient vehicles; create a system of rationing gas, etc. I suspect that even talk of some of these things by governments, let alone action on these or similar options, would "scare" gas prices to lower levels overnight.
Longer term, energy alternatives will provide competition that will affect prices - but that's longer term.
Brent Chertow, Newmarket, Ont.
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Disturbing dilemma
Reading the accounts of John Demjanjuk's trial (The Nazi Legacy - May 13), I wondered how many people in his shoes would have done any differently. I would like to think that I would be so revolted by the extermination of innocent people that I would have taken a stand but suspect deep down that, if given a chance to save my life by becoming part of the extermination machine, I would have done the same as Mr. Demjanjuk.
Self-preservation is a very strong instinct and most people will do almost anything to survive. Which leads to the question whether it is appropriate to convict people of crimes against humanity or war crimes when the person involved was, in a way, a victim himself. Those who were in charge and making the decisions are clearly culpable but I'm not so sure about people who were merely following orders in order to save their own lives. I don't have an answer but find the resulting dilemma disturbing.
Garth M. Evans, Vancouver
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Prices we pay
Yielding to U.S. pressure to lower customs duties for day trips to the U.S. would be a severe economic blow to many of our merchants that operate close to the border (Ottawa, U.S. Clash Over Customs Duties - May 12). Our higher tax system contributes greatly to our greatly treasured health-care system, and if we significantly affect that income stream by purchasing in the U.S. we will be the ones suffering rather than profiting.
Gordon Catherwood, Gibsons, B.C.
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Different labels
The Folio piece, Supervised Injection Sites (May 12), clearly illustrates two completely different ways of thinking. "Supporters argue" and "opponents argue" could easily have read, respectively, "pragmatists" and "ideologues." Several references to research, studies and evidence appeared on the pragmatic side; none on the ideological side. Whereas the ideologues were concerned about defending their abstract certitudes about the role of government, the pragmatists focused on saving lives and improving public health. Finally, the argument that "Insite's operation is an affront to federal control" should more correctly read "Insite's operation is an affront to federal Conservative government control."
John Farquharson, Victoria
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Lead on
John Ibbitson may have spent too much time in the U.S. if he thinks Canadians would consider accepting the same media circus Americans have with their primary elections (Moribund Liberals Should Get Beyond Their Grief - And Their Grassroots - May 13). The Liberals could start by simply following their constitution and electing the next leader at a leadership convention. Delegates to conventions represent their membership and naturally have a more accurate assessment of whether there will be support for a leader in their area.
The caucus and the backroom boys also need to fully support the leader who is elected. It was pretty obvious that support wasn't given to Stéphane Dion, a man with a vision and passion for Canada. Instead, they arbitrarily installed a leader whom delegates had rejected at the same convention.
Margaret Ethier, Sherwood Park, Alta.
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I am mystified by the decision of the executive of the Liberal Party that anyone who takes the job of interim leader must automatically be excluded from becoming a candidate for permanent leader.
It's not as if either job would be easy or any great prize, or that an interim leader might not fail in the monumental task of beginning to reconstruct the party. Nor is there any guarantee that an interim leader would want to run in a subsequent leadership race.
What the Liberal Party needs now is the best qualified and most experienced person who is willing to begin the difficult but bracing process of rebuilding the party. Should that person be successful, why should the party reward success by denying that person the right to compete for the permanent job?
John Godfrey, Toronto
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Re Liberals Look To Rae For Leadership (May 12): Been there. Done that.
Sebastian Grunstra, Ottawa
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So Marc Garneau wishes to be considered as the interim leader of the Liberal Party. Just as well the former astronaut isn't running for the job permanently. I can already see the next iteration of Conservative attack ads: "Garneau: He didn't return to Earth for you!"
William Walters, Ottawa