March 5: Trudeau as bad as Trump? Plus other letters to the editor

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Letters to the Editor should be exclusive to The Globe and Mail. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. Try to keep letters to fewer than 150 words. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. To submit a letter by e-mail, click here: letters@globeandmail.com

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Shame game

Re I’m Ashamed For My Country (March 2):

So Margaret Wente is ashamed for her country. Really? And she thinks that The New York Times columnist who believes Prime Minister Justin Trudeau may be “more corrupt than Donald Trump” may have a point? Let’s just compare and contrast the degrees and motivations of the alleged acts of corruption.

Mr. Trudeau’s “offence” is that he tried, unsuccessfully I might add, to influence a cabinet minister, one of whose jobs is political, to drop legal charges in favour of a completely legal deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) for a company whose alleged crime was the bribing of a corrupt regime (Libya), where such practices are widely known to be the only way of doing business. Mr. Trump, on the other hand, is under investigation on collusion with a foreign power, the breaking of election laws, and lying to Congress in order to win the presidency for himself, among other things.

Mr. Trudeau's “offence” appears to have been motivated by the desire to save Canadian jobs and a Canadian company and, not incidentally, to save Liberal seats in Quebec in the coming federal elections. In balance, it would seem that more harm would have been done to Canadians by prosecuting SNC-Lavalin than by agreeing to a DPA.

Like the proverbial sausage factory, politics is a messy business where you don’t want to see what goes on inside. Pragmatism is an unfortunate necessity to balance interests and keep a large and diverse country running evenly.

Unlike Ms. Wente, I do not thank former attorney-general Jody Wilson-Raybould for making public what should have been kept private and for being unwilling or unable to see the bigger picture of what actions on her part would have resulted in the greater benefit to Canadians.

Liz Addison, Toronto

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Ms. Wente says she “thinks of herself as a fairly hard-hearted realist” but then states the politics around the SNC-Lavalin affair made her feel “ashamed for her country.” As a realist, she must know that a more common solution would have been to simply replace the person who would not do what you wanted them to do (the Trump approach).

Indeed, this was finally done, but Ms. Wilson-Raybould was not dismissed from the cabinet. She resigned only after being reminded of the principle of cabinet solidarity and that her presence conveyed consent.

Admirably, she resigned, and admirably the Prime Minister allowed her to speak her truth. And so we will get the details of what normally goes on behind closed doors.

Ms. Wente despairs that the affair “destroys any remaining remnants of principles or idealism” that the Trudeau government may have had. One of those principles is “transparency” and surely this is a startlingly honest display of what that really means. So rather than feeling ashamed of my country, I feel proud that both the Prime Minister and Ms. Wilson-Raybould have displayed integrity and our system of government allowed us to observe how power (the Prime Minister’s Office) really speaks to power (SNC-Lavalin) in this country. It’s a cause for celebration, not shame, and I am hopeful we learn more.

Bill Jennings, Kingston

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Am I the only one who’s fed up with all the moral outrage over the Wilson-Raybould affair? Even Ms. Wente is piling it on.

Well, I’m no more ashamed of my country than I was a few weeks ago. While the whole affair raises some good points for debate, I feel the government did no more than I would expect them to do under the circumstances. The case is arguable, but hardly beyond the pale, and I’d like to know which party, if in government, would have handled it differently.

As for Ms. Wilson-Raybould, good for her for holding her ground, but in any organization if you dig in your heels without support from above, the outcome is probably inevitable. Speaking truth to power and whistle-blowing can be in the public interest, and certainly it’s in the public interest for the issues surrounding SNC-Lavalin to be aired, but the hypocrisy of the opposition and frenzied tenor of much of the reporting are hard to stomach.

David Thomas, Ottawa

With age comes wisdom

I read with great interest the essay on ageism written by Ashton Applewhite, author of This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism (Ageism, March 2).

Many of the most poignant insights Ms. Applewhite raised mirror recent research findings, conducted by the team at Brainsights, about the unconscious age bias common in today’s media on topics related to Canadians aged 55-plus. As Ms. Applewhite detailed with such careful eloquence, stereotypes and labels associated with this demographic are often times insulting and dismissive, and devalue the deep wisdom, wit and savvy that lifelong experiences can teach to those who are willing to listen.

It’s due time we enable, not label, the generations that have paved the path forward. Mindful observances, changed behaviours and more respectful considerations matter most.

Kevin Keane, chief executive officer and co-founder, Brainsights, Toronto

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I read Ms. Applewhite’s article about ageism with interest, being a woman of 74 who doesn’t mind admitting it. However, she did not mention a very sobering statistic. The poorest people in Canada are single women 65 years and older.

Elizabeth Godley, Vancouver

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I wish Ms. Applewhite had had room to discuss ageism legislation.

I recently had an at-fault car accident. The last time I had one, it was approximately 25 years ago. My husband has had three in the past five years.

His driving insurance is currently quite expensive. After my accident my insurance rate didn’t go up at all, because I have such a good driving record. However, I am over 70. That meant I had to take my entire driving test over again. Eye test, written test and driving exam.

My husband, being three years younger, despite his much riskier record, did not have to be re-examined.

Nor do people under 21, even though their accident rates are comparable to those over 70.

Ageism? You bet.

Jacqueline Mills, Kingston

Transit for all

The affordable housing plan offered by the federal government is a step in the right direction (CMHC Sets Goal Of Making Housing Affordable For All Canadians By 2030, March 1).

Along with the creation of 100,000 new units by 2030, sustainable public transportation options should be added.

We are in such dire need of better transit in Canada. Government agencies cannot continue acting in silos. A more comprehensive plan is required.

Shauna Solomon, Kingston

Winter of discontent

Re Ottawa Gets The ‘Gold Medal’ For Winter Misery (March 2):

I hear the weather has been pretty tough, too.

Sarah Ross, Vancouver