Letters, Nov. 11: Conservative are cleansing up their very own mess

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It’s telling that this motion nonetheless appears to be confused by what constitutes federal and provincial obligations, not not like their fringe counterparts within the truck convoy rebellion.

Choices relating to AHS, vaccinations, academic coverage, and many others. are all provincial, and the right-wing has been in energy in Alberta for many of the previous 80 years.

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So who’re they taking it again from?

Ian Wishart, Calgary

Requires peace being condemned

Re: By no means once more is now — The necessity to denounce antisemitism and hatred, Opinion, Nov. 3

Lisa Libin describes weekly pro-ceasefire protests as “anti-Israel protests that explicitly name for the eradication of Jews.” What precisely she means we can not inform, as she solely insinuates and doesn’t substantiate.

I’m a Jewish social employee who has volunteered within the occupied Palestinian territories with human rights NGOs. I attended a few of these Calgary rallies, and essentially the most discomfort I confronted was frustration that widespread Palestinian chants, akin to “From the river to the ocean, Palestine will probably be free,” are utilized by Hamas in addition to your complete non-violent motion for equality. A protest MC was shamefully arrested for main the mantra. 

Greater than 4,000 Palestinian kids had been killed in Israel’s retaliation for the Oct. 7 Hamas assault. As an alternative of stating “By no means once more” to all mass killings of 1 racial group by one other, Libin conflates antisemitism with requires freedom.

Peter Driftmier, Calgary

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Worth of health-care adjustments doubtful

Our premier and her followers within the Alberta legislature could consider they’re doing one thing good in dismantling AHS. My opinion and most of these I converse with usually consider that strikes akin to this one solely characterize our provincial authorities as a bunch of manipulators searching for alternatives to supply high-paying jobs to their associates. 

When was the final time that they made main adjustments and it ended up good? When had been the employees within the AHS consulted?

Watch and weep.

Keith Williams, Calgary

In reward of truthful reporting, justice served

From the start, I’ve been following the case involving the deadly taking pictures of John Mitchell Smith Jr. by Jesse Martinez, my grandson. In all that point, the studies by Kevin Martin had been the one moderately goal articles that I noticed within the media. All the remaining have contained, to a larger or lesser extent, misinformation and/or expression of opinion prejudicial to the accused.

Mr. Martinez has been given a sentence of 11 years. Primarily based solely on authorized ideas and precedents introduced, I believe the sentence may need been a bit shorter; however the want to discourage gun violence and, maybe, sympathy for the household of the sufferer bumped it as much as 11 years. Nobody with an oz of humanity might have didn’t be moved by their grief within the courtroom on Wednesday.

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I really feel that every one issues thought of, the sentence is affordable. I’ve nice respect for the way in which through which Decide deWit dealt with what should have been a really tough case.

Gordon Clifford, Calgary

‘Stale ideology and vainglorious pursuit’

I listened to the phone city corridor on a proposed Alberta Pension Plan. It made me notice, as soon as once more, that the UCP has an fascinating and contradictory method to politics and governing. They continue to be coy or silent on vital points associated to public well-being throughout electoral campaigns after which, as soon as elected, reveal an agenda stuffed with political surprises.

They give the impression of being to ideological stalwarts – akin to Preston Manning and Steve Allan – to conduct largely opaque inquiries into issues of the broader public curiosity. And now, they wish to resort to referendums to settle complicated issues of public coverage, akin to tax will increase and the creation of a provincial pension.

All the above appear to be grounded in a simplistic and extremely selective populism pushed by the dual propellers of a stale ideology and the vainglorious pursuit of an Alberta Exceptionalism.

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If the UCP was dedicated to genuine citizen participation and the animation of the widespread good, they’d introduce some measure of proportional illustration (PR) for future elections. Actually, PR doesn’t often lead to majority governments. Some see that as an issue. I don’t. A revamped, extra equitable electoral system would be certain that extra voices are heard within the coverage growth course of, and lead to larger oversight and the implementation of insurance policies that extra successfully meet the wants of all Albertans.

Lastly, if the federal government desires a referendum on PR, I actually have a main query: would you just like the authorities to be more practical and inclusive, sure or no?

Timothy Wild, Calgary

Flaw in APP reasoning

I learn the Lifeworks report, and in keeping with Desk b.1.a, it seems that the calculation of the quantity owing is solely based mostly on the cumulative contributions by Albertans, much less that paid out to residents. On the floor, this appears applicable, however there’s a large flaw on this reasoning. 

If an individual works in Alberta however leaves on retirement, beneath the maths within the report, the quantity he paid into the plan whereas in Alberta needs to be stored by Alberta, and the pension this individual is entitled must be funded out of the non-Alberta portion of the CPP fund. I doubt that any authorities or CPP official can settle for the validity of that methodology. 

If this displays wording within the CPP act (which I can’t discover any assist for), it could not solely be easy for the federal authorities to revise the act however can be its obligation to take action. Not making an attempt to say the APP is true or improper, however the determine of 53 per cent is just not even near reasonable expectations.

Larry Hanson, Calgary

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