Editor:
Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party are to be congratulated for forming the new Government of Canada.
And, for stopping Stephen Harper, who was without a doubt our worst Prime Minister, leading us down a path similar to the American Republicans waging war and catering to the Petroleum Industry.
How did Trudeau win such a “comfortable” majority?
He did so by appealing to more blocs of voters: youth, the women’s vote, the pro-marijuana vote and, most of all, the ethnic vote.
The urban centres, especially, went solidly Liberal, as families remembered Pierre Trudeau and the policies of multi-culturalism.
What goes around comes around. And now there are great expectations for Justin.
Already, things are looking better for Canada after an initial meeting with President Obama during which Trudeau said that Canada will be winding down its combat mission against ISIL, and we won’t be buying those F-35 jet fighter planes.
By deposing Harper there is hope that Canada will return to a more sensible path with a lot more equality.
Not since RB Bennett was PM in the 1930s have we had such an autocrat as Stephen Harper.
When he won his majority in 2010, the first thing he did was to reaffirm our commitments to the Afghan war, which cost us $20 billion and many lives lost.
When the scientists published their reports of the toxic pollution of the Athabaskan River and rising cancer rates to the north of the tar sands, their findings were dismissed and the scientists muzzled.
The National Energy Board was created to approve pipelines like Enbridge.
Protection of waterways were dropped.
All those decisions have to be reconsidered.
Justin could take a page from Tom Mulcair’s book.
We need to have value added to our raw materials and natural resources.
Our wood products are exported as dimension lumber, including the clearest and best quality wood that should be remanufactured, creating more employment and value.
The export of raw logs should never have been allowed.
We sell our minerals at bargain prices and export the nasty sludge known as Bitumen, when it should be refined in Canada for Canadians.
We owe it to the world to not export this low grade oil, endangering our rivers, shorelines, wildlife, and humans.
If Canada has thriving secondary industries then we will have work for emigrants and Canadians who need to be brought into the work force, rather than continue the dependence on the social assistance system.
If marijuana is to be legalized then this could be a boost for our economy as well as lessening the control of the medical profession and the pharmaceutical companies that were opposed to legalization.
There are many medicinal properties of marijuana, and moderate use can cure minor ailments, and help with alcoholism and hard drug addiction.
There are many positives about the new Government, and high expectations.
We have not yet seen the ‘Just Society’ that Pierre Trudeau spoke about, and this is perhaps Justin’s greatest challenge — to bring justice and equality to Canada.
Michael Atwood
Chimney Lake