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Eve Adams's battles

Re Harper Orders Party Inquiry Into Adams Riding Battle (April 3): Mike Duffy, Patrick Brazeau, Pamela Wallin, Alison Redford. Now we can add Eve Adams to the growing list of Conservative elite exhibiting a seemingly inherent sense of entitlement.

It's one thing to fight among fellow Tories for a riding nomination. It's another to pick on the people who put gas in your car and try to get it clean in snowy, slushy, icy Ottawa in mid-winter.

J.L. Vansickle, Victoria

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I implore Eve Adams to join us at Canadians Revolting Against Poor Washing of Automobiles, SUVs and Hummers (CRAPWASH) to fight this scandalous behaviour that is plaguing all Canadians.

I am thrilled to see our MPs working so hard, not afraid to fight on our behalf for these ignored but significant issues.

Nigel Smith, Toronto

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No need to panic. The PMO will take care of this faster than you can say Helena Guergis.

Ross Howey, Toronto

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Conservative politicians and operatives have spent eight years acting like the rules are an affront to the natural order when applied to them. This latest lack of respect for proper procedures, conniving and bullying shouldn't "shock or appall" them.

Linda Leon, Whitehorse

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Woof, woof. Grr?

What is it with these Conservatives? Every time they feel a need for a warm and cuddly photo-op, they bring out the dogs (Front-page picture, April 3).

First it was Peter MacKay, in the midst of the Belinda Stronach nonsense. Now it's a picture of Dimitri Soudas and Eve Adams with their friends' dogs. And why did The Globe publish this photo in the first place? It must have been difficult to run all that treacle through the printing press.

Gordon Howe, Toronto

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While disturbed at the goings-on of Adams/Soudas, I'm a sucker for dog-walkers. I am, therefore, prepared to cut them a little slack. All is forgiven!

Rosemary Alfers, Ottawa

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Measles push-back

André Picard writes that "When parents refuse vaccination, a doctor cannot just shrug it off; there needs to be push-back" (We Shouldn't Wait For A Death To Enforce Vaccinations – April 3).

There are only so many things a physician can do when working with vaccine refusal. Most of them fail, including education, patience, explanation, trying to empathize, etc. Generally, physicians don't "shrug it off," we try very hard. Often, we are unsuccessful, given the current climate of misinformation about vaccine efficacy and safety.

Most people are not students of medical history. They don't remember polio epidemics from the first part of the 20th century, or how the March of Dimes came to be. Public Health itself has an interesting history of mandatory treatment for persons who don't toe the line (the history of TB).

So, I'm curious. What kind of "push-back" is Mr. Picard hoping for? The vaccination police?

K.M. Peckan, MD, Waterloo, Ont.

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Ailing ERs

For 10 years, the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians has highlighted the problems associated with emergency-care delivery in Canada (Medicare Defenders Set To Protest As 10-year Accord Expires – March 31).

These include overcrowded hospitals and resultant dysfunctional emergency departments, inconsistent reporting of patient wait times, human resources shortages leading to unexpected disruptions in ER service, a curious lack of oversight with respect to day-to-day operations of ERs and a failure to develop a true "system" of care. These problems affect, at some time or another, every province and territory.

Call us naive, but Canada's emergency physicians believe that the solutions are within our grasp. However, without national leadership, direct oversight and meaningful accountability, Canadians will continue to be subjected to unacceptable regional variations in emergency care.

Alan Drummond, co-chair, Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians

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First Nations audits

Re Audit Critical of Reserves Comes as Ottawa Courts First Nations (April 3): While all governments need to be accountable, in reality many First Nations lack the financial and human resources needed to meet the many demands placed on them.

When examining transparency in government spending, journalists should consider looking into how much taxpayers' money the federal and provincial governments squander each year on litigation opposing legitimate First Nations' claims to a fair share of this country's lands and resources, which once belonged to them. I suspect the figure would be in the millions. This money could more appropriately be spent on education and health services for First Nations people, and on badly needed housing, infrastructure and social programs on reserves.

These governments need to get their priorities right.

Kent McNeil, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University

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Experts 'R' Us

I see that Conservative Senate leader Claude Carignan doesn't think "the comments from the experts are appropriate" with respect to the (Un)Fair Elections Act (Ottawa Presses On With Election Reform – April 2).

He thinks the experts who have objected so strenuously to this new bill are not qualified to make such judgments. Rather, he looks to people like himself, who understand the bill because they have done election organizing, been political advisers and electoral officials. Should we take some comfort from the fact that he recognizes that those all over the world who are opposed to the bill are "experts," although not as "expert" as himself?

Bert MacBain, Brentwood Bay, B.C.

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With Democratic Reform Minister Pierre Poilievre steadfastly defending the Fair Elections Act against a plethora of criticism from experts in the study of democratic election practices, I'm reminded of a comment from an elder: "You can tell Mr. Poilievre, but you can't tell him much."

Gary Bryck, Toronto

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Lobster love

Re Parking Lot Lobster Is In A Jam (April 3): The owner of a monkey found in an IKEA parking lot is on the hook for $83,000 in court costs and sanctuary fees. The prankster who abandoned that lobster would be well advised to lie low.

Farley Helfant, Toronto

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Passionate as I am about the rights of an abandoned crustacean, I'm happy to offer to pick up and deliver this creature back to a suitable aquatic environment.

It surely needs a nice warm bath after a night in a parking lot. Nod. Dress its little injuries with butter. Grin. A flight back to the Atlantic? No problem. Wink.

Mark Burgess, Cobourg, Ont.

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