Ontario's fair share
Should Ontario, "the most cost-effective provincial government," have to cut spending and raise taxes again (Four Years Of Tough Choices – editorial, Nov. 21)?
The Constitution Act states that "Parliament and the government of Canada are committed to the principle of making equalization payments to ensure that provincial governments have sufficient revenues to provide reasonably comparable levels of public services at reasonably comparable levels of taxation."
Clearly the spirit, if not the letter, of this constitutional commitment is not being lived up to by the federal government, which has arbitrarily and repeatedly reduced equalization entitlements to Ontario. Because of oil and gas revenues, the provinces (particularly Alberta) with the highest levels of expenditures have the lowest levels of taxation.
Ontario should increase its level of taxation to meet compelling expenditure pressures. But the federal government is constitutionally obligated to revise its equalization payments to a province that has "the lowest per capita spending in Confederation."
Don Stevenson, Toronto
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A report issued by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce warns that "Ontario's fiscal situation is becoming increasingly dire." The report's language is clear: We have a structural deficit that "is becoming unsustainable"; "increased interest payments on debt will further crowd out government's capacity to spend on programs and services."
Despite expert warnings about lower growth, the government missed its revenue target set just four months ago by almost a half-billion dollars.
Its own Public Accounts show the province received $600-million more from Ottawa last year than the year before, yet the Liberals are nowhere near balancing the budget. The Globe and Mail's readers are not well-served by an editorial downplaying the seriousness of the situation.
Vic Fedeli, Ontario PC Finance Critic
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Hard truths
Re Pipeline Paranoia: Why All Provinces Should Embrace Expansion (Nov. 19): Glen Hodgson, chief economist at the Conference Board of Canada, writes, "The hard truth (one often ignored by critics of Canadian energy) is that someone will supply oil to meet global energy demand, even if Canada does not. In our view, it is to Canada's advantage to find ways to capture its fair share of the global energy market." This assertion is just the common property problem in slightly different clothes.
It was once "someone else will surely catch the last codfish, so it might as well be me." Follow though on Mr. Hodgson's logic and it's "someone else will put the last spike in the global climate, so it might as well be Canada." It's disappointing to see such lightweight thought from such a heavyweight institution as the Conference Board of Canada.
John Kidder, Ashcroft, B.C.
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Rx for BC Cancer
Re It's Long Past Time To Fix BC Cancer Agency (Nov. 19): As a recently retired oncologist with the BC Cancer Agency, and having worked in cancer systems not only as a researcher and physician in Ontario and Alberta, but also in cancer leadership positions in those provinces, I can attest that the issues now being made public are real and need attention.
As in most cases of this nature, the situation is somewhere between claims of the dire state of the Cancer Agency and the reassurances offered by the Provincial Health Services Authority. Every participant is now conflicted, having taken sides and a public position. The only acceptable way forward is for those with the responsibility for stewardship of this public trust to arrange for an arms-length external review of the agency and its operations on both the clinical-care and research sides.
As the media story has evolved, I've grown concerned there may be resistance on the part of both agency and health authority leaders (and even perhaps the ministry) to an independent review by external experts.
Such resistance, if it is true, reflects a culture that may be at the core of the accumulating problems. Thoughtful advice from independent observers seems to me an essential intervention for the rehabilitation of the agency and the public perception that has been created.
George Browman, MD, Victoria
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CBC's trigger fingers
Re CBC Reverses Directive Banning Journalist From News Network (Nov. 21): Process is clearly a four-letter word at the CBC. I read the interview with Linden MacIntyre that itched the trigger finger of Jennifer Harwood enough for the managing editor of CBC News Network to shoot herself in the foot. In that interview, I encountered a reasonable (and reliable) argument about the coddling of stars at the national broadcaster.
And though the powers that be at the Corp(se) – realizing that muzzling such an eminent journalist who fell on the sword of middle- and upper-management-enforced staff cuts in order to protect jobs of younger staffers was public-relations suicide – fired back at Ms. Harwood just as quickly, the systemic, trigger-happy behaviour is just all the more reinforced.
There are processes in every modern organization to deal effectively and efficiently with employee behaviour, complaints and comments in public (on or off the record.) Folks at the CBC need to use them and get gun shy.
David Ferry, Toronto
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Such clarity of thought and honesty from departing fifth estater Linden MacIntyre. He'll be missed – though perhaps he might be properly engaged to replace Jennifer Harwood as managing editor of CBC News Network.
Geoff Heinricks, Hillier, Ont.
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Beer, a better way
Since for all its faults the Beer Store is an effective tool in the deposit-and-return system of beer bottle reuse in Ontario, and the Liquor Control Board admits that it has limited shelf space for beer, why not simply allow a third option (Why The Beer Store Is A Hard Case For Ontario– Nov. 21)?
The government could easily license privately operated specialty stores for beer, much as they already license franchise stores in Ontario's North, so that Labatt, Molson and Sleeman drinkers could continue to buy at the Beer Store, and single-bottle and six-pack shoppers could visit the LCBO, while those in search of a wider diversity of brands could seek out specialist retailers.
The system has worked well in other provinces and is long overdue in Ontario.
Stephen Beaumont, co-author, World Atlas of Beer and Pocket Beer Guide 2015; Toronto
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Hmm …
Re Distracted Driving Is The New Drunk Driving (Nov. 21): We're told that "the B.C. government urged citizens to take to Twitter and share their commitment to focus strictly on driving when behind the wheel." Am I the only one who sees a contradiction here? It's like asking people to shoot into the air to show their support for gun control.
Donal O'Reardon, Toronto