Editor:
Re: Divergent leadership, Feb. 17 letters.
With regard to the letter from Mary Bruce, I would suggest that Bruce, letter-writer L. Young (Show some respect for past PM, Jan. 20 letters) and columnist Tom Fletcher (Looking back on Harper, Jan. 6 column) obtain a copy of the book, Party of One, by Michael Harris.
A few weeks ago, a letter (Leadership critical, Jan. 29 letters) appeared in answer to the many letters lauding former prime minister Stephen Harper for the wonderful work he did, and referred readers to the aforementioned book. I purchased the book and it really opened my eyes to how Harper became prime minister, assisted by hiring help from the U.S., a country where dirty politics is the norm.
Bruce’s letter fails to mention the closure of defence department medical clinics throughout Canada, which assisted servicemen returning from Afghanistan and other hot spots suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, and for those who lost limbs, they were paid a lump sum instead of a well-deserved pension.
Harper sent our young men and women to war, but if they returned wounded physically or mentally his attitude appeared to be that they did what they joined up to do and it’s too bad if they were casualties.
I served in the Second World War and also Korea and had several friends of mine killed or severely wounded. When they returned to Canada, they and other veterans who came home wounded, both mentally and physically, the government of the day showed their appreciation and the appreciation of the Canadian citizens by providing them with the assistance they desperately needed and earned.
Just read the book, which gives a thorough account of how the 2011 election forced Elections Canada to scrap the outdated laws covering federal elections and bringing them up to date so elections could not be won by surreptitious American-assisted means.
Finally, Bruce’s reference to Bill C-377 and its attempts to investigate labour unions’ finances is ludicrous considering it came from former South Surrey-White Rock-Cloverdale MP Russ Hiebert, who reported $600,000 spent out of taxpayers’ money on travel and when questioned about it, his comment was purportedly that’s “the price of democracy.” His approach to democracy we can well do without.
He now has a good down payment on a new home wherever it may be and when he turns 55, after serving a few short years as an MP, he will receive a pension far greater than any retiree from the Armed Forces or RCMP will receive having served 20 to 25 years of their lives in the service of Canada.
J.R. Marshall, Surrey
