Re: Life after politics (Oak Bay News, Dec. 5).
I wish Denise Savoie a healthy and enjoyable (semi) retirement from politics.
She deserves a break given what is happening in Ottawa. She points out eloquently the fear for democratic government from the Conservatives who work on ideology and dislike facts.
I used to have respect for Progressive Conservatives like Stanfield and Clarke but they sure dropped the progressive approach when reformist Harper came to power.
I think the country needs to wake up to the fact that Canadian foreign policy is now merely a copy of the U.S.A. Even those who disliked Trudeau or Chretien must admit that they were able to clearly distinguish Canadians from Americans – as was Broadbent.
We were once respected in all parts of the world for our objectivity and work for peace. We now take sides, for example in the middle east, where a non-aligned, mediative role from the west is needed.
Unless the NDP and Liberals do what the conservatives did – amalgamate – we are stuck with the dire picture of what Savoie called, “a culture of fear and personal attacks that stifle freedom of speech and hamper effective debate.”
Until then we are stuck with Harper, otherwise known as Bush with brains.
Eric Jones
Oak Bay