National Post (National Edition)
The controversial clause
Re: Ontario Premier Doug Ford invoking notwithstanding clause
In an argument to discredit the decision by Ontario Premier Doug Ford to use the notwithstanding clause, letter writer Al Yolles asks: “What’s the point of having a judicial system if it can simply be ignored by those in power?” But he fails to consider the converse of this question, namely, what’s the point of having an elected legislature if it can simply be ignored by an unelected judiciary?
However, the question should be whether it is elected legislatures or the courts that decide contentious governmental and social issues.
Issues such as representation in legislative bodies, approval of national projects, abortion and gay marriage are fundamentally not legal issues and should not be decided by unelected judges. For some reason, our judges feel they have insights superior to those of our democratically elected representatives as to what is best for us. Harvey Kaplan, Thornhill, Ont. When the provincial government in power continues to scrape the bone of health-care funding, compromising the public’s access to efficient health care by closing hospital beds, limiting much-needed medical/surgical/nursing resources, and forcing longer wait times, no public protest is ever sounded; however, when the current Progressive Conservative government takes bold action to save taxpayer money by trimming the fat of excessive, non-productive municipal bureaucracy, a vociferous protest arises within and outside the Ontario legislature.
I applaud Premier Doug Ford for taking action now, and not in two years before the next election, to begin to save this city money.
The outcome will result in city councillors having larger ridings and perhaps they will work harder to earn their salaries provided by the taxpayer. With the money saved, I would hope Premier Ford will be able to put some meat back on the bone of health-care spending. Dr. Lawrence B. Cohen, Toronto