Waiting for the election

Re: Coverage of the Snc-lavalin scandal, March 2

Saturday’s National Post dedicated six pages to the SNCLavalin scandal. It detailed Justin Trudeau’s machinations to protect 9,000 jobs — including 3,400 in Quebec. Canada’s primary problem is not, however, Quebec. It is Alberta.

According to Statistics Canada data, employment in Alberta declined for the second consecutive month, down 16,000, in January. The data would have been worse had Rachel Notley’s NDP government not hired droves of public servants.

U.S. Gulf Coast refineries need to replace supplies of Venezuelan heavy crude. Canada should be filling the gap. Yet we cannot deliver enough of our product to respond to international demand. Two “progressives” are responsible for this calamity: Barack Obama for blocking the Keystone XL pipeline, and Justin Trudeau for stalling Trans Mountain.

Two years ago, Americans rid themselves of Obama’s anti-business government and are now enjoy a booming economy. In October’s election, we should do the same with Trudeau. David Griller, Ottawa October can’t come soon enough so that I can express my disgust with my government at the polls. Assuming, of course, it lasts that long.

The National Post reminds me that there are amazing people in Canada, such as Jody Wilson-raybould, and it gives me hope that truth and integrity will prevail. I can only wonder in sadness what Vice-admiral Mark Norman must be going through right now. His case has all the earmarks of the current scandal. Maurice Drew, Ottawa The 18th-century Irish MP and philosopher Edmund Burke defined the role of the MP as one of trusteeship and an obligation to act in the national interest even if by doing so might be against the interest of the party or the constituents.

In a speech to voters in Bristol, England, in 1774, Burke said the parliamentarian’s responsibility to his constituents was to his country and, “... his unbiased opinion, his mature judgment, his enlightened conscience, he ought not sacrifice to you, to any man, or to any set of men living. … Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion. … You choose a member indeed; but when you have chosen him, he is not a member of Bristol but he is a member of Parliament.”

This admonition might be worthy advice for the member of Parliament for Papineau, and for all the seemingly robotic MPS who seem to be dedicated to the party and none for the state. James Bissett, Ottawa