Fiddled while Ottawa burns
Dear editor: Much has been made recently of Mr. Trudeau’s ethnic fashion choices. Those of us from the Canadian West humbly submit an alternative style for our prime minister – a Roman toga, perhaps accessorized with a fiddle.
Confederation is burning, and there appears to be little reaction from our capital city. The anger in Alberta toward B.C. and its anti-Canadian policies has reached Vesuvian levels. I have not seen any recent polls, but I would suggest that Albertan antipathy toward its western neighbour is approaching the same level as French Canadian antipathy toward their English counterparts at the height of the Quebec separatist movement.
The questionable delay tactics employed by my provincial B.C. government against the TransMountain pipeline are welldocumented. And now we have the spectre of the mean-spirited and sado-masochistic “speculation” tax. Make no mistake — this misnomered tax will not only inflict pain on others outside of B.C. (mostly Albertans), but it will also hurt B.C. businesses and taxpayers.
I grew up in a Canada where provincial borders were a road trip novelty item, something to point out to the kids while traveling across our great country. They were not meant to be barriers.
If a Canadian living in Ontario aspired to a family cottage across the border in Quebec, no problem. If a transplanted Maritimer living in B.C. wanted to retain a summer residence back home, go for it. That concept of Canadiana is now severely threatened with the heavy-handed 2 per cent per annum tax proposed by the misguided fiscal alchemists in Victoria. And where is Justin Trudeau, who should be castigating the B.C. government, taking a stand up to protect the cross-border mobility that is a cornerstone of our country?
We’ve heard words and absolutely no action on the calamity that is the TransMountain situation, but not even words from Ottawa with respect to this Canada-busting speculation tax. Mr. Trudeau, please put down the fiddle and get forcefully involved in putting out these flames. Embers are flying on your watch.
Tim Simard
West Kelowna