LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Courts, judges have too much power in this country

Sometimes one has to wonder why we do not let lawyers and judges run the country as opposed to elected officials.

When it comes to laws and policies introduced by our government(s) when passed they are always open to interpretation by lawyers. And it is lawyers who are drafting these papers. DUH.

Basically laws and policies are nothing more than guidelines that can have no bearing on the final decisions of the courts. One stands out. Even though the federal government has jurisdiction on the flow of oil across the entire country the province of Quebec has gone to the lawyers and judges to prevent Energy East pipeline from taking Alberta crude and piping it to the east coast refineries through Quebec.

Or the fact that a judge stopped the TransCanada pipeline in B.C. even though a previous judge allowed it for the same reasons the present judge refused it. Or something as simple as driving 80 in a 50. Nothing is what it seems in the eyes of the courts.

No laws and policies are carved in stone when you have lawyers and judges at the controls. And on top of that depending on the political allegiance of the judge the rulings are somewhat tainted. So why bother to have governments establish their footprint when lawyers/judges have the last say on how our country is run? Last time I looked lawyers and judges were not on the ballot. Mark Williamson, Rishor Crescent

PCs, Grits, NDP, Greens give themselves your tax dollars

Thursday's fall economic statement something that has evolved over the past 4-5 years at Queen’s Park - is not a budget. It lays out nothing official and will see nothing voted on in terms of spending measures or tax changes. It’s merely an opportunity for the Ford government to point fingers and play up to its Ford Nation supporters. It is political He said, She said.

The only substantive information we gleaned was that the government’s annual budgetary deficit is close to $15 billion, something we already knew. So far - after his first six months - new premier Doug Ford has managed to save about $500-million by cancelling planned spending, especially on small things. That is a pittance on a budget of $160-billion. Hiring freezes, pay raise freezes.

I would suspect that the new spending will be very little when we get to the annual (spring) budget in late winter 2019 if they are serious about eliminating the deficit, something Finance Minister Vic Fedeli said is their target...at some point in the future.

The economic statement also reiterated an earlier stated low-income tax cut. Those working full-time on minimum wage ($14 per hour) will not be paying any provincial income tax. We are not sure if that applies to the 2018 tax year or 2019.

That left the only other major announcement being a reversal of parts of the Liberal government’s admittedly silly plans for putting a lid on corruption. They had banned candidates, MPPs, and cabinet ministers from attending fundraising events. They also eliminated business and union donations to political parties, riding associations and candidates - sources of scarce funding for minor political parties and their candidates.

But they gave themselves, the PCs, NDP and Greens, your tax dollars in a new dollars per vote subsidy paid annually. Ford said this will be phased out - but only after the next provincial election. Right! How convenient. Each year this taxpayer-funded subsidy amounts to $588,000 for the Greens, $2.9-million for the NDP, $3.8-million for the PCs, and $4.4-million for the Liberals. Nothing for the 24 other provincial parties and all independent candidates.

He also did not mention any changes to the campaign reimbursements the three big parties give themselves and their candidates and riding associations from our tax dollars. He never mentioned that the 24 other provincial parties and all Independent candidates get no campaign reimbursements from taxpayers.

Hardly a level playing field, hardly in the best interests of democracy here in Ontario The Good.

Just as the shine has come off the Justin Trudeau apple, it will also fade for the Doug Ford apple, and in a year or so, voters will be scratching their heads wondering why they wasted their votes on yet another turn of one of the Big Three parties in power at Queen’s Park. These parties are old, tired, filled with backroom hacks who keep things going in the wrong direction repeatedly. If only voters would learn and remember they have better options at election time! Brad Harness, leader, Consensus Ontario