Letters | EFI plan offers a balanced approach: MP
Published Thursday August 7th, 2008
I watched with great interest as Premier Shawn Graham and Minister of Education Kelly Lamrock announced a new plan for the province's early immersion program. The plan, in my view, offers a balanced approach to provincial objectives, suggestions from education experts and concerns expressed by parents. I commend all parties involved for coming together to make this summer's consultations productive.
I believe New Brunswick needs to set the example that a strong commitment to respecting and learning both French and English means a better future for our children. I appreciate the fervour with which many anglophone families have worked to wholeheartedly promote bilingualism. This fervour reflects the spirit of the community that surrounds and informs me, Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe.
After Minister Lamrock's announcement, in March, I felt a great deal of concern about the future of bilingual education in our province. I set out to quietly lobby the provincial government to change its initial plan, and suggested Grade 3 immersion as an option. In my mind, it was important that my children's education system reflect the unique nature and values of my community and that all parents have support and options to make the best decisions for their families.
These last few months have shown us that constructive citizen involvement, as well as open and accountable decision making should be goals to strive for, always. Important decisions need to include various perspectives in order to be acceptable and workable. I applaud all those who participated in securing New Brunswick's bilingual educational future.
BRIAN MURPHY
M.P. for Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe
Tax breaks are the best answer
To think all who oppose the carbon tax don't believe in global warming is self-delusional.
Many Canadians who believe in global warming also believe this tax grab is not the answer.
There are two schools of thought. The left wing says tax more and let the government handle your problems. The right and centre say give the people meaningful tax breaks and that will take care of things.
Large tax breaks for all four-cylinder cars and trucks would be a start. Make energy saving washing machines and fridges tax free. My daughter got a large tax break when she installed a new energy-saving furnace in Ontario. Why not in New Brunswick?
Our energy-efficient washing machine cut our water bill about 25 per cent. You can just imagine our saving on hot water that we did not need to use. Tax breaks are the answer, not a tax grab.
DONALD A. GOODSPEED
Bathurst
Saint John is not business friendly
I see Shawn Graham's smiling face in the newspaper and it almost makes me laugh.
The first thing that comes to my mind are his buzz words for Saint John: "Energy hub." All of the big oil business people and natural gas executives coming into Saint John look at their investment opportunities with visions of dollars dancing in their heads.
However, I am certain that their glee will be short lived when they try to fly home from our airport that has no direct flights to the U.S. and no evening flights to speak of.
How about taking the train home (sorry, not an option) or drive our beautiful highways back to the U.S. through all of the back roads to St. Stephen buzzing past the transport trucks and the pickup making the left turn and locking up traffic.
I travel every week for a living to the U.S. and continually have to leave between 5 and 6 a.m. ending up in Toronto or Montreal in order to get to Boston or New York by noon.
We are not a business-friendly city, nor are we a business-friendly region.
Stop talking, and start making wise decisions. Start by closing all three airports in N.B. and open one in Sussex to service everyone with direct and non-stop flights across Canada and the U.S.
I want N.B. to grow and be prosperous. We don't need politicians telling us how much they are going to help when they only help themselves.
RODNEY CHAISSON
Rothesay
Take a closer look at Long Wharf deal
Are we receiving all the information available for the best plan to develop the land at Long Wharf? The constant reference to a parking lot, which seems to have been taken out of context, is a red herring designed to cast a poor light on council.
As most of the Irving offices are already located within the uptown area, how is locating everyone at Long Wharf going to make a huge impact on our uptown shops and restaurants?
They, one would hope, are already shopping and dining uptown during daytime hours.
However, when the offices close at five o'clock and for the weekend how will this help our uptown businesses?
Could Uptown Saint John not benefit more from a mix of homes, restaurants and boutiques on our waterfront at Long Wharf similar to what is seen in other port cities?
We have only one chance to make the most of our waterfront which makes this a project to be looked at very carefully.
MARIE BURCHILL
Saint John
No doubt about mayor's loyalties
No Saint Johner should have any doubt where Mayor Ivan Court's loyalties lie after reading the lead story July 28 concerning his position on the $30 million proposal to build Irving Oil's world headquarters on Long Wharf.
The mayor put forward the flippant argument that the city may be better served by a "parking lot" on the Long Wharf site versus the Irving proposal.
I was not surprised. The proposal is opposed by the International Longshoremen's Association. What the mayor is really saying is that his allegiance is to the 150-member union rather than the 70,000 citizens of Saint John who stand to gain so much by the proposed development.
It is no secret that city unions, along with the ILA, strongly supported Ivan Court's bid for the mayoralty.
Possibly as a result, the mayor seems to have developed a case of selective hearing. He listens intently to the ILA's narrow self-interests but turns a deaf ear to the enthusiastic endorsement of the Long Wharf proposal by virtually all other stakeholders. In so doing, the mayor not so subtly confirmed the obvious. There is an aristocracy of influence cloistering the mayor's chair.
Mayor Court's "parking lot" snub took my thoughts to pre-revolutionary France and Queen Marie Antoinette. Disdain for the citizenry carries a certain risk as Marie no doubt came to understand. I would advise city councillors to distance themselves from the mayor before they also are led to the electoral guillotine by association. You are known by your friends.
BILL RANKIN
Saint John
Reconsider award for Morgentaler
Excerpts from a letter to the Governor General.
I had great respect for you, when you were appointed Governor General of Canada. However, allowing Dr. Morgentaler to receive the Order Of Canada has shaken any respect I had.
Please rethink your decision allowing one of the greatest tragedies in the country to continue, and now rubbing it in the faces all Canadians by giving him the Order Of Canada.
If you believe in a God this should never happen. I would kindly ask you to stop this at once. Anyone who accepts the Order Of Canada with Morgentaler will lose a great deal of respect the country had for them. I urge all of you to please take a stand and refuse this award and stand up for Canada and what is right for our country and help protect us from people like Morgentaler. We deserve better!
REG PETERS
Sussex
Give aid without arms and troops
Defence Minister Peter MacKay said recently that Canadian troops are in Afghanistan to "help the people of Afghanistan to help themselves."
On the other hand, the Agency Co-ordinating Body for Afghan Relief - an umbrella group representing some 100 aid groups and NGOs - just declare that violence is at its worst level in Afghanistan since 2001. The agency states that "some 1,000 civilians were killed this year and their deaths were caused mainly by insurgents, but also by air strikes by international forces." A reported 260 civilians were killed in July, which is more than any other month since 2001, the statement said.
I am sure there are other ways to "help people to help themselves." What about aid - without weapons and troops - to help Afghanistan and other countries to rebuild their national agriculture to face the food crisis? I am sure this would be perceived as much more helpful - and honest.
BRUNO MARQUIS
Gatineau, Que.
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Comments (13)
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However the problem with this is, when people like Bill Rankin write in his letter he claims that Ivan court is only standing up for the unions in the city, rather than the 70,000 citizens. However I beg to differ. Polls don´t lie. The majority of this city wanted Ivan .I used to listen and contribute to TOTT regularly, and when Norm MacFarlaine gave in to the LNG tax deal. The people spoke ,and they spoke loud.
Here in this paper it seems many more people are for it then againest it. However I want to point out something. This paper is owned by Irving and everybody knows that Irving owned bussinesses will never do anything to compromise themselves. Whose to say the quotes they are making from Ivan are even true.
And I would like to ask Bill Rankin, as well as many others. Where do you work?
People have to keep from freezing and have to get to work. People could easilly be allowed a basic tax free amount of oil,gas,KWH or wood through a tax credit, just as a GST credit is now issued every few months. The carbon tax could ne applied to the rest.
Few intelligent people would waste their time listening to the drivel of the old COR kook who called daily and the rest of the other hateful hundred.
Seeing as Michelle ran for MLA and only needed to win 1/4 of saint john's vote and she still lost by a margin of 2 to 1. So I think it is easy to see the majority of saint john (and not just the majority of Irving employees) did want Ivan for mayor.
A majority was always 50% plus one when I went to school.
Mr. Court received 36% of the votes cast. Therefore, 64% of the people who did vote, voted for someone else.
Remember also, only 50% of eligible voters cast ballots on election day.
That means Mr. Court received 18% of the votes of Saint John's eligible voters.
Reversing that, 82% of Saint John's eligible voters did not vote for Mr. Court.
To suggest he won a majority when 64% (82% of eligible voters) voted for another candidate is not correct.
"Could Uptown Saint John not benefit more from a mix of homes, restaurants and boutiques on our waterfront at Long Wharf similar to what is seen in other port cities?"
I think, yes. But why not at the Lantic Sugar site? Why can't the Irving building be put on the Lantic Sugar site, with the remaining area there being developed as retail, commercial and medium density residential. Developers are already complaining that the city needs more dense residential development. Why not down there?
Regards