Dear Editor:
Recently I wrote a letter expressing my frustration and disappointment with the conduct of the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada, who had expressed support for the so-called “protestors” who blocked international bridges, occupied downtown Ottawa, traumatized ordinary residents and harassed health care professionals.
The convoy of malcontents received cash and full-throated support from the extremes of the American far right. This was combined with deliberate efforts to spread misinformation by Fox News, Rebel News, and other media sources that are purveyors of angertainment.
I also called on my Member of Parliament, Michael Chong, to speak out against those extreme voices in his party. I watched his speech about the Emergencies Act with great interest.
What I saw was a thoughtful, reasoned and rational argument put forward in a coherent, disciplined manner.
I remain unconvinced about Mr. Chong’s position that existing laws would have solved the problem of the occupation in a timely manner.
A month of political paralysis arising from the failures of multiple parties and multiple levels of government inflicted unprecedented chaos on the citizens of Ottawa. However, I am impressed by Mr. Chong’s demonstration of what a parliamentarian should do in a time of national distress.
My sincere hope is that the thoughtful, rational voices of Conservatives like Michael Chong will counterbalance the efforts of others in his party to lurch into the morass of extremism that makes the Republican Party in the U.S. almost unrecognizable.
John Hirdes,
Elora