Dear Editor:
An open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
I have been observing you travel around Africa offering money for African States to elect Canada to the UN Security Council, and I wonder why.
It is not the fact that you are paying my money for support of these states, I think we have seen this model used in the past to obtain support, e.g. the SNC-Libya bribes, (remember your support for SNC?). It is just that I cannot see the value in this expenditure of my money.
As you know, I hope, the council is run by the five nuclear weapons powers of the US, UK, China, France and Russia, and then there are 10 temporary two-year term members to give the impression that non-nuclear powers have a say in what the council decides (Estonia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Niger, et al). As a non-nuclear power that doesn’t fully contribute to NATO and has under-funded its armed forces for several government terms of office, I cannot see what we have to offer to the five super powers in meeting their role, or them to offer to us.
Temporary membership of the council is unlikely because of our reduced contributions to its role over the past two government terms, but even so, how would it improve the lot for Canadians in Canada anyway?
Please stop wasting my money on these sideshows and start dealing with at least one or two of the problems this country is facing:
– massive government debt, leaving no defence against a recession;
– division of the provinces because of federal interference in their affairs;
– inability or unwillingness to assist specific provinces in selling their products abroad;
– inter-province tariffs which cost the consumer billions of dollars;
– no active climate defence program (a 15% carbon tax on my natural gas heating bill is passive and ineffective, as I have no alternative heating, until I get my wood burning stove installed);
– rampant and escalating gun crime throughout the cities;
– trade skirmishes with China, Russia and others, causing business losses; and
– First Nation Canadians living in less than Third World conditions.
If I missed out any other major problems, please let me know.
Michael Lee,
Salem