"Our Government" has been strangely silent in responding to the case of Mohamed Fahmy, a reporter who holds dual Egyptian and Canadian citizenship. Fahmy was recently sentenced to seven years in jail for his balanced reporting of Egypt's military crackdown on the democratically elected Muslim Brotherhood. The Egyptian court, infamous for it's mass execution sentencing of protesters, accused Fahmy of "false reporting" and of engaging in terrorist activities by disagreeing with the military government's position.

Now, "Our Government's" silence can be easily explained. First, Fahmy isn't from a major ethnic voting block currently supporting "Our Government". Secondly, Fahmy would bring focus on the more contentious aspects of Bill C-24, the new "Citizenship" Act. He is a perfect example of what would happen to a person holding dual citizenship who has been accused of "terrorist acts", in this case, investigative reporting. If "Our Government" begins to protest too loudly, or "bullhorn diplomacy" as John Baird, an expert in bullhorn dialogue, describes it, it could bring a sharp focus on the more contentious portions of Bill C-24. Under this new 'Citizenship Act", with this "terrorist" conviction, Fahmy could be stripped of his Canadian citizenship. 

In this case, "Our Government's" silence gives consent to the Egyptian sentence, a sentence most unjust and worthy of a very loud bullhorn protest. While Paul Callandra, speaking for the silent Prime Minister, may be concerned about insulting the new military backed government in Egypt, the rest of the civilized world is not. It is time for Canada to regain it's place on the world stage as an outspoken and fearless defender of human rights, social justice and the rule of international law. It is time for "Our Government" to be changed. We don't need this silence; we need a new voice, loud and clear.

*****

Skid Crease, Caledon 

It is the media Anniversary of D-Day, and Juno Beach, and my stomach turns to watch Julian Fantino read platitudes in France while snubbing his veterans and their families back home in Canada. I have heard the stories of Juno Beach and D-Day from veterans, from Steven Spielberg, and from a proud son who visited Juno with his veteran father for the 50th Anniversary. The young who died there did so in the hopes that they were liberating the world from an evil fascism. How horrified they would have been to discover that it would be replaced by a corporate greed dictatorship that served not the peace of the world, but the insatiable appetites of the 1%. A 1% that will use whatever means necessary to maintain their power and privilege.

My father, a WW2 veteran, pilot, and POW camp survivor, made me promise to always exercise my responsibility to vote. I will not abide anything that interfers with that right, whether it be robocalls, buying of candidates, or false advertising by political parties. Any interference in the affairs of an open and honest democratic society is an insult to the honour of those who defended it with all of their youth and innocence. Don’t celebrate D-Day if you can’t walk the talk. As the old wagon masters used to say when a wheel fell off,  “Either get out and push, or get out.”

*****

Skid Crease, Caledon

The recent spate of editorials bemoaning Andrea Horwath's betrayal of most things traditionally NDP has it's roots in a previous ideological betrayal.

Way back in 2005, Jack Layton did the same thing. Jack knew that if Paul Martin's Liberal platform got majority impetus, the federal NDP would have no campaign. And so he signed his deal with the devils, Giseppe and Harper, and killed Kelowna, Kyoto, and National Child Care. The end game in that betrayal of NDP principles was to ensure the survival of the federal NDP. The result of that is the one term Opposition status that Mulcair currently enjoys and will lose in 2015.

Similarly, with an NDP wish list budget on the table, Horwath saw the writing on the wall for the NDP. If that budget passed, there would few scraps left on the table for the left of centre to champion. And so, she betrayed the principles of the party to try to ensure their survival. It has backfired badly. Traditional NDP loyalists like Stephen Lewis,  Michelle Landsberg and Gerry Caplan have publically admonished the shift to the right and the defeat of the "most progressive budget in recent Ontario history."

Citing distrust of the Liberal government over the gas plant cancellations, Horwath protested that she could not trust the current government. it is important to remember that all the parties wanted the gas plants cancelled. The NDP's concern was that it was being done for political, not environmental reasons. Just like not supporting the Liberal budget was done for political, not social justice, environmental, or sustainable economy reasons.

The will be another Orange Crush in this provincial election, Andrea, but not the one for which you hoped. The Ontario electorate has seen what the federal NDP betrayal of principles has done for Stephen Harper, and they certainly don't want that opportunity given to Tim Hudak and a return to the dark days of the ReformaTories and the Harris regime policies.

You should have supported the budget, Ms. Horwath. That way you would have remained the Honourable Third Party. No longer.

*****

Skid Crease, Caledon