Lamenting the lack of political leadership

I wish to comment on two articles published in the “Shoreline News” July 7, 2023.

Craig Westcott’s “Immigration is good, too much is a problem” sheds light on a situation in our province that our politicians do not want to discuss. As Mr. Westcott states, a great deal of upfront preparation has to be carried out to ensure that our province can afford to provide adequate housing and jobs before we hand out permanent resident status papers. I am not against immigration, but proper checks and balances and oversights have to be put in place to ensure that the immigration process is both fair to immigrants and the financial well-being of our province. We have to be aware of the fiscal accountability in a province where we owe billions of dollars. We are at a crucial time in Newfoundland and Labrador and we need leaders who make decisions in the best interest of the province and that requires brutal honesty. It is obvious from the article that the knee-jerk Furey government and Minister (Gerry) Byrne are not doing due diligence on the immigration file. For sure, immigration has brought talent, energy and money that fuels economic prosperity and enriches our culture. However, we need a more reasoned, stable, measured approach to immigration to ensure that it does not cause more problems for the province in housing and health care than it solves.

The second article (a letter to the editor) by Shawn Dean, “Carbon tax fueling taxpayer’s anger with MP, Liberal Government” was an e-mail sent to Ken McDonald discussing taxes imposed by the Liberal Government and Mr. McDonald’s silence on the matter. We hopefully elect members who are going to speak up for us. The people who elected Mr. McDonald should be uppermost in his mind when he sits in that House of Parliament in Ottawa, not acquiescence to the leader Justin Trudeau.

It takes strength and courage and backbone to stand out of the crowd and not follow the pack. The member might take a page from Jody Wilson Raybould and Jane Philpott who had the fortitude to stand up to Trudeau and suffer the consequences. Like Shawn Dean, I think many of us are looking for someone who does not toe the Trudeau line but toes the line of the ordinary Newfoundlander and Labradorian.

Both of these articles illustrate that we are not being led by very strong politicians. It is time for us as an electorate to take note and make some changes for the sake of our future.

Donna Dawe

Topsail, CBS