Letters: Lack of costed platforms is disrespectful to Canadian voter

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To vote intelligently, people need reliable, comparable information from all parties, especially about how our money will be spent and how tax revenue will be generated. We know that all parties will have rose-coloured glasses on revenue and program spending plans will be vague.

But if we had costed platforms, we could at least anticipate whether we were about to enter a Jean Chretien/Paul Martin federal Liberal government austerity period, or increasing deficits as happened under the Justin Trudeau/Chrystia Freeland federal Liberal government.

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The Steven Harper Conservative government had more focus on spending, but also chose industry bailouts and deficits. Neither the Liberals nor the Conservatives have released a costed plan before people were eligible to vote. This shows disdain for voters.

The Liberals under Mark Carney have finally produced a document proposing another deficit.

The Conservatives under Poilievre have been campaigning for two years, but so far have not explained how they will fund tax cuts, maintain social programs, provide housing incentives, increase military spending and reduce deficits.

Instead, Conservatives have remained in stone-throwing mode — attacking Liberal plans while delaying releasing their own. The legacy media-proof Conservative campaign will also prevent any need to answer mainstream journalists’ questions. As voters, we deserve better.

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Have we become so cynical that we don’t care because we don’t believe that either party will perform as promised? Or have we become so leader-focused that we are willing to vote with no notion of how our money will be handled?

David Steele, Saskatoon

Any vote supports an independent Canada

By getting out and voting on April 28, you will be sending a powerful message to Americans that you support Canada and that you support Canadian independence and Canadian democracy.

Mike Priaro, Calgary

Israel justified in Hamas attacks

An April 19 letter written by Ed Lehman under the headline “Canada needs to refocus on peace” demands that “Canada should stop supporting the attack on Gaza by … Israel.”

First, Israel is not attacking Gaza. It is attacking Hamas — the Palestinian terrorist group that, 18 months ago, invaded Israel. Today, Hamas continues to hold about 60 Israeli hostages. Every country, including Israel, has a moral and legal right to defeat such murderous terrorists and to free its hostages.

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Second, I’m not sure what newspaper this individual is reading, but Canada is hardly supporting Israel. In fact, shamefully, Canada cannot decide whether to support Israel, a liberal democracy and ally, or Hamas, a genocidal terrorist group.

No other country would tolerate the incessant terrorism that Israel has had to face. Israel has the right to do what it can to free its hostages. This is something that the letter writer appears to have forgotten.

Barbara Adams, Saskatoon

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