Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 16, 2013, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE A6 EDITORIALS WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, TUESDAY, JULY 16, 2013 Freedom of Trade Liberty of Religion Equality of Civil Rights A 6 COMMENT EDITOR: Gerald Flood 204- 697- 7269 gerald. flood@ freepress. mb. ca winnipegfreepress. com EDITORIAL P RIME Minister Stephen Harper put a fresh face on his cabinet Monday, a normal event in the course of political affairs. What he really needs to do, however, is put a fresh face on his agenda and style of governing. Mr. Harper is not behind in the polls because Canadians don't like his cabinet, but because his government has grown tired and arrogant. It is time for new policies and an attitude adjustment. The cabinet shuffle may signal a change in attitude and substance, not just appearances, but Canadians will be looking for real evidence the Harper government is turning over a new leaf before the next general election in 2015. Many Canadians tolerated the Conservatives' abrasive style and clumsy public relations as long as the ship of state was sailing smoothly. The unspoken quid pro quo seemed to be the prime minister could count on significant public support, providing the government didn't screw things up, particularly with the economy. That tacit understanding has been undermined by a series of ethical breaches culminating in the Senate expenses scandal, which has raised serious questions about the prime minister's office, now the subject of an RCMP probe. The state of the economy, Mr. Harper's favourite subject, is no longer the invincible sword that can be used to slay all opponents. The list of Conservative transgressions is too long to list, but it includes everything from the robocall scandal to tainted appointments, such as naming a man jailed for fraud to a senior position in the prime minister's office. Under Mr. Harper, scientists, government experts, deputy ministers and even members of Parliament have been muzzled unreasonably, causing a breakdown in the openness and transparency of government that are crucial to the proper functioning of a democratic state. On this score, the Conservative government has treated the media with contempt and, by extension, the general public. Mr. Harper is free to dislike reporters, but they perform an essential service, particularly in a parliamentary democracy, which is weaker than the American system in terms of checks and balances. The prime minister likes to talk about accountability, so long as it doesn't involve talking to the media. He has held only a handful of press conferences in the last seven years and he grants even fewer interviews. Manitoba's senior MP for the last seven years, Vic Toews, was also loath to talk to Manitobans through the media, partly because he felt he was not treated fairly. As a seasoned politician, however, it was his job to find a way to lead the discussion in Manitoba about federal initiatives, even if it involved talking to people he personally did not like. Mr. Toews is, however, entitled to a measure of gratitude for his long service to the people of Manitoba. With Stephen Fletcher also stepping down from cabinet, the task of engaging Manitobans falls to two new cabinet ministers, Shelley Glover and Candace Bergen, both of whom have gained the prime minister's trust over the years. But if they wish to gain the confidence of Manitobans, the new ministers must adopt a new posture by making themselves and their government available for full and frank dialogue about the nation's business. For that to happen, Mr. Harper will have to loosen the apron strings so MPs and cabinet ministers can do their jobs. The prime minister introduced new accountability legislation after he was first elected to government in 2006, but it needs to be updated and strengthened, particularly if he wants to convince Canadians he has heard them. The new cabinet is younger and more diverse than the old one, but it will be just as tired and stale without a commitment to open, vibrant and transparent government. Intolerable epithet In response to Sid Green's July 13 column, Pallister incites political correctness, I'll say that calling women " dames" or " chicks" is politically incorrect. Calling someone a " retard" is a different order of offensiveness. In my 30 years as a high school teacher, there were several epithets I would not tolerate in the classroom or the hallway. " Retard" was one of them. If Brian Pallister used this term, he needs to cultivate compassion and empathy for all citizens if he aspires to represent us as premier of this province. MARY STEINHOFF Winnipeg �� As columnist Sid Green has pointed out, the hows and whys of modern language change appear to be motivated more out of political correctness ( or by the whiff of generational pretension) than they do to suit denotational accuracy. Some examples to illustrate his point: The crass monetary implication of the word " business" ( isn't financial consideration what business is all about?) has been displaced by the glossy patina of the more highfalutin " industry" ( the dog- walking industry? Surely not!), while no singer- songwriter, pianist or fiddler can now be called a " musician" or ( heaven forbid) a " performer." One is an " artist" - at least on the culturally cutting edge of iTunes or to the doyen of all things hip, the CBC. Another of the more egregious PC redactions has been the near- disappearance of the word " problem." Its substitution with the imprecise and overused " issue" suggests that problems are either too emotionally straining for those of milder disposition or, by looking away, they can be made to vanish. Unfortunately, here in Winnipeg we are all too familiar with the emergence of late winter potholes as a serious problem. The how, when and cost of repair remains the issue. MARK S. RASH Winnipeg �� Sid Green completely misses the point about Brian Pallister's alleged use of the word " retard." Pallister wasn't describing a person with an intellectual disability that day in the legislature; he was using the word to insult an MLA. It's just as offensive as saying " you're so gay." Using a word that represents an entire group of people as an insult communicates disdain for the group in question. Pallister could have said " stupid" or " ignorant" without causing offence to anyone other than the person he was insulting. There was no need to drag the mentally challenged community into it. HEATHER JONES Winnipeg A vigorous defence While privacy legislation prevents me from commenting on specifics, I can say that the University of Manitoba and the faculty of social work do not agree with Damien Leggett's characterization of the events as reported in your July 12 story Transgender student files rights complaint. As a result, the complaint made to the Human Rights Commission is being vigorously defended by the university. I am confident that the Manitoba Human Rights Commission will determine that the university acted reasonably and attempted to offer a good learning experience for Leggett and for the other students in the inner- city social work program. JAMES MULVALE Faculty of social work University of Manitoba Best wishes to Reynolds Re: I'll miss you while I'm fighting monsters ( July 13). I am deeply saddened to learn of Lindor Reynolds' recent cancer diagnosis. As one of her longtime readers, I feel I have come to know her as a person through her writing, even though we have never met. I will miss her insightful, often humorous and always thought- provoking pieces and I wish her a speedy recovery as she battles the " monster" that has invaded her life. She will be in my thoughts and prayers. APRIL PHILLIPS Winnipeg Feelings over facts Re: School trouble not in the books ( July 13). Now Nancy Allan's methods and direction are starting to make more sense. It appears she's navigating using feelings rather than facts. That would be fine for clothing shopping. But, as the education minister, she should be operating from a foundation of carefully collected data rather than from personal perceptions and feelings. In order to solve the real problems in schools, she needs to know what's actually going on there - not just what she believes to be happening. CELESTA THIESSEN Steinbach Agriculture is exempt Re: Farmers concerned about cosmetic pesticide ban ( July 12). It's important to remember that Manitoba's lawn- pesticide ban will not be the first in Canada. In fact, six other provinces ( Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes) already have this common- sense legislation. In every case, commercial agriculture is exempt; farmers can use any legal product to control weeds or insects. Lawn- pesticide bans have not been a problem for eastern farmers, and there's every reason to believe they won't be a problem for western ones. GIDEON FORMAN Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment Toronto Trade pact worrisome Reading the July 12 story Canadians cutting TV, moving to web views, I feel it is a good time to remind readers of what the Harper government is getting Canadians into with the Trans- Pacific Partnership trade agreement, currently being negotiated in complete secrecy by unelected trade representatives. According to leaked documents, we should be especially concerned with the copyright protection provisions in TPP, which promise to turn the Internet into an electronic minefield, with penalties as high as $ 10,000 for merely viewing copyright- protected content ( such as a video posted on YouTube). MICHAEL DOWLING Winnipeg HAVE YOUR SAY: The Free Press welcomes letters from readers. Include the author's name, address and telephone number. Letters may be edited. Letters to the Editor, 1355 Mountain Avenue, Winnipeg, R2X 3B6. Fax 204- 697- 7412. Email letters@ freepress. mb. ca Letters represent the opinions of their writers and do not reflect the opinions of the Winnipeg Free Press or its staff. �� LETTER OF THE DAY Re: Respect verdict, Obama urges ( July 15). Having watched the George Ziimmerman trial, I agree with many American observers that justice has been denied the family of Trayvon Martin. Strangely enough, Martin has been found guilty of his own death. At the outset, how could five white women on a jury panel of six find a white man guilty of killing a black teenager in the gun- crazy state of Florida? The whole U. S. justice system is skewed in favour of white people. The laws were written by white people and enforced by white people. The bias is embodied in the system. Even without slavery and segregation, white supremacy is still the underlying guiding principle of the law in Florida. Dark- skinned Canadian visitors to Florida, and especially to the city of Sanford, should beware. You might be the next Trayvon Martin. WILLIAM J. HUTTON Winnipeg Justice has been denied Activists in New York on July 14 protest the acquittal of George Zimmerman. Cabinet shuffle not enough A_ 06_ Jul- 16- 13_ FP_ 01. indd A6 7/ 15/ 13 5: 48: 53 PM ;