Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - October 3, 2020, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE A8 Let Grade 12 exams continue Re: No need to cram: Grade 12 exams cancelled (Oct. 2) The article included quotes from people exclu- sively in favour of the decision to cancel the pro- vincial exams in January. I would like to know if there was any resistance or critique from people. Though I understand the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a lot of stress for many people, it is agreed online learning will become a norm of the future. Would it not be beneficial to our students to prepare for such a future by taking responsibil- ity for their learning, even if it is done remotely? What about students in the next term? If they will be required to take the provincial exams, will it be fair to them to graduate with a group of class- mates who did not have to write these exams? There is already a large gap for many students entering post-secondary education, and many students struggle with the material taught in universities and colleges. Be it in-person or re- mote learning, teachers should strive to teach the whole curriculum and prepare students as best as they can for their future lives and future studies. ALINA FISCHER Winnipeg Trump goes positive Re: Trump, fi rst lady positive for virus (Oct. 2) I find it hypocritical that Trump is going into quarantine from a disease he has called a hoax. And I find it incredible that the Trumpies out there still support the moron. How often do those supporters have to be lied to until they catch on to the grifter in chief? JACK CHRISTIAN Winnipeg Freedom has limits Re: Face mask usage unnecessarily politicized (Editorial, Oct. 1) On the Winnipeg Free Press website, in the background image of this piece, stand three women holding signs. They’re protesting against the mandatory use of masks, and two of the signs proclaim the importance of freedom. I am tired of people using the language of “freedom” to justify harm against others. The el- derly and the immunocompromised are not “free” when we go around disregarding the safety of others. Teachers and nurses are not “free” from contracting COVID-19 because members of society are getting annoyed by the dampness that comes from wearing a mask. We decided millennia ago that freedoms needed to be curtailed for civilizations to function; this is why we have laws. And short of laws, we’ve had courtesy to one another not to engage in unsanitary, endan- gering behaviour, once we knew it was endangering. There’s too much talk about “freedom,” and not enough of about obligations to neighbours. JASON BOISSONNEAULT Winnipeg Facts behind child poverty Re: Ignoring the facts makes for a better budget story (Sept. 30) Finance Minister Scott Fielding indicated Manitoba experienced a 32 per cent decrease in child poverty. However, Fielding omits three es- sential facts: First, the federal government introduced the Canada Child Benefit in 2016, and it is almost totally responsible for the decrease. Second, Manitoba has lagged behind the rest of Canada, which demonstrated more than a 34 per cent decrease over the same period. Third, in 2017 Manitoba had the second-small- est improvement (35.1 per cent) in market child poverty due to income transfers (federal, provin- cial, municipal) of any province or territory. The decrease for all of Canada was 44.8 per cent. SID FRANKEL, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR FACULTY OF SOCIAL WORK University of Manitoba MPI, buy him a wheelchair Re: MPI compensation ‘laughable,’ senior says (Oct. 1) Small wonder that Manitoba Public Insurance was able to post profits of $180 million when it rejects reasonable claims such as that of Arthur Ray, who was hit by a car while crossing Main Street in his electric wheelchair. One would think that, with this much money in the bank, MPI could afford to replace Ray’s damaged wheel- chair, whereas he cannot. Is MPI so driven by profits that it has lost all humanity and compas- sion, and wilfully blinded itself to what the loss of a wheelchair means to a disabled person? RANDY CLINCH Winnipeg Volunteers are a treasure Re: Retired nurse takes up COVID challenge (Oct. 1) It was a very encouraging article about Susan Care, a retired public-health nurse who has been giving her time regularly in the fight against CO- VID-19. Without the treasure trove of tireless vol- unteers in all facets of Canadian life, our citizens couldn’t hope to have the quality society we enjoy today… the best in the world, in my opinion! MARGARET MILLS Headingley Don’t boast about budget Re: Balanced budget celebrated as downturn looms (Sept. 30) In the midst of a pandemic — during a time when people continue to lose jobs, many may be evicted, and it’s impossible to live on the mini- mum wage — it is disappointing to hear our gov- ernment gloating about a small surplus. This has been achieved by cutting health care, education and social services and comes from a government that believes public housing, and possibly govern- ment itself, is a waste of money. The suggestion that there has been any compas- sion involved in this achievement is appalling. Reducing spending has been the only motivating factor, with no regard for the effects. NDP leader Wab Kinew suggested this when he effectively said Manitobans will be paying for this in lost potential for years to come. To paraphrase Brian Pallister, boasting about this surplus is like showing off the second-floor closet while the house is burning down. DANIEL LEVIN Winnipeg Tell it like it is Re: Balancing budget has cost (Letter, Oct. 1) Letter writer Joe Missalino is fed up with the Free Press slant on how it reports the activities of the Brian Pallister government. He seems to lose track of the fact that this is a NEWS paper and, as such, things that happen around the world are brought to our attention as they happen. We don’t always agree with some of the events, but without accurate reporting by the media we might never be informed of them. We do, however, have the ability to agree or disagree with what is written but this should never influence what is written. Confirmation bias is such an unfortunate byprod- uct in this age of misinformation and fake news. We can’t only read things that we approve of. Keep up the good work, Winnipeg Free Press. BRIAN DYCK Winnipeg Debate needs new format Re: U.S. debate a low point for political discourse (Editorial, Oct. 1) I agree with this viewpoint. The presidential de- bate of Sept. 29 was a debacle, primarily caused by the rude behaviour of Donald Trump. I have one suggestion as to a format change. The best political debate I ever saw was during the 2000 presidential campaign, between the vice-presidential candidates, Joe Lieberman and Dick Cheney. The two candidates were seated at a round table, with the moderator also seated. The debate was frank yet polite. Both gentleman let the other speak uninterrupted and there were no insults exchanged. I believe that sitting down at a table with your opponent implicitly recognizes the equality of the participants. Sitting in a comfortable chair relaxes the body and also the mind. I believe all public political debates should try the seated format. It would result in a more polite exchange of views. KURT CLYDE Winnipeg LETTERS TO THE EDITOR WHAT’S YOUR TAKE? THE FREE PRESS WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU. The Free Press is committed to publishing a diverse selection of letters from a broad cross-section of our audience. The Free Press will also consider longer submissions for inclusion on our Think Tank page, which is a platform man- dated to present a wide range of perspectives on issues of current interest. We welcome our readers’ feedback on articles and letters on these pages and in other sections of the Free Press ● Email: Letters: letters@freepress.mb.ca Think Tank submissions: opinion@freepress.mb.ca ● Post: Letters to the Editor, 1355 Mountain Ave., Winnipeg, R2X 3B6 Please include your name, address and daytime phone number. ● Follow us on Twitter @WFPEditorials OUR VIEW YOUR SAY PERSPECTIVES EDITOR: BRAD OSWALD 204-697-7269 ● BRAD.OSWALD@FREEPRESS.MB.CA ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM A8 SATURDAY OCTOBER 3, 2020 Response too slow to test-site lineups W HILE waiting hours in line to give a sam-ple for COVID-19 testing, there’s lots of time to ponder questions, such as: why is this crucial procedure being conducted so ineptly? Don’t expect a detailed answer from the prov- ince, even though it’s ultimately in charge of the sites where citizens line up for blocks to submit to a nasopharyngeal swab to learn if they are infected. The lines are so long that some people are being told before noon that they may as well leave, because the testing site will close before they reach the front of the line. “Try again tomorrow” is a callous rebuff to citizens who worry they may have a potentially lethal virus. In the weeks since the lineups became a de- bacle, Health Minister Cameron Friesen and his colleagues in the Pallister government have been stingy with public displays of empathy for vic- tims of the insufferably long waits, some of whom have publicly reported that keeping their place in the queue has meant enduring the shame of conducting necessary bathroom functions inside their vehicles or in back alleys. But even more important than the Conserva- tives’ apparent lack of emotional sensitivity is their lack of adequate answers to logical ques- tions. Why must people wait so long to get tested? How will this inefficiency be fixed? The absence of reliable information led the public to offer suggestions intended to spur the province to practical solutions. How about letting people make appointments instead of standing in line? Why not open makeshift sample-collection sites inside cavernous and empty buildings such as the RBC Convention Centre or Bell MTS Place? If outdoor waits are inevitable, in the name of human dignity, supply the lineups with portable toilets. The problem doesn’t seem to be about money. Winnipeg Liberal MP Dan Vandal noted on Sept. 23 that Ottawa has allocated $109 million to help Man- itoba triple its testing capacity, and he criticized the provincial government for not spending it. Finally, at a news conference Thursday with chief public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin, Mr. Friesen vowed: “We’re committed to getting back on track.” He said the province is trying to hire more staff for more screening sites, and more sample-collection sites will “pop up” in coming weeks. One problem with Mr. Friesen’s expression of concern is the lateness of its arrival; lineups at sample sites have been unacceptably long for weeks and, until Thursday, his responses to media questions about the matter have seemed to some to be an attempt to offload responsibility. When asked on Sept. 22 about plans to make sample collection more available, Mr. Friesen told the Free Press to pose those questions to Dyna- care, a North Carolina-based private company that has been hired to open more drive-thru sites in Winnipeg. A second problem is that Mr. Friesen’s pledges are long on aspiration, but short on specifics — small consolation to the people who can’t get tested because lines are too long, which in- clude many who are physically unable to stand for hours. They want to know where and when the new sample-collection sites will open. Despite the vague nature of Mr. Friesen’s promises on Thursday, it’s encouraging that the health minister finally acknowledged his govern- ment’s responsibility. The province should be accountable to the people who can’t get tested in a reasonable time frame. Winnipeggers shouldn’t have to to wait so long for tests that are so important — and they certainly shouldn’t have to wait very long for the province to fulfil its overdue pledge to get testing “back on track.” EDITORIAL MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Minister of Health, Seniors and Active Living Cameron Friesen Published since 1872 on Treaty 1 territory and the homeland of the Métis A_08_Oct-03-20_FP_01.indd A8 2020-10-02 4:01 PM ;