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Letters July 25: Boris Johnson, plastic bags, foreign aid

Boris Johnson should learn from history Just watched Boris Johnson addressing his caucus and others in his Conservative and Unionist Party who voted for him to become the British prime minister.
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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson waves from the steps outside 10 Downing Street. July 24, 2019

Boris Johnson should learn from history

Just watched Boris Johnson addressing his caucus and others in his Conservative and Unionist Party who voted for him to become the British prime minister.

He quoted a newspaper report, saying he was a devoted reader of a great British brand, that said: “No incoming leader has ever faced such a daunting set of circumstances.”

No doubt the task ahead to sort out the Brexit imbroglio will not be an easy one for Johnson and his team, but surely a far more daunting set of circumstances faced the incoming leader in May 1940.

That’s when Winston Churchill took over as prime minister from Neville Chamberlain, with the Second World War about nine months old.

Johnson was educated at Eton College and Oxford University, and no doubt learned a lot about that daunting set of circumstances in 1940, and how they were dealt with by the coalition government of the day.

Bernie Smith
Parksville

 

Can’t we solve the plastic bag issue?

A-musing. We put a man on the moon, “apparently,” landed a space craft on Mars, carry around a handheld cell phone, also known as a computer/camera/gaming centre/gps/answering machine/calculator/music player, invented virtual reality, artificial intelligence, electric cars, drones, and the Snuggie, but we can’t invent biodegradable single use bags/straws/packing etc. that degrade, in a day/week/month or year once they have been in contact with water.

C’mon!

Bill Carere
Victoria

 

Industry can find ways to reduce the waste

I just don’t get it. The plastics problem could be solved in a decade if government passed a law requiring all packaging — drink containers, straws, and single-use bags — be biodegradable or compostable within “x” number of years/months/days.

Once put on notice, industry would innovate and find ways to meet the new requirement, if given sufficient lead-time.

This has been done before with taking the lead out of gasoline and removing CFCs from refrigerant gases, to cite just a couple of examples.

No more struggles with uneconomic recycling of plastics. No more shipments of rotting plastic/garbage to Asia. No more marine life entangled in plastic.

An economic boost to the fledgling compostable bag industry. Reduced greenhouse gas emissions. A truly marketable end product (compost) that contributes to sustainable development. Win-win-win all around.

B.C. could become the model for all of Canada, or perhaps the world, in dealing with plastics. Government standing up to the multi-billion dollar conventional plastic industry would be the greatest challenge.

Don Macdonald
Sidney

 

First, let’s feedour own children

Re: “Our tax dollars should be spent at home,” letter, July 24.

As the saying goes, “charity begins at home” and the last time I checked, Canada is my home.

We are considered an affluent, First World nation. Yet, we have an appalling child poverty rate, thousands of our citizens live on the streets in our cities in abject poverty and isolation, thousands more suffer from mental health issues with little or no support or assistance after a medical intervention and many First Nations communities still do not have potable water!

And the list goes on.

As Canadians we should demonstrate charity outside of our borders, but $6.1 billion is indeed extravagant, given our needs here in our own backyard. Let’s make sure we adequately feed our own children before we extend our helping hand to others.

John Stevenson
Victoria

 

Foreign aid has not helped needy citizens

Re: “Our tax dollars should be spent at home,” letter, July 24.

I wholeheartedly agree. Why are we giving so-called Third World countries such as India more than $64 million in aid when they already have enough money to participate in the space race, building a rocket and sending it to the moon.

They also have built nuclear weapons and aircraft carriers — meanwhile, most of our seniors live on a very meagre old-age pension and some of our native peoples live in deplorable conditions, some not even having clean water.

I too want my tax dollars to go to Canadians.

Canadians have always been very generous but unfortunately, all the money sent as foreign aid has not helped the needy citizens of those countries. The foreign leaders use the foreign aid money as their own slush fund, adding to their off-shore and Swiss bank accounts.

Charity begins at home!

Liliane Morgan
Victoria

 

Multiple medications can result in falls

As as a senior, I recognize the dangers of falling and I attribute many of these falls as a direct result of taking multiple medications.

Many seniors are taking blood pressure pills, anti-depressants, sleeping pills and over-the-counter medications. The common side-effects of these medications include dizziness, lightheadedness and muscle weakness, all of which increase the likelihood of a major fall.

Many seniors take these medications without knowing the risks of side-effects. The common feeling is “if it is prescribed by a doctor it must be OK.”

Due to the doctor shortage and the increased workload of our GPs it is not possible for doctors to spend time educating seniors about the dangers of multiple medications.

Seniors and their caregivers need to be aware that any change in a medication or a new medication may result in increased risk of falling and should advise the doctor if any changes in balance occur after taking the new drug.

Dorothy Mullen
Victoria

 

Many dollars spent, and now a road trip?

Re: “Where is the outrage over Mullen’s summer trip?” letter, July 23.

You want to know where the outrage is? You can find it right here.

The antics of B.C.’s own Junior G-man, Speaker Darryl Plecas, have already cost the taxpayers many hundreds of thousands of dollars and sparked any number of professional resignations.

And now, his tender ego bruised by the published reproach of a former Supreme Court of Canada Chief Justice, Plecas has dispatched his patently unqualified crony — reportedly the first “chief” of any B.C. Speaker’s staff — on a North American driving tour to uncover more “evidence.” What will that cost?

Most importantly, where are Premier John Horgan and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth? When will they put a stop to this nonsense? They created Speaker Plecas. It’s their responsibility to replace him.

Don Enright
North Saanich

 

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