Your letters for May 27: Senate numbers a tricky thing
Senate representation in Canada doesn't matter much; our Senate has no real power. Suggesting we copy the American model is ludicrous. The U.S. Senate has real power, although allowing anti-science Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be in charge of health attests to its current impotence.
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The reality of U.S. representation is that less than 20 per cent of the population elects over half of the Senate. Wyoming, with half of Saskatchewan's population, has as much power in the Senate as California, with roughly the population of Canada.
One of the principles of democracy is representation by population; each vote should have equal weight. Redistribution added three Alberta MPs for the 2025 election. Ontario has 3.3 times Alberta's population and 3.3 times the number of MPs. Albertans might appreciate having the same power as Ontario, but what about P.E.I. having the same power as Alberta, with less than four per cent of Alberta's population?
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The public record initially had Magliocca adamantly proclaiming his innocence. Now he apologizes for his actions. If he had integrity, he could have taken responsibility for his actions several months ago and saved the cost of an expensive trial.
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As a public servant with 37 years of service, I and countless others like me, had to work diligently to provide our services to the public in a trustworthy and ethical manner. The actions of Magliocca taint us all, and for that, I am deeply saddened.
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Jerry Christensen, Calgary
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Lone Calgary MP should be in cabinet
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Mark Carney is not my prime minister. He told me so. How, you might ask? When he did not appoint the only Calgary Liberal MP to his cabinet. But he did appoint Steven Guilbeault to cabinet. Then he did not immediately fire Guilbeault when he mouthed off, erroneously, about pipelines.
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Mr. Carney, your message has been received loud and clear. Nothing changes in political Laurentian Canada. Perhaps something will change in Alberta? I think the PM wants us to go away.
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Terry Lauder, Calgary
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I have eagerly checked the Letters page daily, hoping someone had taken up Catherine Ford's idea of other, more relevant, referendum topics. No luck so far, but here are a few ideas:
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The provincial government should stay out of municipal areas and repeal changes to the Local Authorities Election Act (paper ballots only, municipal parties, etc.).
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The provincial government should support diversification of Alberta's economy, including renewable energy and battery storage options.
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UCP MLAs who support Alberta separation should be required to resign from the caucus that promoted a 'united Canada' by introducing and passing Bill 1.
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On the 'united Canada' front, how about suggesting our provincial government speak out against separation and work collaboratively with the federal government to resolve current issues, even look for areas of compromise?
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Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors In response to the heated L.A. protests over Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions in the city, Derek Guy, who works out of San Francisco, made a candid post on X detailing his experiences. I debated whether to share my story on here, but I guess I will. I think there's an idea out there that millions of violent criminals are pouring across the border, carrying machetes and drugs, looking to harm Americans. 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