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Winnipeg Free Press

Opinion: Letters, May 8

Opinion Scheer the wrong pick Re: Conservatives choose Scheer as interim leader in House (May 7) I cannot imagine a worse choice for an interim Opposition leader. Anyone who doubts this needs to read Andrew Scheer's online bio which describes his dual American-Canadian citizenship. It is a big mistake to allow an American citizen this power at a time when Canada's very existence is being threatened by an American president. People holding American-Canadian citizenship should not be allowed to hold office in the Canadian government. In 2020 Scheer refused to renounce his American citizenship. His dual citizenship is far too close for comfort for a nation that has declared it is not for sale to the U.S. This is a very dangerous move. Ariel Lee Winnipeg Carney right for the job Watching the first part of the meeting between Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump was the first step toward a new beginning. Following that, Carney took questions from reporters from the roof top of the Canadian Embassy where all questions were answered. From the get-go, it was clear Carney was the right person to be dealing with Trump. Listening to the many political analyst, politicians of all stripes and reporters evaluating this meeting, they all came away with very positive reviews. It became very clear to me, and I am sure to a majority of Canadians, that Carney was by far the right person to be at the White House for this very important meeting. It also became abundantly clear that Pierre Poilievre would have been way over his head intellectually. Canadians needed an intellectual there and that was Carney. Ian MacLean Kelowna, B.C. Grading and motivation Re: Getting beyond just grading and tests (Think Tank, May 6) Ken Clark described grades as causing humiliation, disengagement and dispiritedness in students. However, Rethinking Assessment with Purposes in Mind (the same Manitoba Education document quoted by Mr. Clark in his article) recognizes that 'the relationship between grades and motivation is neither simple nor predictable. Grades have been found to be motivating for some students, and demotivating for others.' By adopting a mandatory ungraded assessment system at Glenlawn, the Louis Riel School Division removed the incentive for students who are motivated by grades, a benefit available to the vast majority of high school students across Manitoba. Mr. Clark also makes reference to parental concerns raised regarding Glenlawn's ungraded assessment system that are based on 'anecdotal comments from community members.' Unfortunately, due to the LRSD's deliberate choice not to provide applicable data to the public, this is the only way for parents to evaluate the effectiveness of Glenlawn's specific implementation of an ungraded assessment system. In fact, I have specifically asked the LRSD for the collection and public release of data-driven reports evaluating Glenlawn's assessment system, including aspects such as perceived fairness, student wellness, post-secondary outcomes and provincial exam performance. Until such data is available, I don't see how these discussions can be robust or productive. Celia Valel Winnipeg Industrial tax works Re: End the industrial carbon tax (Think Tank, May 6) Yet another article from someone calling for the end of carbon taxes. While there might be some doubt that the retail carbon tax was effective, the industrial carbon tax actually seems to be doing what it is designed to do. According to the research conducted by the Canadian Climate Institute, industrial carbon pricing is single largest driver of emissions reductions and is expected to be responsible for 20 per cent to 48 per cent of our emissions by 2030. Yes, there is a cost to industry, but those that beat the limits have credits they can sell, minimizing the cost to the business and to consumers. The research by the CCI shows that industrial carbon pricing has almost no effect on consumer pricing in 2025 and is forecasted to only increase to half a per cent by 2030. Furthermore, failure to collect carbon taxes would expose businesses to additional tariffs when those products are exported to countries that have a carbon pricing plan. That money doesn't go to our government for us to use, but goes to the benefit of our trading partner. We need to realize that pollution has a cost. Back when there were a few billion less of us, we could ignore the byproducts of industrialization and our ecological footprint. We can no longer do that, our impact on the planet and environment is slowly making the world uninhabitable. But this isn't about saving the planet. No matter what happens (including everything up to a full blown nuclear winter), the planet will be fine. In another 100 million years there would be almost no trace of whatever disaster occurred. This is about ensuring that we can still live here today and into the future. Maybe this is why we can't find a trace of other advanced civilizations. They progress to the same point we are at, then turn their planet into a Venus-like hellscape and disappear, leaving no trace. I know this is a hard problem for humanity to deal with because it's happening so slowly and we're not mentally geared for handling slowly approaching problems, but make no mistake, it is happening. We need to persevere and take the necessary steps to save ourselves. Will it be painful? Probably — there's a price to be paid for the damage we have already done. The industrial carbon tax has to stay, it's one of the few things that are actually working. Jean Neron Winnipeg On separation I am writing to acknowledge Alberta's right to hold a referendum with respect to separation from Canada. In the same spirit that negotiating parties review a contract, I would like to explore this in three dimensions: As reported widely in the media the first dimension is the requirement that Alberta negotiate with Canada and also with First Nations communities whose treaties are with Canada rather than Alberta. Secondly, in today's world, Alberta is rich in petroleum and its wildflower Prairie. In years to come, petroleum may not be as popular or the supply may be depleted. With expected global climate change, the Prairie may become a dust bowl. This would shift the balance of strength for the purpose of negotiating separation. Lastly, I propose a counter-offer, inspired by a potential response to a union's strike threat. The 'company,' in this case 'Canada,' should have the right to 'lock Alberta out.' If Alberta can hold a referendum to consider separation perhaps the rest of Canada should hold a referendum to decide if we still want Alberta in our ranks. Bob Steinberg Winnipeg