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Montreal Gazette
an hour ago
- General
- Montreal Gazette
Letters: Silencing doctors sends a chill
Letters To The Editor I am appalled that the Collège des médecins is telling its members not to communicate with patients about proposed legislation that could change how doctors are paid. What right does the Collège have to do this? It must be taking its cues from the government. That's a problem, especially when the political climate south of the border chips away at the right to say anything that disagrees with the government's line. Meanwhile, doctors are saying they are working under too many levels of management in a health system that is broken and toxic. Who among us would like to be in their place? Negotiating should be about arriving at a compromise. But it seems the government knows what it wants and has the power to ultimately get it. It just doesn't have to suffer with the result. That's left to the rest of us. Rod Elkin, Pierrefonds The cheers we hear for Canada's team All across the country we can hear Canadians shouting in unison: 'Go Oilers Go!' Even in Quebec, people are adding their voices to the chorus — though some presumably with shouts of: 'Allez Pétroliers Allez!' Robert Fox, Dorval Ghazal should honour her oath Québec solidaire co-spokesperson Ruba Ghazal declares Canada to be 'a bizarre country' because we invited 'the monarch of a foreign country' to read the throne speech. Whatever else King Charles III may be, he is the constitutional monarch of Canada. Ghazal, like me, is a naturalized Canadian. I assume she had to pass a citizenship test and swear her allegiance and duty to the constitutional monarch — not as a feudal overlord but as a symbol of our sovereign Constitution. Political leaders should know the Constitution and honour their oaths. Elaine Bander, Montreal Student's plea a poignant reminder Re: ' Dear Miss Teacher, Why can't I fail too? ' (Opinion, May 31) What an absolutely true and heart-rending appeal to teachers by Maïka Forget. A poignant reminder that grades should not be the only things that make an individual a good student. As a retired teacher, I was always guided by a strong underlying belief in the capacity of each young life I was privileged to have in my classroom. I salute Forget's determination that, despite the performance assessment of our educational system, she is committed to 'make the world a better place.' It is my most profound belief that she will. Vivianne M. Silver, Côte-St-Luc Submitting a letter to the editor Letters should be sent by email to letters@ We prioritize letters that respond to, or are inspired by, articles published by The Gazette. If you are responding to a specific article, let us know which one. Letters should be sent uniquely to us. The shorter they are — ideally, fewer than 200 words — the greater the chance of publication. Timing, clarity, factual accuracy and tone are all important, as is whether the writer has something new to add to the conversation. We reserve the right to edit and condense all letters. Care is taken to preserve the core of the writer's argument. Our policy is not to publish anonymous letters, those with pseudonyms or 'open letters' addressed to third parties. Letters are published with the author's full name and city or neighbourhood/borough of residence. Include a phone number and address to help verify identity; these will not be published. We will not indicate to you whether your letter will be published. If it has not been published within 10 days or so, it is not likely to be.
Montreal Gazette
14 hours ago
- General
- Montreal Gazette
Hanes: Bill 40 appeal shows the Legault government has learned nothing
By Whenever a new fracas erupts between the government of Premier François Legault and the anglophone community, Eric Girard, the minister responsible for relations with English-speaking Quebecers, is dispatched to try to patch things up. Recently, he admitted that new directives issued last summer that suggested eligibility certificates for education in English could be used to access health care in English were ' not our finest moment' and that he was 'disappointed' at how the whole saga played out. Previously, Girard acknowledged that tuition hikes for out-of-province students that disproportionately harmed Quebec's English universities had ruffled feathers, and he vowed to smooth things over. When he was appointed to the portfolio in 2022 after the angst surrounding the adoption of Bill 96, Quebec's update of protections for the French language, Girard promised to allay fears and 'do better.' 'When I say we need to do better, I mean we need to improve relations,' he told The Gazette back in the early days of his tenure. But time and again, these prove to be empty promises. Because actions speak louder than words. And even though it was less than a month ago that Girard called for the latest reset, the Legault government has demonstrated the depth of its contempt for the rights of English-speaking Quebecers anew by announcing its intention to appeal the latest ruling on Bill 40 all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada (if the top court agrees to hear it, that is). The attempt to abolish English school boards and replace them with service centres was one of the first bones of contention between the anglophone community and the Legault government after it was first elected in 2018. The Quebec English School Boards Association launched a constitutional challenge of the law immediately after its passage and has since won two resounding victories. Both Quebec Superior Court and the Quebec Court of Appeals have agreed that Bill 40 is a violation of Section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and affirmed the rights of the English-speaking minority to manage and control its own schools. Both courts have categorically said that transforming school boards into service centres like their francophone counterparts, centralizing many of their decision-making powers in the ministry of education, and axing the elected councils of commissioners run counter to those constitutional guarantees. But the Legault government is forging ahead trying to defend the discredited law. At this point, there is no principled reason to drag this out — and no pragmatic imperative, either. Quebec's English school boards obtained an injunction in 2020, keeping them intact for the duration of the legal proceedings. For five years they have continued to operate as they always have, overseen by elected representatives from the community, alongside French service centres. At this point the government's argument that it can't have two different systems for running French and English schools doesn't really hold water. In fact, there is growing concern that francophone service centres, administered by parents drawn from local school governing boards, lack transparency and accountability. And since Bill 40 was adopted five years ago, Education Minister Bernard Drainville has grabbed even more authority from service centres, like the power to appoint their directors general and overturn their decisions. The English school boards have already proven their management and control rights — twice. But the Legault government just won't let it go. Are they gluttons for punishment? Or is this merely a continuation of the pattern of antagonizing the English-speaking community? So often over two mandates in office, the premier or his ministers say one thing and do another. Legault claimed nothing would change for anglophones under Bill 96, yet there has been major upheaval. English colleges now have quotas for francophone and allophone students and new French course requirements, which has left them destabilized. English versions of government and public websites now have warnings about who is allowed to consult the content, which is an insult to intelligence. English court documents and decisions must be accompanied by French translations, which are costly and time-consuming, impeding access to justice. And these are just a few examples. The rights of anglophones are either complete afterthought or collateral damage. A year ago, when new rules on simultaneous translation of court judgments came into effect, a Quebec Court judge on the verge of presiding over an English criminal trial had to convene representatives of the prosecution service and attorney general's office to get basic information on how this was supposed to work. He was essentially told there was no plan and things were still being figured out. For his efforts, he was the subject of a complaint to the judicial council for overstepping his authority. He was later totally exonerated. His decision declaring the new regulations inoperable for English criminal trials is being appealed, however. The list of slights goes on and on. Yet concerns are frequently dismissed as the rantings of 'angryphones' acting like the world's most spoiled minority — until the government gets egg on its face over something truly ludicrous. Whether it's having to intervene on the Go Habs Go fiasco, override a library's decision not to allow an English book club to meet without simultaneous translation or rewriting the confusing health directives, each incident erodes trust. If Girard was at all serious about wanting to rebuild confidence with English-speaking Quebecers, there was one, simple, concrete gesture the government could have made that would have gone a long way and meant a lot in laying the groundwork for a truce: not appealing the Bill 40 ruling to the Supreme Court. Instead, the Legault government couldn't resist fighting a losing battle to the bitter end.
Montreal Gazette
a day ago
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
Letter of the day: Random street checks by police have no place in a free society
The random police street check is a routine practice — in totalitarian states. Random street checks have no place in a free society committed to constitutionally protected human rights. Section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms guarantees everyone in Canada the right to be left alone, to be able to walk, jog and cycle in the streets of Montreal free from police interference unless they have reasonable and probable grounds to believe that you have engaged in or about to engage in criminal activity. Our courts routinely affirm these principles but the Montreal police seem to believe they know better and can engage in wilful blindness of court rulings. Police Chief Fady Dagher justifies his 'law and order' rhetoric by asserting that 'the overwhelming majority of the public wants police to have discretion to stop and question people in suspicious circumstances, even if officers don't have the legal grounds to detain them,' according to The Gazette. No evidence was cited to support his assertion that is in any event irrelevant. Even if there is some 'public' support for random checks, court-mandated human rights cannot be overridden by public opinion. Also not to be overlooked, as noted by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, is that 'police services collect and retain a wide range of information about the people they come in contact with including records of contact, allegations, withdrawn charges, acquittals and mental health apprehensions, just to name a few.' These records are stored in what is euphemistically called a 'non-conviction database.' They are not criminal convictions — and yet, 'this does not mean, however, that they will never be released by the police in a background check,' the association warns. In my work as a criminal defence lawyer, I have come across reports of people with no criminal convictions applying for security-sensitive jobs and not being hired — and later recalling having been stopped by police and given their identification. Quebec Superior Court has authorized a class-action lawsuit against police forces, including the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal, over random interceptions. Such legal actions remain the only recourse for citizens as long as governments fail to rein in their police forces. But let's not forget: While Mayor Valérie Plante's administration says it's ready to pay compensation to those targeted by the interventions, it's taxpayers who pick up the cost of legal fees to defend against these lawsuits — and of the eventual payouts when damages are awarded. In a city whose infrastructure is crumbling, among other serious problems, it is nothing short of scandalous to be spending taxpayer dollars to finance police stopping innocent people in the streets of Montreal. The solution is simple: Random street checks, which overwhelmingly target racialized persons, are discriminatory and they must stop. Right now. Ralph Mastromonaco, St-Laurent Submitting a letter to the editor Letters should be sent by email to letters@ We prioritize letters that respond to, or are inspired by, articles published by The Gazette. If you are responding to a specific article, let us know which one. Letters should be sent uniquely to us. The shorter they are — ideally, fewer than 200 words — the greater the chance of publication. Timing, clarity, factual accuracy and tone are all important, as is whether the writer has something new to add to the conversation. We reserve the right to edit and condense all letters. Care is taken to preserve the core of the writer's argument. Our policy is not to publish anonymous letters, those with pseudonyms or 'open letters' addressed to third parties. Letters are published with the author's full name and city or neighbourhood/borough of residence. Include a phone number and address to help verify identity; these will not be published. We will not indicate to you whether your letter will be published. If it has not been published within 10 days or so, it is not likely to be.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Iowa Democrat to launch bid against Ernst after her controversial Medicaid remarks
Iowa Democratic state Rep. J.D. Scholten is launching a challenge against Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), he confirmed to multiple outlets, as the Republican draws backlash for remarks at a recent town hall. 'After her comments over the weekend, I've been thinking about it for a while, but that's when I just said: This is unacceptable, and you've gotta jump in,' Scholten told The Gazette. Scholten told Politico that Ernst's remarks 'disrespected' Iowans and that 'now's the time' to make his bid official. Ernst had pushed back against constituents who shouted at the Butler, Iowa, town hall event that cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) would cause people to die. 'Well, we are all going to die,' the senator responded. The exchange drew swift rebuke from Democrats in the wake of a House-passed budget reconciliation package that proposes cuts to Medicaid and SNAP funding. 'Ernst's stunningly callous remark comes as Republicans in Congress push massive cuts to Medicaid and other critical programs – leaving millions of Americans uninsured in order to pay for a tax giveaway for billionaires,' the Democrats' Senate campaign arm said in a release. After jeers from the audience, Ernst at the town hall stressed that 'those that meet the eligibility requirements for Medicaid, we will protect.' 'If you don't want to listen, that's fine. But what I'm doing is going through and telling you that those that are not eligible, those that are working and have opportunity for benefits elsewhere, then they should receive those benefits elsewhere and leave those dollars for those that are eligible for Medicaid,' the senator added. She doubled down on the comments in a sarcastic apology video, saying, 'I made an incorrect assumption that everyone in the auditorium understood that, yes, we are all going to perish from this Earth.' Scholten ran for Iowa's 4th Congressional District seat in both 2020 and 2018. He enters the 2026 Senate race alongside Democrat Nathan Sage, who recently launched a bid for Ernst's seat by decrying that farmers have been 'f‑‑‑ed over' and vowing to 'kick corporate Republican Joni Ernsts's ass' in the midterms. Ernst, who is seeking a third term next year, won reelection against a Democratic challenger by roughly 7 points in 2020. Republicans have long held onto Iowa's Senate seats, and President Trump won the state by 13 points in November. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Montreal Gazette
a day ago
- Montreal Gazette
Watch: Thief crawls through Café Myriade to evade motion detectors during break-in
Montreal Crime By A thief who appeared to exploit a blind spot in the motion sensors at Café Myriade on Saint-Denis St. made off with cash, an iPad and a jar of foreign coins during a break-in late Sunday night, according to the café's owner. It was the first time the Saint-Denis location had been targeted, Richard Baghdadlian told The Gazette. 'He crawled along the floor, staying below the sensors,' Baghdadlian said. 'The alarm didn't go off until he grabbed the iPad, which was just high enough to trigger it. That's when he bolted.' The break-in took place around 11:15 p.m., with the café's alarm company alerting Baghdadlian. After reviewing camera footage online, he asked police to be dispatched. Officers arrived quickly, he said, and a report was filed. Baghdadlian said he believes the man got in through a locked fence behind the café and used a side window to enter a section of the shop not covered by motion detectors. 'The gentleman who committed the robbery must have cased out the place earlier and saw that there was a small weakness in our alarm system,' he said. Though, he added, he was not sure the suspect, who was unmasked, spotted the shop's camera. The suspect escaped with a small sum of cash, including some tip money, the register float and a large jar of foreign coins. The iPad Mini was also taken. 'These days, most customers tap,' the owner said. 'The float's only about $100 to $200. When I started in the business, it was 60 per cent cash. Now it's 10 or 15 per cent.' Though the loss was relatively minor, Baghdadlian said that he is 'hearing more stories' from other small businesses and cafés falling victim of these types of break-ins and that the frequency is 'growing.' 'It's not just our café that's being targeted, this is across the board,' he said. 'We have six cafés, so naturally the odds are against us that one of them will eventually be hit.' On average, he said, the Myriade locations have been targeted about once every two years. Despite filing a police report, Baghdadlian doesn't expect police to find the suspect, given that only a small amount was taken. However, he decided to share the video on social media in case someone recognizes the man. 'One time, someone even dropped a name,' he recalled. 'You never know what might come of it.' He also hopes the thief might see himself online and think twice. The break-in comes just days after a group of masked individuals set fire to Micro Espresso Café in Old Montreal. That arson attack left the shop destroyed and one suspect hospitalized with burns. 'After what happened to them, I feel like I got off easy,' Baghdadlian said.
