Today’s letters: Justin Trudeau does not deserve his rich pension

Monday, May 26: The former PM’s pension and severance package were given despite shoddy work, a reader writes. You can write us too, at [email protected]

Published May 26, 2025

Last updated May 26, 2025

9 minute read

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Trudeau’s incompetence reaped rewards

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So happy for Justin Trudeau, as I am sure all Canadians are (that’s sarcasm of the highest level, in case any one thought otherwise).

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This for the guy that lowered our standard of living by somewhere between $4,200 and $5,500 per year for the average Canadian wage earner? I’d say he owes us money.

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Our standard of living is now lower than the poorest states in the U.S. It was not that way when Trudeau was elected in 2015. It became that way under his watch, along with the Liberal crew that is mostly still there.

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It’s pretty sad when total incompetence is rewarded at such a high level.

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Brian Clark, Barrhaven

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Trudeau earned his pension

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The Canadian Taxpayers Federation thinks Canadians will be outraged. I think not. This is a tiny fraction of what some sports leaders get, but a prime minister has to steer us through recessions and pandemics, be focused on us 24-7, often at great cost to themselves and their families. I would rather pay that money for a prime minister or any other elected official who has committed to work for us all.

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The federation speaks for the mean and cheap, not for this Canadian.

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Michael Wiggin, Ottawa

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Is western separatism Trudeau’s legacy?

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I have read very little about Justin Trudeau since his resignation, aside from him visiting Canadian Tire and buying a plastic potato masher.

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This said, it seems that this trivial news is not the end of his last 10 years of being PM. His influence on Canadians will continue. He is obviously absent, yet still his presence remains.

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Saskatchewan and Alberta are both toying with separatism issues as a result of Trudeau policies since 2015 regarding resource development in the West.

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Will Trudeau’s legacy be as the leader of all things Left, including climate change? Or will it be western separatism, the immediate repeal of the carbon tax, capital gains tax, pipelines or port dredging in B.C. by his replacement?

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It is such a radical change by the Liberals that I don’t know why I voted Conservative in the last election.

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Robert Lamont, Ottawa

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Changes for the worse in Ottawa

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I’m concerned that Ottawa is becoming less liveable. The news that metal detectors and bag screenings have been announced for City Hall comes on the heels of reports of LRT failures and the decline of the ByWard Market. These three things are symptomatic of changes for the worse in our city.

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The effect of tighter security measures City Hall is a hostile, unwelcoming feeling, the loss of an open, accessible, public space. The result is that we will avoid passing through.

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LRT is a money pit with disappointing performance. A recent visit on a free weekend showed us that a trip from Bayshore to the airport took one bus, three trains and two hours. As beautiful as the connection at the airport is, we will not use LRT to go to the airport. The City wants us to leave our car at home, but, as transit is an inferior choice, we will continue taking the car.

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The ByWard Market’s social problems and decay have driven us away. The only incentive was free parking on evenings and Sundays. It was designed to draw people downtown and boost business. If this is taken away, we and others will go elsewhere. The extra city revenue will come at the expense of more hollowing out of downtown.

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I call on the Mayor and Council to take a look at the bigger picture and notice the cumulative effect of individual policy decisions, with a view to improving the liveability of the City, not reducing it.

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Carrie Zatychec, Nepean

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ByWard Market will be shunned

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Increasing parking fees will improve parking turnover, claim City staff. I believe the only turnover will be customers going to a different area to dine.

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The staff premise doesn’t consider why people go to the Market. A Market evening isn’t limited to two hours. What’s great about dining in the Market is to walk around after a meal and be part of all the Market activity. Stop somewhere else for a coffee, ice cream or a churro.

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After all the studies the City of Ottawa has commissioned to bring customers back to the ByWard Market, they still don’t get it. Offer free parking, shuttle service and emphasize public transportation options. In many cities, people always take public transportation or walk when going out to dinner.

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Evelyn Stone, Ottawa

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Keep F-word off the Hill

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Former MP John Weston makes excellent points. Protests of the type he addresses are becoming increasingly common in public spaces and there appears to be little, if any, pushback from law enforcement.

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As we have seen with the new administration south of our border, freedom without responsibility is a threat to democracy everywhere. Perhaps our legislators need to roll up their sleeves.

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John O’Neil, Ottawa

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Gunmaker, not taxpayers, should be liable

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Your recent revelation that the Department of National Defence will spend $10 million to replace defective stocks on the C-19 rifles used by the Canadian Rangers is deeply troubling.

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These rifles, designed for the harsh conditions of Canada’s Arctic, are reportedly suffering from cracking due to moisture exposure. Colt Canada, the manufacturer, asserts that the rifles met all specifications upon delivery and that the issues arose post-delivery, absolving them of responsibility.

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This stance raises serious concerns. If the rifles passed all required tests, then the testing protocols were evidently inadequate. Alternatively, the problem may stem from poor workmanship or design flaws. Either scenario points to a failure in ensuring the equipment’s suitability for its intended environment.

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Canadian taxpayers should not be liable for rectifying defects that could have been prevented with proper quality control and testing. Accountability is essential to maintain trust in our military procurement processes.

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Michael Martin, North Gower

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Crackdown needed on cyclists

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The response to Jean-Pierre’s Allard’s article was revealing. A group of cyclists defended their exceptionalism.

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Unfortunately, there are far too many lycra louts, as the British refer to them, who seem to think they are exempt, not only from civil behaviour, but the law. I have been struck three times by cyclists on sidewalks, one occasion knocking me to the ground, who didn’t bother to stop and check on my well-being. On another time, a group of us were crossing an NCC pathway when two cyclists on electric bikes burst through the group at speed.

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It is not uncommon to see on the more urban of the NCC pathways the Spandex warriors riding in groups apparently expecting the callup for the Tour de France. I did write the NCC about the failure of many cyclists to adhere to the polices and speed limits on their pathways. After a reply which indicated the pathways were monitored my reply was a photo of an electric motorbike on a pathway. No response from the NCC.

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It is perhaps time for both the Ottawa Police and the NCC to enforce existing legislation regarding cyclists.

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David Prichard, Vanier

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Most cyclists follow rules

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There are many things wrong with Jean-Pierre Allard’s article, but the most flagrant is the undocumented assertion that the majority of cyclists ignore rules of the road. This is false stereotyping. In my experience, the majority of cyclists do obey the rules of the road. Their safety depends on it! Sure, there are some who don’t, but don’t get me started on drivers speeding.

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Alex Cullen, Ottawa

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Good reasons not to licence

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There are a number of reasons why no city in Canada currently licences bicycles. There is a significant administrative burden. Require licences for children is difficult. There is no evidence that licencing would increase compliance with traffic laws. Also, a licencing system could discourage new riders, including children, older adults and low-income families.

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Cyclists are required to follow traffic laws and face fines for infractions.

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Traffic congestion only increases when there are more cars on the road. Improving public transit and getting people to use active transportation (walking and cycling) is how to go.

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With the recent deaths of pedestrians in Ottawa, the focus should be on making the roads safe for everyone.

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Nancy Biggs, Orléans

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Communiqué faulted Hamas and Israel

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Tasha Kheiriddin claims that the recent communiqué by Canada, France, and the U.K. on Israel’s military operation in Gaza gives Hamas a pass and singles out Israel for the ongoing war. The actual statement does neither of those things.

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It is strongly critical of both Hamas and Israel. Its intent is to “give a pass” to babies who were not yet born on Oct. 7, 2023 and the approximately two million people who have no connection to Hamas’s military branch but are suffering because of Israel’s disproportionate and unfocused response to a cross-boundary raid.

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Although Israel claims to be pursuing its stated goal of destroying Hamas, Hamas survives but many thousands of innocents are dead and many more are injured, starving or homeless.

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Dave Parnas, Ottawa

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Condemnation of Hamas was clear

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I am concerned that Tasha Kheiriddin gives the impression that Canada’s government does not condemn Hamas. In Anita Anand’s post on X, she says there is an urgent need for Hamas to release all hostages, for an immediate ceasefire, for the resumption of urgent life-saving humanitarian aid for civilians and for a two-state solution. Also, Hamas must lay down its weapons and have no role in Gaza.

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The joint announcement from Canada, the UK, and France speaks directly to Israel’s military offensive in Gaza. However, that does not imply acceptance of the attacks, kidnappings and horrors committed by Hamas.

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Stephanie Gilman, Ottawa

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Gaza should be on G7 agenda

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As host of the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Prime Minister Carney has the right to set the agenda and invite speakers. He has put the Ukraine war on the agenda and invited Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss. He should also put the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Gaza on the G7 agenda. He could invite UN Secretary General Antonio Gutierrez to discuss it. For the leaders from western countries to gather at a summit and ignore the imminent risk of starvation for thousands of civilians in Gaza, would be a stain on our reputation in the eyes of the world.

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Peter Larson, Chair, Ottawa Forum on Israel Palestine

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NASA’s lapse

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Next month, NASA is taking down a popular website called Spot the Station that tells us when the International Space Station will be visible over our homes. It has operated for decades. NASA offers an alternative: “As we continue to enhance your experience, we encourage you to transition to our Spot the Station mobile app.”

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Cancelling is not enhancing. Yes, we can download an app and subscribe to a service for it, but ordinary people who aren’t space insiders will have no way just to look for information spontaneously. Today, anyone can tell the kids: Hey, let’s go watch a spaceship fly by. Soon that won’t be true. It’s a loss.

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Just a thought: If I ran the Canadian Space Agency I’d try to fill that gap.

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Tom Spears, Ottawa

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