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Or sign-in if you have an account.The dilapidated state of 24 Sussex Dr., the Prime Minister's official residence, which recently had to be cleared of a rat infestation, asbestos, mould and lead, is just one government embarrassment that makes many Canadians cringe, letter writer Barbara Okun says. Photo by Blair Gable / PostmediaEnjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.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.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorMany thanks to Tristan Hopper and the National Post for delineating how absurd Canada has become. The National Post is exemplary in pointing out exactly what Canada is achieving with Mark Carney at the helm (and the sinking feeling so many citizens are experiencing in the process).Case in point, the prime minister really understands housing — he is going to make a decision about the dump at 24 Sussex Drive and also bail out the B.C. condo market. What can’t this man do?This newsletter from NP Comment tackles the topics you care about. (Subscriber-exclusive edition on Fridays)By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againThe PM’s abandoned official mansion deserves to be preserved as an example (warning) of what government bureaucracy can achieve. Canadians, and the world, should flock to this attraction to learn this lesson. It is unfortunate that another prime example (the historic Daly Building at the intersection of Sussex Drive and Rideau Street in Ottawa) met an untimely end a number of years ago after similar prolonged dithering about its fate.I’d like to suggest that rather than submit 24 Sussex to ridiculously expensive retrofitting, we use it for a reality show competition on the CBC to boost our national broadcaster’s sagging ratings. We don’t need world-class architects to figure this out — Canada has more than enough do-it-yourself designers and handymen to do the job.Tristin Hopper also informed us about how Vancouver’s official FIFA guide contained tips instructing visitors how to do illicit drugs. (B.C’.s normalization of drug culture is another outstanding example of Canadian stupidity.) Bring people from around the world to watch soccer, and provide a real lesson for them about how we have dealt with the drug scourge. B.C. is right up there with that other West Coast high-achiever, California, when it comes to creepy, dangerous streets.The truth hurts, but we owe a big thank you to Tristin Hopper for pointing these facts out!Barbara Okun, Scarborough, Ont.Read the above headline again, and notice what it hides: three in four Canadians are confident the country will still be standing half a century from now. That is the story. Framing a vote of confidence as a crisis of doubt says more about the appetite for declinist headlines than about the national mood.Consider the timeframe. Fifty years is not a forecast; it is a guess. In 1976, no one foresaw the Canada of today. Admitting we cannot see clearly to 2076 is not despair — it is honesty. Treating ordinary humility about the distant future as a verdict on the country is a sleight of hand.Countries do not endure because their citizens are free of doubt. They endure because, doubts and all, people keep choosing them. Canadians plainly still are.James Doyle, Golden, B.C.When it comes to health care, “equal access” means very little to an individual struggling to access care in Canada. Inability to get into a family clinic, walk-in clinics that book up within minutes of the phone line opening each day, tests and treatments that require months or years of waiting — if my health was on the line and I could pay cash to get care, I’d do it.It is unsurprising to me that Canadians are moving to the U.S. for better access to health care. I’d rather lose my house and be alive, than die knowing everyone around me had equally poor access to care.Scott Newson, Nanaimo B.C.I got a laugh out of the headline on Colin Craig’s op-ed (Carney deserves health-care kudos). Essentially, the op-ed argued that Prime Minister Mark Carney should be lauded for doing nothing — not interfering in Alberta’s health-care reforms. Premier Danielle Smith is doing all of the lifting but the PM is applauded for sitting on his hands and not using the Canada Health Act to bludgeon the province into submission to continue rationing health care for Albertans.Well, let’s all celebrate and put another feather in his cap, shall we?This is just another item to cite for the separatists in this country. It’s not enough that the provinces have go to Ottawa on hands and knees for permission to actually try to fix things for their citizens. Now, they need to praise Ottawa, too.Tim Harkema, CalgaryThe political amnesia of voters helps explain why support for the federal Liberals seems stamped on many Canadians’ birth certificates. The Conservatives have not figured this out and until they do, cannot defeat it.Mark Carney enthusiasts may grumble at paying a few extra bucks for groceries, or joke that the loonie and their vacation destination are both going south. But all is conveniently forgotten to ensure Liberal victory. The headline to Carson Jerema’s column nails it: “Mark Carney is our Forever PM.”Forever is a long time but it’s an enviable combo federal Liberals enjoy: runaway support for the party, and a current leader whose coolness is seen as efficiency.But the secret sauce? What I call Carney’s “vintage” or “retro” appeal to voters of a certain age. He reminds them of the mid-century Canadian politician their parents liked and trusted. No flash, a man in a good suit. Dependable, safe. Like the former Canada Savings Bond.But as they do in other influential spheres, the post-war generation will have a starring role, this time ensuring Carney or his successor stays at the helm.The cause célèbre this time? Retirement. It’s well underway for boomers, many of whom haven’t saved enough or worry they haven’t. Meanwhile inflation, like a termite, eats away at everyone’s retirement income, regardless of political affiliation.Ultimately, this demographic will look to one party for help. And their best chance to get it will be the Liberals staying in power.Dorothy Lipovenko, Westmount, Que.I read Sharaf Sharafeldin’s rebuttal of Terry Newman’s column about the Muslim Association of Canada’s (MAC) convention in May with much interest and a healthy dose of skepticism.Among some of the more controversial elements to come out of the event was a youth session, where participants were invited to create a word cloud describing the community they wanted to build in Canada. The term “Jew free” appeared and was not addressed by the session facilitator. Mr. Sharafeldin attributed this to the facilitator not noticing.During my tenure both as national manager of the Newspaper in Education program, as a teacher-educator, and even into retirement, I have led quite literally hundreds of workshops across Canada and beyond.I can say categorically that a workshop leader does not have the luxury of “not noticing” what goes on in the room, especially in a situation such as this where you have set up an activity calling for audience participation. The leader has an obligation to process with the group what it has created. I would suggest that this facilitator did not have the necessary skills to lead a workshop.E. Joan O’Callaghan, TorontoThe expression “the train has left the station” simply means “an opportunity has already passed and cannot be undone.” Canadian taxpayers should speak as one and tell our Liberal government that the federal Alto train “should not leave the station.”Speaking as one taxpayer, I do not want one red cent of my taxes going to build a high-speed rail system that is estimated to cost as much as $90 billion. There is little doubt the final cost will be much higher. Sir John A. Macdonald built a railway that united Canada. Mark Carney wants to build a railway that will almost assuredly be a white elephant.Not only will it never pay for itself, but speaking as an individual who grew up on a farm, I worry about eliminating the livelihoods of those who are unfortunate enough to have farms that lie in the train’s path.Shaving one hour and 53 minutes off a present-day Via commute from Toronto to Montreal is not worth the gargantuan cost of the project. The money could be better spent on the myriad of issues facing Canadians, such as a health-care system that is facing an aging population tsunami, homelessness and overwhelmed food banks.On a final note, the Alto executives who received close to $2.8 million in bonuses — even though no track has yet been laid — should be forced to pass those funds on to charity. I thought only CBC executives were this entitled.Bob Erwin, OttawaI recently received in the mail an expensive pamphlet featuring my member of Parliament surrounded by children and other crowds of people.Alas, I live alone. I am a senior. No photo-ops here.I have tried many times without success to arrange a short meeting with my MP. The answer I have been given is that she is busy … very busy and too busy to accommodate me. Now the government is on “summer break” until Sept. 20. I have not asked for a specific date for a meeting. It seems unreasonable that my MP cannot find a slot within the next 10 weeks to meet with a constituent.I was not too busy to leave the comfort of my home and take myself to the ballot box and cast my vote in the past election. When the next election is called I will look for a candidate who will make the time for a short discussion with a constituent.Nora Kaufman, TorontoNational Post and Financial Post welcome letters to the editor (250 words or fewer). Please include your name, address and daytime phone number. Email letters@nationalpost.com. Letters may be edited for length or clarity. Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.