To the Editor,

I agree with the editorial comment in The Review about the Conservative Party’s opposition to the ALTO high-speed rail corridor being opportunistic. This highlights how poorly Canadians are served by their politicians. The Conservatives are unpopular because they are a party without plans or policies who only seem to exist to fight the government on every initiative, regardless of the needs of Canadians. They are opposed to ALTO but could well be pushing their version were they to form a government. They supported the American funded truckers’ convoy that shut down Ottawa for a month because the sitting government was the focus of their discontent. Had the Conservatives been in power at the time of the convoy they would probably have called in the riot police.

This does not benefit Canadians and we deserve better. We have seen how polarization and inciting hatred can put an unqualified party fronted by an unqualified leader into power. We have also seen how their focus on division, combined with a lack of direction does not benefit the people they were elected to serve. 

I am not a committed Liberal, but that party has managed to attract a leader who tries to find ways to solve problems and build bridges with the skill of a true diplomat. Recent floor crossings are, I believe, motivated by the desire to build a country, not see it torn apart by polarization and the Conservative’s only platform of being against everything. Rather than a statesman, the conservatives are led by a venomous man who does not appear to be capable of anything but complaining.

We need problem solvers, not problem seekers. If they ever want to form a government, or even be an effective opposition, the Conservative party has to re-invent itself to reflect Canadian needs, not the wishes of a radical faction who seem to have taken over the party.

As for ALTO, I believe it will die on the vine. I agree with Mr. Reid’s well researched comments. There is no business case for high-speed rail. If the government wants to invest in rail, let’s give VIA dedicated tracks using existing rail corridors and see if more Canadians will take the train.

Roger McCallum

Grenville sur la Rouge