Dear Editor:
RE: Not sustainable, Jan. 4.
I am responding to a prior correspondence, aiming to counter my critique of CPC Leader Pierre Poilievre and Wellington-Halton Hills MP Michael Chong’s recent foreign affairs missteps.
While acknowledging Poilievre’s alleged support for the Ukraine free trade agreement, the preceding reader highlighted the CPC’s disapproval of carbon pricing language in the act. However, if Poilievre indeed backs Ukraine, why did he vote against Canadian forces training Ukraine’s army under Project Unifier?
Moreover, as Ukraine embraced carbon pricing in 2020 to align with EU membership requirements, it raises questions why Poilievre, instructing his party to vote against aiding Ukraine during a Russian invasion, opposes a policy already in place by another country?
You mentioned that the carbon tax contradicts Conservative principles. Interestingly, carbon pricing originated from Milton Friedman, the pioneer of modern Conservatism. It appears that the Overton window of Conservatism has shifted right, overshadowing traditional values such as robust foreign affairs and prudent fiscal policies.
One can rationalize Poilievre, Chong and the current Conservatives citing “cost savings,” but Canadians perceive the CPC as abandoning Ukraine. They cannot claim credit for old Progressive Conservative party policies that were pro-Ukraine, as that entity ceased to exist with the 2002 merger.
When examining historical parallels, one can observe that Hitler’s aggression in the 1930s resulted in extensive invasions, reminiscent of Putin’s moves in Chechnya (1999), Georgia (2008), Crimea (2014), and Ukraine (2022). Should we fail to wholeheartedly support Ukraine today, there’s a risk of deploying our own troops within a decade, mirroring past interventions. The consequential costs would increase tenfold, and Canadians will regret not backing Ukraine’s struggle before it arrives at our doorstep.
Also alarming is Conservative MP Leslyn Lewis sponsoring a petition to withdraw Canada from the United Nations – a regressive policy inconsistent with traditional conservative values. True conservatives would disapprove of Canada forsaking global allies to merely “own the libs.”
The trajectory of the Conservative Party of Canada is deeply concerning. Turning our back on allies is an unacceptable path. It is imperative that we arm Ukraine extensively immediately, preventing the ominous scenario of deploying our own forces to the frontlines later.
John Mifsud,
Fergus