Calgary Sun Letters, Sept. 7, ’26: ‘Our health-care system is at risk’

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Worth a try

Regarding dual public/private surgeries. Having managed in an acute-care hospital for many years I feel this move by Alberta Health is a good one. Eventually it will reduce wait times for all. With over 400 expressions of interest from surgeons, these physicians certainly like it. Doctors seem to know that if we don’t adapt and change, health care is unsustainable. Indeed, objective accreditors know Canada’s health-care system is rated one of the poorest in outcomes, delivery and costs amongst developed countries. Some in the system will say it’s not a fair comparison. However, these international assessments are based on accepted patient outcomes. See ratings from the National Institutes of Health. Those against this change must realize the Canadian system is at risk. If we do not change, adapt, try and pivot our system may not survive as-is into the future. There are real threats to its sustainability.

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TOM BURNS

(Clearly something has to change)

Back to basics

Thank you to my city councillor, Landon Johnston, and Dan MacLean for speaking out about budget discussion proposals. Your honesty will be rewarded in future elections should you decide to stay with your fellow nuts and mayor on the city’s council. I have lived here 65 years of which I have been a taxpayer for 48 and other than police and fire departments, have seen constant decline in services provided but costing more and more. Get to the basics and maintain people. Nothing more.

LEE RANDELL

(There is fat to be cut at city hall)

Revolt in the making

Mayor Farkas, you and the new city council were all elected on a platform of transparency. So answer me this, a 20% property tax increase with the wishlist you are describing, being brought forward behind more closed doors than any previous council does not sound very transparent to me and probably not to the majority of other Calgarians. Mark my words, Mayor Farkas, this better not be going forward or you will see a tax revolt that will make your head spin. Get a grip, be in charge!

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BRUCE HAYNES

(Even as a so-called ‘wish-list’ the numbers were pretty shocking)

Using Trump

PM Mark Carney must be very grateful he has President Trump on the other side of the border. Carney can fail and fail again and deflect the blame for his lack of success onto Trump. Unfortunately, some Canadians are blind to Carney’s manipulations and are easily swayed by the CBC’s story-telling. Trump is not blameless in the trade dispute, however Carney’s own campaign in the last general election boasted that he has dealt with Trump in the past and knows how to deal with him. So prove it, Mr. Carney. Moreover, Carney sends to Washington, D.C., Minister LeBlanc and Chief Trade Negotiator (Janice) Charette. Carney as the great negotiator should he not be at the table instead of jetsetting around the world and signing meaningless MOUs and phantom trade deals? Some people are too focused on Trump while ignoring Carney’s lacklustre and near invisible role in the negotiations. One habit of Carney’s I find reprehensible and loathesome is that he always talks tough when Trump is not in the room, but as soon as Trump returns, Carney fawns and sucks up to him.

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JEFFREY ANDERSON

(The spectre of Trump has certainly been helpful for our PM)

Following the money

To quote Indian PM Modi in regards to the war in Ukraine that Russia instigated: “Every day that the war continues, humanity is, in effect, set back a step, whilst every step towards peace gives all of humanity real hope for peace. We need to move from endless war to an end to the war, to a cessation ⁠of hostilities.” Every day that India continues to purchase Russian oil is, in effect, a step back and directly funds Moscow’s ability to murder Ukrainians.

GREG ZAWASKI, Edmonton

(Financial sanctions can exert real pressure)

Alberta will get the bill

According to economists, Alberta will be the least affected province from Trump’s additional tariffs. I also read these tariffs will cost Quebec $2 billion. I will give you three guesses as to who will make that up through additional equalization payments, and the first two don’t count. You can bet this is going to affect Alberta.

JOHN FRY

(Alberta will be affected, even if some of it is ‘downstream’)

What a shame

(Re: ‘Trump’s Republican Party blocks CBC/Radio-Canada from convention after 9/11 policy controversy,’ calgarysun.com) All thumbs up from me towards the Republican Party’s stance against the infamous CBC’s ridiculous nonsense. The CBC plug should have been pulled a long time before this latest insanity surfaced. As an American-born Canadian, I just hang my head in shame and embarrassment.

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DONALD K. MUNROE, Three Hills

(CBC would likely have been unwelcome at the RNC at the best of times)

Canada in disarray

What truly amazes me is all the press coverage and national anxiety about the recent collapse of a trade agreement with the U.S. This is 2026 and we don’t even have free trade between our provinces. Perhaps for the time being that should be our priority. But I doubt if our provincial and territorial premiers could agree on the colour of the sky. No wonder that buffoon in the White House keeps salivating about making us the 51st state. He views us as nothing more than a bunch of disorganized fiefdoms that prioritize their own regional needs over best practices that would better serve Canada. Combine a lack of free trade within our own borders along with separatists movements in Quebec and Alberta and no wonder Trump thinks we are ripe for the picking. A united Canada? Take a closer look. Now is the time to shelve our regional political differences and get our Canadian house in order. Pronto. There’s a mad dog on the other side of the fence.

BOB GRUNDIE

(Getting our house in order is vital, no matter what’s happening south of the border)

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Right interpretation

One of the important issues on which Justice Clarence Thomas has not yet won is the privacy right, which has been interpreted to be in the Constitution. The Founding Fathers did not include such a right in the Constitution and the word appears nowhere in the text. Yet subsequent courts have held that the right exists based on the Fourth Amendment, which prohibits unreasonable search and seizure. It is this implied right which has enabled the court to strike down state laws against contraceptives and homosexual acts between consenting adults. Based on an originalist interpretation of the text one would be quite justified in saying that it does not include a privacy right. I don’t think the Founding Fathers envisaged such a right. However, I am quite happy that subsequent courts have extended the Constitution in this way.

BRUCE COUCHMAN

(Privacy rights are fundamental)

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