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w at er lo oc hr on ic le .c a W at er lo o C hr on ic le | T hu rs da y, A ug us t 22 ,2 01 9 | 8 ABOUT US This newspaper, published every Thursday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is comprised of more than 80 community publications across Ontario. This newspaper is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. Complainants are urged to bring their concerns to the attention of the news- paper and, if not satisfied, write The National NewsMedia Council, Suite 200, 890 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4W 2H2. Phone: 416-340-1981 Web: www.mediacouncil.ca editorial@waterloochronicle.ca facebook.com/waterloochronicle @wlchronicle WHO WE ARE VP, Regional Publisher Kelly Montague Regional General Manager Nelson Parreira nparreira@metroland.com Regional Director of Media Heather Dunbar hdunbar@starmetrolandmedia.com Advertising Representatives Cassandra Dellow ext. 795066 Jan Bodanka ext. 795072 Regional Editor Mike Wilson Reporters Adam Jackson Bill Jackson Namish Modi CONTACT US Waterloo Chronicle 475 Thompson Dr. Cambridge, ON N1T 2K8 Phone: 519-886-2830 Fax: 519-623-9155 Web: www.waterloochronicle.ca Letters to the editor All letters must be fewer than 200 words and include your name and telephone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters. Delivery For all delivery inquiries, e-mail customerservice@metroland.com or call 519-894-3000 OPINION TO LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN CONTENT VISIT WATERLOOCHRONICLE.CA EDITORIAL LETTERS & COMMENTARY With just weeks before another federal election cam- paign begins, Canada's ethics watchdog has fired off a damning indictment of Justin Trudeau's role in the SNC-Lavalin affair. And no matter how the Liberals spin it, this report will be a monkey that Canada's prime minister will carry on his back as he bids for re-election. According to the findings Ethics Commissioner Ma- rio Dion released Wednesday, Trudeau abused the pow- ers of his office in an attempt to interfere with a crimi- nal prosecution. In doing so, the prime minister broke the ethics law of the land. Whatever Trudeau's defence of his actions, the politi- cal interests of his own Liberal party factored into his decisions, according to Dion. Trudeau also deliberately obstructed the ethics commissioner's investigation. And at the end of it all, the prime minister who has so often apologized for the mistakes of other governments - many committed generations ago - stubbornly refused to apol- ogize for his own failings and be accountable. To a large extent, the ethics commissioner covered familiar ground. Canadians already knew Trudeau and high-ranking staff in the Prime Minister's Office exerted sustained pressure on then-attorney general Jody Wil- son-Raybould. They wanted her to allow the Quebec- based engineering giant SNC-Lavalin to avoid a criminal prosecution that, if it ended in conviction, would bar the company from lucrative federal contracts for years. Canadians already knew Wilson-Raybould had re- fused and was replaced as attorney general before final- ly being turfed from the Liberal caucus and as a future Liberal candidate. But this report inconveniently ar- rives for the Liberals just as they were recovering in public opinion polls from the low-point that followed the revelations of the SNC-Lavalin affair this past winter. So where do voters go from here? They're the ulti- mate judges. As they digest Dion's report, they should note that however questionable some of the prime min- ister's motives, he also believed he was acting in the best interests of Canadians by trying to shelter SNC-Lavalin from irreparable harm. In hindsight, the threats of job losses were exaggerat- ed, but he didn't know it at the time. Moreover, if Cana- dians accept Trudeau acted largely for the collective good as opposed to the good of the company, then the ethics czar's conclusion that the prime minister placed corporate interests ahead of public interests loses some of its sting. Even so, voters should remember how Tru- deau and PMO staff behaved in this affair when the election campaign begins. Clearly, Trudeau and his seemingly sunny ways were a major reason the Liberals returned to power in 2015. It's doubtful he remains their strongest asset today. But Trudeau could still repair some of the damage he caused. He could help himself if he apologized for mak- ing the mistakes highlighted by the ethics commission- er. Even better, he could help the country if he an- nounced measures to ensure the lines he crossed are not trampled over again, intentionally or not. Pride, our prime minister should remember, some- times goes before a fall. TRUDEAU SHOULD MAKE AMENDS 21 HOURS IN HOSPITAL HALLWAY I recently spent nine days in Grand River Hospi- tal with stroke symptoms. The first 21 hours were spent in the hallway of the emergency department, except for five minutes in a room to change my clothes. All my examinations were done in that hallway, day and night under those bright lights, with no priva- cy at all. There was no pri- vacy for others in the same position. There were lots of personal questions asked and answered for everyone to hear. When I was transferred to the stroke unit, the staff were run off their feet. It was what you would expect to find in a developing country, not in Canada. JUDIE WITNEY, ST. JACOBS HIT SPEEDERS IN THE POCKETBOOK Re: Kitchener testing lower speed limits to slow drivers down The only solution to speed limits is to have a de- vice in every car that com- pares the car's speed to the speed limit and how long it occurred, and report this information to the Minis- try of Transportation. A small percentage of speed- ing could be ignored for special situations. Each month, drivers would get an invoice for their speeding. The fine would not only be for the occasion but also the time spent speeding. I'm sure that when driv- ers get hit in the pocket- book, their driving habits would change. I can hear the outcry now if such a de- vice and law came into ef- fect: "You cannot take away my right to break the law." BOB SCHMIDT, KITCHENER PERSONAL BELIEFS SHOULD BE RESPECTED With respect to a local MP supporting a petition opposing public funding of abortion, one letter writer states, "Our elected offi- cials are supposed to leave their personal beliefs at the door and work for all Cana- dians, whether they hold different beliefs or not." Interestingly, Prime Minister Trudeau and his Liberal party don't seem to follow this, as party mem- bers are forced to support abortion or be dismissed from caucus. Similarities to this can be seen in Onta- rio, where physicians are now forced by the College of Physicians and Sur- geons of Ontario to make assisted suicide and abor- tion referrals, regardless of their personal beliefs. Ontario is the only prov- ince forcing physicians to make referrals against their beliefs; it is a viola- tion of personal protec- tions granted under the Charter of Rights and Free- doms. Ontario citizens can still freely access assisted suicide and abortion, on their own initiative. After 25 years of Ontario medical practice, I relocat- ed from Kitchener-Water- loo to B.C. in July. Part of my decision to move is to continue practising in a province where my right to conscientiously object to making assisted suicide and abortion referrals is still respected, without fear of discipline or sanctions. DR. DOUGLAS SNYDER, LINDELL BEACH, B.C.