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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, N ov em be r 18 ,2 02 1 | 6 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 70 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 Director of Content Lee Ann Waterman Regional General Manager Nelson Parreira Regional Director of Media Heather Dunbar Advertising Representatives Fran Hendry, Katrina Anderson, Jan Bodanka, Matt Miller, Lisa Humphreys, Cassandra Dellow, Zaid Shahabuddin, Managing Editor Robyn Wilkinson Online Editor Loraine Centeno Reporters Bill Jackson CONTACT US Waterloo Chronicle 475 Thompson Dr., Units 1-4 Cambridge, ON N1T 2K7 Phone: 519-886-2830 Fax: 519-623-9155 Web: www.waterloochronicle.ca Letters to the editor All letters must be fewer than 320 words and include your name and telephone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters. Published letters will appear in print and/or online at waterloochronicle.ca 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 CIGARETTE BUTTS ON SIDEWALKS ARE DISGUSTING I like to think that CO- VID-19 has taught us that our actions can have a di- rect and immediate impact on those around us, but a walk through Uptown Wa- terloo makes pretty clear this is not in fact the case. ? As a resident of Uptown Waterloo, I regularly walk down King Street and love frequenting local shops, but I am constantly disap- pointed to see the lack of re- spect shown by some com- munity members toward public spaces. It is often difficult to navigate Uptown restau- rants and bars for the mounds of discarded ciga- rette butts. Residents and commu- nity members have a re- sponsibility to keep public areas beautiful, and local businesses have an obliga- tion to take care of the envi- ronment they have been al- lowed to operate within. Just as the vast majority of society doesn't tolerate the behaviour of anti- maskers, we should simi- larly not tolerate the repul- sive behaviour of those who blow smoke in our fac- es and throw cigarettes on our sidewalks. REBECCA WAGNER, WATERLOO TIME FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO SETTLE WITH OPTOMETRISTS Optometrists are now into month three of their job action to have the gov- ernment remedy the long- standing inequity regard- ing eye exams covered by OHIP. The government of- fer of a lump sum, plus an 8.4 per cent increase, does not come close to meeting operating expenses going forward. The government reject- ed the optometrists' offer of a joint study to determine actual costs many months ago. The optometrists' as- sociation had BDO, a repu- table accounting firm, per- form that independent, arms' length study cover- ing optometry offices of various sizes and locations across Ontario. The results showed OHIP fees need to be at least $75 per visit to cover the costs. They are currently $44. Premier Doug Ford and other government officials say they won't hand over a blank cheque and contend that the optometrists' fig- ures are impossible to ver- ify. Really, how disingenu- ous! What are the results of the government's own study? Why does the gov- ernment continue to drag its feet? Enough of this. Young children with vision prob- lems need corrective lenses to succeed at school and catch issues while correct- able. Seniors are at risk of vision loss due to undetec- ted glaucoma or macular degeneration. Take the honourable ac- tion. Reach a settlement now. LOUISE LITWILLER, WATERLOO LETTERS & COMMENTARY A conservative leader came out to speak strongly and clearly on the issue of vaccines and the responsibility of members of Parliament to get their shots. His message was simple: vaccines work, MPs have a duty to lead by example, and the head of the party must insist they fall in line on such a vital issue of principle and public health. Too bad the leader in question wasn't Erin O'Toole, head of the Conservative Party of Canada. It was Brian Mulroney, former prime minister and one-time leader of the Progressive Conservative party. O'Toole's party is being held hostage by a group of Conservative MPs who won't get vaccinated, or at least won't say whether they've had their shots. O'Toole has been tying himself in knots for weeks over vaccines. He's been trying to appear pro-vaccine to the general public, while at the same time attempting to placate the minority in his ranks who are giving cover to those who are either vaccine hesitant or outright anti-vax. Now that minority has taken another big step on the road to denying science and undermining public health. Marilyn Gladu, MP for Sarnia-Lambton, announced last week that they're forming a "civil liberties caucus" to give voice to anti-vaccine concerns. Mulroney has advice for O'Toole, which the Conser- vative leader should take if he doesn't want to be dragged down by those in his party who seem hell-bent on disappearing into the anti-vax rabbit hole. It's time, Mulroney told CTV News recently, for O'Toole to tell the skeptics in his caucus to drop their objections and get vaccinated, or else. "Who am I to argue with tens of thousands of brilliant scientists and doctors who urge the population desperate- ly to get vaccinated?" asked Mulroney. "And we're going to have some members of my caucus, for example, who are saying, 'I'm not going to do it'? They have to do it." Of course, the Progressive Conservative party of the 1980s isn't the Conservative Party of the 2020s, and it wouldn't be easy for O'Toole to tell the vaccine skeptics they must get with his program if they want to stay in his caucus. But the alternative is worse. Gladu herself has gone beyond simply channelling concerns about COVID vac- cines to spreading misinformation about them. O'Toole rightly criticized her for that, saying she's causing con- fusion. But he basically ducked questions about what he's going to do about her and the other skeptics in his ranks. At this point he's got a choice: continue to try and placate the likes of Gladu, or decide to tell his MPs to do the right thing. Parliament is to resume sitting on Nov. 22, and only fully vaccinated MPs will be allowed to take part. If O'Toole doesn't settle this issue by then, the division in Conservative ranks will be even more damaging. O'Toole should take Mulroney's advice and tell his MPs it's time to get in line. O'TOOLE CAN LEARN FROM MULRONEY ON LEADERSHIP