The Editor,
The reaction by some people to the NDP-Liberal confidence and supply agreement, that they “didn’t vote for this,” is redundant and irrelevant.
Casting one’s ballot in an election when millions of other ballots are cast does not entitle a person to a defining share in the outcome. Many outcome possibilities always exist in election results — from strong majorities to weak minorities.
So how do we make Parliament work for Canadians when the minority is weak?
The idea of the agreement is to put a little bit of muscle on getting a few certain public policy items done. With pharmacare and dental care costs exceeding many peoples’ ability to pay for the needed services, it’s time to press for these needed policies.
The NDP risks being scorned and bypassed if the Liberals dodge their accountability and fail to live up to their promises. On the other hand, surely gratified Canadians will be happy to see progress on these health services, and will reward those who pursued positive policy outcomes rather than partisan sniping.
Carl Hager
Gatineau, QC