Letter: Wildfires not the problem, only a symptom

With election promises in full flower, our Prime Minister has offered half a billion dollars for firefighting equipment and training.

Fires are not the problem; fires are one of the symptoms of the problem. The effect of climate on houses is not the problem. It’s just one of the symptoms. That’s why building a new morgue is not a solution to COVID. It just deals with one of the symptoms.

One of our fires could have swallowed all 1,000 new firefighters.

The three major parties are very good at shoveling money at a problem, watching it get worse, and then stepping down “in order to spend more time with their families,” which – because of their golden pensions – doesn’t involve wondering how they are going to pay the bills.

Even more astounding, the Conservatives have suddenly reversed themselves on the climate emergency – but with a ‘fingers crossed behind O’Toole’s back’ qualifier. Every other nation will have to agree to do the same. Does anyone not know how this will play out?

We have four years.

I understand not liking some party leader, but most Canadians don’t get a direct vote in that contest. We can only vote in our riding, and we know what the result is going to be before the polls close. Liberals don’t win here. The NDP doesn’t win here.

If you care – and I mean really care – about humanity, about all the glorious complexities of life, about hiking and hunting and fishing and wildlife, about kids, you can still vote for the environment. You can show your party that your vote is not guaranteed, that they have to work for it, to earn it, by voting Green. Nothing else will have any effect. Only the loss of votes.

Richard Smiley

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