THUNDER BAY – Letters – Residents of Thunder Bay are at a loss as they consider the latest federal cabinet appointments. Initial bemusement when Marcus Powlowski was first elected was elevated to full blown astonishment as he was snubbed yet again for a roll in Parliament. That he appears cemented to the back benches of that foundational institution should be of concern to all Canadians.
Legitimate and rightful government in democracy requires an informed, engaged electorate working hand in hand with responsible, accountable politicians. For their part, citizens must elect the most qualified and accomplished among their ranks. For the government’s part, it must cast the most capable cabinet from the pool of ability and expertise presented to it.
For our part, citizens have elected in Dr. Powlowski a graduate of Toronto, Harvard and Georgetown universities with degrees in medicine, health policy and law.. He has practiced medicine in northern First Nations communities for two years, and for seven years in developing countries (Swaziland, The Gambia, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu.) He has consulted with and written law for the World Health Organization.
He lectured at Lakehead University and the University of San Francisco.
Many locals know him as an ER physician at the Regional Hospital.
In short, Dr. Powlowski ranks among the most capable and accomplished MP’s ever sent to Ottawa from any province.
For Mr Trudeau’s part, he offers – crickets. It has been suggested that Powlowski is ineligible for a parliamentary roll because Thunder Bay has cabinet representation in Ms. Hajdu. Dismiss this notion immediately. When Bob Andras was Minister, Paul McRae held roles as Parliamentary Secretary to the Postmaster General and the Minister of Health. As signatory to the minority report on cruise missile testing, he staked out a principled position (to refuse the cruise) that the Prime Minister asked him to continue to press for to help move the Liberal Party in that direction. Mr. McRae was a teacher. He had multiple roles in parliament. Our riding was “seen”. Public policy was better for it.
Dr. Powlowski was offered no Cabinet position, no Parliamentary Secretary position and no Committee Chair. No roll at all.
It was difficult to watch a CTV network pundit observe that Trudeau scraped “the bottom of the barrel“ to appoint “nobodies and never wases” (sic) to this cabinet. Is our elected representative less than that? A resounding no is our collective answer.
Why is this a concern to all Canadians? Because our lives have never been more uncertain. From pandemics, war, climate change, globalization and the economy, Canadians do not know from which direction the next super crisis will emerge, yet we are concerned that it will not be long in coming.
Can Mr. Trudeau tell Canadians for a certainty that an MD with a law degree who wrote WHO law would not be invaluable in the next global health emergency? That he wouldn’t have been an asset to all Canadians over the last pandemic? Can he tell Canadians for sure that Cabinet appointments based on “because its 2024” will serve Canada better than those chosen for expertise and ability? Capricious disposal of solemn responsibilities is not an alibi for breaking trust with the Canadian electorate.
The “Canadian Cabinet” and “bottom of the barrel” should never be heard in the same sentence.
William Olesky
Thunder Bay
