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LETTERS: Slagging tactics are sad

Slagging the NDP without justification is, sadly, the tactics of the regime of Harper and company.

While I agree completely with Connie Denesiuk’s assessment of Stephen Harper’s divisive, dishonest tactics in virtually all of the policies and bills put forward in the past eight years, I find her letter on the Liberal Party’s approach to Bill C-51, the so-called anti-terrorist bill, to be quite strange.

To begin with, nowhere does she mention that the Liberals Justin Trudeau unequivocally supported the bill, though wanting critical amendments — which, as she notes, they knew would not be adopted by the Conservatives. Then, she tries to paint the NDP and leader Thomas Mulcair as taking a less admirable stance, one that according to everything I’ve read and heard from Mr. Mulcair on the topic is simply incorrect.

It’s true he’s never said specifically that the NDP would rescind the bill when they form the government; however, what he has said is that a bill on control of terrorism in Canada must include the following (quoted from the NDP website) which implies a very different bill than C-51:

- Provide strong oversight of security and intelligence agencies.

-  Ensure appropriate resources are available for security and intelligence agencies to track and identify threats to our safety.

- Include efforts to combat radicalization, working with at-risk communities to help counter radicalization.

To me, the above is much more specific and positive than the vague promises of Mr. Trudeau to make the Bill an election issue.

In any case, slagging the NDP without justification is, sadly, the tactics of the regime of Harper and company, supposedly what the Liberals are trying to end.

Eva Durance

Penticton