Editorials - Aug. 4, 2023
When does it end?
In case anyone had any faith left in Loblaws (or Metro or Sobeys), the latest financial reports might smash it. Loblaws posted a $508 million profit in the first three months of 2023, a 31.3 per cent increase over the same quarter last year. Of course, the backpedaling began immediately, with the company saying that the huge increase is due to a write-off last year, and, on an adjusted basis, profits were up only 10.8 per cent.
Communications from the company also claim that it is absorbing a lot of the double-digit inflationary increases from its suppliers, and that the end of the pandemic is driving a resurgence in health and beauty sales as people return to the office, resulting in the healthy bottom line. The public is not accepting this and there are increasing calls to boycott Loblaws, for those who have still been able to afford to shop there.
Not all of the responsibility is on Loblaws. There is a high inflation rate now, and the wholesale prices have risen, but with so few chains left and virtually no independent grocers, there is little pressure to keep retail prices affordable and pay shareholders less. Consumers have to eat and have to buy their basic groceries from whatever chain has set up shop in their neighbourhood. For rural shoppers, the choices are even more limited. Gone are the days when you could pick up a newspaper and shop the loss-leaders from four different stores on your local main street. A boycott of Loblaws will only drive up Sobeys’ profits next quarter. – DS
A new way of thinking
A recent Canadian court ruling is presenting some forward thinking and redefining - for some - of what terrorism means. For the first time, an incel’s fatal act of rage has been called what it is: terror.
An incel, for those of you who don’t know, is someone who considers themselves “involuntarily celibate” and these people are increasingly turning to violence as they find online communities filled with hate - often directed at those of the opposite sex - with some turning that hate into violence that often results in death.
In the case of a killer who stabbed and killed a woman and injured another at a North York massage parlour in 2020 (the killer cannot be named due to his underage status at the time of the crime), Superior Court Justic Suhail Akhtar agreed with prosecutors in their assertion that killing in the name of incel ideology constituted a terrorist attack.
Many will point to the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing as one of the first times they heard of domestic terrorism. At the time, it felt like we were learning together about a new kind of terrorism. This feels like another unfortunate step on that journey. At the same time, it feels like a forward-thinking ruling that will treat these hate crimes - which have disproportionately victimized women - as the heinous acts they are.
Too often, citizens and politicians have thought of terrorists as being “foreign” threats to a certain “way of life”, while domestic threats have been given a pass, regardless of their targeted brutality.
If these crimes are treated with the severity of terrorism after they occur, one can hope the governments within Canada will follow suit and dedicate similar resources to perhaps preventing them before they occur, potentially saving the lives of many in the process. – SL
Know when to hold ’em
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a major announcement last week, shaking up his cabinet in an attempt to inject “fresh energy” into Parliament Hill. But, after eight years in power, Trudeau is grappling with voter fatigue and dwindling confidence in his leadership. Recent polling data shows the Liberals trailing behind the Conservatives, and the urgency of the situation is evident in the major overhaul.
A staggering 23 ministers were reassigned, while only eight retained their positions. This move comes ahead of the 2025 election, signaling Trudeau’s desperation to revive his government’s waning fortunes.
Several key portfolios were affected, including defence, justice, immigration, procurement, health and transport. Notably, seven new ministers were introduced, four of whom were appointed to fill vacancies left by peers who are choosing not to seek re-election. The other three replaced ministers who were dropped from cabinet positions altogether.
Predictably, opposition critics say the shuffle is merely political theatre and that Trudeau’s new cabinet just isn’t serious. This approach is reminiscent of Stephen Harper’s unsuccessful “Justin Trudeau is just not ready” rhetoric from the 2015 election. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre might be better served introducing and promoting members of his own shadow cabinet more broadly to Canadians rather than considering trendy sunglasses and full-sleeve tattoos or whatever image makeover he thinks might trick Canadians into liking him.
Trudeau’s cabinet overhaul represents a gamble on reviving his government’s prospects. However, it remains to be seen whether these changes will resonate with voters or merely reflect a desperate attempt to rekindle support. The next election will serve as the ultimate litmus test of Trudeau’s revamped team and its ability to regain trust. – SBS