Stop the 'hate'

I read the comments below the recent news article about the prime minister’s visit (last week to West Kelowna) and they were nothing but hateful and very rude.

If the posters think it will be better under the Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, they are wrong.

He never talks climate science and never showed up to support the firefighters and those who lost their homes.

There were numerous campaign promises that never came true with the previous Conservative government (2006 to 2015). I was a federal employee through it all (and under) every leader for 28 years.

Former (Conservative Prime Minister Brian) Mulroney, whose government implemented the GST, faced hate but tax was necessary to pay for government programs.

The haters have no respect at all, no solutions for any issues. The once-in-a-lifetime pandemic did a lot of damage and needed a lot of recovery but (the current) government is still working on that recovery. Hundreds died in this country, thousands in the world. It left devastating effects on all in some way or another.

As a senior, the vaccines and social distancing got me through it. Fighting off cancer, healthcare got me through it and that faced hate as well.

It’s time to get off the hate pedestal and contribute by doing something caring and positive for people and communities.

One can dislike some policies, but they can can offer constructive feedback. There’s no need to be rude.

Mary Lou Siemens, Kelowna

(Editor's note: The McDougall Creek Wildfire ran from mid-August to mid-September 2023. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre did visit the Okanagan twice after after the fire broke out, in August and in October 2023, but neither visit included public events with firefighters or those who lost homes in the fire.)