In recent letters to the editors of both the Cochrane Times and the Cochrane Eagle, Dan Cunin charged the UCP government for its lack of preparedness to recognize fight and ultimately stop the coronavirus from spreading. How does he know how effective or ineffective the effort is? Responding to such a disaster requires more of everything; more safety equipment, hospital gear, logistical transportation, financial resources, medical resources etc. All of these require careful planning.
The complexity of this problem is beyond any world experience. No country has been ready for this virus and contrary to Mr. Cunin’s implausible rhetoric, could they be expected to be.
Cunin is disingenuously using the virus to make a dishonest political statement and not a very effective one for realists who can think for themselves. Saying that, “the coronavirus is unrelated to the ideology of conservatism” is a disgraceful statement that comes close to a lie by implying that because the UCP government is conservative it may not help Albertans as it should?
He goes on to suggest that because the UCP government is attempting to clean up the debt and deficits left to it before the last election, it may not be willing to provide the financial resources necessary to fight the virus? As for Cunin's comment that the UCP is “doubling down” on deficit reduction, he should read the revisions of the new provincial budget, particularly the sections on health care. This budget is not picking winners or losers any more or less than the previous government did.
He says he is infuriated by “the missed opportunities to shut down the virus”. What missed opportunities? What medical experience does he possess that he can make such a comment? These kinds of presumptive personal opinions without providing historical medical facts or financial considerations only create conditions that either confuse people or mislead them. I have no idea what Mr. Cunin’s political affiliations are, but I wonder what his reaction would be to the response to the virus by our previous NDP government? I can assure him that the previous government would have been no more prepared as our current government, or for that matter, any other government around the world. Anyone who believes otherwise is naïve at best and totally unrealistic at worst. The readers can decide into which category Mr. Cunin fits.
As always, in my letters of rebuttal, I challenge those who may disagree with me to call, particularly Mr. Cunin. He knows where I am.
- L. (Tex) Leugner
