Dear Editor
March 20, 2023, CTV News journalist, Alexander Mae Jones quotes Pierre Poilievre saying, “It’s common sense, if you can do the job, you should get the job. If you are a doctor, you shouldn’t be driving a taxi. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling for a national standardized testing process to be created in order to speed up the licensing process for doctors and nurses who are either immigrants or were trained abroad.”
I find it ironic that Poilievre is plagiarizing the NDP, not from a recent comment but from way back — 11 years ago — when the Conservatives were in government. In a February 23, 2012, NDP news release, interim New Democrat leader Nycole Turmel said, “Thanks to years of inaction by Mr. Harper, we’ve got qualified doctors forced to drive taxis while millions of Canadians can’t find a doctor.”
The news release went on to say, “Since 2007, New Democrats have called for a concrete plan to accelerate and streamline the recognition of foreign credentials, overseas degrees and previous employment experience, in conjunction with provinces and licensing authorities.”
Where was Poilievre, the career politician, hiding when his government was missing in action, foot-dragging, “taking half measures and failing to act quickly enough to recognize the foreign credentials of internationally trained professionals?”
Evelyn Johnson
Spiritwood
