Re: Shabby Tory tactics, Editorial May 13

I am appalled but not surprised by the Harper government’s use of an omnibus bill. How different is this bill from the Enabling Act passed in Germany in 1933?

Eliminating Parliament’s ability to debate individual bills by packaging diverse and complicated issues into one huge bill undermines Canadian democracy in much the same way as the Enabling Act of 1933 did in Germany.

The Enabling Act was a grab for power by those who believed they knew what was best for Germany and didn’t want democracy to stand in the way. Harper’s omnibus bill is also a grab for power by a group that believes it knows what is best for Canada.

If the ideas are good for Canada, why can they not stand up to debate in the House of Commons?

Peggy Stevens, Newmarket