Letter: If anyone needs a body regulating behaviour, it’s our elected politicians

By Letter to the Editor on October 30, 2024.

Dear editor,

Your recent article in Oct. 24’s paper entitled “Smith promises to review professional regulators, legislate limits,” caused a major upheaval during my breakfast reading.

There is often a lively discussion with hubby over various articles, especially lately – case in point the need to wear a tin foil hat due to chemicals raining down on us – but this is the tipping point for me!

In what democratic country does a political party have the right to interfere with how a professional body is regulated? For sure discussion is always good and the need for change is constant, but where would the interference lead to?

You start loosening the reins on the rules and the general public will no longer feel protected. Very slippery slope.

However, I have an idea to regain the general public’s trust in our politicians. What if they had a professional body regulating their behaviour and code of ethics? What if anyone running for public office had to belong to a independent regulatory body that administered very strict guidelines for codes of conduct and professionalism?

The buzz words of “I’m sorry” have become the accepted form of forgiveness and it all goes away. However, in my profession as a nurse I had to hold very high standards, or I would lose my licence to practise. The way it should be!

Shouldn’t it be the same for the most powerful people in our country? Regain our trust and establish good honest government. Stop interfering in established regulatory bodies and get on with the practical matters of educating our children and giving us good timely health care.

Allyson McCaw

Medicine Hat

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