In the April 10 edition of The Lake Report, Nicolas Petrick wrote of Mark Carney’s economic policies, then pointed voters to back Pierre Poilievre, whom he feels “has a genuine commitment to serving Canadians” (“Letter: Carney’s record spells trouble for Canadians“).

What Petrick is missing or not considering, because he did not live through the era of Stephen Harper, the Conservative Party often removes rights of minorities, shrinks social service programs, and puts communication bans on scientific research. These are just a few of the issues that came out after PM Trudeau’s election in 2015.

I would like to plant a seed by asking voters to seek a party that aligns with the social and environmental disasters we are facing, not just in this region, but nationally and globally.

Petrick is concerned only with “the future of my country” from an economic stance. Sorry, Petrick, but it is our country.

There are more important issues, like clean drinking water, the loss of wildlife, native species, and habitats for non-human life, just within this region.

Not to mention the social issues of homelessness due to a lack of programs to support those who need them. All of these issues are not on the Conservative agenda, nor do they present them as issues.

Please, voters, think not of what is in your bank account, but the quality of life for everyone and future generations. We all deserve clean air, water, and food.

This is not a time to ignore the deep-rooted issues of the climate crisis we are in because of the “tariff wars,” but a time to focus on cleaning our natural environment and securing a healthy society.