LTE – From High Road to Low Blows? Disappointing.

Dear Editor,

When Eric Duncan first entered politics, he made a pledge to his constituents that he would never engage in the low-road tactics of mudslinging that so often fuels political discourse. He positioned himself as a figure of integrity, one who would rise above petty insults and personal attacks. He even bragged about starting a breakfast club with his opponents in this region, which really didn’t last very long. Unfortunately, those promises seem to have vanished, and what we see today is a far cry from the principled leader he once claimed to be.

Since his election, Duncan has increasingly become a prominent example of the very behaviour he once vowed to avoid. Rather than focusing on meaningful policies and constructive debate, he seems more intent on attacking his political opponents with reckless abandon, most recently, Erin O’Toole (screenshot attached). It seemed to us that Eric was close with Mr. O’Toole, at one point being a member of his senior leadership team. He has fallen so far out of reality, that he seems to be a completely different person, selling his soul for the most ruthless and heartless leader (Pierre Poilievre).

Whether through misleading statements or outright personal jabs, he has allowed himself to sink into the gutter of political opportunism, abandoning the values he once claimed to uphold. Also, many of us who have used our voices to oppose him on social media, have been banned from his Facebook page, he can dish it out but cannot take it.

Just like when he tried to pull funding from Diversity Cornwall as they tried to voice their concerns about their community’s safety amidst the troubling rhetoric the Conservatives have been introducing.

This is not just a disappointment for his constituents, but a betrayal of the trust voters placed in him. Politics should be about leadership, about vision, and about constructive solutions. The constant stream of mudslinging from Mr. Duncan does nothing to advance these goals. Instead, it lowers the discourse, fuels division, and distracts from the issues that matter most to Canadians. Today, he blames the Trudeau government for people going hungry in this country, when they are providing cheques and solutions while our provincial government works approximately 7 months of the year and allows our food banks, education, hospitals and more to be sold off or ignored. 

If Eric Duncan is truly committed to serving the people of his riding, he needs to return to the higher ground he once promised. Canadians deserve better than the kind of cynical, negative politics that he now seems to champion. Unfortunately, I think he’s drunk too much of the bitter koolaid to ever come back to earth. There is a great responsibility in modeling healthy leadership styles for younger generations and this is not it. 

Try again, Eric. 

Sincerely,

Kelly Bergeron
Cornwall, ON