Louise Harel says she plans to return to university for a week of English immersion.

Dear editor,

I have been a reader of The Senior Times for many years and have always enjoyed it. However, I am upset at your choice of Louise Harel on the cover of your December edition.

She has no place on the cover of an English-language newspaper. Throughout her political career, she has worked for the separation of Quebec and was responsible for instituting the ill-thought-out municipal mergers despite vehement city-wide protests. By providing her with a platform to promote her policies, you are doing a disservice to your anglophone readers.

Gloria White

Dear readers,

Although many readers will disagree with her commitment to Quebec sovereignty, we decided to profile Louise Harel in the December issue of The Senior Times for several reasons.

First, she is the leader of the opposition at Montreal city hall, and in the turmoil sparked by allegations of systematic kickbacks, illegal contributions to political parties and Mafia influences, Harel is called upon to play a role in steering the city away from corruption.

In a political career that spans 40 years, Harel has established a strong record of personal integrity. The main exception was noted in our story, concerning loan guarantees she and other party members made that exceeded guidelines.

As minister of municipal affairs, her policy of forced mergers across Quebec was controversial, yet never completely dismantled by the Liberal government when it took power.

Ms. Harel is in position to become the next mayor of Montreal when elections are held in November and in that context we believe it is important for our readers to get to know more about her and her beliefs. We will not pretend a political figure does not exist simply because we may disagree with her.

Barbara Moser, editor and publisher