LETTERS TO THE EDITOR — Peru can count on its engineers

The United Nations survey that ranked Canada as having the highest quality of life in the world obviously did not include mining engineers, who can enjoy a higher quality of life in almost any other country in the world.

With reductions in the mining, fishing, forestry and agricultural sectors, there are few industries left to pay taxes to support the cherished social programs which Canadians can no longer afford.

Peru is probably the only country in the world being run by engineers. President Alberto Fujimori and his senior ministers are all engineers intent on rebuilding the country, and they have massive popular political support. Engineers in Peru are highly respected professionals and addressed as “ingeniero.”

It is equally interesting to note that Canada is being run by lawyers, intent on turning the country into a theme park for Japanese tourists. Engineers in Canada are given little respect and are considered, among the “politically correct,” to be little more than environmental criminals who have nothing better to do than shoot at foreign fishing vessels.

In Peru, this sort of treatment is reserved for corrupt politicians such as ex-president Alan Garcia, who will never be allowed back into the country, except to stand trial.

Foreign capital investment in Peru is expected to be in the order of $6.8 billion this year in the private sector, with an additional $2 billion for government infrastructure projects. Combined, these amounts represent 28% of the $31.5 billion gross domestic product, which grew in 1994 by 12.8%.

Perhaps it is time that Canadians started to consider electing more engineers to public office instead of lawyers. It is absolutely amazing what can be achieved with intelligent and responsible government, and what damage can be caused by the politically correct and/or corrupt.

J.H. Shepherd

Mining Engineer

Lima, Peru