In June of last year, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty created a new ministry. Under the mantra that big government and the nanny state is best, McGuinty created the Ministry of Health Promotion. The addition of this ministry, bound to make Ontarians all warm and fuzzy inside will, according to its website "help Ontarians lead healthier lives by delivering programs that promote healthy choices and healthy lifestyles". and to do this, the new ministry will of course "work closely with partners, stakeholders and all levels of government"(that is, be a pawn to the various special interest groups that hopefully will vote Liberal in 2007).
Last week Jim Watson, the Minister of Health Promotion opined that he would like to see cigarettes "banned" in Canada. Presumably this one of the healthy "choices" that Ministry talks about--choose not to smoke or go to jail. The Smoke Free Ontario act that will come into force at the end of May that prohibits smoking from all public spaces in the province just isn't enough--smoking must now be banned. Watson would like to see those who continue to smoke be put into the same category as heroin junkies and crack heads.
The Minister, of course realized that Ontario does not have the jurisdiction to legislate a complete ban on tobacco so Watson expressed the hope that Prime Minister Stephen Harper would impose a ban.
Okay let's not get carried away here. after years of decisions being made in Ottawa that depended on which way the wind and the United Nations blows, we now have a prime minister who is not afraid to lead. In a Canada that has become an international follower, Harper took the lead in banning monies sent to the terrorist group Hamas who now form the government in the Palestinian authority. But while Watson might be holding his breath to keep out that awful second-hand smoke, he shouldn't be waiting for Harper to ban smoking.
In fairness to Watson, he was no doubt simply "musing" about a total ban on tobacco in Canada and knows that it will not be passed by the current federal government. If he was simply trying to play politics by throwing the issue over to Harper, Watson's political skills and judgment are in doubt. Watson no doubt knows that a total tobacco ban is not realistic, but they are totally consistent with the simplistic way his government would like to operate if they could get away with it. Smoking causes health problems-- ban tobacco. Obesity is becoming a major problem--ban junk food. Just feel like banning something--ban sushi. He probably didn't impress too many people with his statement but he would have impressed Dalton and that's what counts.
Watson's wish to totally ban cigarettes is indicative of the paternalistic attitude that the Liberal government has towards the citizens of Ontario. People should not be free to make their own choices because they might make bad ones. The unwashed masses are unable to function and conduct their affairs without stringent rules being forced upon them by a big brother government. They are simply too stupid.
What's worse is that despite the creation of a ministry of "health promotion", the McGuinty Liberals have no real concern about the health of Ontarians. While they were in deficit, they'll gladly spend millions to buy back MRI machines so that instead of Ontarians using their health cards to receive a scan by a machine that was privately owned, they could use that same card to receive a scan on an MRI machine that is now owned by the government. and for all the whining about the health of Ontarians, there is nothing in the Smoke Free Ontario act that provides money to smokers so that they can receive treatment to stop smoking. and this same government couldn't care less that people now have to pay for (or go without) the services of optometrists, physiotherapists and chiropractors since those services have been de-listed. It's all about paternalistic ideology and not about the health of those who live in the province.
We would be much better off if cigarettes remained legal and Liberals were banned.
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