Poison food crisis shows Harper’s contempt for government
'How many more people must die before the Harper government realizes that public health and safety must always transcend the boundaries of ideology?'
Experts say decisive and prompt action is crucial to saving lives
during a public health emergency. Yet from the beginning of the
listeriosis outbreak a peculiar paralysis took over within the most
senior ranks of the Harper government.
The first deaths occurred in June and by mid-August the problem had
been traced to the source. By Aug. 17, positive lab tests confirmed that
several deaths were directly linked to contaminated meat products made
at the Maple Leaf plant.
Yet the Harper administration failed to adequately warn the public
about the magnitude of the problem until Aug. 20. Then, instead of
announcing new resources and regulations to ensure public safety, we
had the spectacle of a series of cabinet ministers issuing blithe
quips and limp assurances that everything was under control.
This was followed by Harper himself, fretting about political fallout
on the eve of an election, promising an internal 'independent'
investigation, a move that amounts to no more than a political gambit
to shield the government from allegations of negligence toward public
health.
Finally, we learn that at the height of the crisis, during a
conference call with scientists, bureaucrats and political staff, the
federal agriculture minister trivialized the crisis, and insulted
victims, by making insensitive jokes. Yet Gerry Ritz remains a member
of the Harper cabinet.
The entire handling of this emergency demonstrates callous
incompetence. Worse, it reveals a lethal contempt by Harper for the
most basic role of government - ensuring public health and safety. It
also reflects a hostility of government as a constructive force in our
society.
Sadly, this comes as no great surprise. Harper has, after all, spent
his entire career denigrating government and public services. Why
would anyone be shocked now that a government run by him should fail
to rise to such an occasion?
Since his first days in office in 2006, Harper has steadily cut
funding for food safety programs and inspectors, shifting ever greater
responsibility to the food companies themselves.
According to current Treasury Board of Canada forecasts, funding for
food safety programs will have declined by almost 30% from $359
million in 2006-07 to $254 million in 2010-11 under Harper's watch.
At the same time, a secret government document recently brought to
light by a government employee reveals that the government has been
planning to let the foxes further guard the henhouse by expanding
industry self-policing of food safety.
The listeriosis crisis is reminiscent of the poison water scandal that
rocked Walkerton, Ont., in 2000. That disaster was caused in large
part by government cutbacks and a deliberate weakening of provincial
inspection and safety procedures by the Ontario regime of Conservative
Premier Mike Harris.
Harper's cabinet now includes some of the same ministers who were part
of the Harris government, ministers who should have learned the
obvious lessons of the Walkerton tragedy.
That they did not makes an even more chilling point: the ineptitude
now apparent in Ottawa is not merely a failure to learn the lessons of
Walkerton. It bespeaks an ideological contempt for anything and
everything that government can do to better society.
How many more deaths?
The listeriosis outbreak is an especially deadly lesson in why
effective and rigorous government oversight and action offers the best
guarantee of public health and safety. But how many more people will
die before the Harper government realizes that public health and
safety must always transcend political ideology? NUPGE
'How many more people must die before the Harper government realizes that public health and safety must always transcend the boundaries of ideology?'
Experts say decisive and prompt action is crucial to saving lives
during a public health emergency. Yet from the beginning of the
listeriosis outbreak a peculiar paralysis took over within the most
senior ranks of the Harper government.
The first deaths occurred in June and by mid-August the problem had
been traced to the source. By Aug. 17, positive lab tests confirmed that
several deaths were directly linked to contaminated meat products made
at the Maple Leaf plant.
Yet the Harper administration failed to adequately warn the public
about the magnitude of the problem until Aug. 20. Then, instead of
announcing new resources and regulations to ensure public safety, we
had the spectacle of a series of cabinet ministers issuing blithe
quips and limp assurances that everything was under control.
This was followed by Harper himself, fretting about political fallout
on the eve of an election, promising an internal 'independent'
investigation, a move that amounts to no more than a political gambit
to shield the government from allegations of negligence toward public
health.
Finally, we learn that at the height of the crisis, during a
conference call with scientists, bureaucrats and political staff, the
federal agriculture minister trivialized the crisis, and insulted
victims, by making insensitive jokes. Yet Gerry Ritz remains a member
of the Harper cabinet.
The entire handling of this emergency demonstrates callous
incompetence. Worse, it reveals a lethal contempt by Harper for the
most basic role of government - ensuring public health and safety. It
also reflects a hostility of government as a constructive force in our
society.
Sadly, this comes as no great surprise. Harper has, after all, spent
his entire career denigrating government and public services. Why
would anyone be shocked now that a government run by him should fail
to rise to such an occasion?
Since his first days in office in 2006, Harper has steadily cut
funding for food safety programs and inspectors, shifting ever greater
responsibility to the food companies themselves.
According to current Treasury Board of Canada forecasts, funding for
food safety programs will have declined by almost 30% from $359
million in 2006-07 to $254 million in 2010-11 under Harper's watch.
At the same time, a secret government document recently brought to
light by a government employee reveals that the government has been
planning to let the foxes further guard the henhouse by expanding
industry self-policing of food safety.
The listeriosis crisis is reminiscent of the poison water scandal that
rocked Walkerton, Ont., in 2000. That disaster was caused in large
part by government cutbacks and a deliberate weakening of provincial
inspection and safety procedures by the Ontario regime of Conservative
Premier Mike Harris.
Harper's cabinet now includes some of the same ministers who were part
of the Harris government, ministers who should have learned the
obvious lessons of the Walkerton tragedy.
That they did not makes an even more chilling point: the ineptitude
now apparent in Ottawa is not merely a failure to learn the lessons of
Walkerton. It bespeaks an ideological contempt for anything and
everything that government can do to better society.
How many more deaths?
The listeriosis outbreak is an especially deadly lesson in why
effective and rigorous government oversight and action offers the best
guarantee of public health and safety. But how many more people will
die before the Harper government realizes that public health and
safety must always transcend political ideology? NUPGE
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