Alberta Bill 45 "The Tobacco Reduction Act" to be Introduced June 12

The Order Paper for the Alberta Legislature has a notice in it today about Bill 45 “The Tobacco Reduction Act.” Looks like it will be introduced by Alberta's Minister of Health and WELLNESS, the Honourable Dave Hancock on Tuesday June 12th in the early afternoon. Hooray!!!

The political process is done and the legislative process is about to begin. Now we need the Premier to get behind this Bill and use some of his personal influence to make sure this get passed into law this session. Time is tight but it can be done with political will and all-party co-operation. Both elements are in place but it needs a push from the top becuase time is tight.

The new law is a no-brainer given the overwhelming public support it has received.

Proclamation can wait until Regulations are done. We have to be sure there is enough time over the summer for those businesses who need to adapt to have time to make the necessary arrangements in order to comply with the new law.

To leave this law to languish unfinished over the summer will only cause MLAs and municipal politicians (who are facing an October election) to be pressed and prodded by the hard-core tobacco supporters who think addictions are a good thing, or by the libertarians who think personal choice trumps community health and well being. Passing this Bill this session takes all that diversion off the political agenda...and it is the right thing to do!

Make it happen Premier Stelmach. Make it happen now!

Lying Libby Says "Oops, My Bad" and Asks for Leniency

So Scooter Libby can’t get away with lying to the FBI, perjury before a Grand Jury and obstructing Justice. A jury found him guilty and an independent Judge passed sentence a 30 month and a $250K fine. This sends a strong message that abuse of power and betrayal of trust by governments and their operatives cannot be tolerated.

Undoubtedly there will be an appeal but that does not mean Mr. Libby will escape jail time pending an appeal. That is the next question before the Judge. Stay tuned – this is not over. My money says he does time pending an appeal.

This trial and the result is one more example and reason to be thankful for an independent judiciary. Former Prime Minister Mulroney, as mentor to current Prime Minister Harper reaffirmed this important cornerstone of democracy recently. Hopefully “our man” Steve is still listening to Brian and will cease and desist from further manipulation of the judicial review and appointment process. His recent interferences threaten this all important independence of the judiciary, one of most important protections a citizen has against the power of the state.

The Libby trial testimony according to media sources exposed the White House allegedly deeply involved in managing the news, manipulating reporters and exaggerating intelligence on Iraq’s WMD program. This is all laced with sufficient irony to make one cry, both in and for a free country and a once proud democracy.

Will Dubya do the Presidential Pardon thing? Given this, his tanked approval ratings and hubris he will likely see now down side. There will be a down side to a Presidential Pardon for Libby? Not for Dubya, he is already toast! But the Office of the President of the United States will no doubt suffer…as if Bush cares – or ever did about such matters.

One wonders if this will embolden the pursuers of presidential impeachment aimed at Bush 43?

Harper at the G8 is Not Being Honest Nor is He Being a Broker.

Prime Minister Harper is off to the G8 and positioning Canada as the “honest broker” to bridge the gap between the climate change approaches between Europe and the Americans. Our Prime Minister has yet to clarify his own position on these issues so it is hard to see him as having any significant moral, legal or even intellectual authority to mediate between some pretty significant superpowers.

Our national economy and security is so tied to the USA that it is stretching credibility to believe the Europeans will see Harper as anything more than a shill for President Bush’s position on climate change.

It is not as if our record in Canada on GHG emissions cutting has been exemplary either. So there is no lever for persuasion or brokerage by Harper on that front. In fact we are doing a worse job than the Americans who never said they were to be bound by Kyoto in the first place. Harper’s own anaemic and hesitant policies on climate change offer nothing to add to his stature as an honest broker between Europe and American interests either.

He even misrepresents the India and China position on climate change. They have signed on to Kyoto but starting in the post-2012 period. According to the World Wildlife Fund, India currently contributes 2% of world GHG emissions with a billion people and China spews 5% with 1.3 billion people. Canada sources 2% of the worlds GHG emissions with only 35 million citizens.

The trends in all cases are not encouraging. In the time frame 1999-2004 Canada increased emissions 27%, India was up 57.5% and China increased by 73%. That only proves we are all in serious trouble. Canada obviously needs to do more at home and not just preach to China and India, as temping as that seems to be to Bush and Harper. As for an honest broker we are not in the best position be making the case to others now are we?

We have hardly anything to teach them, except perhaps not to waste the lead up time they have and to start early to create the changes necessary to comply with Kyoto. In Canada we have definitely squandered that lead time from when we signed on.

Yes Steve, it is not easy being green. It is even harder to be credible by pretending that you are. Harper’s Cons are spending big bucks in the pre-writ pre-election period that they don't have to account for when an inevitable election is called. Their message is focused on trying to convince us Dion is not a leader. Ironically Harper is spending lots of his personal political capital right now too. He is posing and posturing as a greenie and proving too all of us in the process that he is definitely not a leader.

MY WISH FOR CANADA

The Great Canadian Wish List, a joint project between StudentVote, Facebook and the CBC has been going since Monday afternoon May 28. See my post that day for more details. It is a wonderful idea that has started to take off with 4,651 members and a Discussion Board with 129 topics and The Wall (“Facebook talk”) with 580 posts as I writh this on Friday morning.

The Wishes cover a wide range of topics but it seems to me mostly young people are into this event. That is a good thing but the conversation needs to be broader and more inclusive. This is not a criticism of The Great Canadian Wish List – just an observation of the different cultures that exist between generations.

As a front end baby-boomer I took to television and understood it and had a “relationship” with it much faster than may parents. This generation is having the same difference of understanding and relationship with the Internet. Nothing wrong with that, it just “is what it is!”

So for those who read blogs, and you must read at least this one, here is an easy entry into the new world order of Facebook. Here is the link to my Wish for Canada on her pending 140th Birthday. Give it a read. If you like it, then click “Add Support.” At the end of the day the most popular Wishes will move to the next level of the project and be part of a CBC television program tied to Canada Day.

Take a few minutes this casual Friday and browse some of the other wishes and give them support too. Better yet – join in and contribute your own Wish for Canada.

Stelmach's Caucus Passes Province Wide Smoking Ban!

The Alberta Progressive Conservative Caucus under Premier Stelmach has approved a province wide smoking ban in public and workplaces today. Indications are the new legislation for this ban is ready to go through the final procedural steps and could be tabled for First Reading by Dave Hancock Alberta Minister of Health and Wellness next week.

Premier Stelmach has been waiting for the "will of his Caucus" and now he has it. Now the Premier has to get firmly behind this initiative and help fast track this legislation. Let's get it passed into law this session. There is no good reason for more delays or dithering with the legislation until the fall session. It won't be easy pass this into law this session given how close we are to the end - but it is not impossible.

This idea for legislated province wide smoking ban is an initiative that has 84% public support. It can be law this session if the government has the will to keep the momentum going and if the opposition parties co-operate with some flexibility on scheduling issues.

Premier Stelmach has declared quality of life to be one of his fundamental governance principles. The government news release ties this policy decision to that principle. There is no reason to delay or defer this decision Mr. Premier.

Get ‘er done! And get 'er done NOW!