Traditionally, Alberta’s Progressive Conservative party has been a bit of an anomaly. In most jurisdictions when a governing party has led for too long, grown too stale and out of touch, they are unceremoniously replaced by the voters at the ballot box. The electorate effectively ‘renews’ government by firing the last group to hold power and votes in a new party.

The P.C. regime, however, has been able to reinvent itself without ever relinquishing control of the Legislature. When the Peter Lougheed era ended, the party was reborn under the Getty banner. When that proved almost fatal to the Tories and it looked as if night was going to descend on their time in power, along came Ralph Klein to resurrect the moribund juggernaut.

Many pundits expected history to repeat again when a new leader was chosen to replace the hapless Ed Stelmach. Under Stelmach’s stewardship, the P.C. party became glaringly adrift to the point that the party once again faced danger of having their reign end, this time from a challenger from the right.

Where current circumstances and history differ is in the details. As opposed to previous times when the party exercised renewal, the Progressive Conservatives have actual and legitimate opposition parties nipping at their heel this time around. They also have a longer history of dirty laundry to stickhandle, on top of an ever-growing public perception that the party has run out of ideas and that it is, after more than 40 years, time for a change.

Perhaps the biggest and most important difference this time is their leader. The last time the P.C. government was staring at the abyss they received a gift in King Ralph. Very few people could have taken over a party so damaged by bad business deals and a bumbling outgoing leader, turn around their direction, and lead them to a string of impressive successive victories.

This time, the P.C. party is relying on that same magic from Alison Redford. Judging by her first days in office, one thing has become crystal clear: she is no Ralph Klein. Her party knows it, the media knows it, and as time goes on more and more voters know it.

She has already carved out a reputation as a waffler, going back and forth on several issues from having a fall sitting to finally having an investigation into our train-wreck of a health care system.

Insiders say she is scrambling, sending mixed messages about what to expect under her Premiership. From big-spending promises to throwing out vaguely rightwing policies, the impression is that of a leader trying to be something she is not, or worse, that she doesn’t know what she is.

P.C. members I’ve talked to are becoming wary. Some are concerned about their party’s prospects come the next election. They know that Alberta voters cannot be fooled, and if they are given the choice between a pretend conservative leader of a formerly conservative party, and a real conservative leader of an actual conservative party, they will chose the authentic one every time.

“We’ve become very adept at portraying confidence,” said one P.C. member. “To the outside, everything is nice and peaceful. Behind the scenes, you have the establishment on one side and the new leader and her people on the other. She was an outsider and she won. And there’s only so much change she can accomplish when all she has are Stelmach MLA’s to draw from.”

In the time that remains before the writ is dropped, Alison Redford must somehow figure out how to once again renew the Progressive Conservative party using old spare parts left behind by her predecessor, and without the punch of a Ralph Klein-style persona and reputation.

For the Alberta P.C.s, the cat may finally have run out of lives.

First they came for Christmas, then they came for...Halloween? 

A few years ago, I wrote about my horrific experience attending my kid's school Christmas concert-that-wasn't.  The event had absolutely no traditional Christmas symbols or music, but it did have a large glittery 'peace' poster on the wall and lots of John Lennon songs.  The reason for this abomination?  The usual: 'not everyone celebrates Christmas and we didn't want to offend them.'

The latest attack on Canadian culture - once again using our kids their tools - is happening in, of all places, Calgary.  A few schools have decided that celebrating Halloween in the traditional fashion creates the possibility for someone to be 'offended'.  Therefore, this year they are banning 'scary' or 'violent' costumes.

According to Calgary Board of Education spokesperson Karen Drummond, parents are supposed to be appeased by the fact that the CBE has not banned the celebration altogether, but instead has set parameters as to what costumes are acceptable.

So, what constitutes 'scary' or 'violent'?  If a student shows up dressed as a vampire, that would be out of bounds, yes?  What if that same student came to school dressed as Karen Drummond?  To me, that would be really fucking frightening.

But the issue isn't the rules of what is and isn't acceptable.  The issue here, as it has been for so long in our crumbling, tumbling, politically correct education system, is the unabashed radical leftwing influence. 

While we wade through the 'caring' crap and the 'they aren't allowed to carry toy guns and knives, and this is just a continuation of that' nonsense, we finally come to the truth: yet another long-standing Canadian tradition is being sacrificed at the alter of political correctness.  Our kids must do without because someone may be offended, which has become a worse crime than murder.

Interesting is that we have not heard of any minority being 'offended' at the sight of a vampire or goblin, but we do hear lots from liberals suffering their own version of 'white guilt' and pushing their phobia on our children.

I do not have much faith in the parents of the kids at these schools standing up and opposing the growing encroachment of their rights and freedoms.  These days parents are expected to shut up and roll over to the wishes of the 'educators' who know better.  I would like to see, however, just one parent tell their child that they can dress up any way they like, and if the school doesn't like it, too bad.

Political correctness in our schools has been the cause of misguided and wayward students for years.  Now, it has crossed over and has emasculated the parents as well.

Alberta voters will have one real choice in the next provincial election...

A spin around the issue dial…

Infamous politico Craig Chandler has quite the history. A few years ago he made news when he won the nomination, then was removed as a Progressive Conservative candidate. He then moved on to the Wildrose Alliance, where he played a prominent role in the Mark Dyrholm leadership run. During the race, when it started to become obvious that Dyrholm would not win, the camp made the strategic misstep when it publicly alleged media bias towards eventual winner Danielle Smith.

Chandler would eventually leave the Wildrose party, showing up next as part of the campaign team for Bill Harvey in his quest to lead the Alberta Liberals (he lost).

It looks like things have come full circle. According to a recent tweet, it seems Chandler has decided to go home to the P.C. party.

Interesting, since the P.C.’s have moved decidedly into leftwing territory under newly-minted leader Alison Redford.

So has Craig Chandler become a born-again progressive? Not likely. The best bet is he’s burned too many bridges, fabricated too many controversies to find a home with any other party.

He’s run out of options, save the Alberta Party or the New Democrats – which are too ideologically foreign or just plain weird for Chandler to consider, so it’s back to the ‘changed’ Progressive Conservatives. He really has become like a business's problem customer.  You'd like him to be your competitor's problem customer instead. Craig Chandler back with the P.C.’s: Who had October 2011 in the pool?


…the federal Conservative government is moving to introduce legislation which would open up the markets and give farmers in Western Canada an actual choice as to how they could sell their product. Freedom for wheat and barley growers to sell their goods at a price they determine, just like an actual capitalist system. Naturally, a spokesperson for the Wheat Board unleashed a verbal assault at the Harper government, claiming the world would come to a swift and painful end if this were allowed (okay, he didn’t quite go that far, but you get the idea).

We should get used to this. As the Conservative government moves to undo the false concept that our national identity is dependent on government-run operations and Crown corporations, those who are naïve or who rely on the naïveté of others for their income are bound to complain and speak out. The current system for selling wheat in Canada is unfair to the point of being prejudiced against Western producers. There is no downside in giving Canadian farmers equality. This move will undo a long-standing wrong. I can just imagine the outcry if and when the Harper government finally pulls the plug on the $1.1 billion toilet known as the C.B.C.


…Iran is now attempting political assassinations on North American soil. Their nuclear capabilities are growing at an alarming rate, and in short time they will possess the ability to launch a strike against all of Europe and, soon after, the United States. Israel is already vulnerable, with Iranian aggression increasing.

Forget the useless United Nations. The United States and Israel should launch swift strikes against strategic military and infrastructure sites in Iran now before the rogue nation morphs beyond the capacity of containment. The concept of sanctions has been proven useless. They habitually target the citizens of a certain nation, not the government. The people of Iran rose up a few years ago, only to be stifled when the West missed the opportunity to nurture the uprising. Perhaps if the Iranian reformers – most the ‘new generation’ of twenty-somethings – saw NATO planes opening the way as they have in Libya, real change could occur.

Is Alberta's fanatical opposition to the concept of a provincial sales tax based on cold, hard facts?  Is the reason for the taboo nature of even the mere mention of the subject caused by a firm and valid belief in it's inherent evil?

Or is the reason why the thought of a PST is so distasteful to Albertans because of legend based on emotion; a generational sacred cow that has become just as much a symbol of regional pride as our fame of being a rat-free part of the world?

If it meant lower overall taxes and a more fair and balanced system, would you support the introduction of an Alberta sales tax in exchange for the elimination of personal income tax?

Take the poll on the left side of the page.

I recently had the opportunity to spend a few minutes in conversation with my first political mentor, former Alberta Progressive Conservative M.L.A. and Klein-era Provincial Treasurer Jim Dinning. The chat focused on provincial affairs ranging from the just-finished P.C. leadership race to the economy.



LS: Jim, my friend, thank you for speaking with me today.

JD: Glad to do it.

LS: During the recent P.C. leadership race, you made a few statements to the media in which you expressed some concern about the candidates as well as the direction of the province. Of course, Alison Redford won and is now our Premier. Your thoughts?

JD: Well, there are still some issues but I..I think Alison will do a good job. It’s like a breath of fresh air. I’d like to see Alberta get back on top of the national and international stage. Alberta needs to become, once again, the leader of Canada.

LS: The P.C.’s haven’t really faced a threat to their reign since the Lawrence Decore-led Liberals in 1993. That really has been it, at least externally. Do you see any of the other parties on the horizon that could challenge?

JD: Well, the threat will come from the right, of course - as always. Danielle Smith is articulate and smart. They (P.C.s) need to keep focused and on track.

LS: As you are aware, Alison Redford announced her cabinet today. Are there-

JD: I think Ted Morton will be good in Energy, he’ll be good; I like (Ron) Liepert in the Finance portfolio.

LS: Are there any surprises? Any additions or lack thereof that caused raised eyebrows?

JD: There are always going to be those who don’t get in; some that don’t make it. But she pulled people from all camps. You know, they say…some say ’41 years’ (with regards to the P.C. government), but really this is Day One. I know most of them (cabinet). I think Diana McQueen will do a good job. I don’t know Cal Dallas very well, but…so, I’m – I hope Ron will be an advocate, a hard-line advocate for getting us off of the deficit track, and back to a balanced budget. Now, I mean, I truly mean a balanced budget where we’re not spending beyond our means.

LS: Is that-

JD: ..and get back into growing the Sustainability Fund and the Heritage Fund.

LS: Of course you were the point-man of the ‘Klein Revolution’ if you want to call it that. You basically did most of the leg work and made the tough decisions to reverse the faltering economy of the ‘90’s. Now we’re in trouble again. Are we looking at another ‘hold on tight, it’s going to be painful’ round of cuts?

JD: I’m not…I don’t peer into and probe the province’s finances like I used to, so I won’t..I can’t say as though I know for sure. You know, Leigh, you know what, I’m not there so I can’t answer with the kind of certainty or confidence that I’d like to, but simply say that this is not a time for – this is the time for us to say ‘okay, what are Albertan’s basic needs?’ and make sure they’re fully met.

LS: Right.

JD: Priorize. You know, back in the dark ages when we set a budget and decided that we had to reduce spending by 20% off the bottom line, we didn’t cut 20% equally across the board from everyone. We said that education was the most important line item - it only got a 5% cut. Health care took about a 15%, 16% cut. The Department of the Treasury - it’s much, much smaller – the Department of the Treasury took a 69% cut. So…and universities took a 16% cut. We said that not everything is of equal value or of equal importance. It’s not. So if I could advise the Treasury Board minister, sit down first and say: “What are the areas that are the most important in priorities, how much do you need to cut?” Figure that out, and over a period of – you know, you’ve got two years between now and 2013 and find the savings. And don’t do it through taxation.

LS: Never, never raise taxes.

JD: Well, you now, never is too long a time. But let’s be careful that we…that you may not change tax revenue, but are there more efficient ways to raise money that are less harmful to the economy. I’d like that debate to occur. You know, this idea that ‘okay, we’ll just have income taxes’ or user fees or whatever. Well you know, I know this is a sacrilege for me to say this, but if you look at economic studies, they will tell you or they will say ‘what are the taxes that are the least drag on the economy, that are the least harmful incenting or dis-incenting people or businesses from making money?’ You know that fact is that if you said in this province we could - I’m only putting this up as a question – what would the elimination of personal income tax look like? What driver would it be on our economy if we eliminated personal income tax and put in its place a harmonized sales tax in the province? It would mean that you would be more incented to keep working harder because you get to keep more of your money. You only get taxed when you consume, when you buy furniture or when you buy a new car, or when you buy a plane ticket to fly to Vancouver or Florida. Economists after economist after economist are consistent in saying that a value-added tax is the least drag on our economy.

LS: So pretty much like a point-of-purchase…

JD: Yeah, like a sales tax. It’s a goods and services tax, just like what we have now. Don’t get me wrong. I’m saying first and foremost don’t just add a G.S.T. or a harmonized sales tax to Alberta. What taxes would you cut? Which are the least – which is the biggest drag on our provincial or our national economy, and what would be the most efficient tax – the least drag – to put in its place?

LS: That is an interesting look at it, for sure. Well, I have just one more question for you Jim.

JD: Okay, shoot.

LS: You seem to be as busy as you were when you were an M.L.A. if that’s possible, maybe even busier. You currently sit on several boards of directors. You are the Chancellor of the University of Calgary. Does the political fire still burn in your belly? You know, I recall back in 1989, more than twenty years ago - and I’m dating myself now…

JD: Yeah.

LS: One of the first conversations we had was about the political fire in the belly and going through the veins. Are we ever going to see the return of Jim Dinning to the political arena?

JD: Ah…no.

LS: You’re done?

JD: From the political side, Mister?

LS: Well, in front of the…

JD: There’s a difference, there’s a difference. I don’t hanker to be a Member of the Legislature or a Member of Parliament or city council. It’s just not in me. But can I still make contributions to public policy and to the public…and be a public servant? I don’t want to be a deputy minister or anything like that. You’ll still see me being an active public servant like being Chancellor of the university or Chairman of the Canada West Foundation or my Ottawa duty as I serve as the Chairman of Export Development Canada, which is a Crown Corporation. So, where I can serve the governments or leaders in being helpful because I’m proud of my country and I want it to be stronger and better, yes, but not on a ballot.

LS: Well, that’s pretty much all I wanted to touch on, Jim. That’s…

JD: What about you? Are you going to run for office some day?

LS: Oh, I wouldn’t – you know what? I wouldn’t inflict that on the poor voting public who would be naïve enough to vote for me, let’s put it that way.

JD: Oh, my friend, I don’t know about that.

Occupy Wall Street Protest

The Good:

- Shorter lines at Starbuck’s.

- All the city’s panhandlers are in one place.

- The suburbs smell better.

- Better chance of obtaining employment for those who actually want to work for a living.

- Less folk music in other areas of city.

- Lower crime rate.

- We’re just one fence away from unemployment solution.

- Fire trucks + water = mass shower.

- Makes people forget about that embarrassing ‘hockey riot’ in Vancouver.

- Gives Wall Street Suits a good chuckle when watching news in their mansions.

- City's drug dealers all within 3 block radius.


The Bad:

- Here comes another Michael Moore film.

If there has been one issue that keeps coming back for the people of the Edmonton area, it is the City Centre airport. The debate of whether or not to close the facility has almost become part of our fabric.

It became (once again) an election issue during the most recent civic election. Lawsuits were launched, protests popped up, politicians took sides. In the end, closure of the historic airport was the plan.

Naturally, that final decision drew calls of opposition, with allegations ranging from ignoring petitions to backroom deals thrown around. The hard-core pro side and con groups such as Envision Edmonton continue to stand by their convictions while many of the city’s residents have grown tired of the whole issue.

Wildrose leader Danielle Smith brought the municipal airport issue back into the forefront this past week when she entered the fray with her own suggestion that, if she were to become Premier, her government would try to purchase the airport from the city so that it could be used as base for medevac flight access to the North.

This brought the expected reaction, of course. Edmonton mayor Stephen Mandel called it a dead issue. His nose is probably still out of joint over Smith’s signing of the petition to keep the airport open, as well as her criticism of his council’s method of reaching their decision, calling it “…rushed and undemocratic.”

Others have accused Smith of stepping beyond allowed borders and into municipal politics. True, it is a ‘city’ airport, but the reality is that this airport is a vital link to northern communities. Long neglected, the northern regions of Alberta – and all of northern Canada, for that matter – are finally undergoing the long process of development.

More attention is being paid by the federal government in the areas of economic development and national defense. Its importance to the nation is growing.

Members of the provincial Progressive Conservative party, suffering from dwindling membership numbers, a new leftwing leader, and desperate for a ‘gotcha’ issue to nail the rising Wildrose, tried to accuse Smith of being a ‘socialist’.

What was missed (ignored?) in all this is that Smith’s idea on the airport is just that: an idea. What she did, in fact, was make a suggestion, then invited everyone to send her and her party ideas of their own.

A leader of a political party who encourages discussion and asks for suggestions on an issue from the voting public: I’ll take a minute and pour a cup of coffee while P.C. supporters re-read that last statement until it makes sense.

Ready? I’ll continue.

Well Danielle, here’s my two and a half cents. I have always believed that the government should not be in the business of being in business. My inner-Rand is solid on that. However, if that came to pass, would it be possible to put the operation under the health care system? If the primary purpose for the airport is as an emergency response facility, would it qualify?

Or, the government could buy it and then sell it. Quickly. Privatize the facility to get the cost of operation out of the taxpayer’s wallets.

The real solution to the airport issue, in my mind, has little provincial responsibility attached to it. If the airport is destined to be closed, instead of redeveloping the land into yet another misguided attempt by city council to appeal to the enviroNazi movement with a ‘green space’, why didn’t they just plan to built the new arena there?

It has excellent road access with the Yellowhead trail, Kingsway, and 121 street surrounding the land. NAIT is right beside it, as is Kingsway mall.

Keeping the city centre airport open would be the wise choice, and not just because of important emergency response reasons. But if the airport is shut down, using that area to build the new arena is just common sense.

From Dave Dormer, Calgary Sun:

Conservative group calls Redford victory tainted


Special favours for special interest groups propelled Alison Redford to victory in Alberta’s Tory leadership race, a national conservative advocacy group claimed Wednesday.

The fact Redford more than doubled her tally in the second round of voting — going from 11,127 votes to 28,993 — was the result of “a controversial backroom union deal” made with the Alberta Teachers Association, Peter Coleman, president of the National Citizens Coalition, said in a release.

Redford sent a letter to ATA members promising to restore $107 million in education funding within 10 days of being sworn in as premier — funding that had been cut by the Stelmach government — a move Coleman said pushed her support above perceived front-runner Gary Mar.

Mar received 41% of the vote on the first ballot compared to Redford’s 19%.

Redford scored what many political pundits described as a surprise victory on the second ballot, held Oct. 1 in Edmonton.

“Alberta cannot afford special favours for special interest groups,” Coleman said.

“An allegedly conservative party should be on the side of taxpayers.”

The province’s sustainability fund will be used to pay for the pledge, said NCC director Stephen Taylor, money that would be better suited elsewhere.

“The Sustainability Fund is not the personal piggy-bank of Premier-elect Redford,” he said in the release.

“It is highly troubling that Alberta’s treasury is being raided to fill the coffers of Redford’s new allies, while Alberta’s taxpayers foot the bill.”

Redford could not be reached at press time.

article link: http://www.calgarysun.com/2011/10/06/conservative-group-calls-redford-victory-tainted

The media is trying it’s best to create excitement over the election of Alison Redford as the Alberta Progressive Conservative’s new leader. Redford, who became the defacto premier in large part because of a promise to restore funding to the education system, will have to add a few new names to her Christmas card list this year.

The teacher’s union and other traditional leftwing New Democrat and Liberal voters should expect personalized Season’s Greetings wishes from the premier-elect. After all, if it wasn’t for the far-left, Redford would not have won.

The Sun has an article today claiming that ‘…the battle lines for Alberta’s blue base have been drawn.’ Even the usually common sense driven Ezra Levant and Rick Bell held a fawning session over Redford on the Sun News Network, oddly praising Redford for ideas that have been found in the Wildrose camp for a few years now.

Given the penchant the P.C. party has had for lifting policy from the Wildrose party over the past few years, this isn’t much of a shock.

The question seems to be which party will take the conservative vote in the next election, whenever that is. (Redford has already waffled on her stated time for a provincial vote.)

The reality is a bit different than the media would have you believe. The traditional Progressive Conservative party is gone. It’s been gone for a while now, and the rise of Alison Redford signals the end of their transformation into a leftwing, liberal entity. Conservatives left the party long ago and helped to create the base of the Wildrose party. What remains of the old P.C. group is decidedly progressive.

That’s liberal to you and me.

Without the support of leftwing voters, there is no way Redford would have won the leadership race. She knows this, and promptly rewarded her leftist benefactors with a $100 million dollar thank you. The first day on the job the new premier hands out millions of taxpayer dollars without the hassle of discussion, debate, or any semblance of democracy.

This after she decides to suspend a fall session in the Legislature. Not a good sign for those hoping for change from the Stelmach-era way of doing things.  Apparently the only thing that has changed is gender.

Alberta’s big city mayors, Naheed Nenshi in Calgary and Stephen Mandel in Edmonton – both liberal – are excited with the new premier. They can barely hide their glee at the prospect of getting lots of new provincial dollars from their ideological equal. And who can blame them? They know that Alberta now has a like-minded liberal in the premier’s office. A big spending liberal, if her first day is any indication.

The truth of the next provincial election is that the real battle of the ballots will not be between Danielle Smith’s Wildrose and Redford’s P.C.’s. The Wildrose has effectively displaced the P.C.’s on the centre-right. They are the only conservative option for Alberta voters.

The few remaining non-leftwing P.C. members acknowledge this.  Never have we been witness to a party in full damage control so soon after a new leader is elected.  The spin is enough to...well, make your head spin.

Redford, like the party she leads, will duke it out with the other leftwing parties on the scene. Their success will depend on soaking up votes that would have gone to the Liberals, New Democrats, and the fledgling Alberta party.

When it comes to wooing Alberta’s left, Redford has a one hundred million dollar head start.

For the rest of us, it is just more of the same.

Alberta’s new premier-elect isn’t even 48 hours into her new job yet and already Albertan’s are seeing a glimpse of what is to come.

Alison Redford (Alberta has a woman premier? Shock!) spent little time getting accustomed to her new title before she started revealing snippets of her agenda. Any thoughts that members of the Progressive Conservative party or Albertans in general had that her victory would signal a sweeping change away from the stagnant, arrogant mindset of the ruling party have been erased.

First, Redford confirmed that there will be no fall session of the Legislature. Strategically, this is a benefit for her. It will give her time to get acclimated to her new job and will let Albertans get to know her and her style.

To the critics who believe action must be taken in the areas of economy, health care, and education, this delay reeks of Stelmach-era apprehension and arrogance. It gives the impression that Redford has put her own self-interest ahead of the province and the democratic process right from day one.

Redford’s second move was to announce her intention to reverse cuts to education. While the rationale for this move can certainly be debated, the fact is she intends on implementing this action without debate. No session, no discussion, just a top-down decision from an unelected premier.

So much for change.

Alison Redford’s P.C. leadership victory is almost a duplication of the way Ed Stelmach was thrust upon the public: a faulty voting system where everyone’s second choice ended up winning. Redford, like Stelmach, is fairly unknown outside of her ministry. She is unknown to the masses, yet she is now our provincial leader.

So who is Alison Redford and what can we expect from her? An employee of the Justice department, who Redford was the minister of, put it this way: “She made a few positive changes to the way we do things, but the department still suffers from heavy bureaucracy. Under her stewardship, the left hand never knew what the right hand was up to. It was always one step forward, three steps back. Alberta has just taken a big step in the wrong direction.  We've got ourselves another Stelmach.”

The employee went on to claim: “It may seem harsh to say, but her victory on the second ballot had as much to do with an anti-Mar wave, a screwed-up voting system, and the passing of her mother as it did her ‘vision’ of Alberta. She got the sympathy vote.”

With the election of Alison Redford, the Progressive Conservatives have completed their not-so-secret move to the left of the political spectrum. Those who know her and her politics know her ideological stripes. She is the definition of a liberal-progressive, and her track record proves that.

If Redford’s plan to correct the litany of errors left over from the Stelmach era is to throw lots of taxpayer dollars at the problem, like she vowed to do with education, she will quickly find herself on the wrong side of Albertans.

Her rise to the top of the P.C. party has set a definitive line in the sand for voters for the next election. The ‘female factor’ is now a non-issue, as both of the top parties, the P.C.’s and the Wildrose, are led by women. The choice will be a former rightwing party in the old, tired P.C.’s which has swung greatly to the liberal-left under a money-spending leader, and the small-c Wildrose party that promotes fiscal and individual responsibility.

Many Albertans would like to see a provincial election this fall, which according to Redford, will not happen. If she continues with her habit of spending and continues to break promises (fixed election dates), her first-day decisions may be the ones to come back in the spring to bite her.

“(It) doesn't matter how big the warnings are. You could have cigarettes that were called the warnings. You could have cigarettes that come in a black pack with a skull and a cross bone on the front, called ‘Tumors’ and smokers would be lined up around the block going, "I can't wait to get my hands on these fucking things!” – Denis Leary ‘No Cure for Cancer’

There are certain areas of government hypocrisy that we as a society have come to accept as normal. These subjects are always met with a shake of the head and shrugged shoulders when brought up in conversation; the blatancy so obvious yet the priority not of high enough importance to register anything more than an ‘oh well, what can ya do?’ reaction.

The nanny state is active once again on the issue of tobacco. Canadian cigarette packs, already featuring an assortment of disturbing images and slogans, are going to undergo a redesign that will increase the size of the new, even more explicit images and text warnings.

The officials in charge have chosen to continue down the wrong path by pouring more money into scare tactics, ignoring some of the results from their first effort.

After the first redesign, statistics showed the gruesome pics had little or no effect on the

overall number of smokers. In fact, some studies saw a slight increase. Certainly the rate of teen tobacco puffers wasn’t affected, as the cig packs became something of a fad. Not only did the under-18 crowd get the thrill of obtaining smokes as underage, against-the-law smokers, but they also started collecting and trading the used packs like baseball cards.





The only person more out to lunch than the guy who figured putting scary pictures on cigarette packs would make them less attractive to teens is the guy who decided to make the pictures bigger and badder.

The hypocrisy of the situation is, of course, the fact that the federal government continues to reap the financial tax benefits of allowing smokes to be legal, all the while continuing their misdirected and useless efforts to get people to stop. It’s all for show.

Every so often the government will announce another tax increase on tobacco ‘to help our citizens beat the smoking habit’. Of course we all know this is a lie. The tax collected on a carton of Marlboro’s doesn’t go into some special health care fund, it goes into general revenue.

The government needs that money. They count on it to help pay for all of their pet projects.

If the government was serious about helping smokers not to light up, they would recognize cigarette smoking for what it is: an addiction. One that is more difficult for the average addict to kick than heroin.

The mindset has been, and still continues to be to a degree, that smoking is a habit. It’s like chewing your nails or tapping your pen on the desk. Just chew some gum or stick a patch on your shoulder. It’s mostly a ‘psychological thing’ anyway, right?

When a smoker is beginning the battle to quit and experiences a craving, it is like any other addict ‘jonsing’. You don’t think straight, and often justify the reason to yourself why you are driving to the store. Smokes in Canada may be expensive, and they are, but it is still cheaper to buy a deck of cigs than it is to buy most of the cessation products. In the grip of a craving, that makes it easier to jump off the wagon.

I should state that I am not advocating the criminalization of tobacco. Quite the contrary: you should be free to put into your body whatever you wish as long as it doesn’t affect me or mine.

But if those in charge of the anti-smoking brigade genuinely want to assist smokers in the difficult fight to kick the addiction, then instead of putting cartoonish pictures on cigarette packages, they should put that money into treatment centers, specialists, and other means as they do for hard drugs.

Or at least make it cheaper for tobacco addicts to buy the help they need.