Ted Chudleigh Blog

The default mode of tragedy is to blame the government.

I suppose that is the natural outcome of a society which has insisted on government intervention in all manner of human activity no matter the level of justification.

And so, the usual complaints have been flung at federal and provincial governments regarding the tainted meat issue at Maple Leaf Foods.

These complaints swirl around inspection procedures and enforcement of standards and the need to remove potentially tainted products from store shelves.

However, the real role of government in this tragedy is to address the reasons for the problem and to create a solution should an investigation point to one.

Sometimes, no matter what you do, tragedy occurs. It is preventable only by the most extreme measures – for example, a ban on all driving to prevent auto accidents.

And yet an investigation into tragedy is necessary because it may uncover things that can be altered to improve conditions, or point to the randomness of events that conspired to cause it.

However, in these cases the marketplace imposes the largest penalty for mistakes. Maple Leaf Foods stands to lose millions in unsold product, in recalled product and in potential litigation.

People will judge Maple Leaf Foods and people will render their verdict.

How would you feel if I told you that the wide choice available at The Beer Store is being subsidized by the high cost of a standard 24?

How would you feel if I told you that profits from a near monopoly in the retailing of beer in Ontario are flowing to the shareholders of a Belgian company, a Japanese company and an American company?

It’s true.

What if you could buy beer at other retailers? It would likely be less expensive, there would be more convenience on purchase and bottle return, smaller brewers would have better market access especially in their local markets and Ontario would enter the 21st century by leaving Soviet style marketing behind.

A Burlington man is spearheading a push to have the rules around the retailing of beer reconsidered and modernized. He is collecting signatures on a petition – which can be printed from the home page of my website – and I will present them at Queen’s Park. Actual paper signatures are necessary to ensure authenticity.

It’s time that Ontario joined every other jurisdiction in the 21st century.

David Ramsay’s report to Premier McGuinty regarding small business manufacturing in Ontario was quietly released the other day.

The report recommends a number of things which are already happening, suggests a number of things which have been suggested before and – taxpayers are going to love this – suggests a third party organization be created to give away increased government financial incentives. Yup, they want to pay someone to give away your money, and the kicker is they want to make sure they give a fair share to unprofitable businesses. The Liberals want to make sure, through a bureaucratic process, that buggy whip makers get a share of falling tax revenues. It’s the Liberal solution to everything – throw your money at it.

Perhaps most telling, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business was not even given a heads up that the report was completed. The fanfare which accompanied the announcement of Mr. Ramsay’s study was a smokescreen. The Liberals don’t know what to do and were simply buying time hoping the economy would turn around while the report was being put together.

In addition, the McGuinty Liberals massaged the report for four months before releasing it – making sure it complied with their world view while giving the impression they were still hard at the investigation stage.

Reckless and shameless – not really the stuff of good government.

Dalton promised a review of the health tax.

But the process is a sham. Government officials have stated that the tax will be maintained due to the increasing cost of health care in Ontario.

No matter how you feel about the tax and the process that landed it in our laps there are strong reasons for a review. A review process was included in the legislation that instituted the tax in 2004.

There are problems with the tax that should be addressed. Many government workers have the tax paid as part of pre-existing employment contracts – forcing the extra costs onto the backs of taxpayers, who are in effect paying twice.

The health tax will raise nearly $3 billion this year almost twice as much as it raised when it was introduced in 2004.

Yet again - if you want promises, vote Liberal. If you want results, vote Progressive Conservative.

July 30, 2008

The Burlington International Games goes this weekend with athletes arriving in Ontario from Burlington, Vermont and Burlington, Iowa.

The Games are a huge undertaking but a wonderful event. Lifelong friendships are forged in the crucible of competition and international co-operation.

I know organizers have had their troubles in recent years with outside pressures but they’ve done a wonderful job keeping the Games alive. It’s important to maintain this tradition.

Take the opportunity to stop by a playing field or a gym this weekend and take in a little of the competition with your family. Bringing young children into the spirit of the Games will help broaden the spirit of the Games and keep the tradition alive.

For BIG events and info go to http://cms.burlington.ca/Page79.aspx

-30-

I’m just taking my blog out for a test drive today.

As this blog develops I’m hoping to use it to keep Halton informed of the little, and yet significant things that cross my desk. I come across these things almost every day. Items that are too small to go running to the press with and too large to ignore. Collectively they help fill in the gaps in public policy and various decision making processes.

I am well aware that as our technology develops so does its applications. So I hope that the discussions that occur here will be helpful to everyone who contributes and to those who simply stop by for a visit.
Ted