Food Inspection and Elections - Sorting for Success

Not too long ago I wrote a piece titled "Handguns and Elections: Shooting For Success." In that article I accused Canadian Tory Justice Minister Rob Nicholson - and the Canadian governments in general - of participating in the politics of fear; specifically by creating a false fear among the public (in that case, that handguns are a serious threat to the well being of Canadian citizens) solely for the purpose of political gain. My argument was that by creating this false fear and then addressing it, Nicholson and the Conservative Party of Canada positioned themselves as protectors of the average Canadian; concerned with our well-being and doing all they can to protect us. Of course, handguns are not a genuine threat to the average Canadian, and so, nearly any measure taken to prevent handgun violence (which of course are paid for by taxpayers) is a waste of money and is undertaken not for the purpose of protecting Canadian citizens, but rather to gain political support. Well, considering the Tory history of participating in the politics of fear, it should not have come as a surprise to me and like-minded individuals when we read the Toronto Star today (Thursday August 28) and noticed the second page headline "Listeria Outbreak Spurs Food Safety Overhaul." In this article, we\are informed that the Federal government of Canada will not stand by as its citizens are exposed to the threat of listeriosis... An food-borne virus that has been linked to eight deaths. To counter this threat, Tory Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced a $113 million dollar (taxpayer) plan to prevent future outbreaks... Great! We're safe! right? wrong. First off, there is no way to ensure the safety of all food in this nation. We can not sample all food that goes to our grocery stores, and so there always will be the risk of disease. Secondly, listeriosis, the virus that spurred this policy is a threat only (or at the very least, by and large) to the elderly, the sick, and possibly pregnant women. For the average citizen, listeriosis will give you a few days of punishing diarreha... Third and finally, Ritz openly acknowledged that the threat of a similar outbreak is slim to none: "Having been subjected to three or four complete chemical wash downs, there's very little doubt that there's any listeria there left." But hey, that's no reason to not spend $113 million taxpayer dollars. To close the article Prime Minister Stephen Harper got the final word, saying that the responsibility of ensuring the safety of Canadian food has to be a joint effort between government and business. He also pointed out that Ottawa is doing its part to increase the number of Federally sponsored food inspectors. The point is that we have just been protected from another false threat. Neither you, nor I, nor anyone we know will know anyone affected by listeriosis. There are probably more cases of people being hit by lightning in Canada each year than deaths by listeriosis. By creating a media frenzy around the Maple Leaf listeriosis debacle, the Federal government seized the opportunity to appear as the great protector of Canadian citizens much like with their handgun measures. Come election time (which is inching nearer and nearer), we will surely hear of the Conservative action against dangerous foods. But you and I will know better... We will know that this was another instance of the Tory government falsely raising alarm flags solely for the purpose of shoring up political support. This time their political stunt cost us, the tax payers, $113 million - but the question is, did they succeed in buying your vote? Thanks for reading. GRMM