Fierce lobbying by Big Tobacco is threatening legislation aimed at cracking down on marketing to young people
Jump to full article: Globe and Mail (ca), 2009-10-01
Author: Andre Picard
Intro: Does the shamelessness of tobacco companies - and politicians for that matter - know no bounds?
After a summer of fierce lobbying by the tobacco giant Rothmans Benson & Hedges - namely, a threat to close a factory in Quebec City that employs 300 people - an important bit of health legislation is now at risk.
The Cracking Down on Tobacco Marketing Aimed at Youth Act, Bill C-32, has passed second reading in the House of Commons with the support of all the major political parties.
But now it's stalled in the Senate, where an amendment to gut a key provision of the bill is being proposed, and the move has the backing of a powerful Quebec Conservative MP, Maxime Bernier. Amended or not, final passage of the bill could be threatened by these political machinations.
Honestly, how many times will we fall victim to the blackmail of tobacco companies? And how can our politicians be so naive as to buy into the illusory promises of job creation from a dying (not to mention lethal) industry? . . .
To pretend that this provision of the law will result in a massive curtailment of production at the Quebec City factory of Rothmans Benson & Hedges and job losses that could result in the plant closing is at best disingenuous. And to argue that without the legislation there might be an expansion of the plant is so fantastical that only a politician up for imminent re-election could believe it.
But let's just say, for the sake of argument, that it is true, that the plant's future is threatened by the new law.
Tough. Our children are worth it.
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