The Globe and Mail reports this morning that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in particular will feel the consequences of the Harper government's drive to reduce spending. Bill Curry reports that:
the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Agriculture Canada will be among the hardest-hit departments as Ottawa rolls out where it will cut 19,200 jobs across the country.
These cuts are being made in the aftermath of the listeriosis outbreak of 2008. The Harperites appear to have forgotten that "an independent review of the listeriosis outbreak found 22 deaths and 35 serious illnesses were connected to contaminated Maple Leaf Foods deli meats."
Those of us who live in Ontario remember an even more serious tragedy, which occurred in Walkerton, after the Harris government reduced funding to the Ministry of the Environment. Like his federal cousins, Premier Mike Harris tried to blame the debacle on the previous NDP government. However, a public inquiry laid part of the blame for the Walkerton disaster on cutbacks ordered by his government.
Jim Flaherty --a Harris alumnus -- insists that the cuts are "back office stuff." After the F35 boondoggle, Canadians would be foolish to believe anything Mr. Flaherty tells them.
History continues to repeat itself.
