Bans, Bans, and More Bans

Canada is affected by the reach of the nanny state; however, not to the same extent as our British cousins, still this trend is on an alarming increase.  This interesting article by Maureen Bader makes the case that we are losing our freedom to choose every time a product is attempted to be banned!

These days, we are bombarded with demands for bans by a garden variety of supporters of the nanny state and politicians are happy to help. Politicians seem to adore bans. Why? Because bans allow politicians to appear to be creating simple solutions to whatever problems have captured the imagination of the worrying class. However, bans also create unintended consequences and even worse, they reduce responsible people to supervised children with few opportunities to make choices on their own.

A well-intentioned public risks being buried under the ban demands of the ban-crazy worrying class. Its list of bans reads like somebody’s day out at the mall. Bottled water and incandescent light bulb bans litter the province. Plastic bags may soon be banned across Canada. Greater Victoria has just voted to ban teens from tanning beds. Ban the tan? When no intrusion is too small for government to consider, it’s a sign the nanny state has run amok.

 

What We Could Learn From Hong Kong

Here’s a story that might have got lost in the shuffle last week. For the 17th straight year, Hong Kong was named as the world’s fittest economy as ranked by the conservative leaning heritage foundation. Canada comes in at sixth spot, well ahead of the United States. With all this talk about how to compete with the rising tide in Asia; it is at least worth discussing some of the economic practices that make Hong Kong such a powerhouse. Here is how the legendary economist Milton Friedman concluded his essay on the rapid success of Hong Kong.

In the process, government tends to neglect its basic functions: as I once put it, “to protect our freedom both from the enemies outside our gates and from our fellow citizens: to preserve law and order, to enforce private contracts, to foster competitive markets.’’

Indeed the economic fortunes of the East seemed to be on the rise.

Campaigning in the Age of Twitter

If you want to stay connected with the chattering classes in Ottawa, then look no further  then accessing your own twitter account. Increasingly politicos and  professionals have been using this social networking tool to get the word out and stay connected to their own supporters. Currently  only 6% of Canadians are using the popular micro-blogging site. In spite of its limited user base Twitter will be an important tool in breaking news on the campaign trail where it happens when it happens.

The downside of this instant Internet fix it is easier to  report more misinformation faster than ever before.This hypercompetitive media environment,  would be like something out of Mark Twain’s worst nightmare who when hearing of his own demise said “The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” One thing is certain twitter is here to stay and along with other social media platforms will it  sure to shape news and opinion in the next federal election .

Stop the Culture of Secrecy at the CBC

Sunshine is the  best disinfectant for secrecy , therefore why is CBC afraid to open up their books for all to see. Furthermore if the public broadcaster is seen to be complacent with the public purse questions will continue to dog the Corporation about who earns what at the CBC.

From Winnipeg Sun

If disclosure of executive compensation for publicly traded companies serves the public interest, then we as coerced shareholders of the state-funded broadcaster are certainly concerned by the culture of secrecy that refuses similar disclosure by executives at the CBC,”

Steven Taylor National Citizens Coalition

Ontario PCs Will Cut Government Waste if Elected

I am finally back from a long  hiatus from blogging with a new year brings new challenges and new opportunities. With that said I hope to roll out some additions to the blog in 2011. The first story on the docket for this year, is from last week when Ontario PC leader Tim Hudak promised one of his priorities if elected would be to cut government spending. This is a good straightforward pledge that will rally conservatives of all stripes in time for the election later this year. As well as show  Ontarians that are weary of the taxing and spending ways of the liberals that PC party is serious about restoring fiscal sanity to the province.

From  National Post


Since taking office in 2003, Premier Dalton McGuinty has been the very definition of a “tax-and-spend” Liberal, despite his initial promise to introduce no new taxes. Annual government spending has risen 68.5%, to $125.6-billion, while net debt has grown 51% to $219.5-billion, or $16,612 for every Ontarian. Yet even with all its bloated spending, Ontario lags other provinces in per-capita nurses, doctors, teachers and long-term beds.