David Empey

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty is in China on a trade mission. Given the growth in the Chinese economy, this makes sense. But he has taken with him representatives from the tobacco industry, which does not!

While I’m sympathetic to Ontario tobacco farmers, whose livelihoods are in jeopardy, the answer isn’t to sell tobacco to the Chinese. What’s the message here? Ontario tells its own to stop smoking, but it is OK for the Chinese?

If this makes sense, what else are we willing to pawn off on others? PCB laden lubricants? Pesticides banned here? Sadly, it wouldn’t surprise me to find out these other things were happening.

The answer is to provide tobacco farmers help to change their crops, not going into new markets with it. Isn’t free enterprise great – don’t worry if you can’t sell your poison here, someone will buy it! Consciences optional.