Relayed
by GLOBALink
The International Tobacco-Control Network.
by PETER
McLAUGHLIN - The Daily News Source: Halifax (NS) Daily News,
2002-05-25, via tobacco.org
Region:CANADA Category: Smokefree Policies
URL: http://www.canada.com/halifax/story.asp?id=%7BA7DAE098-5B08-48BD-
B307-D0F961018CF3%7D
Both opposition parties got off the fence yesterday,
making it clear they will not support the government's "mutant"
legislation on smoke-free places. The Liberals and the NDP have
been pushing the Tories to beef it up, but have been silent
on whether they would support the legislation, which many anti-smoking
advocates acknowledge is a good first step.
"We want a Smoke-Free Places Act that actually
creates smoke-free places," said Liberal Leader Danny Graham.
"This is a mutant piece of legislation; it's flawed, and
it's so flawed we, as a caucus, will be voting against it."
He gave credit to the government for trying to reduce smoking
in public places, but condemned it for introducing legislation
that will be unfair to businesses and food-service workers,
draw distinctions between young and old, and undermines stronger
municipal anti-smoking laws.
NDP health critic Maureen MacDonald said her
party's MLAs will also vote against Bill 125. "We are for
a 100 per cent smoking ban, and we cannot support a flawed piece
of legislation," she said. The NDP stepped up the pressure
yesterday, tabling a private member's bill that would ban smoking
in all public places. It would also remove the Tory exemptions
for the casino and ditch the section prohibiting youths from
possessing tobacco.
Under the NDP bill, the fine for breaking the
law would be $20,000 for a first offence. Private member's bills
rarely succeed, but MacDonald said a rival bill was the only
way to ensure a debate on a full ban. The government is now
in the middle of a filibuster aimed at preventing any amendments
from either the opposition or its own backbenchers.
Luc Erjavec, of the Canadian Restaurant and
Food Services Association, who has lobbied against the legislation,
accused the opposition of playing politics. "People are
not looking at this reasonably or logically; they're just playing
politics, and the restaurant industry is going to be the collateral
damage, and it's not fair," he said.
Erjavec said if he had a choice, he'd prefer
the government's option. "The Tory bill is not perfect
by any means. There's some real problems with it, but it's a
good stab at a decent piece of legislation," he said.
Barry Barnet, the Tory backbencher who has tried
to toughen the government bill, said he won't vote with the
opposition parties. "I'd like to see it improved, and if
that's not going to be the case, I'll vote for the bill because
it's better than what we have right now which is nothing,"
he said.
