Relayed
by GLOBALink
The International Tobacco-Control Network
by BRIAN
FLINN - The Daily News Source: Canada.com, 2002-05-25, via tobacco.org
Region:CANADA Category: Smokefree Policies
URL: http://www.canada.com/search/site/story.asp?id=DEDDAA08-3688-
41B4- A4D1-B94345ECDFF6
It's not
a filibuster, it's just a lot of talk. Tory caucus chairman
Tim Olive said government MLAs aren't trying to eat up the clock
to prevent backbencher Barry Barnet from tabling an amendment
to toughen the Smoke-Free Places bill. They just have a lot
of good things to say about the legislation.
"This
is not a filibuster. From my perspective, it's an opportunity
for me to speak on this bill in the House, which is what I've
done. And I may get an opportunity to do it again," Olive
told reporters yesterday. Olive's speech Thursday night digressed
into anti-smoking initiatives promoted by the Kiwanis Club and
the 250th anniversary of the Dartmouth ferry. He explained the
ferry was not directly related to the anti-smoking legislation.
But he was reminiscing about his days as a young smoker, walking
around with a deck of cigarettes rolled under his sleeve, when
an opposition MLA asked if the Macdonald Bridge had been built
yet.
Olive said
he seized on the bridge reference to segue into a plug for a
pet topic. "I quite frankly took the opportunity to promote
the 250th anniversary of the Dartmouth ferry. It's a bit of
a stretch, no question, but you take the chances that you can
when they're made available to promote your constituency."
Barnet was less squeamish about the word filibuster. But he
said there's nothing unusual about his own party talking his
amendment to death. It's a common tactic in the legislature.
"I find it rare when we're actually talking on topic,"
Barnet said.
