"A cabinet document leaked to the media during the summer outlined a plan to shift from a "full-time presence" of veterinarians and inspectors at abattoirs in Canada to an "oversight role" that would allow the meat industry "to implement food safety control programs and to manage key risks.
...
The crisis is reminiscent of the poison water scandal that rocked Walkerton, Ont., in 2000. It was caused in part by government cutbacks and a deliberate weakening of provincial inspection and safety procedures adopted by another Conservative government - the Ontario regime of Premier Mike Harris. Seven people died at Walkerton and more than 2,000 cases of illness resulted.
Charlie Bagnato, the mayor of Walkerton, added his voice this week to the call for an inquiry, describing the listeria outbreak as "outrageous" and noting that Harper's cabinet includes some of the same ministers that were in the Harris government.
“There are currently three federal Conservative cabinet ministers shaping policy for the Harper government who also sat around the Mike Harris cabinet table when decisions were made to cut programs, privatize and regulate. They include Health Minister Tony Clement, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and Environment Minister John Baird," he said."
From nupge.ca
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