-- Financial Post -- The most overblown comments have come from Liberal leader Stephane Dion, who has suggested that the Maple Leaf situation reflects that of the tainted water tragedy at Walkerton eight years ago, when seven died and several thousand became sick.Of course, Steffi... as per usual... is talkin' outta his ass.
Mr. Dion pointed out that Mr. Clement was part of the Mike Harris Ontario government that was allegedly "partly" to blame for the deaths at Walkerton.
The Liberal leader went on to accuse the federal Conservatives of "wanting to take the same deregulation approach to food."
The linking of Walkerton to deregulation is totally inaccurate.(h/t reader rich)
The inquiry into Walkerton fingered lazy, unqualified and incompetent government employees. Private testing was one of the few parts of the system that worked.
Mr. Dion should be ashamed if he doesn't know that. He should be even more ashamed if he does.
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FROM THE COMMENTS:
Nepotism is definitely one of the worst problems of a small town. In this case, according to O'Connor's report:**********
"Mr. Koebel began his employment at the Walkerton PUC in 1972, at the age of 19. He had a Grade 11 education. His father was the foreman of the Walkerton Works Department at the time."
UPDATE: Will this be enough for Dion?
-- TORONTO -- Canada's food inspection system, under scrutiny amid a massive meat recall and a listeriosis outbreak that's killed at least five people, was absolved of blame Wednesday by the president of embattled meat giant Maple Leaf Foods and defended by the minister of agriculture.*
Michael McCain - the Maple Leaf chief executive whose abject apology has been playing in television commercials across Canada for nearly a week - said both the recall and the responsibility for fixing it are for his company to bear alone.