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Huron Expositor, 2016-11-09, Page 44 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, November 9, 2016 I I I www.seaforthhuronexpositor.com Huron Expositor PUBLISHED WEEKLY — EST. 1860 P.O. Box 69, 8 Main Street Seaforth Ontario NOK 1W0 phone: 519-527-0240 fax: 519-527-2858 www.seaforthhuronexpositor �p] POSTMEDIA pr NEIL CLIFFORD Advertising Director neil.cl ifford@sunmedia.ca SHAUN GREGORY Multimedia Journalist shaun.gregory@sunmedia.ca DIANNE MCGRATH Front Office seaforth.classifieds@sunmedia.ca NANCY DEGANS Media Sales Consultant ndegans@postmedia.com SUBSCRIPTION RATES 1 YEAR $50.00 (47.62+2.38 GST) 2YEAR $95.00 (90.48+4.52GST) SENIORS 60 WEEKS $50.00 (47.62+2.38 GST) 120 WEEKS $95.00 (90.48+4.52 GST) Publications Mail Agreement No.40064683 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT P.O. Box 69 Seaforth ON NOK 1 WO For any non -deliveries or delivery concerns: phone: 519-527-0240 Advertising is accepted on condition that in the event of a typographical error, the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. In the event of a typographical error, advertising goods or services at a wrong price, goods or services may not be sold. Advertising is merely an offer to sell and may be withdrawn at any time. The Huron Expositor is not responsible for the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other materials used for reproduction purposes. Seaforth Huron Expositor is a member of the National Newsmedia Council, which is an independent ethical organization established to deal with editorial concerns. For more information or to file a complaint go to www. mediacouncil.ca or call toll free 1-844-877-1163. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canadian Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities. Canada Equalization must be fixed to make it work Canadians are caring people, as we know from the generosity shown across this land in response to last spring's Fort McMurray wildfires. Another example, perhaps, is Canada's equalization system, which provides transfers from the federal government to regions that supposedly don't have the same capacity to provide public services as more prosperous areas of the country. Alberta's Wildrose Party formed a panel in February to examine equalization pay- ments and their impact on the country. Its report, released this week, invites a discussion about the program. The payments are often portrayed as a siphoning wealth from prosperous provinces such as Alberta to so-called have-not jurisdic- tions. Such a telling is a sim- plification: all Canadians pay the same rate of federal taxa- tion, it's just that workers in places like Alberta earn higher incomes and tend to work longer hours than those in some other parts of the country. Still, the panel's report illustrates the foibles of equalization. It notes, for example, that by receiving $10 billion this year through equalization and other pay- ments, Quebec is able to set its undergraduate tuition fees at less than half the Alberta figure. As well, the average monthly fees for full-day daycare in Quebec was $152 in 2012, but $825 in Alberta and $925 in Ontario. Quebecers pay higher provincial taxes than Alber- tans, of course, but the impact of such transfers is evident. Alberta taxpayers have been paying between $20 billion and $28 billion more into the federation each year over the past dec- ade than has been returned in transfers, benefits and spending. This is money that can't be used to keep up with the infrastructure demands of a growing pop- ulation or be invested in economic development or even deposited into the Heritage Savings Trust Fund. It might be palatable if the programs had achieved its objective: to lift all Canadians up to a common standard. But it hasn't. "For the years 2010-2014, average real income per cap- ita in 2007 dollars in all the traditional recipient prov- inces was among the lowest of all North American juris- dictions. Prince Edward Island has the distinction of being last," says the report. "A similar pattern is evident in relation to productivity. In terms of real growth in GDP per worker, all recipient juris- dictions were below the national average for the years 2010-14 and near the lowest levels in North America." It's evident that equaliza- tion, which is now redistrib- uting $18 billion a year, needs to be fixed when it comes up for renewal in 2019. Focus on food costs, not advertising bands You know what would make your diet better? More government. Or so this particular government thinks. On Monday, Federal Health Minister Jane Philpott announced wide-ranging changes are coming: better nutrition labelling to stamp- ing out trans fats to overhaul- ing the Canada Food Guide. Consultations will wrap up in December, with some changes in place by the end of 2018. Philpott says Canadians need more individualized information from their food guide. Oh, and it'll also be easier to interpret, though it's unclear to us how seven to 10 servings of vegetables per day can be simplified much further. The government also is stepping in to restrict adver- tising of unhealthy food to children. Presumably, that applies to sugary cereals and snacks kids love. The govern- ment is going to try to ensure better eating urges, pre- empting the work parents have traditionally done, which is watching their chil- dren's diets all by themselves. The government's actions will naturally require robust consultations and other research. For instance, in order to ban advertising of unhealthy food to children, the government will have to sort out what, exactly, counts as unhealthy. We all want Canadians to eat better; bad diet can con- tribute to heart disease, dia- betes, obesity and other health problems. The desire is laudable; the response seems overkill. Parents are already capable of resisting the demands of their chil- dren. Processed food doesn't need to be festooned with warning labels for people to know it's not that healthy. The question is why they con- tinue to buy it; many eat less healthy food because it's less expensive. There can also be unex- pected consequences to advertising bans, such as the end of sponsorships for good causes. In Quebec, a program by which Campbell soup labels could be traded in for school equipment ended because it contravened the advertising law. and the gov- ernment will need people to police the rules. Instead, the government should focus on things we know will improve diet, such as redoubling efforts to improve food access, quality and affordability in the North. In Nunavut, according to Food Banks Canada, one- fifth of all households skip meals regularly. The govern- ment promises more for its Nutrition North Program, which subsidizes food and promotes healthy eating. But much more can be done. The focus on updated guides, labels and advertising seems a bit hard to stomach when thousands don't have enough food in theirs. seaforthhuronexpositor.com SEAFORTH HURON EXPOSITOR — HOURS OF OPERATION MONDAY: 9:00 - 5:00 • TUESDAY: - CLOSED • WEDNESDAY: - 9:00 - 5:00 • THURSDAY: - 9:00 - 5:00 • FRIDAY: - 9:00 - 5:00 • SATURDAY & SUNDAY: - CLOSED ADVERTISING DEADLINE: FRIDAY AT 2:00 • PHONE 519-527-0240 • FAX: 519-527-2858 www.seaforthhuronexpositor.com