MUST BE AN ELECTION ON THE HORIZON

Today's Waterloo Region Record has two new legislative announcements from our federal government. Amazing isn't it how governments can always come up, at election time especially, with some new desperately needed legislation. Today's articles are titled "Federal ban on single-use plastics would hit Stryofoam and straws" and "Ottawa passes legislation banning whale captivity". Yes I believe that both of these issues deserve federal attention however they deserved that attention literally years to decades ago. The current timing is opportunistic albeit better later than never.

The ban will take effect in 2021 and will affect plastic plates, cutlery, cups, straws, stir sticks and styrofoam cups and takeout containers. Plastic water bottles will not be included in the ban. Hmm. There will be however greater requirements for bottle producers to use recycled plastic in their bottles. Suggestions have been made that a 90% plastics recycling rate in Canada could lead to up to 42,000 new jobs.

The whale captivity legislation reflects not only an acknowledgement of the intelligence of whale species but also of the harm captivity does to them. Animal rights groups and others have been seeking an end to the commercial exploitation of these animals for a very long time.