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Kwinter's marijuana mistake has aides rushing to clear air
Compiled by: Robert Benzie, Richard Brennan, Rob Ferguson and Caroline Mallan, Queen's Park Bureau, Toronto Star (CN ON), 10-11-04

What's Monte Kwinter been smoking?

It sure seemed like the community safety minister had been sampling out of the evidence room last week when he bragged about his new, get-tough grow-op legislation.

Kwinter said he was determined to eradicate illegal marijuana grow houses by, among other things, giving new powers to hydro and building inspectors to go into homes unannounced if they are suspected to be grow houses.

But moments later, his aides were scrambling to correct the record because the proposed law won't include those powers. Whoops.

Kwinter attempted to recover by saying local utilities will be given the power to unilaterally cut off electricity to suspect homes.

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Bid to court British tourists costs $669,000

Brace yourself for a British invasion!

London's Sunday Times boasted a 16-page tabloid section on jolly old Toronto a week ago yesterday.

Co-sponsored by Ontario's Ministry of Tourism and Tourism Toronto, the supplement cost taxpayers about $226,000 with the province and the city each paying half.

"Toronto: The essential guide to Christmas shopping - and more," screams the front page, across the top of a gee-whiz picture of the CN Tower.

Government officials say the tabloid is part of a joint Ontario-Toronto $669,000 newspaper and radio ad blitz in Britain to promote tourism.

Given that 400,000 British tourists visit Ontario each year, pumping millionsinto the economy, Queen's Park says the advertising is money well
spent.

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Will Sideshow Bob trump The Donald?

Get ready for a battle of wits between The Apprentice and Simpsons cartoon character Sideshow Bob in Question Period this week.

Playing the respective roles are Health Minister George Smitherman and Conservative health critic John Baird.

Baird (Nepean-Carleton) took a run at Smitherman in a legislative committee meeting last week over some high-profile departures in the health ministry at a critical time, with the government trying to repair a cumbersome and expensive system.

"You seem to be throwing people overboard," Baird said of Smitherman.

"You've become the Donald Trump of the Ontario government. That change is a concern to many of us here."

Smitherman waited a couple of days to reply in kind.

"I've modelled him after my favourite character on The Simpsons, Sideshow Bob, and I think that's what he's going to bring to any debate about health care."

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Sleepy MPPs find it hard to rise to the occasion

Some Conservative MPPs may be off to a rocky start with their new boss John Tory.

The early rising leader, who arrives at Queen's Park just after dawn, likes to convene morning meetings.

To that end, he called one the other day for the reasonable hour of 8:30 a.m.

But sources say Tory was stunned to see that some of his bleary-eyed caucus did not even have keys to their offices and were unable to get their files.

Presumably, that's because they arrive after their staff in mid-morning.

"He was not impressed," said one senior Conservative, noting the MPPs have had their offices for a year.

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Civil servants to take lesson from Wal-Mart

Should Ontarians be bracing for Wal-Mart-style greeters at the door of the Legislature?

That's just one of the possible outcomes of a decidedly odd plan to send senior civil servants on a "Wal-Mart study tour" next month as part of an ongoing education program.

The planned meeting with the CEO and senior executives of the massive retailer is billed as a chance for senior managers in the public service to hear about Wal-Mart's "people practices" and get tips on how they train and develop a workforce of 65,000 people in Canada.

The meeting is being met with derision by some civil servants.

The newsletter sent to the Association of Management, Administrative and Professional Crown Employees of Ontario questions the whole idea.

"We have to assume that this training opportunity is being offered to illustrate an example of what to avoid in human resource management," the newsletter warns, adding Wal-Mart has "difficulty in complying with basic employment standards and labour relations legislation."

But some people appear interested in learning about the "can-do" attitude at Wal-Mart. The course is full with a waiting list.