ARE DEAD WORKERS MERELY A COST OF DOING BUSINESS?

It would seem to be that way as far as provincial and federal politicians are concerned. Today's Waterloo Region Record carrys this story "Federal, provincial politicians skip Day of Mourning". In Ontario last year, 436 workers lost their lives on the job. Tens of thousands of others were injured or contracted occupational diseases. Credit should go to some municipal politicians who showed for the Day of Mourning at Riverside park in Cambridge. This would include Mayor Doug Craig. One of the no shows was our very own Liz Witmer. She is the long time M.P.P. who graces the front page of the Waterloo Region Record last Saturday and has just been appointed as Chair of the Workplace Safety Insurance Board (WSIB). I'm sorry but I still haven't stopped gagging. Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty would like a seat or more addition in the legislature to help his beleagured party weather their minority government position. He has now enabled a bye election which I'm sure is the major reason for his promoting Conservative Liz Witmer to the WSIB. What exactly are Liz's credentials for this job appointment? Well she was briefly a Conservative Minister of labour. This is at least the equivalent of George Bush being an honourary president of Mensa or Saddam Hussein heading a human rights organization. Liz Witmer is a former Chair of the Waterloo Region District School Board. Perhaps her employment as a teacher assisted in that. Odd that she decided to get out of the rigors of working everyday in exchange for the political life. I guess one of the things I'm getting at is this: when was the last time a teacher got killed on the job? What possible empathy, perspective or knowledge relevant to workplace safety does she bring to the table? Is there a single labour leader in this province cheering her appointment as Chair of the WSIB? Dead and mutilated workers are merely a cost of doing business for Conservatives and their clients.