Who needs milk when you’ve got Cheez Whiz?

“It is a delight for me to be able to speak against this bill…I had the wonderful privilege over the summer to visit Gods Lake Narrows…I noticed that if you can be creative and practical, there are other alternatives to milk if you just want calcium. I saw in Gods Lake Narrows this school where supplies are delivered. They have several boxes of Cheez Whiz which is also a derivative of milk product containing calcium. I saw lots of bread. I thought without even thinking about this bill that this is a good alternative for milk. So these children and adults from remote communities who, with this product which could be stored for a long time, these people from the northern communities are not without calcium in their diet. They may not have the actual fresh, chilled milk in the morning, but they have Cheez Whiz and other milk-derivative products that could be stored.” (Flor Marcelino, minister of Culture, Heritage and Transportation, September 9, 2008)

Without even fully reading the transcript above on the Milk Prices Review Amendment Act, I sought out Flor Marcelino herself to explain the context of her remarks and the context, and severity, of her apology. It was odd, for me, to have communications block the interview request without first even letting the minister know what I would be asking. Cabinet communications told me that Marcelino apologized and has nothing further to add on the issue. Really? Why wouldn’t a new minister want to extinguish controversy, particularly with a relatively left-leaning student newspaper?

I think the heart of the matter is political. An open discussion about Marcelino’s remarks would prompt questions about the price of milk in Manitoba. Marcelino would rather apologize under the radar than open herself, and the NDP, up for a debate over the contents of the Liberal-proposed bill.

There is virtually no distinction between Marcelino’s remarks and the NDP position that Northern communities do not deserve subsidized milk prices. And that’s the issue the minister is attempting to avoid. A public apology would prompt questions over the NDP position and the health concerns of Northern Manitobans. A discussion with a student journalist would prompt similar questions.

I found that this was pretty hot news, highlighting some very crucial issues in the province. It was, therefore, interesting that very few if any mainstream media outlets reported the issue when it first happened. The Great Canadian Talk Show, a talk radio show on Kick FM was the first to report the story. You can read the original report here and a more recent discussion of the issue here. I interviewed Marty Gold, the host The Great Canadian Talk Show via email:

Was the story reported by any other mainstream media organization when the statement was originally made? How did The Great Canadian Talk Show come upon the story and report it?
No it was not reported anywhere. We were tipped off to it by one of our many listeners who pour over Hansard to find out what goes on in the Legislature that is unreported or glossed over by the likes of the Free Press or CBC.

Why do you think that the mainstream media didn’t make much noise over the remark when it was originally made? And why are they reporting it now?
They didn’t follow up on our report simply because they refuse to acknowledge that Kick-FM , The Great Canadian Talk Show, and other alternative media sources such as Policy Frog, The Black Rod, waverlywest and manitobapost regularly outshine the “professional” journalists and newsrooms.  Maybe if they spent less time inventing news out of press releases and ribbon-cuttings, they would stumble across real issues. They are reporting on it now that Marcelino is a cabinet minister, but if it was news last week, it was news 14 months ago.

You have called for a public apology for the minister’s remarks, but does she still stand by her position that milk should not be subsidized to Northern communities? In your judgement, is the statement more offensive than the position?
You’ll have to ask her what her stand is today. It is hard to decide which is more offensive. The ignorance of the statement or the evident lack of true commitment to the north, “healthy living”, and children.

How does the statement reflect on the minister’s overall ability to function in the Culture portfolio? Does the statement reveal ignorance or also discrimination?
Ask Greg Selinger. He’s the one who decided to elevate her to cabinet and he has to account for that kind of on-the-record defence of government policy that makes sure the price of a beer is the same in Churchill as it is in Winnipeg, but allows the price of milk be jacked beyond the reach of the poor.