NANCY GREENE RAINE has never been one to sit still, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that she is behind one of the more consequential actions to come out of the Canadian senate in recent memory.
Greene Raine is behind a bill making its way through parliament that would place new limits on marketing unhealthy food and drinks to children.
It’s noteworthy, really, that any Canadian senator is behind any initiative of any kind.
Typically, the only time we hear about anything the Canadian senate, it’s news about senators living large off the taxpayers’ dime.
Senators Mike Duffy, Pamela Wallin and Patrick Brazeau are among the senators taken to task for claiming expenses the public deemed over and above that due a well-heeled political appointee.
This came just a few years after Senator Andy Thompson was stripped of his standing for ongoing truancy, as he had been living in Mexico.
Andy Thompson, jobbing the system to live out his days on the beach, was pretty much the anti-Nancy Greene Raine.
The senator from Sun Peaks has keyed onto an issue that could use some attention in North America.
One in three Canadian children is obese or overweight.
The federal government can’t control what parents feed their children, beyond education programs like the good old Canada Food Guide.
Nor can the government influence childrens’ activity levels, though it has tried with tax credits for sports and athletic pursuits.
But Ottawa does regulate advertising in this country, and that means it can crack down on the advertising that makes kids crave sugary cereals and soft drinks.
Greene Raine, whose entire career has revolved around encouraging people to be active, is a natural to lead the charge for reform.
It’s a credit to our local senator, the female athlete of the 20th Century, that she didn’t rest on her laurels.
Many senators would happy to let that title itself be their legacy as they cruise toward retirement, but Greene Raine has decided to use her standing for something much more meaningful.
Who would have expected anything less?
