Satire

It's Wednesday, May 3rd and the Conservatives have delivered on their campaign promise to cut the GST. Yesterday's federal budget included a one percent reduction of the federal tax on all purchases.

Currently, Lessee (takes out calculator)... 60 bucks for gas is now going to cost... (adds it up) $59.40... my $78 dollar carton of smokes drops to... uhh... (adds it up)... $77.22... and about six cents less on a bottle of Old E (only the tastiest malt liquor in the world).

Total savings? 2 dollars and 4 cents. And I'm putting THAT right into my RRSP. Kaaa-Ching.

This is The Current.

Budget – Political Panel

With all the dollars and cents sloshing around Parliament Hill yesterday, it would have been easy to forget that the first Conservative budget in 13 years was about a lot more than spending promises, tax cuts and line items.

For a minority government looking to expand its electoral base, this budget was designed for maximum political advantage as much as managing the public purse. But whether the budget will be a winner or loser with voters, depends on how you squint at it.

This morning’s political panel included:

Akaash Maharaj is the former National Policy Chairman for the Liberal Party. He was in Toronto.

Jim Stanford is the Chief Economist with the Canadian Auto Workers Union in Toronto.

Gilbert Lavoie is an Editorial Writer with the Quebec daily newspaper Le Soleil. He was in Quebec City.

And Deb Grey is a former Reform Party and Canadian Alliance MP and we reached her at the Ottawa airport this morning.

Listen to The Current: Part 1

(Due to various rights issues some segments may be edited for internet use)

The Current: Part 2

Fat Nation

For several years now, we've been hearing about the ballooning numbers of overweight and obese North Americans … so much so, that "obesity epidemic" has become a media catch-phrase almost on a par with "war on terror."

Not too long ago, the United States' Surgeon-General made that link explicitly, referring to obesity as -- quote -- "the terror within" -- unquote. He also warned that if the obesity problem continues to swell, it will -- quote -- "dwarf 9-11 or any other terrorist attempt." -- unquote.

The Surgeon-General's rhetoric might seem a tad overblown, until you consider the steady diet of obesity-themed headlines we hear, seemingly on a nightly basis … enough to fill an entire newscast.

So the signs of obesity are all around us. But the causes of our apparent culture of gluttony may not be so obvious. In fact, my next guest suggests that the problem may not be that we love food too much, but that we don't love it enough.

Michael Pollan is a professor of journalism at the University of California at Berkeley, and he's the author of The Botany of Desire. His new book is called The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. Michael Pollan joined us from Berkeley, California.

Listen to The Current: Part 2

(Due to various rights issues some segments may be edited for internet use)

The Current: Part 3

Trudeau Documentary # 3

For Canada's military, yesterday's budget was chock full of good news -- 5.3 billion dollars worth to be precise. Over the next five years, the money will go to recruiting new soldiers, setting up new infantry battalions and addressing the long list of new equipment our military leaders say they need.

Now, all we need is a vision for what to do with that newly strengthened military. All this week, documentary-maker Alexandre Trudeau has been bringing us his series about the mythology that surrounds Canadian peacekeeping, and the reality that lies behind it. It's called "Our Third Chance" and today, his last installment begins six years ago, with former Prime Minister Jean Chretien's speech to the United Nations and the search for a new vision for global peacekeeping.

Documentary Producer Alexandre Trudeau was in our Ottawa studio this morning. His series, "Our Third Chance," was produced by Alan Guettel.

Last Word – 100 Mile Diet

There's one piece of business we'd like to tell you about before we let you go.

Starting today, you can catch up on a whole range of CBC Radio programing thanks to our new podcasts. Just go to cbc.ca/ podcasting to sign up. It's free, it only takes a second and once you've done it, you can download all sorts of CBC Radio shows right to your MP3 player. Oh, and in case you're especially interested in The Current, you might want to make a special point of looking there every Thursday, when you can find a "Best of The Current" package ready and waiting for you.

Earlier in the program, we heard from Michael Pollan, the author of The Omnivore's Dilemma, and he gave us his take on what to do about what many people are calling an obesity epidemic. He suggested reconnecting with our food, perhaps through the slow food movement or by buying food locally.

Well, Alisa Smith and James MacKinnon are two Vancouver journalists who took eating local food to an extreme few of us could imagine. They went on the so called, 100 Mile Diet, eating only food grown within 100 miles of their apartment in Vancouver. After a year of reporting the results on their blog, they're now putting the finishing touches on a book about the experience. It's due to be published next year.

We ended the show with James MacKinnon and Alisa Smith on the benefits and pleasures of eating what's in your extended backyard.

Listen to The Current: Part 3

(Due to various rights issues some segments may be edited for internet use)

CBC does not endorse content of external sites - links will open in new window