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Bill C-221 Will Fight Crime, Create Jobs And Help Reduce The Deficit

I can see no benefit to allowing organized crime to collect one dollar let alone 10 billion. Legalizing marijuana and single sports betting will cripple their abilities to operate. Then there is the income it will produce to eliminate Liberal deficits crippling provinces and the country.
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Five years ago retired MP Joe Comartin put forward bill C-290, which "received all-party support" and eventually made its way to the Senate, where it languished for three years and died after the call of last year's federal election." It became a clear example as to why the Senate has lost touch with the Canadian people, and one of the many examples many looked to for abolishing the Senate.

Unanimous support in the House and yet the Senate refused to even look at it. This is what happens when prime ministers appoint childhood idols to the Senate.

The Canadian Gaming Association says Canadians spend $450 million a year on multiple or parlay bets, but more than $10 billion on single sporting events.

"It's a great method to fight organized crime," Comartin said. "It's just a great tool to take away a huge chunk of money from that type of criminal activity."

He went on to say that the bill is "a job creation tool, not just for this community but for a number of communities across the country." Sources claim the change would have "created or saved 250 jobs" at Caesars Windsor. The same is true in Niagara Falls. So with a national deficit to the tune of 30 billion, you can prevent 10 billion dollars from being funneled to bookies and offshore betting, all while creating jobs.

Additionally, Americans will come over the border for big games and bet on major sporting events like the Super Bowl, stop at a local mall and perhaps buy dinner injecting billions of dollars into the economy.

I can see no benefit to allowing organized crime to collect one dollar let alone 10 billion.

The reintroduction of the bill by Windsor West MP Brian Masse has faced opposition from the Liberal party and the NHL from the beginning. Last April, the Liberal Party stated that "they will oppose a private member's bill that would legalize betting on single sporting events in Canada."

As for the NHL , they approved an expansion franchise in Las Vegas while deferring a bid by a group from Quebec City, looking to replace the Nordiques.

"They had pushed against single-event sports betting in Canada. Much of the leverage they used was that they would not advance Canadian franchises [if single-event sports betting was legal]," Masse said. "The NHL has now turned their backs, thumbed their nose and stuck out a finger at legislators here in Canada, because they're doing this in Vegas and perpetuating their own profits at the expense of Canadian hockey."

So if you wanted to look at the odds you have the business-friendly Liberal Party, the NHL, and a Senate with former NHL members, against the economy, fighting crime, and jobs. The vote scheduled for September 21st will show you just how stacked the odds are against bill C-221.

I can see no benefit to allowing organized crime to collect one dollar let alone 10 billion. Legalizing marijuana and single sports betting will cripple their abilities to operate. Then there is the income it will produce to eliminate Liberal deficits crippling provinces and the country.

Ontario alone is the most indebted subs-sovereign state in the world. This is a refusal to recognize potential and evolve. The lack of depth to recognize this only proves that the Senate and the Liberal party are only tools of corporations like the NHL. It is time that the Canadian people stopped putting their money on red.

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