DOSANJH PLANTS ONE AT GROW-OP

VANCOUVER -- The budding campaign of federal Health Minister Ujjal
Dosanjh got off to a spliffy start yesterday, as Mr. Dosanjh invited
the media to watch him put up his first re-election sign.

Shortly after the former NDP premier set to work, a sharp radio
reporter informed him that he was labouring away at the site of a
former marijuana grow-op. Make that grow-ops, plural.

Police pot-busters had swooped on the address not once, but twice,
since 2001, the reporter told the surprised Mr. Dosanjh, running again
for the Liberals in the relatively affluent riding of Vancouver South.

"This is a brand new home," the minister protested.

"But the address has been visited twice by police," the reporter
persisted.

Mr. Dosanjh remained on message. "This is a brand new home. . . . This
is a brand new home. . . .

"This is a brand new house."

In addition to premier, Mr. Dosanjh was also the province's
attorney-general under the NDP. He decided to elaborate.

"Obviously, you know that's a problem that exists. And, as a former
attorney-general, I don't condone that," he told the reporter.

"But this is a brand new home."

Mr. Dosanjh was correct. The old residence, tainted by the pungent
whiff of the province's thriving grow-op business, was demolished years ago.

In its place is a nice new dwelling, complete with a "Re-elect
Dosanjh" sign.

One can't help wondering how many of British Columbia's plentiful
marijuana boosters are grumbling: "There goes the neighbourhood."