Shirking responsibility

It's a plus to see the federal government finally doing something about payday lenders. But it would be all the better if the Cons were willing to do anything more than punt the issue to the provinces:

The Conservative government is preparing to introduce legislation that would finally rein in Canada's mushrooming payday loan industry, delegating power to the provinces to regulate the business and protect consumers...

Rather than tinker with the interest rate in the Criminal Code, the government will make an exemption from the law for provinces that come up with their own consumer protection legislation and interest rates.

Hopefully most of the provinces will follow Manitoba's lead quickly to try address the issue. But the need for a series of provincial actions could have been avoided if Harper was willing to confront a national issue (and one properly under federal jurisdiction, for those determined to draw the lines) rather than passing the buck.