HANSARD

October 7, 2010

Food Banks Statement

Mr. Ernie Hardeman: This weekend, Canadians will be celebrating Thanksgiving. It's a time to recognize and thank our farmers. It's also a time to remember those in need.

There are many Ontario families that simply can't afford to put food on the table. They rely on our food banks to help them. In 2009, over 375,000 Ontarians used food banks, an all-time high for the province.

I want to commend all the people and organizations who generously donate to Ontario's food banks. But sadly, over the last few years, there has been a significant drop in donations, due in part to the many processing plants that have been forced out of Ontario.

My colleague Bob Bailey has introduced a private member's bill that provides a simple solution to help those families and Ontario's farmers. Bill 78, a bill to fight hunger with local food, provides a tax credit for farmers who donate food to the food bank. This will help farmers pay for the harvesting and transportation of the food they are donating. I want to commend the member for Sarnia-Lambton for his great work on this bill.

A few weeks ago, this bill received unanimous and enthusiastic support on second reading. We have a responsibility to move forward quickly on this bill and help these families. I call on the McGuinty government to move the bill forward and give it third reading before Christmas. Don't leave this bill sitting in committee. Let's give these families, food banks and farmers something to celebrate.

I want to wish all members and all Ontarians a happy Thanksgiving.