10-15-2008

QUESTION - ASSISTANCE TO FARMERS

Mr. Ernie Hardeman: My question is for the Premier. Because of your government's policies, hundreds of new and young farmers were cheated out of the support they deserve. When your Minister of Finance releases his statement, can you assure us there will be support for these farmers?

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: To the Minister of Agriculture.

Hon. Leona Dombrowsky: Our government certainly values the agriculture industry and our producers, and we have been there for them over the last four years. That is why our government has spent $1.1 billion in extraordinary money-money that was not in our budget-over the last four years.

A year ago, on December 12, the Minister of Finance announced $150 million to support the cattle, hog and horticulture industries-the only province in Canada to provide this kind of support to those struggling sectors. We consulted with the stakeholders in those sectors. We took their advice. They said they needed the money as soon as possible. We used the information we had in our system, and we had those cheques to farmers, $130 million for cattle and hog and horticulture-

Mr. Ernie Hardeman: You gave out a lot of money, and the hog producers said they needed it very quickly. Their job was to get it out quickly. Your job was to see that it went to the right people, and you failed miserably on that front.

These farmers create jobs in the rural economy. Some of them are spending millions of dollars a year and hiring numerous people in our rural community. They don't understand why your government won't help them so they can continue farming. You're helping others, but you're not helping these farmers-hundreds of them-who got absolutely nothing out of all that money you're talking about.

Can you assure us that the Minister of Finance will include in the economic statement a way of supporting these farmers, who so far have got absolutely nothing from you?