For Immediate Release
March 31, 2010

Minister, Stop Acting like a Lobbyist

QUEEN’S PARK – Ernie Hardeman, MPP for Oxford and PC critic for Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs together with Bill Murdoch, MPP for Grey-Bruce-Owen Sound, today questioned the Minister of Agriculture on the lack of provincial support for Ontario’s farmers.

“Minister, you aren’t a lobbyist; you are a level of government. When are you going to start acting like it and help our farmers?” asked Hardeman in the Legislature. “This is an Ontario problem that needs an Ontario solution.”

Hardeman pointed out the federal government has concerns about trade implications if the proposed cost of production business risk management program were implemented nationally.

“Our Minister of Agriculture is pointing fingers at Ottawa in the hope that no one notices the fact that this is her responsibility,” said Hardeman. “Our farmers can’t afford to wait, they need her to use the money from the budget to implement this program now.”

Murdoch pointed out that at a recent Bruce County Federation of Agriculture meeting the proposed business risk management program was the number one priority. He asked the Minister of Agriculture to announce the program immediately.

In her answer the Minister refused to make any commitments for Ontario’s farmers.

“Our farmers are competing against people from across Canada that have the support of their provincial government,” said Hardeman. “If the McGuinty government wants our agriculture industry to survive they need to use the money allocated to support our farmers now.”

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For more information, contact:
Ernie Hardeman, MPP Oxford
(416) 325-1239