For
Immediate Release
March 2, 2005
Queen’s
Park, Toronto
– Lanark-Carleton MPP Norm Sterling and other opposition members had to
question deputy Premier and Minister of the Environment Leona Dombrowsky about
agricultural issues raised by the 7,000 farmers protesting at the Ontario
Federation of Agriculture rally outside Queen’s Park because neither Premier
McGuinty nor Agriculture Minister Steve Peters were in the Legislature for
Question Period.
After
greeting local farmers at the rally, Sterling and Haldimand-Norfolk-Brant MPP
Toby Barrett questioned Dombrowsky about why Ontario farmers are still waiting
for support from the provincially administered Canadian Agricultural Income
Support (C.A.I.S.) program. Dombrowsky
responded that Minister Peters looks forward to delivering those cheques before
spring planting. It should be noted
however that in the fall Premier McGuinty promised the cheques would be
delivered before Christmas 2004.
Minister
Peters had left Queen’s Park immediately before Question Period to meet with
other provincial Agriculture Ministers and the federal Minister of Agriculture
to demand more support from the federal government for Ontario farmers.
“That would be a worthy endeavour if all the federal funding already
available was flowing seamlessly to farmers, but it isn’t,” said Sterling.
“Farmers are still waiting to receive not only 2004 C.A.I.S. payments,
but 2003 payments as well. Unfortunately
this is indicative of how the McGuinty government treats rural Ontario.”
The
C.A.I.S. program is a result of the Agricultural Policy Framework which Peters
signed onto shortly after being appointed Minister despite the fact that the
previous two Conservative Ministers of Agriculture refused to sign because it
would not be fair to Ontario farmers. “If Minister Peters has gone to Ottawa
to sign onto another agreement like the Agricultural Policy Framework, farmers
would be better off if he had stayed home,” said Sterling.
“Even if he doesn’t sign any more bad deals, they would be better off
if he had spent the time making sure his Ministry was working for farmers.”
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For more information, please call Lanark-Carleton MPP Norm Sterling at: (416) 253-1171