Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1981-03-18, Page 5ImellasoW SOA, W dates talk .. bi.iiu ihi from page 2 .' locate there, would use grainproduced. in the area and produce a protein supplement to be fed to the cattle on area .farms. An expansion of the a rk to 10 acres would be a tourist attraction in itself, he • noted: Why is the government turning the? �P over to big multln*i snits when the proms - sing plants in the province are ' already controlled by multi -nationals? Capital from companies large such as Weston Energies is ,being used as invest- ment •:money because outside money is required toget the development underway Y said Harron, The greenhouse farmers in Leamington are in real trouble because the cost of fossil fuels to heat their greenhouses is putting them out of business. The grant being offered by the government will encourage these farmers to relocate at the Bruce where steam from the Bruce Power Development can be . used to heat their greenhouses, Harron explained. McQuail asked those who attended the meeting to consider the type�of job opportun- ities, employment and industrial; employ- ment opportu ities might occur in this area *we took the $10 million for the steamhne and the "$.10 million for the harbour feasibility study, and used the money to developdiversified small `,business and to p hel the filming'in stry. We do not have Ifillited resources in tins ::province, . said McQuail, but , we must establish priorities. The samt kind of public funds whit!' are available to subsidize ' the Brace greenhouses, should be available to assist individual family farmers in ' the Leamington area to insulate their green- houses and build solar greenhouses which. do not require as much fossil fuel,, McQuail observed: We feel•it is very important for the health of the Ontario econolhy to preserve thatkind of family entrepreneural activity, said McQuail'. We have far too much multi- national control in the food . indisstryy now. Elston commented that as . far as, the provincial Conservative government is con- cerned. big is better. We have a big debt on which we pay $4.4 million interest every day.. Big supermarket chains run . the food indus yet a government report says there is..no‘vertical integration in the food industry. This is the whitewash we get in relation to that study, said Elston, and the cover up in terms of the amount being put :Wei ill, -'rl ...:- S est rates for airmen..., into. the Brute, development by Weston Energies is probably whitewash as well. 1 would 'like to see the local initiatives of the , people of this riding being used to develop the economy of this riding,, said Elston. I am opposed to the 'big is' better policy. What can be done about (he high interest rates for farmers and ;small business? McQuail odtlined NDP proposals which would bring .in programs for farmers and small business ., which would put intertest rates at a competitivelevel with other provinces: McQuail said he personally dries not .like . big' ' interest rate subsidization Programs. but , after going to Ottawa last spring and .hearing the federal agricultural minister, Eugene Whelan. tell farmers 'high interest rates were their problem, interest rates would eventually come down. and if some farmers wereforced out of business in. the meantime, that was too bad, he believes some form. `of . subsiclization is .necessary to bring farmers and small business through a tough time. When Whelan tells the farmers high interest is their problem and then the federalovernment comes upwith bigloan 8 guarantees for big business,.. 1 have to wonder at ; their ,priorities, said McQuail. We do need to help Earnings and Slitan business, It is not all bad -management. decisions, We must however, take a .longer range view of ' the types of economic problems we are getting into said. ;McQuail Part ofour inflation problem is duyectly related to energy. The interest rate problem results from operating and capital loans and makes it especially tough for the young farmer starting out because of his huge" capital. debt, The land trust program ;will ;permit The our farmer to compete on a much more young equitable basis with the experienced farmer because he would mainly be working with the interest on operatns money rather than being in such huge capital debt over his land as well, suggested McQuail. Elston . told the meeting his party's assistance for farmers, and small . business would be in the form of long tenni loans at low -interest similar to the Junior Farmer loans. ' and increased participation in tile drainage loans. Harron said long term \low interest loans are needed ` for farmers. He said the Conservatives also, have a small business development grant which has been offering loans to the development of small business.