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20 I HE RURAL VOICE
NEWS
TURNER LISTENS TO LOCAL FARMERS
John Turner, federal leader of
the opposition, told farmers at a
meeting held in a shed at the farm
of John and Helen Westbrook,
just east of Goderich that he
wanted to hear what was on their
mind and "continue his
education."
Accompanying Turner were
Ralph Ferguson, former liberal
MP for Lambton-Middelesex and
Maurice Foster, Liberal
agricultural critic and member for
Algoma.
Grant Collins, second vice-
president of the Bruce County
Federation of Agriculture told
Turner that a long-term plan for
agriculture was needed. Paul
Klopp, first vice-president of the
Huron County Federation of
Agriculture wanted to hear, from
Turner, the results of the recent
Task Force.
Turner was told by John
MacAuley, speaking for the Bruce
County Pork Producer's Associa-
tion, that production and price
cycles could only be controlled by
supply management. Ross Proc-
tor, Bodmin Farms, near Brussels
aired his views against supply
management.
The reeve of Culross, Roy Penn-
ington, who is also a cash crop
farmer, asked Turner why every
other country, except Canada, was
allowed to use Lasso. Pennington
also said that at the rate farmers
are leaving the land, there will
soon be no tax base left.
If Lasso is not safe, we
shouldn't be using it, said Jack
Flannagan, second vice-president
of the Huron Cattlemen's Associa-
tion. Flannagan said that supply
management created problems by
unfair competition. "We have to
do what's good for Canada, not
just lobby groups," he said. "We
need a world market."
"The European Economic Com-
munity (EEC) will bring in pro-
ducts and put us out of business,"
said Richard Kootstra, an egg pro-
ducer, south of Clinton.
Perth County beef producer,
Joe Daunt, told Turner "that if
you are going to listen to all the
complainers and belly-achers,
you're listening to the wrong peo-
ple. Daunt says that "if farmers
are playing on a 'fair field,' they
don't need a bit of support from
the government."
Hog and beef farmer, Keith
Weedon, told Turner that farmers
cannot produce for a market they
haven't got, and that there was no
such thing as free enterprise. "The
farmer doesn't get fair conditions
in the marketplace," he said.
Gisele Ireland, speaking as a "li-
quidated hog farmer," said that
"it's the human factor that should
be considered." After two to three
years going through the process of
losing a farm, Ireland says that the
federal government should take
some responsibility to counsel peo-
ple. Ireland said that 34 per cent of
the deaths on farms were suicides.
Turner summed up saying that
farmers should not be impatient
with the Task Force. He said that a
co-ordinated approach was needed