The Rural Voice, 1996-04, Page 52At this point there is nothing on thc
agenda to address the issues but
Murdoch said he hoped that will
change later in the government's
mandate.
Vicki Braeker also asked what had
happened to an agreement between
federal and provincial agriculture
ministers back in 1994 to study
legislation to implement "country of
origin" labeling. The timetable had
called for progress reports in
December 1994 and March 1995 and
a pilot project in 1995.
Currently, she complincd, a
company can import fruit
concentrate, add 51 per cent water
and call it a product of Canada.
Murray Calder, MP for Grey,
Wellington, Duffcrin, said the issue
is to be discussed by provincial and
federal officials this July. There is
some concern, however, that just
identifying the country of origin will
change the habit of consumers who
look at price as the deciding factor.
Ken Kelly, OFA vice-president,
drew applause when he said there
was something wrong when a grape
in Chile, covered in lead -arsenic
spray, can be picked and sent to
Mexico, where it's processed in
water that couldn't be used in
Canada, packcd in a bulk container
and brought to Canada where watcr
is added and it's sold as a product of
Canada.
Kelly, wrapping up thc evening's
discussion, turned to the subject of
the proposed 30-35 per cern cut in the
OMAFRA budget, a topic which got
surprisingly little attention on the
evening. "It's never too late to keep a
promise," he told Murdoch and
Fisher.°
Get realistic on
OMAFRA cuts, farm
leaders tell Johns
Ontario farmers can't help to
suggest where to make cuts to the
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture,
Food and Rural Affairs budget until
the government gets more realistic
than suggesting a 30-35 per cent cut,
Helen Johns, MPP for Huron was
told by farm leaders attending the
News in Agriculture
annual Huron County Fcdcration of
Agriculture Members of Parliament
briefing March 2.
"We can't be helpful until you're
realistic," Bill Wallace, past
president of the Huron County
Fcdcration of Agriculture told Johns.
"Thirty to 35 per cent isn't realistic.
You don't think it's realistic, I don't
think it's realistic." Wallace told
Johns whcn the government comes
back with an amcndcd figure then
farm groups could help makc
suggestions on how to deal with
lesser cuts.
Johns said all ministrics have been
asked to put forward a business plan
for a 30-35 per cent cut and
OMAFRA has made its proposal
already. "I don't think it will come
back for another round of
discussion," she told Wallace.
"Then thc process has been
derailed," Wallace said.
Others challenged Johns on thc
savings to be gained by what they
saw as an emasculation of OMAFRA
by such a huge cut. "We're talking
(of an OMAFRA budget that's) one
half of one per cent of provincial
spending," said John Gaunt, chair of
the Ontario Bean Producers
Marketing Board. "Why spend so
much timc discussing it?".
"Everybody believes their issues
arc the most important," Johns said.
Over and over again the lcadcrs of
the farm groups present reminded
Johns her government had promised
there would he no cuts to the
agriculture budget when it was trying
to get elected last June. Johns
admitted the government had
changed its tune along the way. "1
lied and 1 didn't know 1 was lying,"
she said. "You'll have to judge me at
thc next election."
But the province could not
continue to spend when it was S100
billion in debt with S9 billion in
interest to be paid each year, Johns
argued. She said she had met with
most of thc groups represented in the
room to ask advice on what were the
most important aspects of
OMAFRA's service.
Ken Kelly, vice-president of the
Ontario Fcdcration of Agriculture
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