HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1992-10-14, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN. WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER 14 iqqo
MPP offers information on referendum
Continued from page 4
As the fall closes in and makes
crop salvage impossible, the
farmers know that the bottom line
is not going to stretch to pay the
bills.
This affects all of us in the rural
community.
The Queen's Bush Rural
Ministries know that it is the
farmer's dollar that supports the
businesses and activities in our
local area. We're here to help our
farm families and rural
communities. Give us a call at
(519)392-6090. You don't have to
struggle alone.
Yours truly,
Judith Trimble
Queen's Bush Rural Ministries
THE EDITOR,
I would like to inform the people
of Huron County that my office in
Clinton can provide information on
the constitutional referendum.
Feel free to call 482-3132 or
1-800-668-9320.
It has come to my attention that
the toll-free number provided by
the Government of Canada is very
busy. Several people have come to
me saying they are finding it
difficult to get through, yet would
like to have some information.
Because of this, I will be pleased to
provide the service.
Thank you to the people of
Huron County who are showing an
interest in this debate. I feel this
agreement will create a framework
on which we can build our country
of Canada. On Oct. 26, I will be
voting YES. I would urge you to do
the same.
Paul Klopp, MPP
Huron
THE EDITOR,
Cool, wet weather and stable
funding for GFOs were major farm
talk topics during the summer of
’92. Whether you were happy about
either depended on your point of
view.
I'm happy to be part of
developing an historical change in
the effectiveness of farm
organizations. I want to assure your
readers that farmers were the
driving force in the initiation and
design of the proposal to set up a
farmer registration system with a
stable funding mechanism for
general farm organizations (GFOs).
If there are weaknesses in the
proposal to have all farm
businesses contribute $150 to
GFOs, they result from either an
inability to identify better options
or a reluctance to agree on them.
Agriculture and the rural
community need effective
organizations to deal with the
future. Tomorrow's problems are
rushing at us even as many farm
families are still scrambling to
work through the farm crisis of the
1980s. The list lengthens every
day.
• Environmental Bill of Rights
• Labour Legislation: What new
constraints will we face when the
Minister of Labour follows through
on his stated intention to allow
farm workers to organize? __
• Drainage Act Review: Who will
pay if every drainage project, even
drain maintenance, is required to
undergo an environmental
assessment?
• Game & Fish Act: Should we
let the Ministry of Natural
Resources limit the diversification
of agriculture by their opposition to
farming animals not now
considered domestic by our
culture?
Then there are tree-cutting
bylaws, safety standards on used
implements, promotion of Ontario-
grown produce, London’s bid to
annex vast tracts of farmland, the
opportunity to import pesticides
from the USA. And I haven't begun
to list all the ongoing issues around
the pricing of farm products:
GATT, NAFTA, GRIP, NISA,
NTS, Third Line of Defense, crop
insurance, supply management,
competitiveness.
Which family farmer is going to
digest all this information - and
still get the farm work done?
We've become very professional
in our management of our family
farm enterprises. It's time to be just
as professional in our relationships
to the broader community.
We can have an effective farm
voice in this rush of policies and
programs - Effective General Farm
Organizations. A financial
contribution from every farmer will
guarantee that GFOs will be there
to shape these policies and
programs.
I know that farmers won't agree
on all the issues all the time. That's
our nature. Our involvement in a
particular commodity may dictate
how we view things. For example,
whether you sell com or buy it as
feed tints your view of a “good”
price. Diversity is healthy. It is also
the reason why the Christian
Farmers Federation of Ontario has
consistently defended choice in
recognized GFOs. No single GFO
can promote ideas which will make
us all happy (with less GST
paperwork a possible exception!).
I ask all farmers: Please help get
agriculture ready for the twenty-
first century. Support stable
All across
Ontario,winning
is catching on.
Each Ontario Lottery ticket you buy helps make good
things happen.
Since 1975, over $4.6 billion in lottery proceeds have
been used to support worthwhile social services organizations
through the Trillium Foundation, cultural and recreational
programs and the operation of Ontario hospitals.
So get into the act. Every time you play your favourite
Ontario lottery game, it makes winners of us all.
Southwestern Ontario:
Dresden' renovate town pool
Kingsville - install computer equipment
Thombury - arena feasibility study
Wiarton - purchase recreation equipment
Together we’re making good things happen.
Ontario Lottery Corporation
Societe des loteries de I’Ontario
For more information call 1'800-387-0098 • Toronto 416-324-6540 • Sault Ste. Marie 705-946-6470 Pour renseignements en frangais.
funding for GFOs; it is a solid step
forward.
Henry Aukema, President
Christian Farmers Federation
of Ontario.
THE EDITOR,
We, the people of Canada,
consisting of cultures, races,
colours and creeds from the world
around us, standing shoulder to
shoulder with the original natives
of this land, do hereby declare an
equality of all humanity, regardless
of their age, prosperity, gender,
language preference, or proximity
and that this nation will stand
united in its cause to defend the
inalienable rights of all mankind,
being life, liberty and pursuit of
happiness. We place upon our
governments, the responsibility to
legislate and administer laws that
will govern this nation in these
goals, to ensure this equality and
protect us from those who will not
abide by this mandate, within the
restraints of fiscal and judicial
merit...
It would be a relief to see our
government listen to the people of
this country for a change. The
whole concept of referendum is to
seek out, by public vote, the wishes
of the people in laws that the
government feels unworthy to
decide upon, within their own
mandates. Once having done so,
the government of the day should
be bound to the majority consen
sus, reached by said referendum as
they will be bound by the selection
of a new government and leader
ship. In order to receive a valuable
consensus, it is the responsibility of
the government to present both
sides of the issue, so that we, as
informed voters, can weigh the pros
and cons, and make an informed
decision. Our court system is
burdened down with cases in which
both sides of the case feel con-ect in
their pursuit. A judge must hear
both sides of the debate and weigh
the evidence placed before him/her
to make a decision.
Why then are we, as a country,
being asked to vote on a
constitutional package that at the
outset is incomplete in nature, with
which the authors of this package,
being governmentally funded, are
providing us with only the pros and
not the cons relating to this issue? I
can tell you honestly that in as
early as grade six, my teacher
would only mark completed work,
not good intention.
We are being given the
impression that a “no” vote means
“no” to Quebec or a signifying of
an unpatriotic act. Wrong. If the
purpose of this referendum is to
determine whether or not our hearts
Canada, then rnaybe'the
question that should be asked is
“Do you feel that Canada should
remain as a country on its own or
should we become additional states
of the U.S.A.?” My answer would
be.that this country is worthy of
existence, strong as a nation and
has a viable future. Since we are
going to the expense of having a
referendum anyway, why not ask
the opinion of the country on the
issues of abortion, capital punish
ment and first and foremost, “Are
we satisfied with the efforts of the
existing government?” and “Should
an election be called immediately?”
The question we are being asked
will not end constitutional debate.
A ‘Yes’ vote will ensure the need
for an ongoing process of political
constitutional wrangling.
Whether or not Canadians vote
“yes” or “no” to the constitutional
package, we must signify that each
Canadian exercising his/her vote is
a proud Canadian, willing to stand
up and be counted. It is our duty,
therefore to be informed, to know
what it is we are voting for. It is
unfortunate we have developed into
voting, not for what is best for us,
but rather voting for what will
cause us the least amount of harm.
Harry DenHaan
Walden Photography
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