HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2005-10-26, Page 3News
Uniting farm groups key
to lobbying success,
say panel members
From Page 1 up to the farmers.
and provincial governments. "At the end of the day, it is you
" people out there that make the dif-
The biggest challenge is to pre-
sent a united front to govMcKi
ernments ference,"cKilsaid.
at all levels," said Gaunt, noting a Mllopp believed gains have been
made in unifying different groups
though "there is a long way to go."
He noted cattle feeders and the
OCA have worked together on lob-
bying initiatives and that the
Farmers Feed Cities campaign is
beginning to kick into high gear.
"We have to move towards a real
strong one -voice
approach for Ontario
agriculture," he added.
Q&A
A short question -and -
answer period proved
heated as Huron
County farmers took to
the microphone, often
to decry the lack of
action by their respec-
tive associations.
One question on
whether farmers should
be more radical was met with a firm
no by Mistele.
"You have to be professional," he
said, adding the message "often gets
lost" when the general public is
inconvenienced, like the tractor
trailer campaign on Highway 401
earlier this year.
Farmer Bev Hill maintained such
actions are effective and he pointed
to the successes of Canadian Auto
Workers union president Buzz
Hargrove as an example.
"We've got to get over the nice guy
attitude," said Hill, noting the
Odyssey report itself noted a more
"radical" change was necessary.
Hill then presented a "sick barn
cat". analogy on how farmers are
treated.
"I'm sick and tired of acting like
and being treated like a sick barn
cat," he said. "I'm getting old and
angry."
Hill added that the OFA has done
nothing for him as of late.
"I need someone to inspire me and
Paul? The OFA is not doing it," he
said, adding though some farmers
are supporting risk management, "it
took a crisis to get everybody pulling
on the rope and
that's always the
way it is. If there
is going to be a
future in this
industry for my
sons, we need
more."
spring rally held at Queen's Park
was successful but a unique event in
the grand scheme.
Gaunt said considering the farm-
ing population makes up only 1.6
per cent of Ontario's population, it is
vital to present a united front.
He added it is no small
irony that a decades'
old government report
suggested unifying
farm groups as the
answer.
Gaunt also suggested
following the Quebec
model for the commodi-
ties market.
"Farming has to be OFA representative
profitable to be sus -
Paul Mistele
tainable," he said.
"People united will
never lose. People divided
will never win." •
Meanwhile, Down, a former chair-
man of the Ontario Commodities
Council, said there was a time when
varying farm associations appeared
to be joining forces.
"Unfortunately, and this happens
in a lot of industries in other areas,
when it really gets down to the nitty
gritty — in other words, money —
that's where people split."
Down also echoed one of Gaunt's
earlier points that a 2002 report,
which included 75 recommendations
to better solidify the agriculture
industry, have been ignored.
"It is gathering dust," he said.
"People have not .ta}ren the report
seriously."
McIntosh, a past director with the
OFA, agreed that commodity groups
must follow the Quebec model.
"They work as one group out of
one office," he said, adding corn and
soybean producers are "getting
shafted" by the current system.
The time to act is now, he said.
"We all agree that something has
to be done for agriculture in
Ontario. It's not in good shape," he
said. "It's time we took some action
and got it together."
Mistele, too, said the time to unify
is now.
"United we bargain, divided we
beg," he said, stressing that for uni-
fication to take place, representa-
tives of different organizations must
communicate.
Ultimately though, he said, it is
Quoted
`United we
bargain,
divided
we beg,' --
1
H. REID ALLEN
I1.It\I1lRI.
RI•:SIOR\fll)\
Ill 1 I\IIII\t,
SEAFORTH
527-2717
The Huron Expositor • October 26, 2005 Page 3
12 Southwestern Ontario Hospital Foundations
join together for the
We applaud all of
the businesses and
people for your gift
from the heart...
for the heart of
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"Stratford Festival"
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THANK -YOU
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We appreciate the gift of you,
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The Organizing Committee of the Seaforth
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Radiothon pledges are continuing to
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