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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2005-12-07, Page 2Page 2 December 7, 2005 • The Huron Expositor News Candidates agree agriculture is top local issue Huron -Bruce federal candidates ready to fight for riding's votes Mark N o n k e s ISECUSIZZIED Local candidates running in the federal election said they're ready to fight for Huron -Bruce votes. Canadians were sent to the polls after anon -confi- dence motion was passed in Ottawa last week. Liberal candidate Paul Steckle will vie for his fifth consecutive term in Ottawa while Conservative repre- sentative Ben Lobb and the NDP's Grant Robertson will challenge for the Huron - Bruce seat. All three candidates agree Ben Lobb that agriculture will be at the centre of the agenda for Huron -Bruce voters. Steckle said with the elec- Grant Robertson tion being called early by the opposition parties, a lot of the work that needed to be done for the agriculture • PaulSteckle mandate has been pushed aside. Heading a parliamentary committee on agriculture, Steckle said it has been "terribly frustrating" working in a minority government where things have been stalled by opposition parties. He said the government has spent money that wasn't in its original plan and a majority gov- ernment would be far more effective. "The rural economy is in tough (shape) now," Steckle said. At the centre of the agri- culture debate seems to be the Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization (CAIS) pro- gram which was designed to provide _farmers with financial relief. All three candidates agree the program needs to be revisited and redesigned. Steckle said the Liberal government recently formed a committee of farm leaders to review the program. He said CAIS needs to be re -invented so it works better, and the committee is working on suggestions for change. That sentiment was echoed by Lobb. While Lobb said the Conservative platform on agriculture hasn't been officially released yet, he too expected changes to CAIS to be a priority. "You want to play your cards close to your chest," Lobb said. Lobb said CAIS needs to be revisited so it is accessible to grain and Sharpening the Edge of Excitement. For 2006, we've made our industry -leafing line-up of adrenaline -surging snowmobiles even better. We're not giving up our number one position any time soon. •Next evolution of REV platform: SC -4" rear skid, lower ride height, fixed windshields •New dual -runner PilotTh' skis track true and eliminate darting •Summit• sled weight reduction makes them the lightest in their class •The most fuel-efficient and cleaner engine options in the industry •New Freestyle" for the next generation of snowmobilers Visit us at www.ski-doo.com Check out the latest innovations in our showroom now! 1 Mlle North of SEAFORTH 527.01 ZO ski-doo THERE'S Nanes uto1 IT. O 2!X75 B.n•ar•r dncroolo r Potent In IBM M rpr nfwwd . - haeemrb of PRO cr to Alain B.ca.t al ea Ongoing Oaneinn b Onnd sally an a.orkaa in veno Or rya K amp b o ianann Or dery noollo flora tet Oalbn. lease., model a .tonne nyorA nrurrtn Moen MOWS S COMA paw m.mamdo non Who IMec/n0 a nowlmM for par paled. nook nol awn" r od o l Dal rend aB••on to law Conners odic SIM I MM4 sofolo Ir+mon sad lo M fKMp YEIMO as low .. -mUEU novo Mk napmnEM aro, f/Ap Anon w a07o/lkdk AM % Munna Minn Onan mance KOnonn oaf Nits W rgrraa Bal *VS W *On 110RUO oilseed producers. Lobb also said farmers need to be on an equal play- ing field with their American counterparts. As the Americans subsi- dize some farming sectors, Canadian farmers are unable to compete. Steckle agreed with those thoughts and also pointed out that the government needs to look at ways to deal with the poor commodity prices for cash crops. The NDP's Robertson suggested the government could be more proactive in helping farmers by provid- ing further support for the risk management programs. "Farm policy is as impor- tant to someone living on Yonge Street as it is to someone on the 10th conces- sion," Robertson said. "We all eat the produce." Robertson suggested expanding supply manage- ment or having a producer - controlled model to agricul- ture as a solution to the farming crisis. "The Liberals are failing farmers," Robertson said. "Twelve years of no vision and no plan is ripping deep holes in farmers' pocket- books." Robertson pointed to a Statistics Canada release for Net Farm Income for 2004. He said those figures revealed Canadian farmers suffered marketplace net losses of nearly $3 billion in 2004 despite high levels of sales and exports. "Even while farmers were having money taken out of their pockets and having to sell on decreasing or nega- tive margins, corporate prof- its in the agriculture and food sectors keep growing," said Robertson. "Clearly there are deep problems with farmer con- trol in the marketplace." Yet, the timing of this election, Steckle said, couldn't be worse as the World Trade Organization is meeting and the Canadian agriculture representative will not be able to attend the majority of the meetings as he runs his own cam- paign.