The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutLakeshore Advance, 2011-04-27, Page 17Agricultural policy, economy dominate all - candidates' meeting Vanessa Brown sClinton News Record Incumbent Conservative MP Ben Lobb told farriers that fed- eral support for their proposed Risk Management Program is a long shot during a Humn-Brice all -candidates' meeting last week in HolmesvWe. In the wide-ranging debate that was hosted by the Huron County Federation of Agricul- ture, questions ranged from farmers' risk and supply man- agement programs to the econ- omy and the abolition of the long -gun registry. While he said he personally supports a risk tnanagetnent insurance program for farm pro- ducers because it's bankable and "comes from the grassroots of agriculture," Lobb said two- thirds of the provinces would have to sign on before the federal government would support it. "That's the honest truth. No federal government is going to do a one-off deal with a prov- ince," Lobb said. "It's just not going to happen." He added a one-way deal with Ontario farmers would put Ottawa in "tremendous risk" with its free -trade agreements. Both NDP candidate Grant Robertson and Liberal hopeful Charlie Bagnato said they would support risk management, add- ing that they would take a more proactive approach to creating the program if elected. "If they wanted to do it, all they simply have to do is create the program and say, 'If you want to cotne on as a province, come on on," Robertson said. "That's what they've done on other programs. There's a history of doing that. It's not like this is re -inventing the wheel. It's about your priorities, it's about whether you care about Ontario farmers or not, and 1 can tell you from being in Ottawaf3 it's all about the West and it's all about Que- bec, and it's time that for once we have a federal government with people in Ottawa that actu- ally care about Ontario." Bagnato said Lobb's perspec- tive "really scares me. If there has to be consensus among all the provinces, he said it could take another 25 years to get a comprehensive Risk Manage- ment Program with funding from the feds as well as the prov- ince. Bagnato said that the Liber- als want to cut the red tape. "(The Liberals) want to make it simple, and they want farriers to make it from their viewpoint," he said. like Robertson, Bagnato said his govertunent would move the program forward and solicit provinces to sign on. Green Party candidate Eric Shelley said he would support risk management, but each province is different and the pro- gram would have to suit each region's agricultural situation. Dennis Valenta, running as an independent, said he wouldn't support risk and supply man- agement programs because they are a "form of welfare." "I'm not trying to get rid of farmers," he said. "I like stuff that's produced in this coun- try, but I think we really need to have a look at changing how we do things." The five candidates were also divided on the controver- sial issue of scrapping the long - gun registry. Bagnato said police forces across the country support the registry and make their jobs safer. He alluded to a situation in Walkerton two weeks ago where two OPP officers were called to a house that had reg- istered guns. After checking the registry, he said the officers were better prepared, making their job "a lot safer." Robertson said he supports the registry but certain changes need to be made to make it more effective. He also mentioned police officers' safety and con- cluded that if the parties can't cross partisan lines to work together on the registry, he would vote to scrap it. Valenta said he would "abso- lutely" support the removal of the long -gun registry. Lobb unequivocally supports its removal, arguing that its inef- fective and wasteful. "A Conservative majority will scrap the long -gun registry, absolutely" he said. Although it has been in effect for more than a decade, Lobb pointed out that less than half of Canada's long guns are regis- tered and police officers don't trust it. He added that a posses- sion and acquisition license would meet public safety requirements. In a rare moment, every can- didate agreed that it's important to keep young people In Huron - Bruce. "In some ways, this is proba- bly going to be the most CONTINUED > PAGE 18 Wednesda r, ril 27, 2011 • Lakeshore Advance 17 ,A9Tw h0 s•:O Y^rt. t.vo... ct- TRUCK,EVENT OFFER ENOS MAY 2ND 1611Arp1► x1* lflal WSW* •IOW MRI 01001; THE NEW 2011 F-150 MI FASO SIWU NCru xu 4*2 met OR SEEP UP 10 A 4*4 WOW -ti If OSNII i Nw — owl ONLY a OrrtR INCLUDES COSICO INCENTIVE OfflR INCLUDES COtACO INCE Ne IV1 1,000' tar oatINO tl=IFRMOST RIPE 1I POMO TOVIIII YOUR TRUCK JUST GOT EVEN BETTER WITH 6OOO 51000 � �° + 1000 MANUFACTURER REBATE M. SELECT 'MN 1011, I'.P %ORIN „t YO t\IRA t'NAN(il ACC(SSORItS 1E1018E1 COSICO MtMRIR INCENTIVE 2011 RANGER SUPERCAB tlT"T MAMIR►CtUND I*ATt . $41,000 all MT 04 CLASS FUELNOMY $15,479'' $29,499' 10.11 NOOK-enweeeli"M + $1 0001 ' tMtodee 6!11106 RIMMtAttllref rebels d saelease tame r I rebel* el* euenbe lues %VONT., of NO Ex SMARM FOND CUSTOM ACCESSORIES WITH TNt Pt4R'NASI ORIEASE O1 MOST NtW ?Of 1 ►URO MOMS r 260 SUN R(:AU MO0ni SHOWN 2011 F-250 SUPERDUTY:t; CAN Meineke T11RIRpliteAtt ... $4,500 AL BEST IN CLASS OW14 MO ONLY POMO 11.11I./100km hlry" s1JRNlt coNsuw/RS PAY ar FUEL ECONOMY" :11MP0 • 11.61,• lOOkm CRI' + =1,000' Nt Offto INCIUD(A of NO x FONDSTOM CO$ICOINcINlrv( i Acciss Rpt MTH tTft PORCHAS1 OR !EASE O• MOST MW 2011 row) TRUC1LS COSTCO KKJMBLE MEMOIRS OET $1,000 OFF ON MOST 2011 ANO 2012 FORD VINKL/S. VIER f OROCOSTCOCA O.t, Mt1TItfSMt pet( t lndudA Frtlf9llt. AIr Ti., en•.1 1 hr "teweldshi Ontario EnvWonnienlnl lee A,k1 dealer .Wnnn,(irnb,>tt and telptlrnhon lees of up to $799. furl hu , hanpf of up 10 *I O And Appk.rhte le.e% then dnvr ninny MAKE YOUR TRUCK YOUR TRUCK. ONLY AT YOUR ONTARIO FORD STORE.1 Drive ono. ontar(oford.ca