Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1984-07-25, Page 13\11 I EAVESTROUGH F.d.ratlon outlines election platfornis, The Ontario Federation of Agriculture, meeting in Strat- ford Wednesday, outlined an eight -point agricultural plat- form and called upon member county federations to lobby all candidates on the issues prior to the coming federal election. The platform presented to the OFA directors meetirtby federation president Harry Pelissero includes: . • abolition fo capital gains tax on the sale of farm property; • establishing a federal - provincial price stabilization program in conjunction with producers; * introducing agri-bonds to fund farm credit at rates lower than those offered by the usual lending institutions ; • dropping excise taxes on farm fuels, fertilizer and natural gas; • amendipg Section 31 of the Income Tax Act so that farm losses can be deducted from off -farm income on a formula that reduces the deductible losses as off -farm income increases; • amending the bankruptcy legislation so that farmers have the right to recover goods delivered to a business, but not paid for, when the business becomes bankrupt. Pelissero stressed the im- rALUMINUM and VINYL SIDING ee e� ALUMINUM STORM __ DOORS and WINDOWS A ALUMINUM AWNINGS REPLACEMENT WINDOWS • RENOVATIONS and GENERAL CONSTRUCTION • FREE ESTIMATES • JIM BEAKER CONSTRUCTION DASHWOOD 237-3526 OPEN Saturdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. VG VICTORIA AND GREY TRUST Since 1844 Exeter: 425 Main St. 235-0530 SSctnhcr (.atada 1 tit Lowrance (nrporann MONDAY THRU THURSDAY FRIDAY 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. portaz ce of farmers becom- ing more involved in putting forth farm interests during the federal election campaign. He suggested that county federations could use the OFA platform as a basis for lobby- ing and questioning can- didates both privately and during all -candidates meetings, which they might themselves organize. And he suggested that local issues af- fecting farmers could be add- ed to the list. Pelissero said all parties in the coming election would be asked to respond to the OFA platform by August 17 and that their responswould be made public by gust 21, so that people will now what candidates stand for. The leader of the Liberal, Progressive Conservative and New Democratic parties were invited to the OFA meeting but none showed up. However, Tory Leader Brian Mulroney sent a telex stating his party's position on several of the issues which have been of concern to farmers. A PC government, said Mulroney's letter, would ' establish an aaribond pro- gram, would work with pro- ducers and consumers to establish a voluntary incomes stabilization program, and would reduce the price of farm fuel by 20 cents per gallon by removing the 9 per cent federal sales tax and by not collecting the current ex- cise tax. Mulroney also would ex- pand the Farm Credit Cor- poration to take into account the high cost of farming and "to ensure that the allocation of interest subsidies reflects the need to assist those who have entered farming in re- cent years." Mulroney also stated he would abolish capital gains tax on the sale of farm pro- perty to be continued in use for agricultural purposes and would move to control sub- sidized agricultural imports "to offset their negative effects." During the part of the meeting dealing with a pro- posed amendment to Section 31 of the Income Tax Act, there was a fair amount of confusion about lbw the pro- posed changes would affect farmers and whether it would be acceptable to the revenue department. This part (Section 31) of the Income Tax_ : Act divides farmers into three categories, full-time, part-time, and hob- by farmers. Part-time farmers are only allowed to write-off $5,000 of their farm losses against their off -farm income. This limit is 30 years old and isn't a true reflection of today's farming costs. It disregards the fact that many beginning farmers often take other jobs in order to help them through the difficult early years. The OFA proposes that the amount of farm losses that can be deducted from off - farm income will be deter- mined by a formula that will reduce the deductible losses as the off -farm income increases. There were some chuckles from the floor when Pelissero REAPING RAPE — Uwe Wisch has begun harvesting his 50 acres of European variety fall canolo at RR 2 Kippen. Wisch was the first to grow the variety in Huron County last year. Canola is becoming increasingly popular in this area. bne loot in the furrow' "disa. Uuhs H••ppno•4C or lloc Lou•. EN•4 .O E.+• Oar N30 7C7 All those prosperous municipalities from Oshawa in the east around the tip of Lake Ontario to the west and south are squealing like weaner pigs.. They have the bulk of the industry in this province. They have been hit by the recession, although not near- ly as hard as farmers have been hit all across Canada. They produce the bulk of the toxic wastes in Canada. But they do not want a tox- ic waste disposal plant in their backyard. Those beleaguered officials of the Ontario Waste Management Corporation are being told by almost every politician in that so-called Golden Horseshoe around the lake that a waste disposal plant should be built someplace else; yet, it is the industries in those towns, cities and townships that cause the problems. They cannot seem to -get it through their thick skulls that the industry is there. The jots are there. The benefits from WHEAT GROWERS! GO TO W.G. Thompson & Sons Ltd. To Deliver Your 1984 FALL WHEAT HARVEST A $4.00 per tonne premium will be paid 4 Branches to Serve You with fast unloading facilities - accurate grading - fast returns 1V Remember to Order Your Seed Wheat Early for Fall Sow Thompson's own Hyland Brnnd Augusta Seed Wheat - The Top Yielder Deal with the Specialists - Qualified Staff eir (9tLILPi`r)1,;' gra tk „co owl .0 NIL f A H Port Albert 529-7901 0 0 0 1 0 0 O 0 1 1 1 Mitchell 348-6433 NO ea LAM!) s 111 t Ili tIr'If OS Hensel! 262-2527 Branton 225-2360 industrialization and ur- banization are there. But they do not want a toxic waste plant there. I heard a politician from Wentworth Region at a social gathering a few weeks ago. He was saying he would fight it "right to the top" if a waste disposal plant was built in his county. I presume he meant he would take it right to God. "Why not put that plant up in Haliburton or Peter- borough or off in Simcoe County someplace where it wouldn't hurt anybody," he said. "Or how about up in the Marmora area where the closing of the mine has left people out of work? Why should we have it stuck down here where all the people live?" Wily, indeed! Migawd, man, 1 said. You have the benefits. You have the chemical plants. You have the jobs. Why should anyone else get stuck with it? There are just as many residents in the boondocks and they should not get stuck with your waste problem. It did not do much good. He was a politician trying to get votes and he was not about to listen to any reason, no mat- ter how logical, on where this infamous toxic waste disposal plant should be. Ills eyes glazed and he swung around to attack so-. meone else before !could sug- gest that other residents of the province want that plant as close to the source of the wastes as possible. Can you imagine trucking that stuff any farther than is absolute- ly necessary'' The more miles, the more opportunity for accidents. The OWMC, I think, has been remiss in pointing out some of these things to the municipal politicians shouting so loud about sending this facility out to the boondocks. Farmers are /getting sick. sore and tired of the cities and towns eating up good farm land, taking gravel for city streets and leaving ugly eyesores in the process. - FarmeriAenot need even municipal.' garbage disposal dumps in rural areas carry- ing city wastes to the country. Farmers are being dumped - on enough what with low com- modity prices, sagging land values, high interest rates and bankruptcies. What urban politicians forget is that the same toxic waste disposal plant could be a major drawing card for new industries. Those industries will be happy to locate close to such a facility. In addition, any toxic waste disposal plant will be hiring well-educated, high income people which could put Ontario in the ;forefront of research and development, according to John Sewell writing in the Globe and Mail. It is an oppor- tunity that shouldn't be miss- ed, said Sewell. So put the plant where it should be, right in that Golden Horseshoe and not in rural Ontario. Call for free estimate and we'll toll you how you can save. LW. KfeillEstiver Ltd. D..Aereed )37-114.t N --.N ry- Aloof log. 114e r. r e e f ataafell MPS 00.11111r• MN" Wily, We'll Do the Job Right... Ready -Mix Concrete FREE ESTIMATES Residential commerical and farm foundo tions, floors slobs sidewalks driveways manurq tanks etc • form rentals, equipment rentals For guaranteed strength quality controlled and service toll C.A. McDowell Redi•Mix Ltd. Centralia, Ontario Plant: Exeter. Hwy. No. 83 west 235-2711 Office: 228-6129 After hours: 228-6780 need forIobby read ap item from the Mulroney letter which said, in part: "We will change Section 31 of the Income Tax Act, as it applies to farmers, to reflect the principles of equi- ty, neutrality, simplicity, and certainty." It appeared that some federation directors did not quite understand what that meant. Pelissero noted that the agri-food sector is a cor- nerstone of Ontario's ecohomy and that there are 80,000 family farms in the pro- vince, generating $5 billion in gross value every year. He noted that more than half of the 54 rural ridings in Ontario were lost by 10 per cent or less of the vote in the 1980' election and that 17 Two-party stabilization The provincial agriculture minister should move to develop a two-party stabiliza- tion plan for Ontario's red meat producers, president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), Harry Pelissero claims. "Mr. Timbrell said he didn't want to let the red meat industry down. If that's how he feels, then it's time for him to act. Using the federal elec- tion as an excuse to hold off any new policies is letting the industry down," Pelissero said. Because of the election, Pelissero said, "We may have to accept that we cannot get a national market insurance program until the fall." If the province went ahead with a two-party plan for Ontario, it could later become part of the national program, he said. In June, former agriculture minister Eugene Whelan in- troduced a bill to give him the power to negotiate a three - party stabilization plan with the provinces. That bill died on the order paper when the election was called. Pelissero said the new agriculture minister, Ralph Ferguson "has also shown support for stabilization, but it looks like an agreement could be pushed back again." "We must continue to push for a national program with an equitable formula," Pelissero told the board of directors, "But in the mean- time, we should push for a provincial program. Let's see if Mr. Timbrell will live up to his word." ridings were lost by less than 5 per cent of the vote. The OFA president called on farmers to make their three or four per cent of the vote count "this time around." The federation chose Strat- ford for its meeting, normal- ly held in Toronto, to celebrate the 40th anniver- sary of the Perth County Federation of Agriculture. Special guest speaker follow- ing the evening banquet was new agriculture Minister Ralph Ferguson. Times -Advocate, July 25, 1984 Page 13 1 hr Weeded-1u.cu Aso i System — dreiynrd to yruvi with ..our nerds Your new Area Doa/ar for Westeel-Bosco Storage and Hop- per Bottom Sins Call us for all your material handling and storage needs Dougall construction Exeter 235-1281 relfe,hkitt4.41,-;4441m5litire �1IIII If 11 l/ 1/ I, / WHEAT and BARLEY PRODUCERS when your crop "s ready -we're ready! Contact your nearest Cook's location or our satellite operations HENSALL 262-2410 CENTRALIA 228-6661 KIRKTON 229-8986 RYAN DRYING - Walton - 887-9261 DUBLIN FEED MILL - Dublin - 345-2330 Make COOK'S your marketing centre for all your crops! . 'Deal with COOKS where you can trade with confidence.' • 511 s, II DIVISION OF GERBRO INC 1 41101l010J _ Mr. Farmer: We are ready to receive your 1984 w H E AT crop We have 3 combines field ready Free Trucking is also available Delivery incentive payment Call early for arrangements - • .s o r. Goderich 0 more information contact 1 mile off Highway 0 N e Elevator c Varna ARMSTRONG FARMS & ELEVATION Bus. 565-5032 RR 1 Varna, Ont. Res. 262-5393 or 262-5996