The Rural Voice, 1979-05, Page 20unacceptable rate of inflation than our
Canadian farmers.
It would be my pledge, as part of the Joe
Clark team, to attack this number one
enemy of inflation by attacking it's main
causes - government spending, govern-
ment debt and government deficits.
Huron -
Bruce
MOIRA COUPER, N.D.P. CANDIDATE
FOR HURON -BRUCE
As the N.D.P. candidate for
Huron -Bruce in the coming election I
should like to introduce to you, the farming
community, the policies concerning food
and agriculture, which this party has
developed.
The New Democratic Party is concerned
with the social stability of family farms and
rural communities; economic stability of
agricultural products both to the farmer
and consumer; the preservation of farm
land which will be available to farmers at a
price which reflects the returns which he
makes from his land, and the orderly
marketing of food products through the
marketing board system. New Democrats
are very aware of the world food problem
and are committed to a new economic
order, supporting the concept of the world
food bank and multi -lateral agreements on
pricing for agricultural products.
Policies have been developed by this
party in the above areas. Regulation ofthe
PG. 18 THE RURAL VOICE/MAY 1979
distribution, sale and servicing of farm
machinery, establishment of land bank
commissions to purchase land offered
voluntarily on the market and leasing such
land with options to buy, to farmers, is one
policy statement. With the concern for
foreign investment in land in Huron and
Bruce at the present time, this policy is
valuable to farmers in our area.
The N.D.P. has taken the attitude that
planning for the future must be done now,
rather than the band-aid approach which is
happening at present. Commitment to
helping farmers work together for the
successful development of an economically
viable farming future is one of the foremost
goals of the New Democrats.
One thing is certain — a New Democrat
governnmentwill speak with one united
voice. Agricultural policies will be
consistent. The opposing policies of
Ontario and Federal Liberals regarding
foreign capital investment (e.g. the land
ownership question) is a case in point.
GRAEME CRAIG, LIBERAL
CANDIDATE IN HURON -BRUCE
Today the Canadian farmer produces
enough food to teed himself and 52 others.
Canada is one of the few countries that
produces more than it consume s and
agricultural production accounts for 17% of
the total goods and services produced in
this country. While only 5% of us are
farmers, 25% of Canadians are employed
in the food system.
As we know the riding of Huron -Bruce is
an agriculturally based area. The statistics
prove that farmers are doing a good job in
Canada. However, the farmer must make
an adequate return on this investment in
order to maintain and continue this
operation. When farm prices are good the
community's economy is strong.
There are many areas of concern in
agriculture whether it be the uncon-
trollable weather, plant and animal
diseases, or the gamble we take in
marketing our product. Having worked for
United Breeders Inc. for 11 years along
with operating our own farm since 1969
I've found in the many conversations with
friends and customers that we all have
problems no matter what line of
agriculture we are involved in. lam quite
concerned about absentee ownership of
land. It is one area that must be looked at
very closely by all of us, if we are to
continue the efficient use of agricultural
land and preservation of the family farm
system.
Having been born and raised in an
agricultural environment and working in
agriculture since school days, my interest
is in maintaining the agricultural
productivity in this area and all agricultural
communities throughout Canada. I feel
that we as farmers must continue to tell our
story. We must not be the scape-goat for
any increase in food prices. Last year only
13.2% of Canadians' disposable income
was spent on food prepared in the home
which is the second lowest in the world.
ROBERT McKINLEY, PROGRESSIVE
CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATE IN
HURON -BRUCE
The Progressive Conservative
Party have never strayed from the con-
viction that Agriculture is one of the most
vital components of the Canadian economy
and must constantly be viewed in that
perspective. It is a diverse and dynamic
industry whose health is directly pro-
portional to the overall health of the nation.
With this in mind, we assert that it is the
direct and continuing responsibility of the
Federal Government to aggressively sup -
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