The Rural Voice, 2003-10, Page 52News in Agriculture
Huron -Bruce candidates debate issues
Huron -Bruce riding candidates in the October 2 provincial election debated the issues September 18. Taking part were
(left to right) Grant Robertson, NDP: Dave Joslin, Family Coalition Party: Helen Johns, Progressive Conservatives;
Shelley Hannah, Green Party; and Carol Mitchell, Liberal Party.
1t was generally quiet with very
few fireworks when five candidates
in the upcoming October 2 provincial
election took part in an all -candidates
meeting at Holmesville, September
18.
Shelley Hannah for the Green
Party, incumbent Helen Johns for the
Progressive Conservatives, Dave
Joslin for the Family Coalition Party,
Carol Mitchell for the Liberals, and
Grant Robertson for the New
Democratic Party, all candidates in
Huron -Bruce riding, took occasional
jabs at the policies of other parties
but never at each other as they
addressed 200 in the audience.
With the meeting sponsored by the
Huron County Federation of
Agriculture, hot -button issues like
BSE compensation and meat
inspection problems at Aylmer Meats
led off questioning but later
questions moved on to education,
and health care.
On the subject of support for
farmers to help them through the
price collapse caused by halted
exports after a single case of BSE in
Alberta in May, Johns pointed out
her government has already given
more financial aid to Ontario farmers
than had come from the federal
government. She also promised her
48 THE RURAL VOICE
government will look at assisting
farmers if they suffer from trade
injuries in the case, though
Saskatchewan and Alberta feel
compensation for trade injury should
be a federal responsibility.
Hannah said the Green Party wants
to support family farms in small
communities as part of a philosophy
to support smaller, more
environmentally sound farms
compared to large livestock
operations.
Mitchell said the Liberals feel the
strength of the province is in its rural
communities and so "you can count
on the Liberal Party to be there."
Joslin said there should be short-
term help for farmers to get them
through this crisis but in the long run,
"subsidies are dangerous things."
Rather than long-term government
support the Family Coalition would
look toward producer -controlled -and -
funded programs, he said.
Robertson had the most specific
and pointed remarks on the issue,
warning that something must be done
about the problem of cull cows that
are virtually worthless or the crisis
will get worse. Without a market,
many farmers are breeding these
cows again to get one more calf from
them but that will create a glut of
calves in 10 months, he warned. "If
we do not move on the issue,
everything can be lost," Robertson
said.
He also blasted the federal
government for tying further funding
to the signing of the Agricultural
Policy Framework by the province,
calling it backmail.
On a related question, whether the
candidates' parties would support the
proper disposal of dead animals,
Robertson said that until the U.S.
border is open again to rendered
products, the deadstock industry is
going to need government support. In
the long term he said the deadstock
companies must be able to make
money to pay farmers for their dead
animals rather than charging them to
pick them up as is often the case now.
"We will support farmers and small
town businesses," he promised.
Joslin said composting and high -
efficiency incinerators were the long-
term solutions to dealing with dead
stock.
Hannah said problems with
deadstock were similar to problems
with nutrient management with larger
livestock operations concentrating
the problem of deadstock. Though
her party would support short term
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