The Rural Voice, 1987-09, Page 79f
contain. This is why Peterson has set out six
essential conditions, including agriculture,
that must be part of any agreement. Because
we can't be sure of what the Mulroney gov-
ernment is offering to trade away to keep the
Americans happy, Peterson has en-
deavoured to make Ontario's position clear.
"There can be no free trade deal unless the
viability of our family farms is safeguarded.
That's my bottom line."
4. Farm support: As a result of the farm
crisis, governments here and abroad have in-
creased their aid to farmers through stabili-
zation, grants, and subsidies. Is your party
committed to the concept of keeping Ontario
agriculture competitive and viable even if it
requires Targe amounts of public money?
CHRISTIE: Yes, but we must have public
support packaged in a way that does not en-
courage over -production: eg. enhanced sta-
bilization for producers who set aside land in
conservation, eg. the OFFIRR program
which is targeted to debt and interest sub-
sidy, and therefore market neutral.
EDIGHOFFER: My party iscommittedto
keeping Ontario's agriculture competitive
and viable, and I believe that our record over
the past two years proves this. We have
raised the budget of the Ministry of Agricul-
ture and Food by 72 per cent since taking
office. We have introduced over 80 initia-
tives and programs. Funding itself is not the
answer to all of agriculture's problems —
Jack Riddell has provided strong leadership
on controversial issues and knows farmers'
concerns — but the Liberal government has
recognized the chronic underfunding agri-
culture was given under the Conservatives,
and has taken concrete action to support
Ontario's farmers.
HAM: We are the largest agricultural pro-
ducer in the country, yet on aper farmer basis
Ontario is last in government help, last again
on payments as a percentage of farm cash
receipts, and tenth on gross value of farm
production.
New Democrats feel that doubling the
size of the present 1.4 per cent of the provin-
cial budget now spent by the Ministry of
Agriculture and Food could start to reverse
the present trend in agriculture. Economists
of any stripe know that the growth base of
any economy is agrarian -led. Ontario's $1.1
billion deficit in agricultural trade represents
100,000 people not working in the food
chain industry (not to mention theirdisplace-
ment by farmers who work outside their
farms to keep their operations together).
Briefly, New Democrats are fighting
for: long-term low interest loans, totally
provincially sponsored if necessary; a per
head payment on all beef, cattle, hogs, and
sheep produced and marketed in Ontario; a
comprehensive soil erosion program, revi-
sion of food land guidelines, by amending the
Planning Act to save agricultural classificia-
tion; local tribunals for tile drainage, with the
funding level at 75 per cent; mechanisms to
stop the falling percentage of farm income as
compared to consumer prices and to prevent
increased corporate concentration of the
food industry.0
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SEPTEMBER 1987 77