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The Citizen, 1995-03-22, Page 34Spring is budget time in agriculture, govt. By Paul Klopp MPP Huron The tough times in farming made all of us aware of the need to prepare a budget and to stick to it. When a farmer faces a down- turn in anticipated revenue the farmer must make choices. The farmer must decide to borrow to cover that downturn or cut some expenditures. This is what our governments have faced since 1990. The tax revenues went down - for the first time since the 1930s and expenditures went up because so many businesses closed and so many people lost their jobs. In Ontario we felt that getting people back to work was important. Construction projects such as sewers and water plants were upgraded or improved. Employers were encouraged to upgrade the skills of their employees and hire unskilled people and train them through jobsOntario Training. To reduce the amount that Ontario had to borrow we started the expenditure control program. All ministries had to reduce their spending. With the social contract we reduced more than $2 billion in wages but we saved jobs. Our ministers and senior civil servants had their wages frozen for several years and all had their wages reduced five per cent in the social contract. All MPPs had their wages reduced. We reduced our deficit by 30 per cent in the last two years and will see the deficit gone by the end of 1997. We have 5,000 fewer people working for the Ontario government. As the people of our province faced the brunt of the recession, brought on by the federal government, the amount of money which was transferred to Ontario from Ottawa was reduced. This has continued by the present federal government. Ontario continues to carry the bill for the rest of the country. With 38 per cent of the country's population, Ontario will be hit with 54 per cent of the transfer cuts announced in the federal budget. In rural Ontario the cuts will be felt hardest. For example, in Huron County we have a higher percentage of older people than urban areas plus our average income is lower than urban areas. We have fewer services and any cuts will be felt more sharply. It is important for people to understand how big the federal cuts really are. Taking a • billion dollars out of the system would mean closing half the universities in Ontario. Or tuition at colleges and universities would have to go up by 150 per cent. Or it would mean closing every, hospital in Northern Ontario and more than' three-quarters of the ones in Southwestern Ontario. Or closing down all our homes for the elderly. That is the scope of the cuts we're talking about today. Be assured that our government will fight to prevent these from happenings. The end to the historic western grain transportation act or Crow's Nest Pass agreement should help Ontario feed grain producers. The western farmers will receive a buy- out which could work to the disadvantage of Ontario farmers. Prairie farm landowners will receive a one-time payment of $1.6 billion plus an additional $300 million as part of a multi-year adjustment fund. In Ontario the dairy industry will have a 30 per cent cut in the federal subsidy. There is no adjustment for Ontario dairy farmers. In Ontario we have worked with farmers and the federal government on a farm safety net program. The agreement with the federal government for a NISA type whole farm safety net program is safe, but the future of GRIP may now be questionable. The lessons of the past showed us that we had to have a stable long term credit system for agriculture. By its nature farming needs large amounts of capital. Ontario's commodity loan program and Farm Plus were two of the tools which were provided by this government to allow farmers to plan their budgets with some assurance as to availability of credit. On February 28, Elmer Buchanan, the Ontario Minister of Agriculture announced that the farm tax rebate program will continue at its present rate of 75 per cent. Our government is committed to continuing the program for the next three years at 75 per cent. I will work for changes to the property tax system which would be the best solution for farmers and our education system in Huron County. Ciba Seeds • People • Products • Potential 2550 H.U. — 80 Day G-4024 Key Features: • excellent grain yields • good standability • good dry-down • excellent dual purpose hybrid 2600 H.U. — 82 Day 2575 H.U. - 81 Day G-4030 Key Features: • Outstanding Yield Potential II Easy shelling ears • Quality grain • Very good standability 2600 H.U. - 81 Day G-4043 X-9302 Key Features: • Excellent stalks MI Very good spring vigour • Very good test weight Key Features: • Excellent Emergence III Excellent Dry Down II Very Good Yield Potential • Good Stability See your local Funk's dealer today John Van Beers, Blyth 523-4431 Keith Black, R.R. #1 Belgrave 357-1092 CIBA SEEDS A great deal more than seed. R.R. #3 Cottam, Ontario NOR 180 1-80 0-265-1 3 02 Are dairy farmers competitive? World Class! •At the farm, the price of milk as only risen one-third as much as the Consumer Price Index in the last 10 years. Milk prices have increased only one per cent per year for the last six years. * There are 42 per cent fewer dairy farms in Ontario than there were 15 years ago, but they still produce the same amount of milk. • The average production has risen 75 per cent in the last 15 years. These efficiency gains are as good as our American counterparts. • Canadian cows are so productive, they are in high demand around the world. Even though Canada has only 0.5 per cent of the world's dairy cows, we enjoy 40 per cent of the genetic export market. That's worth about $85 million to Canadian exporters each year. PAGE A14. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 1995. + + + + + + • • • • • • • • • AGRICULTURE '95 USED CARS, ETC. USED TRUCKS 1994 CHEV SILVERADO 4 x 4 Ext. Cab/Loaded/305 V8/Blue 16 $24,400. 1994 CHEV S10 Ext. Cab/4 x 4/Loaded/Green 75 $18,900. 1992 GMC SAFARI SLE All Wheel Drive/Loaded/ Extn./Red 75 $18,400. 1992 GMC SL 350/Auto/ 3/4 Ton/(No AC)/White 37 $16,400. 1991 CHEV SILVERADO V8/350/ AT/AC/Cruise/Tilt/Red/Silver 172 $12,400. 1991 DODGE D 150 LE V8/Autokbaded/White 103 $12,400. 1991 CHEVROLET CHEYENNE 1/2 TON V8/Auto/Running Boards/Red 75 $12,900. 1990 GMC SAFARI SLXN6/AT/AC/ AM-FM/8-Pass./Silver/Red 128 $11,400. 1990 FORD F250 4 x 4/ 6 CYU5 Speed/Cassette/Blue 118 $ 9,900. 1988 CHEV VAN 3/4 TON V8/Auto/Cargo/Blue 140 $ 6,400. 1988 GMC SLE V8/AT/AC/PW/PURed 171 $ 8,900. 1987 FORD F250 VAN V8/AT/3/4 Ton - Safety Blue 265 $ 1,900. 1986 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER 7 Pass Van/Red 154 $ 5,400. 1994 OLDS CIERA S 4 DrN6/AT/Loaded /Silver 28 $16,900. 1994 OLDS SUPREME SL 4 DR/Loaded/Blue 31 $17,900. 1994 OLDS 88 ROYALE 4 DR/V6/AT/Loaded/Red 33 $20,900. 1994 OLDS CIERA S 4 DRN6/AT/Loaded/Red 19 $16,900. 1993 OLDS ACHIEVA SL 4 DRN6/ AT/ AC/Cruise/Tilt/PL/Silver 15 $15,400. 1992 CHEV LUMINA 4 DRN6/AT/AC/LoadediWhite 92 $11,900. 1992 PLYMOUTH ACCLAIM 4 DR/4 CYLJAuto/AC/Cruise/Till/Blue 78 $ 8,900. 1991 CHEVROLET CAVALIER RS 4 DR/4 CYL/Auto/AC/Tilt/ Cruise/Grey 134 $ 7,400. 1991 MERCURY SABLE 4 DRN6/AT/Loaded/Blue 38 $12,400. 1990 CHEV LUMINA 4DRN6/AC/ AT/Cruise/TiltNVhite 130 $ 9,400. 199OCHEV LUMINA EURO 4 DR/Loaded/Silver 98 $ 9,900. 1990 OLDS DELTA 88 4 DR/ RoyaleN6/AT/Loaded/Dark Blue104 $11,900. 1990 CHEV LUMINA EURO 4 DRN6/ATIAC/ Cruise/ Tilt/Cassette/Black 180 $ 8,400. 1989 FORD TAURUS 4 DRN6/AT/Loaded/Red 114 $ 8,900. 1989 CHEV CAPRICE CL 4 DRN8/ AT/AC/ Loaded/Grey 118 $ 9,400. 1989 PONTIAC 6000 LE 4 DRN6/ AT/AC/Cruise/Cass./Silver 40 $ 9,900. 1989 CHEVROLET CAPRICE 4 DR,N8/Auto/Air/138 km/Blue $ 8,900. 1989 CHEVROLET CAPRICE 4 DRN8/Auto/Air/Blue 138 $ 8,900. 1988 OLDS 88 ROYALE BR 4 DRN6/AT/Loaded/Silver 117 $ 8,900. 1988 OLDS SUPREME 2 DRN8/AT/AC/PW/Silver 136 $ 8,900. 1988 OLDS 88 ROYALE BR 4 DRN6/AT/Loaded/Brown 158 $ 7,900. 1987 PONTIAC 6000 4 DR/Auto/Air/Blue 188 $ 2,900. 1987 DODGE OMNI 4 DR/4 Cyl/AT/Red 88 $ 3,900. 1986 JEEP CHEROKEE 4 x 4 4 Cyt/ Auto/Cassette/ 150 km/Beige 150 $ 6,400. 1986 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE 4 DRN6/AT/Brown 88 $ 4,900. 1985 OLDS SUPREME 4 DRN6/Auto/Loaded/Gold 174 $ 4,900. 1985 MERCURY MARQUIS 4 DR AS IS -Black 223 $ 500. 1985 OLDS 98 BR 4 DR/Loaded/Silver 251 $ 5,400. 1984 OLDS TORNADO 2 DR/Loadedi5.0UV8/Brown 147 $ 4,900 1984 PLYMOUTH RELIANT 4 DR/4 CYLJAT/Red 135 $ 1,900. 1982 CHEV CELEBRITY 4 DRN6/AT/Br own 234 $ 2,900. 1982 BUICK LESABRE Custom Limited/Loaded/Grey 160 $ 2,900. 1981 CHEVROLET CITATION 4 DR/4 CY'JAuto/Safety/Bronze $ 1,250. 1981 CHEV CAPRICE 4 DRN8/AT/AC / Safety/Green 168 $ 1,250. 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