Stewart Skinner, a Listowel area farmer, is pursuing the nomination for the Ontario Liberal Party in his home riding of Perth-Wellington.
Skinner, 29, farms with his family on their farrow-to-finish swine operation near Listowel.
“I am excited to start a process that will give me an opportunity to serve my community,” says Skinner. “This has been my home since I came into the world at Listowel Memorial Hospital. The people of Perth-Wellington have given me so much and I am committed to serving them to the best of my ability.”
Skinner, who holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Master’s of Science in Agriculture Economics from the University of Guelph, describes himself as “a passionate advocate for rural Ontario.”
He says rural communities are an integral part of the provincial economy and of the delicate social fabric that is Ontario. Skinner has demonstrated his passion through the creation of his blog, The ModernFarmer Project, and a Twitter account (@modernfarmer) where he actively engages with farmers and consumers in an attempt to bridge the rural-urban gap.
“Rural Ontario needs strong communicators at Queen’s Park to ensure that our urban neighbours recognize our importance and understand the issues our communities are facing,” he says.
Skinner feels that the Liberal party under Kathleen Wynne is headed in the right direction.
“Premier Wynne has done an excellent job since she arrived in the Premier’s office,” he says. “The recently released Ontario budget demonstrated that the Premier is fully committed to tackling the deficit in the coming years while taking the necessary steps that are needed to stimulate the economy today.”
Skinner cites the severe shift to the right by the Progressive Conservatives as further motivation to get involved now.
“I do not like the direction that Tim Hudak’s PC party wants to go, we cannot take a narrow minded view when we chart our course forward,” he states. “Confining ourselves to a single ideology is a mistake if we hope to solve some of the systemic issues facing our economy.
Skinner says Ontario is at a crossroads and needs people in government such as him, who understand that economic prosperity is not achieved simply by slashing social services or attacking worker’s rights.
A date has not yet been set for the Liberal nomination meeting for Perth Wellington, but it it expected to take place in mid-2013.
