Area Conservative MPPs got some feedback on their party’s proposed agricultural policies at a roundtable meeting here April 4. Perth-Wellington MPP Randy Pettapiece co-hosted the gathering, along with Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson and Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Bill Walker.
The Ontario PC party has released a series of white papers on topics ranging from education to health care as a starting point for formulating policies the party will carry into the next election. The meeting in Clifford focused on their agricultural white paper Paths to Prosperity: Respect for Rural Ontario and attracted about 50 representatives of farm and farm-related organizations.
“We’re looking for their input as to what they want to see in the white paper and that will help us form our policy come the next election,” Pettapiece explained.
Pettapiece told participants the Conservatives have made changes to some of their white papers as a result of other roundtable discussions.
“We can’t think of everything. We can’t know everything,” he explained.
“Our party needs to reflect the reality of our stakeholders,” added Thompson.
Pettapiece listed red tape reduction and local food promotion as among the key planks in the discussion paper.
After breaking into smaller groups for detailed discussion, participants reported back with their thoughts on the proposals.
Jason French, regional representative for the Ontario branch of Holstein Canada, said his group felt use of agricultural land for wind turbines and solar farms should be addressed, along with new higher fees for recycling tires for agricultural equipment.
French’s group also wants to see policies to help Ontario farmers compete with their American counterparts.
For example, he noted, “U.S. farmers have a better ability to write off agricultural equipment than our farmers do.”
French said the group questioned the emphasis on support for local food in the white paper.
“Cash businesses are fine, but they won’t transform into an actual formula for success for our industry. Can we also have some support for our main agricultural industries in Ontario?”
French used a can of baked beans picked up at the Drayton Farm Show earlier in the day to illustrate a missed economic opportunity related to Ontario agriculture.
“These are Ontario beans, shipped to the United Kingdom for packaging and then sent back here,” he said.
Roger Robertson, who works in agricultural lending with BMO said his group felt the white paper was “an attempt to address the issues.” However, he added, “there has to be follow up.”
Robertson’s group felt the idea of red tape reduction is more complicated than the white paper makes it appear.
“Do you remove some of it? Do you remove all of it? Is some of it good for some, but not for others? I’m not sure what the measurement of progress is on that.”
Gemma Mendez-Smith, of the Four County Labour Marketing Planning Board said her group also questioned the prevailing “buy-local” focus.
“Buying local is important, but it will not lead to success in the sector,” she said.
Mendez-Smith said labour-force retention in rural Ontario was another area of concern discussed by her group.
“We have thousands of people moving to our region, but we also have thousands moving out,” said Mendez-Smith, executive director of the planning board, which covers Bruce, Grey, Huron and Perth counties. “We have to start thinking about how to retain the people who keep moving out.
“The people going out are the younger workers … and they are the ones with the skills that we need to grow our communities.”
Noting young people do need to leave the region to further their education, she said “we need to make it attractive for them to come back.”
Robert Unsworth, of the Wellington County Cattlemen’s Association advisory council, said food safety should be a policy focus.
“We need better promotion and marketing of our great standards,” he stated.
Unsworth said a section of the white paper suggesting the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals lacks the expertise to deal with issues surrounding farm animals should be changed.
“That is too much of a generalized statement and that is not a statement that should have been made.”
The Harriston-area beef farmer said animal welfare is a major concern and noted negative perceptions on the issue are harmful to the image of the farming industry. He pointed out People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has millions of social media followers, while the largest following in the agricultural sector is in the dairy industry, about 30,000.
“Those numbers are staggering,” he said.
Pettapiece said his party appreciates the input, both positive and negative, provided at the round tables and will take it into account as they finalize their election platform.
“We encourage them, if they don’t like something, for gosh sakes tell us about it. We need this input and we’re not going to shy away from criticism.”
