For Immediate Release
April 3, 2007

Barrett queries McGuinty Government on agriculture crisis

Queen’s Park – “How many times do farmers have to come to Queen’s Park begging?”

That’s just one of a barrage of questions Haldimand-Norfolk-Brant MPP Toby Barrett posed to the McGuinty government April 3 in the Ontario Legislature.

Barrett told the Government they have added insult to injury by slashing the ag budget by $191 million --  a sector that is already in dire straits. “last year you spent $809 million on your Ministry, plus $278 million on assistance to the ag sector. That totals just under $1.1 billion. This year you’re spending $876 million on your Ministry plus $20 in assistance. That totals $896 million or $191 million less.”

The result according to Barrett -- fewer dollars for beef, hort, tobacco and cash crop.

“Dalton McGuinty has broken his election promise to develop a new generation of farm safety nets – the Risk Management Program farmers have been asking for since June 2005 has been ignored once again,” Barrett explained.

Barrett then recognized tobacco farmers in the gallery who continue to press the Ontario Government for an exit strategy and said he finds it unconscionable that the McGuinty government couldn’t find one penny more for farmers when they boast of a $310 million budget surplus.

Following the meeting tobacco farmers met with the following Conservative MPPs: Toby Barrett, Tim Hudak, John O’Toole, Jerry Ouellette, Bill Murdoch, Julia Munro, Ernie Hardeman, Laurie Scott. As well, Liberal caucus members Steve Peters and Maria VanBomell also attended. The group spoke of their next action steps and how they can work cooperatively toward securing a compensation package for tobacco farmers.

- 30 -