For immediate release
September 20, 2006

Four month delay for farm funding
…too little…too late….and still no long-term planning

Courtland – P.C. Agriculture Critic Toby Barrett says Dalton McGuinty’s show and sham politics have put Ontario farmers at a competitive disadvantage after the Liberals announced funding that many producers outside the province pocketed up to four months ago.

At a Landowners meeting in Courtland, Barrett highlighted McGuinty's continued legacy of promise-breaking to Ontario farmers after the Liberals announced funding under the Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization (CAIS) program as a result of changing inventory valuation.

“The federal government announced this change over four months ago, but the McGuinty Liberals delayed announcing their participation, likely waiting for the Plowing Match – leaving our farmers on an uneven playing field,” said Barrett. “This money is already flowing in BC, Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland – what was the Ontario government waiting for?”

"Our rural communities and agriculture industry deserve to be celebrated for the important role they play in Ontario's economy,” said John Tory. “Unfortunately, instead of a real long-term plan for agriculture Dalton McGuinty makes delayed announcements for strictly political reasons."

Meantime, the continued refusal of the McGuinty Liberals to stop hounding farmers for the return of CAIS overpayments further places Ontario at an imbalance with other provinces.

Barrett concluded that, “the lack of attention to farm issues is par for the course for a government that has cut over $400 million dollars from the Ministry of Agriculture over the past two years, and gutted support for our grain and oil seed farmers by more than 50 per cent.”

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For more information please contact
MPP Toby Barrett at: 519-428-0446, 416-325-8404 or
1-800-903-8629