For immediate release:
October 6, 2005

PC Agriculture Critic tables call for Government leadership

Queens Park — As the Minister of Agriculture continued to play numbers games with OMAF budget numbers, MPP Toby Barrett took time in Estimates Committee today to expose the budget allocation for what it was – a spending cut of 23 per cent.

As PC Agriculture Critic, Barrett questioned how the government could cut spending at a time when farmers are in crisis and looking for leadership.

“When farmers are on their knees, they need inspiration and they need leadership to bring them to their feet,” Barrett said. “People anywhere in Ontario would be shocked if they saw teachers driving school buses to help make ends meet. But people aren't shocked to see farmers driving a school bus to help bring home some money - over 50% of our farmers work off the farm to help pay their bills.”

Barrett went on to detail the plight of farmers – from all sectors – and rural landowners as an urban-centric government continues to turn a deaf ear to the sobering realities of rural Ontario.

Barrett also underlined the fact that instead of providing the stable funding farmers require, the current safety net regime – the C.A.I.S. program – has been found  lacking in a number of areas.

The Estimates Committee holds hearings every year to provide committee members and Opposition critics the opportunity to go over each ministry’s annual fiscal agenda.

With Agriculture front and centre today, both Opposition parties had the chance to question how a drop in spending from $733 million last year to $564 million this year could be hailed as a budget increase by Minister Dombrowsky and the McGuinty government.

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