For Immediate Release
April 1, 2005

Tobacco funding announcement has created chaos: Barrett

Simcoe – Toby Barrett is frustrated by the lack of planning on behalf of both the provincial and federal governments with regard to tobacco transition funding.

“Just a few days ago, the provincial government announced $35 million for tobacco farmers,” the Haldimand-Norfolk-Brant MPP said. “The dollar figure was the only detail we were given and no additional news has flowed since then. It’s clear that this money was announced without first having a plan put in place.”

Barrett said that the Liberal government has had two years to develop a plan for these promised funds, but the confusion surrounding the announcement is proof that there has been little thought to the process. Typically, government drafts the plan and distributes the money accordingly.

“For some of my constituents, the recently announced funding is too little, too late,” Barrett said. “There are some folks who have just sold quota for 70 cents per pound and would have held out had there been an indication of financial compensation.”

Continuing, Barrett said that right thing to do is for the provincial and federal governments to examine all funding models on the table, including the long-term solution presented by Tobacco Farmers in Crisis. He feels that farmers know best what is needed to exit the industry with dignity.

“Right across Ontario the agriculture sector is in trouble and it’s the little guy that is suffering,” Barrett said, and warned, “It’s like the canary in the coal mine – today it’s tobacco, tomorrow it could be milk or poultry.”

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For more information please contact MPP Toby Barrett at: 519-428-0446, 905-765-8413 or 1-800-903-8629