For immediate release:
December 12, 2006  

MPPs Arnott, Barrett and Ontario Cattlemen’s Association meet U.S. Consul General in Toronto

Press for swift action on border issues for Ontario beef producers

Toronto—Waterloo-Wellington MPP Ted Arnott and Haldimand-Norfolk-Brant MPP Toby Barrett, along with Ontario Cattlemen’s Association President Ian McKillop and Executive Director Dave Stewart, met with U.S. Consul General John Nay in Toronto on December 11th.

The two Progressive Conservative MPPs arranged the meeting to allow the leaders of Ontario’s beef industry an opportunity to express their outstanding concerns related to the continuing restrictions on the export of some Canadian beef products into the United States.

“This is at least the sixth Consular meeting that I have helped to set up, supporting our farm families, since the BSE crisis struck our beef industry in 2003,” Mr. Arnott said. “I believe that it is incumbent on all of us to do what we can to work together until the industry completely recovers from the mad cow outbreak.”

The meeting was a productive exchange of ideas, which concluded with a request from the Ontario Cattlemen’s Association for the U.S. Administration to move swiftly on their legal process to allow for the full reopening of the border to Ontario beef exports as soon as possible.

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