For Immediate Release
May 5, 2009

Dombrowsky maintains tobacco transition
should be funded by users

Queen’s Park – Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett ruffled the feathers of Ag Minister Leona Dombrowsky today when he asked how her government has bungled tobacco policy so badly.

“Minister of Agriculture, your government declared war on tobacco. Your government has eliminated virtually every tobacco farmer in the province of Ontario. Last year was the last crop, yet last week we learned of a 33% increase in smoking in the Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant LHIN catchment area,” Barrett stated during Question Period in the Ontario Legislature. “Minister, you eliminated all your tobacco farmers, yet smoking went up 33%. Will you please explain to this House: How did this tobacco policy blunder occur?”

“I’m really at a loss to understand the action that this government has taken that would have created the result that he has indicated,” Dombrowsky responded.

Following Question Period Barrett said that Dombrowsky’s response was ridiculous considering The Hamilton Spectator ran a Cancer Care Ontario report last week indicating smoking was on the rise.

Dombrowsky did acknowledge that MPP Barrett has been pressing the government to participate in the Tobacco Transition Program.

Barrett took the opportunity to remind the Minister that she has yet to provide the province’s 40 per cent share of transition funding:

“… the federal government came through for tobacco families. You said you would be part of a federally led program. These are your Ontario tobacco farmers. You are the Ontario agriculture minister. I feel you have an obligation to lend a hand,” Barrett told Dombrowsky.

“Minister, would you be looking at any residual monies from this 2008-09 budget? When will tobacco country see some cheques from the Ontario government?”

To which the Minister replied: “…we believe an exit strategy should be funded by the users and not the taxpayers of Ontario.”

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