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(Pembroke)
– Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke MPP, John Yakabuski today lashed
out at the McGuinty Liberals for failing to come to the aid of
Ontario farmers. In the wake of the federal government’s
announcement of a new BSE aid package, the Ontario government
has yet to announce any matching funds for its’ own cattle
farmers even though the Alberta Government has already come
through with another $230 million.
Yakabuski echoed the views of Liberal MPP, Jim Brownell who
recently criticized his own government for failing farmers and
rural Ontario.
“We have 21,000 beef farmers in this province and the Premier
keeps telling them that they are a priority,” said Yakabuski.
“If they are a priority, then why do they have to continue to
wait with cap in hand while this government takes it time
deciding what to do? I applaud Jim Brownell for his honest
assessment that this government couldn’t care less about farmers
or rural Ontario.”
Last week, Stormont-Dundas-Charlottenburgh MPP Jim Brownell
blasted his own government for ignoring farmers and rural
Ontario. Brownell was quoted extensively in the “Chesterville
Record” newspaper saying that, “there hasn’t been much
that has put farming on a pedestal since we were elected to
government…there hasn’t been one thing.” He also stated
that, “I don’t think they (the McGuinty
Government) understand the struggles (in)
rural Ontario,” and accused them of being “individuals
sitting in ivory towers thinking of things.” Brownell
went on to say that, “you were told that this was going to
be a government of consultation. It hasn’t happened.”
The newspaper also reported that when Mr. Brownell spoke to the
Dundas Federation of Agriculture on September 2, 2004 he told
his audience that he expected to be “crapped over”
for his government’s farm policies. The newspaper went on to
report that Brownell’s “greatest disappointment of the
term was that a promised forum involving the Premier and all
agricultural stakeholders – a part of the Liberal’s election
platform – had yet to happen.”
Yakabuski says he will continue to fight for farmers and rural
Ontario and that he looks forward to working with of Mr.
Brownell in that regard. Yakabuski has already written a letter
to Minister Peters demanding that the Ontario government come
through with a matching aid package and if the issue is not
resolved soon he will be hounding the government each day in
when the Legislature resumes in early October.
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For more information please
contact
John
Yakabuski at (613) 735-6627
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