Word from Premier Dalton McGuinty’s office that Steve Peters is Ontario’s new Minister of Agriculture and Food is welcomed by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture on behalf of Ontario farmers. We’ve grown to know and appreciate Minister Peters for his efforts as agriculture critic for the Liberals when they were in opposition.
We know he is energetic, sincere and a hard worker, based on his pursuit of issues in the recent past. Further into his history, we find Minister Peters is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario with an honors degree in history, and spent time working as a stock clerk at a grocery supermarket before his election as Mayor of St. Thomas in 1991.
He was first elected to the Ontario Legislature in 1999, and has demonstrated his capabilities as critic of the disabilities ministry and then as agriculture critic. We know Minister Peters is seldom shy about speaking out on the issues, and we expect he will welcome input from the Ontario Federation of Agriculture as he takes on his new role.
We will be calling on Minister Peters to use his knowledge of the BSE crisis to convince his fellow MPPs that urgent action is still needed to save Ontario’s livestock industry and all its associated components in rural Ontario. While the U.S. border has opened slightly to Canadian meat products, we need a return to full trade with the U.S.
OFA and other Ontario farm organizations will be looking to Minister Peters to play a leading role in negotiations with the Federal Government to secure adequate safety net programs. For more than a year Ontario farmers have been negotiating with politicians and bureaucrats in Ottawa, attempting to get changes to the Business Risk Management component of the Agricultural Policy Framework.
Because those changes have not been implemented, OFA and its partner commodity organizations in the Ontario Agriculture Commodity Council have advised the provincial government not sign on for the APF. We trust Minister Peters will be a strong voice for Ontario farmers in negotiations with the federal level.
Premier McGuinty has identified the role of the minister of agriculture and food as one of the most important in the cabinet. OFA is looking forward to the new provincial government’s demonstration of this thinking. We believe it is important that Minister Peters be given the respect and support due his ministry.
Anything less will spell problems for agriculture as it attempts to move forward on issues like the Nutrient Management legislation and its associated regulations. We know Minister Peters may hear some loud voices from within his own caucus regarding regulations and enforcement matters that pertain to modern agriculture. Agriculture has been successful in securing changes to the legislation, and has had its views and needs reflected in the regulations. Minister Peters will be watched closely to see that he responds to the needs of modern agriculture and not special interest groups.
Advance warning has been given by Premier McGuinty that the inherited provincial deficit will impact what his government is able to do to support growth and development in the province. OFA and its partners in the Ontario Farm Environment Coalition have, from the outset, called on the provincial government to ensure adequate funding is made available to support farmers as they work on their farms to meet the requirements of the Nutrient Management regulations. We still have this expectation.
We will also be calling on the new minister to promote changes agriculture has been seeking in the Land Transfer Tax system, and the Retail Sales Tax program. These are changes that will save farmers millions of dollars , but will cost the government little.
We look forward to working with Minister Peters and all members of his Cabinet.
~Terry Otto~
Ontario Federation of Agriculture Executive Committee