OCPA welcomes Helen
Johns as the new Minister for Agriculture and Food in Ontario. We look forward
to working constructively with her in our joint efforts to ensure a sustainable,
environmentally responsible and profitable future for all participants of the
agri-food industry in this province, especially the grains and oilseeds sector.
There is a wealth of opportunities, many of which OCPA has been pursuing for a
long time, but there are also major hurdles that must be overcome in order to
realize those opportunities. We hope Minister Johns will listen to, but most importantly,
implement our proposals for resolving the problems that stand in our way.
While initial media attention has tended to focus on her suitability for the job,
we at OCPA have no such reservations. Ms. Johns is one of the few ministers with
a degree in business, and that certainly is what agriculture is. As for her understanding
of agriculture in general, her riding, Huron County, has gate receipts greater
than all four of the Atlantic Provinces combined. So we are optimistic that after
seven years as Huron County’s MPP, Minister Johns is quite conversant with
the everyday realities of agriculture.
Though we did not end on the best of terms with her predecessor, this should not
be seen as a precursor to how we will work with the new minister. Our criticism
of the previous administration’s approach came only after a solid year of
goodwill discussions, only to come up empty.
From OCPA’s perspective, Minister Johns deserves and will receive a fresh
start. And while our issues have not changed, she will find us most engaging in
helping identify solutions to our mutual challenges.
Our first objective with the new minister will be to provide her with a comprehensive
review of our industry and issues.
Our second objective will be to mobilize our membership and resources to help
strengthen her hand with cabinet and caucus. We must do more than simply present
government with our problems and demand that they be fixed. We must, and do, accept
our responsibility to help develop the political will and understanding for responsive
government actions.
As taxpayers, we share the government's commitment to a balanced budget and fiscal
responsibility. The rumoured deficit shortfall of the government treasury is the
minister’s greatest obstacle to overcome in addressing our safety net needs.
It is a challenge that will pit her against cabinet colleagues seeking more for
their stakeholders in areas such as health, education, environment and more.
But as challenging as the government’s fiscal situation is, it does not lessen
the legitimacy and urgency of addressing the safety net allocation. If anything,
the government’s finances dictate that the sooner a strategic investment
in sustaining a viable industry through safety net funding occurs, the sooner
the province’s treasury will benefit from the many economic spinoffs from
Ontario’s second largest economic engine.
With an election taking place within the next year or so, no doubt the PC strategists
are assessing how to maximize their rural vote. We have a suggestion if they care
to listen, and that is to use this opportunity of a fresh minister and Premier
to work with us to find solutions to the urgent needs of Ontario’s over 41,600*
grains and oilseeds farms. Of these, more than 2,600 are in the minister’s
riding, and over 3,000 are in the riding of Dufferin-Peel-Wellington-Grey where
the new Premier is running for office. (Source: Statistics Canada)
Low prices for corn in Ontario (and in fact, all grains and oilseeds) are a direct
result of downward pressure on price generated by U.S. subsidies. We can’t
fight that pressure unaided.
With an overall provincial budget of over $65 billion, the financial resources
are there to resolve the agriculture investment crisis we share with the government
– if the political will and leadership are there.
We are ready to do our part – and more.
With the new minister’s commitment, we can resolve the outstanding safety
net issue and move on to greater economic revenues for government across the economy
and healthier environmental opportunities for our quality of life.
Nutrient management legislation, the Premier’s Round Table on Agriculture
and other issues are important initiatives we look forward to working with the
government on. But unless we can stabilize the economic viability of our members,
they are moot points to those who are ground down by the constant teetering nightmare
of losing their family farm.
Unfortunately, after a year of discussions on the safety net issue, the new minister
has a narrow window to demonstrate action. OCPA members are not in the mood for
more extended consultations or warm, soothing platitudes. The government is either
with us or against us. There are no neutral sidelines or timeouts here.