QUEEN'S PARK - Today Nepean-Carleton MPP Lisa MacLeod said the McGuinty government has to stop pointing fingers and create a business risk management program to support Ontario's livestock producers.

"Ontario Pork and the Ontario Cattlemen's Association are at Queen's Park today to deliver a message - Ontario farmers need their government to support them with a business risk management program," said MacLeod. "While the McGuinty government plays jurisdictional ping pong our farmers and our agriculture industry suffer."

MacLeod made the statement after attending a Queen's Park breakfast hosted by Ontario Pork and the Ontario Cattlemen's Association. They came to Queen's Park to deliver the message that that their farmers need a business risk management program based on cost of production.

Ontario Pork and Ontario Cattlemen, as well as the other members of the Ontario Agricultural Sustainability Coalition, have said that AgriStability isn't working and they need a new program based on cost of production. This insurance type program would be funded jointly by government and farmers.

Although the McGuinty government says they support the program they have refused to fund their share of the without federal government support.

Last week at the Ontario Cattlemen's Association AGM Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak reiterated his support for this program. He said: "We will work with agricultural leaders such as yourselves to develop a business risk management program based on the cost of production for non-supply managed commodities."

"Farmers deserve a program that provides predictability, bankability and stability," said MacLeod. "They also deserve a government that will listen to them and take a leadership role to support them instead of stalling and pointing fingers."

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