LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L'ONTARIO

Tuesday 18 April 2006 Mardi 18 avril 2006

Ms. Lisa MacLeod (Nepean-Carleton): This past weekend my family, like many other young families, enjoyed a lovely Easter weekend in Nepean-Carleton. Unfortunately, farmers and grocers in the Nepean-Carleton riding are not able to say the same. On Saturday, Ken Ross, an independent grocer in my community, asked me, while I was shopping for groceries in his store, to please listen to the farmers. His shelves were bare. This was the result of a farmers' blockade of the major grocery distribution centre in my Ottawa community to protest this government.

On Sunday, I spoke with Gib Patterson, a farmer in my community, who lamented his frustration with the government over the agriculture file. In our discussion he supported the farmers' protest as a means to highlight the agricultural crisis looming in Ontario. Farmers, distributors, grocers and consumers are suffering from the McGuinty government's lack --

Interjection: Shame.

Ms. MacLeod: Yes, exactly -- are suffering from the McGuinty government's continuous promise-breaking to Ontario farmers, its continuous slashing of the agriculture budget and its utter lack of respect for the family farm.

When will this government step up to the plate and begin restoring cuts to our farmers, and when will it keep its promise to make the Ministry of Agriculture a lead ministry? It's time for action, it's time for keeping promises and it's time to support our family farm.