Ontario Hansard - 04-November2009

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: It's a pleasure to be able to join the debate today on the Animal Health Act, 2009. Agriculture is in peril in this province, and this bill will do nothing to improve it. It disappoints me that the member just prior to me taking the stand-the floor-

We in the Progressive Conservative caucus see possible substantive amendments to this legislation that could improve agriculture here in the province of Ontario. This bill could be amended to remove the section which will allow new permits and licences. In addition, the bill should be amended such that consent of the owner or a warrant is required to enter private property in all but the most urgent circumstances. There could also be an amendment to strengthen the section on compensation and to remove discretion unless there were circumstances such as fraud or negligence.

If we're going to talk about animal health in this province, we have to start with one very fundamental issue, which is what the Liberals are going to bring in on July 1, 2010, and that's the HST. Animal health is going to be significantly impacted in this province when veterinarian services go up by 8% to a 13% HST. That's going to be quite significant for people in the rural communities of Osgoode and North Gower and other parts of rural Ottawa and, of course, rural Ontario where they require veterinary services on their farms. This is a big slap in the face to the farmers in Nepean-Carleton, and is a big slap in the face to farmers elsewhere. If the Liberals want to bankrupt farmers, they're going about it in the right way.