“Hudak said he would like to change the attitude of government by reining in the size of the provincial bureaucracy and reducing the regulatory burden on farmers and small business.”
- Today’s Farmer, Tuesday June 26th, 2012

ROSEVILLE – It won’t be long before rural Ontario and is again represented at Queen’s Park by a government that understands and values the role of our agricultural heartland to the province’s economy as a whole, PC Leader Tim Hudak said today.

Hudak made the comments during opening ceremonies for the 2012 International Plowing Match.

“Our Ontario includes rural and small-town Ontario,” Hudak said. “That’s why the PC Caucus is working every day on new ideas and policies recognizing that when your communities and businesses prosper, we all do.”

The problem, Hudak said, is a current government whose horizons don’t extend to rural Ontario and doesn’t grasp the needs and concerns of small rural businesses and agricultural economy.

“By contrast, the PC Caucus understands your importance to the provincial economy,” Hudak said, citing Agriculture Critic Ernie Hardeman’s Ontario-wide survey, launched in August, on ways to strengthen the sector with an emphasis on eliminating red tape.

To complete the survey visit: www.erniehardemanmpp.com

Cambridge MPP Rob Leone said, “Tim and the PC team are here to augment Ernie’s effort, by talking directly with small business and agricultural leaders to ensure rural Ontario has a strong voice with the next PC government.”

Among the topics to be discussed during the plowing match are concerns over red tape interfering with farms and businesses – such as the Endangered Species Act, issues with the Growing Forward 2 Agreement and reports of rising feed prices in the wake of this summer’s devastating drought.

“More broadly, we’ll be looking for some candid give-and-take with Plowing Match attendees on what priorities government should set to ensure that rural Ontario and our agriculture sector not only survive, but thrive in the years ahead,” Hudak said.

Plowing Match attendees are also encouraged to drop by the PC tent during the week-long festivities to help celebrate the contributions of Ontario farmers.