OTTAWA, March 27, 2016
Liberal Budget ignores essential support for Canadian farmers
Chris Warkentin, Official Opposition Critic for Agriculture and Agri-Food, says that the Liberals are withdrawing the previous Government’s 2015 commitment to support farmers after the finalization of Canada’s Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) with the European Union.
The Liberal budget contained no mention of CETA compensation promised to Canadian farmers by the previous Conservative Government in 2015. Shockingly, the only support being given to the agriculture sector is tens of millions of dollars for Ottawa bureaucrats to study animal genetics.
“This budget is a ‘slap-in-the-face’ to Canadian farmers, said Warkentin. “The Finance Minister seems to have found money for everything else but our hardworking farm families. In fact, there is no mention of CETA compensation for the farming community, and the Liberals are more interested in giving money to their Ottawa friends than actually working with the farmers on vital issues like the Trans-Pacific Partnership.”
In a comment provided to iPolitics, Dairy Farmers of Canada Vice-President Reint Dykstra expressed his disappointment with the Liberal budget, saying, “[t]here’s no mention of compensation in the budget at all and that is extremely disappointing. We are the ones that feed the country. We help feed the Canadian economy and we seem to be the forgotten lot again.”
Every year, Canadian agriculture accounts for more than $100 billion in economic activity and employs more than two million Canadians from coast-to-coast-to-coast.
“Instead of supporting farmers, the Liberals are more interested in borrowing $30 billion to pay for their spending promises. This money won’t create the private sector jobs we need, especially in the agriculture sector. As a result, the Liberals will be forced to raise taxes on farmers to pay for their out-of-control spending,” said Warkentin.
For more information, please contact: David Hoekstra, Office of Chris Warkentin, M.P.: main: (613) 992-5685 or cell (613) 291-7262