Dion pledges $1.2B in farm aid
Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion, speaking in Manitoba on Friday, says farmers play 'a crucial role' in Canada.(CBC)
A Liberal government would invest in a four-year, $1.2-billion package to support Canadian farmers while also restoring full farmer control of the Canadian Wheat Board, Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion pledged on Friday.
Campaigning in Manitoba farm country outside Winnipeg, Dion said his government would help farmers "play a crucial role within a more prosperous Canada, greener Canada."
"We need to have a strong partnership between our farmers and the federal government, and this will be true," Dion said. "We want our farmers to succeed not only for themselves, but for the entire country."
Dion's proposed measures include a $400-million tax credit for farms that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and a $250-million Green Farms Fund for farmers to invest in energy-efficient technology.
He also proposed a $564-million Regional Flexibility Fund to help farmers pay for environmental solutions, business risk management and production costs, and a $30-million program to promote local farmers' markets and homegrown foods.
Dion appeared with Saskatchewan Liberal MP Ralph Goodale, as well as a star Liberal candidate Bob Friesen, a former farmer and one-time head of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture who is running against Conservative MP Steven Fletcher.
The Conservatives have sought to deliver on a 2006 campaign promise to end the Canadian Wheat Board's barley monopoly. Some producers support the plan, saying they deserve the right to try to seek higher prices for their grain by selling independently.
But critics — including other farmers, the federal Liberals and Manitoba's NDP government — argue the monopoly ensures producers get fair prices instead of competing against each other for sales.
"No government should decide future of the wheat board," Dion said Friday. "Farmers should decide the future of the wheat board, period."
The Liberal leader also reiterated his calls for Conservative Leader Stephen Harper to fire federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz for making jokes about the listeriosis crisis that has been linked to 17 deaths.
Speaking in Quebec during a campaign stop on Friday, Harper again stood by his agriculture minister's apology and rebuffed calls for Ritz's resignation.
With files from the Canadian Press
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