agriculture-still-wrapped-up-in-liberal-red-tape-bailey

Feature, Lambton County ? By Joe Burd on May 30, 2012 at 3:53 pm

Today Sarnia-Lambton MPP, Bob Bailey, said that although it has been a year since the Ontario PC Caucus proposed a one-window approach, and slightly less since the Liberals copied the commitment, the government has done nothing to make it easier for farmers to connect with government and cut red tape.

?Before the election this government promised to cut red tape by copying the PC proposal to give farmers and agri-businesses one-window access to government,? said MPP Bailey. ?However since then they have done nothing to address the red tape burden on Ontario?s agriculture industry.?

A year ago PC leader Tim Hudak proposed a one-window access to government for farmers and agri-businesses through the Ministry of Agriculture. It would eliminate conflicting answers from different ministries and make it easier for farmers and agri-businesses to obtain information and approvals required to grow their business.

?We?ve heard numerous stories of farmers and companies who asked the government what they needed to do and completed all the requirements, only to be told there is another test, another study or another permit,? said Ernie Hardeman, PC Critic for Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

A Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) study of Canadian farmers released earlier this year found that:

• 72 percent of farmers want all levels of government to place a higher priority on cutting red tape;
• 67 percent of farmers reported an increase in regulatory requirements over the last three years; and
• 23 percent of farmers said if they had known about the burden of regulations they may not have gone into the business.

?The burden of red tape on our farms and agri-businesses is just as bad as ever, but this government continues to ignore the problems in rural Ontario,? said MPP Bailey. ?It isn?t enough to just make pre-election promises, the government needs to actually follow through on it?s commitment to reduce red tape for Ontario?s farmers.?

Tags: agriculture, bob bailey, MPP, Sarnia-Lambton

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