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2 Farm debate From "satanic" genetically modified food, to fighting urban sprawl, to the gun registry and to farm management risk ­ three of the five WellingtonHalton Hills candidates in Monday's federal election debated agriculture issues at an all-candidates meeting last Tuesday. Sponsored by the 400-member Halton Federation of Agriculture, a disappointing crowd of approximately 20 people attended the meeting at the Acton Town Hall Centre that featured Conservative incumbent MP Michel Chong, Liberal candidate Barry Peters and Green Party hopeful Brent Bouteiller. Bert Andrews, owner of Andrews Scenic Acres, asked what the candidates would do to help farmers deal with risk management. Liberal candidate Peters said that farmers face so many things they can't control, that the Liberal Party would protect them with a national food policy, and a Clean Slate program which would review all programs from the farm up, not from Ottawa down. "We would THE NEW TANNER THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2011 Gourmet Frozen Foods Bacon Wrapped Sirloin 6 x 4oz portions $ M ac MILLAN'S 9 .99 (reg. $11.99) also restore AgriFlex to its original mission of offering reasonably flexible packages that provide you with predictable, stable income during those tough times." The Green's Boutellier agreed that risk management is very important to protect farmers from fluctuations in the market during a bad season. "We need to make sure our farmers are staying on their farms ... and we need to support strong local economies to make sure that people have access to local food..." Bouteiller said. Chong said he supports the government's risk management proposals. "The Federal government should volunteer to transfer a greater amount of Federal subsidy dollars down to the province of Ontario in order to reflect a degree of share of national agricultural production..." Asked by Don Parker how they would prevent Monsanto from doing any more of its "satanic" business with genetically-modified food, Chong touted the environmental benefits that genetically-modified crops have had, and that the government should proceed TREE TOPPLED: This 150-foot tree ­ no one is sure what kind it is ­ came down on the front lawn of a Churchill Road north home with a "thump" during last Tuesday's storm. A few broken branches landed on the roof, but there was no other damage as the homeowner had moved his wife's car as the winds picked up. ­ Frances Niblock photo cautiously with genetically- as North Americans, to believe that genetically-al- There's no farming if there modified farm animals. ban genetically-modified tered crops that are being is no farmland." Peters said they must be crops, this planet would offered today are of any real Bouteiller: "...I have been sure that any products in undergo a severe and mass benefit to any of us...these in favour of the Greenbelt the market place are safe starvation. The fact is, that companies don't know legislation and the Places and meet quality standards thanks to the advances in what they're doing when it to Grow...because those and are beneficial to the en- genetics, crop production comes to gene modification documents clearly state vironment and not do any across North America has and should not be allowed that we need to stop growharm. increased substantially..." to do so." ing beyond our borders." Bouteiller said the genPeters: "We're going Asked how they would Peters: "(Farmers) look etically modified crops to ban experimentation control urban sprawl, at their land as a retirement available today are not of with planting and promo- which drives farmers off package, which is unfortubenefit to anyone and the tion of new GE crops, and their land, the candidates nate because a lot of them Canadian Food Inspection were going to implement said: would like to leave it to Agency is not doing a good the Cartahenya protocol Chong: Government their children...we need job. which requires adoption of needs to continue to im- to look at farm incomes to On the issue of genetic- new products to be guided prove farm incomes, farm make sure they are stable ally-modified crops, the by the precautionary prin- operating incomes, so ...so these farms are not candidates said: ciple." farmers have money to put being sold off to developChong: "If we were, B o u t eill er : "I d o n 't aside for their retirement. ers..." 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