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18 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, November 8, 1988 As it has become across the country, free trade was the domi- nant issue as the six candidates seeking election in Durham riding met at Cartwright Public School November 1. The meeting was sponsored by the Durham Federation of Ag- riculture and attended by over 100 people, most of them farmers, New Democrat Marg Wilbur and Liberal Doug Moffatt took the opportunity to hammer away at the free trade deal with the Ameri- cans, while Conservative Ross Stevenson defended the deal, stat- ing it will be a "good one for the agricultural community." Stevenson spent seven years as a provincial MPP for this area, including a stint as the Minister of Agriculture. He told the meeting that "expanded access to the US market is crucial for farm exports and food processing. i And Mr, Stevenson said the income support systems for agri- culture will remain in place under free trade. Marketing and supply man- agement boards will also remain in place under the agreement, he stated. Liberal Doug Moffatt called the free trade deal "a monster" and termed the up-coming federal elec- tion November 21 as "the most important in our lifetime." Moffatt agreed that farm price support systems may be protected by the GATT Treaty Article 11, but he stated, the Americans are now attempting to have that Arti- cle removed from the treaty. And said Moffatt, Canada's so- cial programs are not mentioned in the free trade package. "Are they (social programs) protected under free trade," he asked. He went on to describe the fu- ture under free trade as a "lot of KE A major Canadian first from STANDARD TRUST! ANNOUNCING SOLUTELY FOR ANY CUSTOMER WHO MAINTAINS A BALANCE OF $2500 IN THEIR PERSONAL ACCOUNT. 'Tired of paying bank service charges? - Come to Standard Trust and receive all these services FREE: * Free Chequing and Withdrawals Free Travellers' Cheques * Free Personalized Cheques * Free Money Orders * Free Transfers between Accounts Free Cheque Certifications * Free Payment of Local * Free Direct Deposit of Pension or Utility Bills Investment/interest Cheques Remember -- you get all this plus a high daily rate of interest. NN STANDARD _ oun Slee. TRUST = 57 YOUR HOMETOWN SAVINGS CENTRE "oN 165 QUEEN ST. PORT PERRY 985-8435 guessework. "We really don't know what's going to happen. At best this is a gamble with Canada's future, and my father always told me to ncver buy a pig in a poke," stated Mof- att. NDP candidate Marg Wilbur pointed out that the New Democ- rarts are not opposed to feer trade with the Americans. But what the party wants to sce is a sector by sector approach, rather than the all-encompassing agreement propsed by the Conservatives. Wilbur, who's a resident of Scugog Township, said the basic uestion about the agreement is who do we believe." In her five minute opening ad- dress to the audience, Wilbur touched on several other issues in- cluding the lack of flexible day care in rural communities, the "heavy-handed" approach the gov- emment has taken over rural post offices. She said 300 rural post of- fices have already been closed. The NDP she said would halt the fran- chising of these post offices in ru- ral areas. And Wilbur also rapped the Conservatives on environmental issues calling them "born again environmentalists as the call of an election." All three main party candi- dates said the use of chemicals, in- cluding herbicides and pesticides by farmers, must be closely stud- ied with efforts made to find new methods and technologies to re- duce the use of chemicals. Virtually all of the questions from the floor were directed at Sevenson, Moffatt and Wilbur, which left the other three candi- dates sitting quietly for a large part of the meeting. However, they were given the chance to present a five minute ad- Te Candidates for the federal riding of Durham met In Blackstock last week for a meeting on farm Issues. The meeting was attended by about 125 people and ' sponsored by the Durham Federation of Agriculture. ' From left In the above photo are John Kuipers, Chris- tlan Heritage Party; Harold Tausch, Green party, Doug Moffatt, Liberal; Rolf Posma, Libertarian; Marg Wilbur, New Democrat and Ross Stevenson, Conser- vative. For: Community Consciousness A Progressive Approach Positive Action SEER FET ST 'Honesty and Integrity Accessibility Responsiveness Proven Leadership JOHN WOLTERS X 966-4303 MAYOR Federal candidates debate issues dress at the beginning of the meet- ing. Libertarian Rolf Posma was critical of the spending promises of the other parties which, he said Would amount to some $30 bil- ion. "It's a good thing there are no children in the audience tonight, because we would have a hard time explaining the huge debt the other parties are doing to them." He went on to say the Liber- tarians endorse the principle of tar- iff reductions, and freer trade with the US and between the provinces in farm products. He said there should be no new subsidies on farm products and eventually an end to all sub- sidics. Posma said the farm commu- nity has a "moral obligation to cut down on chemical fertilizers, even if this means more labour in- tensive farming." John Kuipers of the Christian Heritage Party told the meeting farmland must be treated like a natural resource, not a commodi- ty. And he said there should be re- strictions on farmland ownership to Canadian citizens, not large multi-national'cgporations. Kuipers went on to say the CHC supports the principle of free trade, but social programs in Canada must be exempt. Harold Tausch, 39, the Dur- ham riding candidate for the Green Party said federal agriculture's main thrust should be "to encour- age a speedy changeover to organ- ic farming methods." The Greens, he said are strongly opposed to free trade agreement with the Americans be- "cause it will lead to the loss of small farms and "more ruthless chemical farming." He called for higher tariffs on farm good that are not organically produced, and self suficiency in Rood production should be promot- Tausch, who lives in Scugog Township, told the meeting that "modem agricultural practices seri- (Turn to page 24) MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14th elect JOHN WOLTERS MAYOR Scugog Township FOR INFORMATION OR TRANSPORTATION TO THE POLLS CALL 986-4303 WOLTERS, joun (X