Ontario Hansard - 08-March2005

Ms. Laurie Scott (Haliburton-Victoria-Brock): I rise again today in an effort to try to get this government to listen to the voices of farmers and rural communities, from my riding and from across Ontario.

Last week, farmers rallied on the lawn of Queen's Park, and tomorrow, farmers and rural citizens will be rallying on the lawn of Queen's Park again. This is because the government is not listening to them. There is a rural revolution happening in Ontario. It is coming because you are not listening to the voices of farmers and you are not listening to the voices of rural Ontario. Your policies and inaction have been hurting rural communities and farmers. They have been hurting local communities, and hurting our community halls and our churches.

Over the past several months, I've been meeting with farmers throughout Haliburton-Victoria-Brock, and they have told me that without a doubt the CAIS program is not working. They are not getting the money they need to put seed into the ground or to keep their farms viable.

I want to urge you to respond to the plight of the hard-working farmers. They have told you what they need to survive. You have made promises to farmers and rural Ontarians, but now that you're in charge you're ignoring them. We hope there is money coming for our farmers. So far, this government has ignored their plight. I hope they will listen, and I hope they will act.

And if there is any financial assistance coming to farmers, do not use the CAIS program to distribute it. Make sure the money goes directly to the farmers who need it. The CAIS program is not working. Money needs to get into the hands of farmers and farm families now, before they lose their farms and before we all lose the safe, secure access to food that they provide.