October 2nd marks the 1st anniversary of my election as your MPP.

It is also the 1st anniversary of Dalton McGuinty’s government. For me this year has been very busy meeting constituents and working with you to help create a better community. It has also become clear that Dalton McGuinty does not understand rural Ontario.

I have heard from people across the riding about the financial difficulties that they will be facing because of decisions taken by Dalton McGuinty’s Liberals. I do not think that this government has fully thought through the cumulative effect of their decisions to: delist health care services, impose a new health tax, increase property taxation of trailers, increase electricity costs and increase water testing requirements for local businesses, churches and community halls.

Next week is Agriculture week, when we celebrate the important role of agriculture in our communities and in our province. Although the announcement of some relief for farmers is welcome, it seems coincidental that the government waited until the leadup to Agriculture week to announce help for those struggling because of the BSE crisis. We need a government that cares about our communities more than once a year.

Small towns and rural communities are the backbone of our province, and the Liberals paid lip service to our needs during the recent election. But the true measure of this government is not going to be based on their promises, but rather on which promises they have kept and which they have broken. There are very few voices in the McGuinty cabinet, or government urging him to keep the promises he made to Rural Ontario.

The Liberals seem to have a habit of doing things that are bad for rural Ontario and bad for farmers. They are raising taxes, breaking promises, taking away programs that help farmers – and they are doing it at the worst possible time for the farm community and rural Ontario.

· The Liberals promised that they would consult with farmers to make sure that nutrient management rules were fair and equitable – they have failed.

· The Liberals promised to work with farmers and the federal government to ensure a viable new generation of farm safety nets. Instead they slashed these programs by $50 million – without consultation.

· The Liberals promised to develop a new research strategy for Ontario agriculture and enhance the information transfer between research institutions. But the 2004 Budget took almost half-a-million dollars out of research and technology transfers.

· The Liberals promised to make the Ministry of Agriculture and Food a lead Ministry in their government. Why then did they slash the Ministry budget by $128 million!

· The Liberals promised to respond to the education needs of rural communities, but their response only serves to bring more schools under the rural funding umbrella. It just increases the number of schools that have to share limited funds.

This government has been slow to announce measures to help farmers, and even slower to implement them. The federal government announced their program to assist farmers on September 10th. The Liberals have belatedly announced they would produce their share of the 60/40 split in aid for the beef industry.

Farmers now have to wait until applications and program details are released before they will be able to access these long awaited funds. Some observers have estimated this process might take until Christmas. Local farmers have told me they still haven’t seen the money or the amount that they were promised and are expecting through the CAIS program. Christmas is far too long for farmers to wait. They need help now.

One thing is clear – Dalton McGuinty and the Liberals do not understand – nor are they concerned with - the plight of rural Ontario and Ontario farmers. If Dalton McGuinty really cared about rural communities

He would have restored the $50 million in Safety Net Supports and Crop Stabilization to help ensure the long-term viability of the Ontario farm.

He would not have unilaterally canceled the municipal drain program.

He would not have waited almost an entire year to announce a roundtable with Ontario Farmers.

He would have found a better solution for the problem of nuisance Bears than setting up a “Bad Bear reporting line”.

He would not have backed the efforts of the firefighters union to prevent “double hatter” volunteer firefighters from working in our communities. Without the help and expertise of these volunteers, our fire services will not be able to properly protect local residents.

He would not have closed the Leslie M. Frost centre to save a very small sum of money, putting local residents out of work, eliminating educational programs and affecting the economic health of the local community.

We need to strengthen our rural communities by ensuring that they have the tools they need to thrive and prosper. Striping away funding and valuable programs won’t accomplish this. John Tory, the new leader of the PC party, understands the importance of supporting our communities.

That is why we are committed to spending the time to listen and shape policies that will serve to better our agriculture community, ensure the viability of our farms and improve the quality of like for all of us who choose to live in rural communities.