Ontario's premier designate takes on agriculture

Monday, January 28, 2013

by SUSAN MANN

Agriculture is a priority for the Liberal government, says premier designate Kathleen Wynne and that’s why she plans to be agriculture minister for up to a year, along with being premier.

Wynne made the comments during a televised session speaking to reporters at Queen’s Park in Toronto today before going into her first Caucus meeting. They follow up on a promise that she had made early on during the Liberal leadership campaign.

The MPP for Don Valley West in Toronto was elected Ontario Liberal leader at the party’s convention in Toronto Saturday. She takes over from out-going Premier Dalton McGuinty, who resigned last fall.

She couldn’t be reached for comment.

On her campaign website, Wynne lists the re-introduction of local food legislation as a priority for agriculture and rural Ontario.

Other priorities include:

• Streamlining regulation and creating a single window approach to government;
• Developing a regional and community transportation strategy;
• Reviewing small municipalities’ share of provincially-mandated programs; and
• Ensuring “a sustainable Ontario Horse Racing industry and increased municipal autonomy and local control on the siting of green energy infrastructure.”

In an interview Monday, Ontario Agriculture Minister Ted McMeekin says he is prepared to step aside to enable Wynne to take on the agriculture ministry.

Even though that would mean losing a job he loves, McMeekin says he isn’t worried about himself. “I’m worried about the agricultural and agri-food people and rural Ontario. If I’ve got a new premier who wants to take the lead on those files and commit the resources to that and the time and energy, I’ll gladly step out of the way.”

In fact, McMeekin says during the Liberal leadership race he suggested to Wynne she become the agriculture minister after she said she wanted to highlight the whole area and “make some important progress advancing agriculture, food and rural affairs issues.” McMeekin says that’s what Premier McGuinty did when he wanted to highlight research; he also named himself research and innovation minister.

Wynne’s background “is one of bringing people together and doing some creative problem solving. I think she’ll continue to do that and that’s why I supported her (in the leadership campaign),” says McMeekin, the MPP for Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough- Westdale.

Farm leaders say it’s a positive development if Wynne becomes agriculture minister along with being premier.

Ontario Federation of Agriculture president Mark Wales says Wynne taking on the agriculture ministry while she’s premier means she’s willing to highlight how important agriculture and rural Ontario are to the economy of Ontario.

Wales says Wynne will obviously have to do a balancing act because she will have a lot on her plate as premier.

The agricultural industry’s challenge will be to ensure Wynne gives the agriculture ministry the attention it deserves. Wynne must ensure she chooses a very strong parliamentary assistant who can be very active getting to know farmers and “who we can work with,” Wales says. “I think the realization is out there that agriculture, agri-food and agri-business are a huge employer in Ontario” responsible for 164,000 direct on-farm jobs and $7 billion in wages.

Lorne Small, Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario president, says Wynne has a reputation of being compassionate and concerned about a broad range of issues. “I think she’s going to be very receptive to the issues facing Ontario agriculture.”

But more importantly he’s delighted the Ontario legislature is being reopened soon and the “legislature can get back to work.” Premier McGuinty prorogued the legislature last fall when he resigned.

Oxford MPP and Progressive Conservative agriculture critic Ernie Hardeman says he congratulates Wynne for winning the Liberal leadership race. But he’s not so hot on the idea of her serving double duty as the province’s agriculture minister.

Hardeman says having the premier also be the agriculture minister means
the industry won’t be well served because the voice of agriculture will be just a small part of the premier’s voice. “I think we need a minister who can talk to the premier and look after the needs of agriculture.”

Hardeman says Wynne is very busy now as she deals with the task of becoming the premier and agriculture is not her number one priority. But “I think we need someone in the position that, in fact, it is their number one priority to do the things that need doing.” BF