Government ag critics weigh in on new premier juggling agriculture role

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

by BETTER FARMING STAFF

In an open letter to Premier Kathleen Wynne, Oxford MPP Ernie Hardeman argues that the dual role of premier and agriculture minister “will result in agriculture and rural Ontario being shortchanged.”

Hardeman, who has been the PC ag critic for “six or seven years,” calls Wynne the “part-time” minister of agriculture. He said Wednesday Wynne had not yet responded to the letter he sent two days earlier, adding, “I just don’t imagine the agricultural issues are going to be that high on the agenda in the premier’s office.”

However, NDP ag critic John Vanthof, MPP for Timiskaming-Cochrane, thinks having the premier wear two hats could be a good thing.

“The test is in what actually happens,” Vanthof says. “If she just announces it (her appointment as ag minister) and kind of ignores it, then it’s going to be a disaster. If she actually takes the time and puts things in place that she can try and make it work, I think maybe we could get some things done.”

He says his past experience – he has been ag critic for 18 months – is that when you try to work with the ministry of agriculture they might say they want to accomplish something but argue they are being blocked in the premier’s office.

“Well,” Vanthof says, “if they are the same person, maybe we can remove a couple of roadblocks.” BF