Search
Better Farming OntarioBetter PorkBetter Farming Prairies

Better Farming Ontario Featured Articles

Better Farming Ontario magazine is published 11 times per year. After each edition is published, we share featured articles online.


Ontario politicians debate best ways to reduce red tape

Saturday, June 2, 2012

by SUSAN MANN

There are conflicting reports from Queen’s Park about how much the provincial government is doing to cut farmers’ red tape burden.

Earlier this week, Progressive Conservative agriculture critic Ernie Hardman, the Oxford MPP, fired a shot over the Liberal government’s bow by declaring the red tape problem the agricultural industry faces is “just as bad as ever but this government continues to ignore the problems in rural Ontario.”

Asked to respond, Agriculture Minister Ted McMeekin says in an email that they’ve reduced the regulatory burden by almost 30 per cent. Regulatory reform is a priority for “our government and we continue to move forward with our stakeholders through the Open For Business consultations.” A meeting was held earlier this year and another one is planned for next month.

Hardeman says the PCs have been trying to reduce red tape for agriculture and all small businesses for a long time. In talking to people, he says their number one concern is red tape and that’s “government standing in the road of something happening as opposed to helping it along.”

One thing that must be done to correct the problem has been known for about a year and that’s introducing a one-window approach for government services. When you want to build a barn you shouldn’t have to contact the ministries of environment, agriculture and natural resources for approval and then also have to get a municipal building permit, Hardeman says. “All these things have to be done with different ministries as opposed to just being able to talk to the government and get the approvals you need to proceed” in one place.

Hardeman says the PC’s idea is for farmers to just go through the agriculture ministry for their approvals and that ministry would deal with all the others. This approach wouldn’t take away the need of the environment ministry, for example, to look at the environmental issues in a proposal.

When the applicant hears back from the agriculture ministry, all the permits from the government would be complete, he says. “It would be just one permit that includes all the provincial issues.”

In addition to barn building, the one-window approval approach could work for “any activity that farmers or the agri-business community needs approval for,” he notes.

McMeekin says instead of a one-window approach, “I support a no wrong-window approach and we’ve made a lot of progress in this direction.” The agriculture minister explains that’s about changing attitudes across government and the various ministries and getting them to apply a rural lens to government policy. BF

Current Issue

February 2025

Better Farming Magazine

Farms.com Breaking News

Farmers—protect yourself from fraud

Thursday, February 6, 2025

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay It can happen to anybody. It doesn’t matter how safe you are or how smart you are; there’s always a chance you are going to get scammed over something. And the agricultural community is no exception. One of the latest instances involves... Read this article online

Nortera celebrates $25M expansion

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Nortera, a North American leader in frozen and canned vegetable processing, has celebrated the $25 million expansion of its Wright Street frozen warehouse in Strathroy, Ontario. This investment directly supports the local economy by sustaining over 270 jobs and strengthening... Read this article online

Profitable Pastures 2025 webinar series

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

The Ontario Forage Council (OFC) has announced that its is back, providing best management practices for pasture and grazing managers. There will be three webinars airing daily from 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm EST over March 4-6, 2025. Registration is required, but there is no cost to... Read this article online

BF logo

It's farming. And it's better.

 

a Farms.com Company

Subscriptions

Subscriber inquiries, change of address, or USA and international orders, please email: subscriptions@betterfarming.com or call 888-248-4893 x 281.


Article Ideas & Media Releases

Have a story idea or media release? If you want coverage of an ag issue, trend, or company news, please email us.

Follow us on Social Media

 

Sign up to a Farms.com Newsletter

 

DisclaimerPrivacy Policy2025 ©AgMedia Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Back To Top