Liberal Government Continues to Ignore Farmers

Ottawa – In the House of Commons, Scott Reid MP (CA, Lanark-Carleton) condemned the Liberal Government’s inaction on the economic crisis facing Canadian beef farmers. He said: “the trade restrictions imposed on May 20 on all ruminants as a result of BSE are affecting farms and farm support workers across Canada. The beef and cattle industries continue to lose $11 million daily. Sheep and goat farmers are also being affected by the trade ban.”

After meeting over the past few weeks with beef and cattle farmers in his own riding of Lanark-Carleton, ON, and receiving representations from the sheep farmers of eastern Ontario, he told the Commons, “They are hurting.”

Mr. Reid argued that it is tragic that the concerns of rural Canada do not even enter the Liberal radar screen. He pointed to the government’s imposition of closure to end debate on the Electoral Finance Bill (*Bill C-24), and said: “While not a nickel goes toward mitigating the crisis in rural Canada, the Liberals are suspending the rules of Parliament in order to ensure immediate passage of a law that will give the party a $9.1 million taxpayer funded gift on January 1 to make up for the fundraising shortfall caused by its leadership race.”

He further stated that “beef farmers and sheep farmers across the country deserves a higher spot on the government agenda than the internal concerns of the Liberal Party of Canada.

For more information or to speak with Mr. Reid
Please call (613) 257-8130 or (613) 947-2277.

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