Friday, June 3, 2005

OTTAWA – Jay Hill, Member of Parliament for Prince George-Peace River and Official Opposition House Leader, made the following statement in the House of Commons today:

“Mr. Speaker, farmers in my riding of Prince George-Peace River received a rare piece of good news late last year, when it was announced that the Peace Country Tender Beef co-op was to open a new slaughterhouse in Dawson Creek, B.C.

A great example of farmers pulling together to help themselves.

So, you can imagine the disappointment felt by producers when the slated opening date for the new slaughterhouse came and went due to difficulties in securing the necessary financing.

The loan loss reserve program announced with great fanfare by this government is so riddled with bureaucratic red-tape and inadequacies that it has completely failed to help increase slaughter capacity in Canada.

It is another program like CAIS, designed by bureaucrats for bureaucrats. It does little or nothing to help farmers during their time of crisis.

Yet again, the federal government’s neglect and mismanagement of agriculture in this country has sent the message to farmers that they’re left to solely struggle on their own.

I continue to call upon the Minister of Agriculture to persuade the Prime Minister that now is the time for action, not more broken promises.”

For more information, please contact:
Jay Hill, M.P. (613) 947-4524 or (250) 787-119