A brief look at the party’s agricultural platform
By Diego Flammini, Farms.com
Anyone who fell asleep around 7:30pm, lives under a rock or didn’t use their phones, TVs and internet on Monday night will be shocked to discover Canada’s political landscape changed drastically overnight.
Justin Trudeau’s Liberals defeated Stephen Harper’s Conservatives by a majority vote and will form Canada’s next government.
One of the pressing questions that needs to be answered is how will the new liberal government affect Canada’s agricultural industry?
According to the Liberal Party’s platform:
- The government will invest $160 million over four years into an Agri-Food Value Added Investment Fund. The money is expected to help provide technical and marketing assistance to processors for the development of new products that reflect changes in the industry.
- Over four years, $100 million will be invested in agricultural research. The government hopes to establish a transparent process involving food producers to more fairly distribute the research funding.
- $80 million will be invested into the Canadian Food Inspection Agency over four years. The money will be put towards safety inspections of domestic and imported food.
The party’s platform states it will “continue to defend Canadian interests during trade negotiations, including supply management.”
When it comes to supply management and more specifically the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Trudeau said in a statement that the government will take a more transparent approach to the agreement, ensuring Canadians are better informed about the agreement and which sectors will be impacted and how to protect them.
Another of Mr. Trudeau’s platform policies is the legalization of marijuana. If he follows through with that, could cannabis suddenly become a viable option for farmers across Canada?
Join the conversation and tell us your thoughts about the election results and how you think the newly formed liberal government could affect your farm.