Wynne to be Sworn-in as Ontario Premier and Minister of Agriculture Today

Feb 11, 2013

Kathleen will appoint herself as Minister of Agriculture in swearing-in ceremony

Premier-designate Kathleen Wynne will be sworn-in on Monday, as the new Ontario Premier along with her new cabinet. Wynne has already announced that in addition to being Premier she will also appoint herself as Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs for at least one year, with hopes of raising the Liberal profile in rural ridings, where the Liberals were wiped out in the 2011 general election.

The reaction to her unusual appointment as Minister of Agriculture has garnered mixed reaction, with some saying that this move will be good for rural Ontario with the focus of the Premier, while others are raising concerns over her being an Urban MPP from Toronto siting concerns about a potential lack of understanding or rural and agriculture issues, there is also concern that she will be taking on too much – and will not be able to focus sufficiently on critical issues.

The swearing-in ceremony will take place Monday afternoon.

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.