Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

With the bevy of land-use and farming restrictions laid down by the NDP, this bill would provide farmers a chance to utilize their resources and share them with all British Columbians


Dozens of farmers, who are angry at the NDP’s devastating Bill 52, joined BC Liberal MLAs at the Legislature today (October 28th), joining the call for John Horgan and Agriculture Minister Lana Popham to repeal the legislation.

Farmers and their families work tirelessly to contribute to our economy and make sure British Columbians have fresh, locally-produced food,” said BC Liberal Agriculture Critic Ian Paton. 


Bill 52 has done nothing but tear communities apart and put farmers out of work, which is why we are calling on the NDP to repeal it. Farmers deserve to be protected by government, not persecuted by it.”

Farmers from throughout the province joined Liberal MLAs to rally against this damaging legislation that has sent farmers a clear message — the NDP government values land more than the people who make farms successful.

The recent act changes by the NDP create barriers for entry-level farmers, add financial burdens for current farmers, insecurity for retiring farmers and trample on the rights of existing farmers,” said farmer Meghan McPherson, who joined the chorus of voices speaking out against this bill.

Government’s role should be to support the rights of farmers, not stifle them”, continued McPherson.


To show support for farmers and the agricultural community, BC Liberal are introducing two members’ bills today to highlight that farmers are business people and deserve the supports and protections offered to non-farm businesses.

Laurie Throness, MLA for Chilliwack-Kent will introduce the Trespass Amendment Act 2019 which, if passed, will ensure the safety of those who live and work on farms as well as their livestock and property from being endangered by illegal trespassers through increased penalties.


Farms are businesses and also private property and should be protected from unlawful entry with the same rights as a brick and mortar store on a city street,” said Throness.

Continuing, Throness remarked, “In addition, farms are food-producing facilities, so it is imperative to have a strong deterrence from unwelcome entry to prevent the spread of disease that can happen when bio-security protocols are breached, jeopardizing thousands of animals and the industry itself.”

Equal economic opportunity is the goal of the Home-Based Craft Food Act, which will be introduced by Delta South MLA Ian Paton. If passed, it will allow small home-based businesses to make and sell low-risk food products like jams, candy, honey or bread direct to consumers from their farmland.

This bill is about creating value-added opportunities, fostering new micro-businesses and enabling farmers to support their families by using products from their own farms without impacting valuable farmland,” said Paton.

Patton concluded stating, “With the bevy of land-use and farming restrictions laid down by the NDP, this bill would provide farmers a chance to utilize their resources and share them with all British Columbians.”

Today’s action also includes the introduction of a petition, to the BC legislature, signed by over 26,000 farmers who are calling for the repeal of Bill 52.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

PEATS: I am writing with a critical concern regarding the imminent closure of the Eljen Medical Clinic, a vital healthcare facility in our community

The following is a copy of a letter sent to me, which was sent to BC’s Minister of Health Adrian Dix. It is with regards to the impending closure of the Eljen Medical Clinic in Dawson Creek.   Dear Minister,   I am writing to you today with a critical concern regarding the imminent closure of the Eljen Medical Clinic, a vital healthcare facility in our community. The closure, scheduled for the summer of 2024, is a result of the utterly burdensome terms and conditions imposed by the bureaucratic Northern Health. As a result, Dawson Creek stands to lose four doctors who have made this city their home, and who wish to continue serving the people of our community.   The impending closure of the Eljen Medical Clinic is a significant blow to our city. Not only will it result in the loss of highly qualified and dedicated healthcare professionals, but it will also deprive thousands of Dawson Creek residents of access to their primary physicians. At a time when healthcare se

Selina Robinson: "You broke my heart . . ." (The Real Story)

The mildly Zionist, innocuously leftish and now ousted advanced education minister’s letter to her New Democratic Party caucus colleagues, explaining why she has resigned the caucus to sit as an independent. The letter is an historic document, an artifact of the disgraceful cultural moment we’re living through. It’s important. It’s also a scorcher. It’s gathering a heck of a lot of attention . I’m printing it in full here. I’ve been insisting that what happened to Robinson is a much bigger deal and a completely different story than the one we’d all been led to believe. The necessary background: My piece in the National Post: The despicable untruths behind Selina Robinson's political lynching . More importantly , a Real Story investigation: The Problem With The Selina Robinson Story. . . It wasn't true. What follows is the story of what really happened. Let’s just get into it. Apart from punctuation and spelling I replicate the letter faithfully, with some further comm

Long-time former BC Liberal supporter says, I am definitely not hanging in there with BC United

                              BC United leader Kevin Falcon I recently asked a political acquaintance of mine, about their current involvement with BC United.   I was much surprised with the response given the BC Liberals had been the recipient of a lot of their time and energy in the past. By request, their comments are posted anonymously : I am definitely not hanging in there with BC United. Kevin’s poor judgement in ousting John Rustad from Caucus, and then publicly humiliating him, might be the most inept thing I have seen in BC politics ... and I’ve been involved in BC politics for a number of years! I still think the impetus was John‘s involvement in the Ellis Ross leadership campaign for the BC Liberal Party, and how successful and respected (despite not winning) it was. I am uncertain about the tenor of the current Conservative movement in North America. The once proud Republican Party in the United States has allowed itself to be led by a person who is morally, intell

Labels

Show more