By MPP Toby Barrett Mainstreeting this past week presented questions to me whether this month’s budget will help or hinder people and their businesses and farms across Haldimand and Norfolk. The Wynne government brought their budget down two months earlier than normal – for who knows what reason – thus a lot of numbers are … Continue reading “Will budget help you, your farm, your business?”
Year: 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 21, 2016 QUEEN’S PARK – The impacts of the provincial government’s financial policies are hurting rural Ontario, and this will only be magnified in the recent provincial budget, Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett told the Ontario Legislature. In the riding last week, Barrett visited a number of businesses and heard increasing input … Continue reading “Barrett speaks of budget impact on business and agriculture”
Barrett bill to address black market Proposed legislation to be debated Thursday, March 24
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 17, 2016 SIMCOE – Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett has proposed legislation to address trafficking and the black market trade. Barrett’s Bill 162 – Commission of Inquiry into Illegal Trade and Trafficking of People, Drugs, Money, Tobacco and Weapons Act, 2016 – was introduced in the Legislature on Feb. 17. The bill … Continue reading “Barrett bill to address black market Proposed legislation to be debated Thursday, March 24”
By MPP Toby Barrett Recent budget announcements have done little to alleviate tensions in our healthcare sector. The coming year, will see continued compromised care for people when at their most vulnerable. We do see a $60 million increase in hospital budgets for 2016. Obviously after a four-year freeze in base funding, any help is welcome … Continue reading “Budget bandage on a wounded healthcare system”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 11, 2016 QUEEN’S PARK – Ontario’s Opposition Critic to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs highlighted some of the old dangers – and some new ones – during a recent speech in the Ontario Legislature to highlight Canadian Agricultural Safety Week. “Every year—and it doesn’t seem to change—we hear … Continue reading “Barrett speaks to the importance of farm safety”
By MPP Toby Barrett In my view, any attempt to comment on this year’s rushed and somewhat vague budget is akin to nailing jelly to a wall. The numbers are incomplete – partly because it arrived two months early. By way of example, those of us on the Finance Committee are still writing the pre-budget … Continue reading “Life will continue to get tougher with 2016 budget”
$28 million budget cut ignores the value of agriculture: Barrett
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 8, 2016 QUEEN’S PARK – Toby Barrett, Opposition Critic for Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Haldimand-Norfolk MPP, spoke of the value of agriculture while supporting Agriculture Literacy Week. “Agri-Food Canada indicated that the sector generates $106 billion a year, 6.7% of Canada’s gross domestic product, and employs 2.2 million people … Continue reading “$28 million budget cut ignores the value of agriculture: Barrett”
By MPP Toby Barrett Ed Myers, former editor of Frontline Security Magazine, was kind enough to fly up from North Carolina to support the launch of my Private Members Bill calling for a Commission of Inquiry Into the Illegal Trade and Trafficking of People, Drugs, Money, Tobacco and Weapons Act, 2016. During the Queen’s Park … Continue reading “Tobacco, drugs, money, weapons, organized crime…”
‘What ag programs will be eliminated?’ Barrett questions ag minister on budget
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 1, 2016 QUEEN’S PARK – Opposition Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Critic and Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett challenged the minister on cuts to the ag budget and how that will impact agri-business. “The agriculture minister cut his budget from $943 million to $916 million, that’s close to a $28 million cut … Continue reading “‘What ag programs will be eliminated?’ Barrett questions ag minister on budget”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 25, 2015 QUEEN’S PARK – Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett took Premier Kathleen Wynne to task for breaking her promise to not bring in a new gas tax. During Question Period today, Barrett pointed out that two years ago a government panel suggested hiking gas taxes. Subsequently, Premier Wynne said there she … Continue reading “Barrett calls out Premier on new gas tax”