FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 7, 2017
QUEEN’S PARK – Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett has asked Ontario to stop the unfair prosecution of tobacco farmers during a statement in the Legislature yesterday.
The Opposition Critic For Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, outlined in the House the transition from the former tobacco board to the Ministry of Finance dealing with licensing and farm inspections, including surprise visits.
“As a result, growers feel like criminals, because this is the government’s strategy on illegal tobacco, and they do ask the Minister of Finance and the Premier to stop picking the low-hanging fruit,” Barrett said in the Legislature. “The majority of tobacco farmers are hard-working, law-abiding citizens. They want to be left alone to farm.”
The salvo in the attack was $2,500 fines for overplanting that were handed to many growers just prior to Christmas. Barrett called those fines “unjust”. He went on to point out that farmers feel the rules change on the fly and that a recent meeting between the Ministry of Finance and growers was long overdue.
“Tobacco growers are not bureaucrats. They are not criminals. Government has allowed contraband to spiral out of control. It’s up to all of us to identify illegal tobacco as a problem and to fix it,” he said.
-30-
(Hansard transcript below)
Ontario’s tobacco growers are fed up with government’s mismanagement of the industry.
In 2015, the Ontario government took over the former tobacco board’s licensing duties, and today the Ministry of Finance has the authority to directly hand out licences to growers and buyers, rather than the board acting as the agent. The ministry also has the right to attend a tobacco farm to conduct surprise inspections. As a result, growers feel like criminals, because this is the government’s strategy on illegal tobacco, and they do ask the Minister of Finance and the Premier to stop picking the low-hanging fruit. The majority of tobacco farmers are hard-working, law-abiding citizens. They want to be left alone to farm.
Prior to Christmas, many growers were hit with a $2,500 fine for overplanting, and, without the details, this government would know those fines are unjust.
A few weeks ago, the Ministry of Finance held an information session with growers. The meeting was long overdue. They expressed that the ministry is making up rules on the fly and that those rules change depending on who shows up to inspect their farm.
Tobacco growers are not bureaucrats. They are not criminals. Government has allowed contraband to spiral out of control. It’s up to all of us to identify illegal tobacco as a problem and to fix it.