Paul Martin targets Ontario farmers

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

CBC News

Liberal Leader Paul Martin was out pursuing the rural vote in Southwestern Ontario on Tuesday, offering to help farmers market their products around the world, and promising a new renewable fuels standard.  Speaking on a family farm in North Buxton, Ont., a tiny community 75 kilometres east of Windsor, Martin said the Liberals would introduce a national fuels standard that would call for gasoline and diesel fuel to be a mix of five-per-cent biofuel, such as ethanol.  That would create a demand for crops such as corn to produce the biofuels, and would help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, he says.  Much of what Martin discussed on Tuesday has already been implemented or at least introduced.  He promised to reintroduce amendments to the Agriculture Marketing Programs Act (AMPA) that would provide $104 million for advances to the livestock sector. And he promised to earmark $5 million to develop export markets for agri-food products.  The Liberals pointed out on Tuesday that Monday's announced increase to the lifetime capital-gains exemption applies to farmers and fishers.  The rest of his talk involved extending or adjusting current programs.  The Liberals, Conservatives and New Democrats are all trying to attract voters in Ontario, where the Tories need to gain seats if they hope to form the next government following the Jan. 23 election.  All three leaders are campaigning in the province on Tuesday.