General

The agriculture policies of all five major Canadian political parties were put front and centre in a debate hosted by the Canadian Federation of Agriculture in Ottawa on Monday. All of the parties were in agreement that agriculture was important to the country, but there was some disagreement on just how the government should be […] Read more

Aiming to clear the regulatory path for farm transfers, the Bloc Quebecois has included among its federal election platform planks a plan to boost the capital gains exemption on farm sales. Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe re-announced the proposal Saturday at Metabetchouan-Lac-a-la-Croix, about 65 km west of Chicoutimi, after including it in the party’s full election […] Read more

More accessible business risk management programming, more food inspectors and more detailed food labelling are among the federal New Democrats’ farm policy planks leading up to a May 2 general election. NDP leader Jack Layton unveiled the party’s election platform Sunday in Toronto, pledging a “Canadian Food Strategy that will combine health goals, environmental goals, […] Read more

A ban on federal research into genetically engineered crops, eventual 100 per cent testing of slaughter cattle for BSE and reducing allowable pesticide residues in crops are on the federal Green Party’s policy wish list. Leader Elizabeth May released the party’s platform Thursday at a press conference in Toronto, featuring a long list of farming-related […] Read more

The farming planks in the federal Conservatives’ election platform include a plan to rework the approval processes for pesticides, veterinary drugs and other ag inputs to allow for “international equivalencies.” Prime Minister Stephen Harper launched the party’s full platform Friday in Mississauga, including a pledge to develop a “national farm and food strategy to guide […] Read more

The farming planks in the federal Liberals’ election platform include plans to review all federal ag programming and to reboot AgriFlexibility, but drew fire from an opponent for two absent words. The Liberals’ platform on rural issues, launched this week, makes no mention of the party’s previous commitment to protect Canada’s supply management system in […] Read more