Locating ag in Quebec’s provincial election

Sep 07, 2018

Looking at agriculture in the four main party platforms

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

With less than a month to go before Quebec’s provincial election, the leaders of the four main political parties are busy campaigning and meeting with potential voters.

As Canada’s second-largest agricultural contributor to the national GDP, it is not surprising that each of the parties include Quebec’s farmers in their election platforms.

So, here is a brief look at the four main parties and their plans for Quebec agriculture.

From left: Manon Masse, Philippe Couillard, Jean-Francois Lisee and Francois Legault.

Party

Leader

Plans for Agriculture

Quebec Liberal Party

Phillipe Couillard (Incumbent)

- Continued defense of supply management

- Limiting the purchase of farmland by investment funds to 100 hectares per year

- Maximize agricultural successors’ eligibility for government funds

- Modernizing legislation focused on the preservation of farmland

- Developing a new agricultural property tax credit program

Coalition Avenir Quebec

Francois Legault

- Defend supply management

- Create a $50-million fund to leverage private investment in agriculture

- Invest in innovation, the development of food processors and diversification of activities,

- Mandate that schools, hospitals, shelters and government agencies source food from local producers

- Make land and farm transfers easier

- Reduce farmland property taxes and reduce the amount of paperwork farmers must pay for and complete.

Parti Quebecois

Jean-Francois Lisee (Also the party’s agriculture critic)

- Ensure half of the food in schools and hospitals is sourced locally

- Set up a food compliance group to make sure imported products face the same standards as local products

- Place an emphasis on organic agriculture

- Launch a new campaign to promote local food

Though supply management was not detailed specifically in the platform, Lisee stood alongside his three opponents to show a united stance in support of dairy farmers last week.

Quebec Solidaire

Manon Masse (Spokesperson)

- Support agricultural diversification

- Maintain supply management but ensure quota is shared with young farmers

- Offer financial support for new operations

- Provide female farmers with paid vacation, parental or sick leave and establish funding programs for women interested in ag

- Support mental health for farmers

- Support farmers transitioning from conventional to organic production

- Adopt a food sovereignty policy to support and promote local food

- Protect farmland from other uses

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