An Edmonton Realtor turned provincial MLA is Alberta’s new official opposition critic for agriculture and forestry. Rachel Notley, leader of the province’s opposition New Democrats, on Monday announced her shadow cabinet and named Lorne Dach, MLA for Edmonton-McClung, as the party’s ag critic. Dach came to the legislature in the 2015 election with a political […] Read more
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West Edmonton MLA named Alberta ag critic

Alberta ag minister Carlier downed in UCP win
Alberta’s incumbent agriculture minister was among the casualties as Jason Kenney’s United Conservative Party defeated Rachel Notley’s New Democrats in Tuesday night’s provincial election. Oneil Carlier, the provincial NDP government’s minister of agriculture and forestry since May 2015 and deputy government house leader since February 2016, was unseated in his riding of Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland […] Read more

USMCA costs Canada sovereignty in ag policy, critics warn
Changes to Canadian dairy supply management in the final text of the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement give up oversight of the system to the U.S., Canada’s dairy farmer group warns. The trade deal, signed Friday in Buenos Aires by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, U.S. President Donald Trump and Mexico’s outgoing President Enrique Pena Nieto, now goes […] Read more

Rural Ontario gets half of cabinet positions
Ernie Hardeman is Ontario’s new minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs. The agriculture ministry is a familiar role for Hardeman, who was agriculture minister in Mike Harris’ Conservative government from 1999 to 2001. Along with Hardeman, many other rural MPPs received significant portfolios Friday from Premier Doug Ford, bringing a voice for rural Ontarians […] Read more

Wheat shipment halt seen as temporary
Wheat sales are expected to soon resume to Japan and South Korea. Both nations suspended Canadian wheat imports following the June 15 announcement that Canada had discovered several genetically modified (GM) wheat plants in southern Alberta. But both are expected to come back to the market shortly, while exports to others won’t be affected, according […] Read more

Rural Ontario MPPs sweep into government
Doug Ford's PC party win in Ontario will mean an increasing voice for rural Ontarians in the new government
The Ontario Progressive Conservative Party swept rural Ontario ridings, as expected, last night, on their way to a comfortable majority government. The election win for the PCs and leader Doug Ford swept away 15 years of Liberal rule. The Liberals were reduced to less than the eight seats required for official party status and Liberal […] Read more

Five questions for Ontario political parties
Political parties vying for the Ontario government had fairly similar answers to agriculture policy questions
Farmtario editor John Greig posed five farm-policy-related questions to representatives of the Progressive Conservative, Liberal, New Democrat and Green parties. (Editor’s note: Responses have been edited for length) The respondents were: Progressive Conservative: Monte McNaughton, MPP Lambton-Kent-Middlesex Liberal: Jeff Leal, MPP Peterborough New Democrat: John Vanthof, MPP Temiskaming Cochrane Green: Mike Schreiner, Ontario Green Party […] Read more
Editorial: Where will the urban voter go?
Rural Ontario residents could again be bystanders as the cities determine the next government
By June 7, the Progressive Conservatives could be the new government of Ontario, and there would be much glee in rural Ontario, where the long-governing Liberals have managed to decrease their already-low popularity during their last mandate. However, as rural Ontarians painfully know, it’s urban voters who determine governments in this province and they have […] Read more

B.C. MP named NDP ag critic in shadow cabinet shuffle
The federal New Democrats have picked a rookie MP and small farm owner from southern Vancouver Island’s Cowichan Valley as their new lead critic for agriculture. NDP leader Jagmeet Singh on Thursday named Alistair MacGregor as critic for agriculture and agri-food, a role in which he’ll also serve as second vice-chair of the Commons standing […] Read more

Manitoba NDP names new ag critic
Manitoba’s former education minister has been pressed into service as the new agriculture critic for the provincial legislature’s official opposition. Wab Kinew, who was elected Saturday as the leader of the opposition New Democrats, on Thursday named James Allum, the MLA for the Winnipeg riding of Fort Garry-Riverview, as the critic for agriculture. Allum will […] Read more