Ontarians head to the polls on Feb. 27
With only a few days left until Ontarians vote for their next government on Feb. 27, the four main political parties have released their platforms.
Farms.com combed through each platform to find out what each party is promising for the ag industry and rural communities.
Progressive Conservatives
Premier Doug Ford called the election on Jan. 28 and is positioning himself as the person capable of standing up to President Trump and defending Ontario from tariffs.
In terms of ag, a re-elected PC government promises to invest in the ag and agri-business sectors.
This includes a $100 million commitment to increase the Risk Management Program.
“This increase will support farmers in responding to market challenges while boosting their long-term business confidence and competitiveness,” the party’s platform says.
The Conservatives also promise targeted support for Ontario grape growers to use more local grapes and support the VQA sector.
The party is also promising millions of dollars in investment to support rural communities.
The PCs are committed to investing $530 million to acquire six new waterbombers to support firefighting capabilities in northern Ontario.
In addition, the party plans to put an additional $30 million into the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation for a total of $110 million annually.
In the past, the NOHFC used funding to support local ag projects like drainage installation and facility construction.
The PCs also plan to launch the $20 million Rural Ontario Development Program to support economic growth, workforce capacity and business development in rural parts of the province.
Ontario New Democratic Party
Opposition and Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles sees her party as the one that can get Ontario back on track after “a government that has lost track of things that matter most.”
Here’s what the party is promising for farmers and rural Ontarians.
First is a universal School Food Program to support kids.
“We will support local farms by using fresh food prepared and grown right here in Ontario,” the party’s platform says.
The Ontario NDP is committed to protecting the Greenbelt and the province’s farmland.
The party will do this “by focusing growth sustainably and cost-effectively within the pre-2022 urban boundaries, keeping infrastructure costs down in the process.”
In terms of the Risk Management Program, an Ontario NDP government would completely remove the cap.
This move would ensure “the government has the tools it needs to protect Ontario farmers and the jobs they support,” the party document says. “We will address the threat of Trump tariffs on agricultural products like pork, beef, grain products and fresh vegetables by strengthening local supply chains.”
The government would also direct any Crown entities to adopt a Buy Ontario procurement policy.
In terms of rural Ontario, one of the NDP’s promises is to reduce energy costs.
This would be done through “on-bill rate relief for lower-income households that hear with gas, oil or other fuels – to bridge them to conversion to more affordable electric heating.”
The program would operate like the Ontario Electricity Support Program.
Rural Ontario is also part of the NDP’s plan to support the province’s healthcare sector.
A priority project for the party is to re-open Minden Hospital which closed in June 2023, and to preserve rural emergency departments.
Rural communities factor into the NDP’s plans for transportation funding too to ensure enough school buses are available for students.
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party under Bonnie Crombie’s leadership is focused on “getting the basics right,” which is also the title of the party’s platform.
For the ag sector, the party promises to “protect prime farmland, including the Greenbelt and champion a sustainable agri-food sector to support farmers and rural communities.”
Rural Ontario is included in the party’s commitments to ensuring everyone has access to a family doctor.
An elected Liberal government in Ontario would “incentivize doctors to serve in rural and northern communities and mentor the next generation to prevent future shortages,” the platform says.
Green Party of Ontario
The Green Party describes its platform under Mike Schreiner as a plan for fairness.
The party promises to protect farmland while creating connected neighbourhoods.
This includes freezing urban boundaries and reinstating the provincial brownfield remediation fund.
Another initiative aimed at protecting farmland from the Green Party is to prohibit any 400 series highways in the Greenbelt. Schreiner’s party promises to cancel the 413 and the Bradford Bypass.
The party would also expand the Greenbelt to include a Bluebelt of protected waterways.
The Greens promise to remove red tape to make it easier for farmers and businesses to connect renewable energy to the grid.
To support the larger ag sector, the Greens commit to developing a Buy Ontario strategy and implement public procurement rules that support Ontario farmers.
The Green Party has a whole portion of its platform dedicated to supporting local food and farming.
The commitments in that section include creating an Ontario Foodbelt to permanently protect prime farmland from non-agricultural uses, increasing provincial funding in AgTech, introduce a program to pay farmers for environmental goods and services, and supporting supply management in trade negotiations.
The Greens are committed to supporting rural communities in general too.
If elected, the party would establish a “clean, affordable, accessible intercity electric bus service to connect communities across the province, ensuring connections in small, rural communities…,” the platform says.
A separate part of the party’s promises is to tackle healthcare shortage in rural communities.
The party would do this, in part, by increasing funding for hospitals in rural locations, and create a framework to help deploy providers to rural areas.
In terms of mental health support, the party would ensure virtual care options are available in rural and remote regions.
To support seniors, the Greens promise to “create more Indigenous-led, rural and remote long-term care homes in their communities, and allocate a portion of the new beds to these homes,” the platform says.
For education, an updated funding formula would take into account the unique needs of remote and rural schools.
And for post-secondary institutions, the Greens promise to “modernise funding models for colleges to incentivise part-time enrolment so that more students can learn and upskill our workforce and continue the expanded funding for the Small, Northern and Rural Grant.”
Election day in Ontario is Feb. 27.
Riding information and voting locations are available at Elections Ontario.