Though it may seem unlikely that Ontario’s Green Party would form the next government should a snap election occur, its leader says that if he ever did become premier, he’d have a soft spot for agriculture.
Mike Schreiner, who grew up on a farm in Kansas, told the Rural Ontario Municipalities Association (ROMA) this week at its annual conference in Toronto that his party would establish a provincial “food belt by permanently protecting prime farmland.” The Green Party says it would also create “local food hubs” aimed at supporting farmers and supply chains, as well as a program that would pay farmers for products that are good for the environment.
Schreiner, who represents the Guelph riding just west of Toronto, is currently one of two Green members in the legislature.
Premier Doug Ford’s Conservatives don’t have to face the voters until 2026, but there have been consistent rumours of late that Ford will pull the plug early and call an election sometime this year.
At the ROMA conference, Schreiner, 55, called for the establishment of a $2-billlion fund to help rural municipalities cope with climate change, as well as “funding transfers” to help Northern communities maintain roads and bridges.
In a news release following his address to the conference, Schreiner said “health care and housing are out of reach for many rural residents.”
If the Green Party became the next government, Schreiner says, it would build 250,000 “affordable” homes and recruit 3,500 doctors to the province over the “next three to five years.”
The news release doesn’t provide details about how the party’s proposals would be financed.
The Green Party has fielded candidates in Northwestern Ontario provincial ridings in previous elections, but has yet to garner significant votes in the region. Earlier this month, Carolyn Spicer was chosen to represent the Green Party in Kiiwetinoong, a riding currently held by NDP MP Sol Mamakwa.
A party spokeswoman said on Wednesday it has yet to announce candidates in Thunder Bay-Atikokan and Thunder Bay-Superior North. The ridings are currently held respectively by Conservative MPP Kevin Holland and NDP MPP Lise Vaugeois.
