The party pledges to pay farmers to protect water

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

If the Green Party of Ontario forms the next government in June, it will pay farmers to protect water and store carbon.

That’s among the promises the party makes to farmers in its official party platform.

Ontario loses 365 acres of farmland per day, the party says. If elected, it would introduce legislation to expand the Greenbelt and protect source water regions.

The Green Party would invest $200 million over four years to pay farmers for resource protection.

The party plans to raise water-taking fees to pay for this investment, its mandate says.

The Green party also promises to help businesses adapt to a workforce earning a $15 minimum wage.

A Green government would “lower payroll taxes on local businesses and non-profits by increasing the exemption level for the Employer Health Tax (EHT) from $450,000 to $1 million in payroll for businesses and organizations with payrolls under $5 million,” the platform says.

The party would reverse the “Liberal’s corporate tax cut for big businesses by 1 per cent” to help lower payroll taxes, it adds.

Other notable Green Party ideas include investing $4.1 billion over four years to make mental health services part of OHIP+ and canceling the Fair Hydro Plan.

The party promises to redirect money from the hydro plan to fund a basic income project and push for energy solutions that meet provincial greenhouse gas targets.

You can learn more about the Liberal promises for Ontario producers here and the NDP plans here.

Farms.com will share information on rural and agricultural issues in the PC party platform once available.