Canadian Federation of Independent Business is hosting a town hall meeting in Clive on Feb. 12 to hear from farmers and agri-businesses in advance of the provincial and federal elections.
“One of our major tasks moving forward is getting commitments from the parties as to what they will do to better support our farm families, our agri-businesses and producers overall,” said Richard Truscott, vice president for Alberta and British Columbia with the federation.
In Alberta, the small business community wants to know what the future holds under a re-elected NDP government compared to a new UCP government, he said.
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“(Farmers and producers) are always quite nervous when governments change. The policies often seem to be driven by voters living in cities who are not always connected to the life of farm work. This is a very important year for the agricultural community in Alberta with the provincial election this spring and the federal election this fall.”
He said after votes are cast, the federation will be keen to meet with government ministers, including agriculture and labour.
“We want to work with the government to make sure whatever regulations or rules they’re creating for business actually makes sense in the farming environment. Red tape is always a big issue on the farm.”
Truscott said the Feb. 12 meeting, at 7 p.m. at Roosters Roadhouse, 4927 50th Ave, is an opportunity to engage with the farm community about their concerns.
The federation has over 110,000 members across Canada, including 7,200 in the agriculture sector.
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
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