Liberal Leader Jean Charest promised to support farmers and promote their products on Saturday, while backing away from an earlier party pledge to introduce mandatory labelling for genetically modified organisms.
Charest unveiled his party's agricultural platform during a campaign stop in St-Hyacinthe, in the province's farming heartland.
Liberal Leader Jean Charest unveiled his party's agricultural platform during a campaign stop in St-Hyacinthe.
(CBC)
A Liberal government would stand by Quebecers "passionate about agriculture" and encourage innovation in the sector, Charest said.
If elected in the March 26 provincial election, the Liberals would also promote Quebec agricultural products in all markets, he promised.
Charest softened the party's stance on mandatory labelling for genetically modified organisms (GMOs), explaining that his government's efforts on the issue were resisted in other parts of Canada and questioned by some Quebec agricultural companies.
The Liberal party promised in the 2003 election to introduce mandatory labels for GMOs.
Charest also pledged to defend Quebec's supply management system for milk, egg and chicken production.
ADQ questions commitment to farmers
On Saturday, Action Démocratique du Québec Leader Mario Dumont challenged the Liberal government's commitment to farmers.
Dumont, who was making a campaign stop at a dairy farm in Lotbinière, accused Charest of jeopardizing agricultural workers on Montreal's south shore by deciding to extend Highway 30, which will eat into 600 hectares of surrounding land.
He also accused the Liberal government of neglecting agriculture in its last mandate by appointing Françoise Gauthier to the portfolio — whom the ADQ leader called a "weak" cabinet minister.
He said the Liberals' new platform doesn't have a lot of substance on farming issues, while promising that his party would unveil more specifics on its own agriculture policy later in the campaign.
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Internal Links
| Party | Elected | Leading | Total | Vote Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LIB | 48 | 0 | 48 | 33.08% |
| ADQ | 41 | 0 | 41 | 30.80% |
| PQ | 36 | 0 | 36 | 28.32% |
| QS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.65% |
| GRN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.89% |
| OTH | 0 | 0 | 0 | .26% |
| Last Update:March 27, 12:52:21 AM EDT | ||||
Quebec Votes 2007 Headlines »
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