Photo by Curtis Galbraith.

By Curtis Galbraith

Agriculture

UCP, NDP talking farming on the campaign trail

May 17, 2023 | 4:41 PM

The UCP and NDP talked about farming during the provincial election campaign on Wednesday.

The New Democrats issued a news release saying that the party’s promise to cut small business taxes will make it more affordable to run a family farm.

The party says farms and businesses could save $10,000 a year with the cut.

“We aren’t just cutting the small business tax – we’re eliminating it. Instead of handouts for big corporations, we’re helping the little guy, the family farm, the heart of our rural communities,” says Edmonton-Manning and Agriculture & Rural Economic Development Critic Heather Sweet in a release.

The NDP also promised to spend $65 million over three years on grants for farms and other businesses that would reduce electricity and heating costs. This would be in addition to a cap on utility costs up to 600 kilowatt hours per month.

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The UCP countered by saying the NDP is offering nothing but the same failed policies.

Morinville-St. Albert UCP candidate Dale McNally says the NDP has also promised to bring back Bill 6, something that he says has been scrapped by the UCP government and would stay that way if the party is re-elected.

“In 2019, the UCP scrapped Bill 6, replacing it with the Farm Freedom and Safety Act, which gave farmers and ranchers the right to choose the insurance that works best for them and created flexibility in employment standards to reflect their unique labour needs,” says McNally in a statement released by his party.

Bill 6 was brought in when the NDP formed the government in Alberta. It had required mandatory coverage for farm workers under the Workers Compensation Board and led to concerns kids would not be allowed to work on family farms. The legislation was later changed.