The Ginseng Marketing Group of Ontario plans to set up a marketing agency with nine full-time staff and 30 seasonal staff working out of the former tobacco warehouse in Delhi.

Spokesperson Gordon Malo said the growers applied to the federal government’s price pooling program in March. But the proposal has been stuck for months, waiting for the approval of federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz.

“We are at the final piece of red tape, the minister’s signature, and we need Finley to make a phone call on our behalf because the economic significance for our area is tremendous,” said Malo.

Malo said Finley has not responded to repeated requests for a meeting or even a phone call to the ginseng growers.

“We get no answer . . . Week after week goes by and it gets very frustrating,” Malo said.

The federal price-pooling program would include a provision for price guarantees for the crop. Malo said the proposal from the farmers has been endorsed by Agriculture Canada at the department level but needs ministerial approval.

Ginseng has emerged as one of the leading alternative crops in Norfolk and Elgin counties after the virtual collapse of the tobacco industry.

There are about 200 ginseng growers in Ontario, compared to only 118 tobacco farmers who now grow the crop on contract after their quota system was scrapped this year.

In contrast to tobacco, ginseng is prized for its reputed health benefits, especially in Asian countries.

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SIMCOE — Bob Speller, federal Liberal candidate for Haldimand-Norfolk, says the husband of local MP Diane Finley is set to make $130,000 a year for life courtesy of the Harper government.

“Haldimand-Norfolk’s farmers and steelworkers are struggling but Ms Finley’s husband is getting cash for life,” Speller said.

“Diane Finley’s husband has won the lottery and we are all going to pay for it.” he said.

With his appointment to the Senate, Ms Finley’s husband Doug Finley will make $130,000 a year until age 75. Even though Stephen Harper says he wants them to resign in eight years there is no law or guarantee that they will.

Stephen Harper is now officially the Senate patronage king. Harper used to say he would never appoint his friends to the Senate but as Prime Minister, Harper brazenly stacked the Senate with 18 appointments just before Christmas. Now he is poised to do it again just before Labour Day.

He has now tied Conservative Robert Borden as the only Prime Minister in Canadian history to make 26 Senate appointments in a single year.

Diane Finley’s and the Conservative Party’s web site said during the 2006 election that “A conservative government will not appoint to the Senate anyone who does not have a mandate for the people”. Just another one of the numerous broken promises from this Member of Parliament Speller said.

“The difference between the Harper gang and hogs at the trough is that hogs will stop feeding when the trough is empty. The trough will never empty for the Harper gang and we will all pay for it.”

Harper hypocrisy exposed:

“In the 21st century, those who want to sit in the parliament of a democratic state should have a mandate from the people.”

— Stephen Harper, February 7, 2006)

“As everyone in this room knows, it has become a right of passage for aspiring leaders and prime ministers to promise Senate reform – on their way to the top. .But once they are elected, Senate reform quickly falls to the bottom of the Government’s agenda. Nothing ever gets done.”

— Stephen Harper, Speech on Senate Reform before Senate Committee, September 7, 2006

“I don’t plan to appoint senators; that’s not my intention.”

— Stephen Harper, Standard-Freeholder, January 14, 2006

“Stephen Harper will cease patronage appointments to the Senate. Only candidates elected by the people will be named to the Upper House.”

— Stephen Harper Leadership Website, www.oneconservativevoice.ca, January 15, 2004

“I challenge Mr. Martin, once he becomes Prime Minister, to turn a page on the past, and appoint only elected Senators to the Upper House.”

— Stephen Harper, Canadian Alliance Press Release, July 4, 2003

“Canadians from Newfoundland and Labrador to British Columbia remain ashamed of Canada`s senior legislative body. They are ashamed the Prime Minister continues the disgraceful, undemocratic appointment of undemocratic Liberals to the undemocratic Senate to pass all too often undemocratic legislation.”

— Stephen Harper, Hansard, March 7, 1996

“We don’t support any Senate appointments.”

(— Stephen Harper, Winnipeg Free Press, January 29, 1996

NANTICOKE — Bob Speller, federal Liberal candidate for Haldimand-Norfolk, says local MP Diane Finley has failed locked-out US Steel workers with an empty offer of assistance.

“Ms Finley has failed US Steel workers by offering help and delivering nothing,” said Speller. “Broken promises do not put food on the table.”

Finley recently promised US Steel workers she would help them get unemployment benefits when, as federal Human Development Minister, she knew, or should have known, that because they are locked out they are more than likely not eligible.

“Ms Finley appears to not know her own department,” said Speller. “The situation would be laughable if our workers and their families were not suffering. My question to Ms Finley now is, what exactly are you prepared to deliver?”

Finley recently said she is “disappointed” by the lockout by US Steel and pointed to it as one of the reasons the federal government is taking the company to court.

“US Steel workers are also disappointed — by Ms Finley and the Harper government,” said Speller.

“Ms Finley and the Harper government created this mess when they allowed the sale of the company to US Steel in a deal so weak that we need to appeal to the courts to enforce its provisions.”

Federal Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff met with local US Steel workers in June to learn about the situation first hand.

“Michael Ignatieff and I are committed to doing everything necessary to clean up the mess created by Diane Finley and the Harper government,” Speller said.

WATERFORD – Bob Speller, Haldimand-Norfolk Liberal Candidate, met Ontario’s aboriginal affairs minister Thursday, pressing him on the on-going issues at Caledonia, including smoke shacks, the illegal tobacco trade, the clean-up of the Douglas Creek site, and law and order.  Minister Duguid was in the area meeting local representatives including Haldimand County Council on the issue.

“It is encouraging that Brad Duguid, the Ontario minister, is willing to listen,” said Speller. “It is discouraging that Diane Finley, the current MP for our area, and Chuck Strahl, the Indian Affairs Minister, continue to be fully disengaged on these issues.”

Speller accompanied by residents from Caledonia and across Haldimand-Norfolk, met Minister Duguid for two hours in Waterford’s historic town hall.

While Duguid is clearly working on the Caledonia issues, Finley and Strahl’s avoidance of the issue is increasingly becoming a barrier to achieving any solutions, Speller said.
“Finley and Strahl are disengaged, disinterested, and missing in action,” Speller said.

The problems associated with Caledonia will never be solved as long as Finley gets away with failing to deal with them, Speller said.

Speller noted that Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff met Caledonia residents and Six Nations leadership as recently as June and firmly committed to solving the issues. In contrast, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has maintained his silence on the issue.

“The truth is that Ms Finley and Mr. Strahl are taking their cues from their boss. Their collective approach is to avoid it, to duck it, and to cut and run. It is an approach that unacceptable.”

“I am fighting for the jobs and prosperity that the people of Haldimand-Norfolk want and deserve,” Speller said.

Speller, 53, is no stranger to local people. He was born in Hagersville and has lived his entire life in Haldimand-Norfolk. He was first elected as a member of parliament in 1988 and was re-elected in 1993, 1997, and 2000. In 2003 he was named Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food.

“People ask me why I am running after already being a Member of Parliament and Minister of Agriculture. It’s because I just can’t sit idly by as our farmers and our families, our steel workers and industries, and our people and our communities are neglected by the Harper government,” said Speller.

“I have a proven record as someone who works hard, gets results, and will never let you down. I am running again to fight for the prosperity our people want and deserve.”

Speller said the Harper government has put Canada into a $50-billion deficit yet Haldimand-Norfolk is not seeing the promised infrastructure spending and jobs that would assist our community.

“In Haldimand-Norfolk we have one of the highest unemployment rates in the country while the Harper government has created the country’s highest deficit in history,” said Speller. “We have the highest deficit and in Haldimand-Norfolk we have the least to show for it.”

Speller said our agricultural sector faces serious challenges both in Haldimand-Norfolk and across Canada but the Harper government has failed to act.

“Canada’s agriculture sector is in crisis,” Speller said. “Harper doesn’t understand that ignoring a crisis does not make it go away. It makes it worse.”

Haldimand-Norfolk is also challenged by unresolved land claims which casts a cloud over our entire local economy, Speller said.

“Harper has ignored the land claims issue in our area and as a result it is only getting worse. In contrast, Michael Ignatieff has already turned his attention to seeking a solution by meeting local Caledonia residents and the Six Nations leadership.”

Harper allowed Stelco to be sold to U.S. Steel with a weak agreement that should never have been allowed to happen, Speller said. “Harper sold our steel industry and all of us down the river and now our good-paying jobs have gone south.”

In contrast to Harper, Michael Ignatieff understands that Canada can only be prosperous if our rural communities are prosperous, Speller said.

“You can count on me to use my experience as federal minister of agriculture to drive forward our party’s vision of putting the concerns of rural communities front and centre where they belong.”

Bob Speller is the Liberal candidate for Haldimand-Norfolk in the next federal election.

“I want to do everything I can for the people of Haldimand-Norfolk to secure the prosperity they want and deserve,” said Speller. “I am running because we are falling behind under the Stephen Harper government and I believe enough is enough.”

Speller made the announcement June 21 at a town hall meeting in Renton featuring Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff.

“Michael Ignatieff understands that Canada can only be prosperous if our rural communities are prosperous,” said Speller.

“That’s why Michael Ignatieff’s first trip following the recess of Parliament was to Haldimand-Norfolk to listen to our concerns.”

Speller, 53, was born in Hagersville has lived his entire life in Haldimand-Norfolk. He was first elected as a member of parliament in 1988 and was re-elected in 1993, 1997, and 2000. In 2003 he was named Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food.

“My experience as federal minister of agriculture will be a real asset as I work with Michael Ignatieff to realize his vision of putting the concerns of rural communities front and centre where they belong.”