Ontario Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty tries his hand a plowing during a campaign stop at the International Plowing Match in Chute-a-Blondeau, Ont., Tuesday September 20, 2011.THE CANADIAN PRESS / Adrian Wyld
Such is the clout of rural Ontario in this provincial election campaign that opening day of the International Plowing Match meant all four provincial leaders spent much of the day together in a hayfield, plowing a furrow on a tractor, making speeches and shaking the hands of farmers.
For Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty this is his 15th IPM – and perhaps most important given this is an election year. His plowing has clearly improved over the years but will his rural vote?
With the race so close and after eight years of government, he and his party need to hold on to their rural seats if they want to hold on to government.
Seats in southwestern Ontario and in eastern Ontario that were won in 2003 from the Mike Harris and Ernie Eves Tories are ones that the Liberals want to keep.
Even in the riding of Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, where the plowing match is being held this year, Jean-Marc Lalonde, the Liberal MPP, is retiring after 16 years in the provincial legislature. Although, he was elected by a huge margin, there is always vulnerability when an incumbent steps down.
Jim Brownell, the Liberal MPP, in the neighbouring and long-time Liberal riding of Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry, has also decided not to run again. He was first elected in 2003.
The McGuinty Liberals had 72 seats in the 107-seat legislature when the writ was dropped.
Against this background, Mr. McGuinty talked about his rural platform Tuesday – promoting the permanent Risk Management Program, which his government had only announced in its March budget.
It's being billed as an insurance policy for farmers – and Mr. McGuinty called it the "biggest commitment to our farmers in 25 years."
He was introduced at the event by his Minister of Agriculture Carol Mitchell, who has been aggressively touring rural ridings since the budget, selling the program.
Tim Hudak, the Progressive Conservative leader, is also calling for a business risk management program based on cost of production.
He argues that McGuinty tax increases and "expensive energy experiments" have increased farmers' cost of production. The PCs will also implement a Buy Ontario food policy at provincial institutions, such as schools and hospitals, according to their election platform.
He has accused Mr. McGuinty of changing his mind on a risk management program at "the 11th hour to try and save Liberal seats."
And NDP leader Andrea Horwath is promoting a program aimed at making it easier for young people to stay or get into farming, including a training tax credit for rural employers to help them invest in Ontario agricultural workers. She spoke about the fact that the province imports $4-billion more in food than it exports.
The plowing match attracts about 90,000 people over five days. About 15,000 were expected Tuesday but given the blustery weather, the crowd was small when the politicians spoke at the opening.
It's a unique event as all four leaders – Green Party leader Mike Schreiner was also there – were altogether. The four also participated in a plowing competition – although there was no winner or loser, just a really good photo-op.
Mr. McGuinty had joked that his competitors could not plow straight – Mr. Hudak, he said, would turn hard to the right and Ms. Horwath's tractor would go stubbornly left.
He, however, would plow right down the centre.