Rural Focus For Liberal Leader Hopefuls

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Published: December 2, 2012 02:29 pm EST

As the race to replace Dalton McGuinty as the leader of Ontario's Liberal Party heats up, two of the candidates have come forward and touched on the need to re-engage with an alienated rural population.

On Friday, Dr. Eric Hoskins released his rural platform in his hometown of Simcoe, Ont. The plan emphasizes the need for the Ontario Liberal Party to re-connect with and listen to rural Ontarians to regain their trust and provide rural communities with greater economic opportunity.

“For Ontario to be successful, we need a strong rural voice, strong rural communities, and a strong rural economy,” Hoskins said. “My plan is about respecting rural Ontarians, and ensuring that they share in Ontario’s economic growth.”

The plan, called Respect for Rural Ontario, features 25 initiatives to support rural Ontario, including a review of the horse racing industry:

"6. A vibrant horse breeding and horse racing sector is important to the economic and social fabric of Ontario. In the first sixty days, I will undertake a review of the sector, building on insights gained from the Horse Racing Industry Transition Report, to ensure that the sector is an integral part of the provincial gaming strategy, and I will develop a long-term sustainable solution - a workable plan - that establishes the government’s partnership with the sector."

On Saturday in Ingersoll, Ont., the leadership candidates held their first all-candidates meeting. Kathleen Wynne made the surprise announcement of stating that if she won the leadership she'd appoint herself as agriculture minister.

"This is such an important issue for us as a province, not just as a party, not just as a government, that I think the premier needs to take this on," stated Wynne. "So as premier I would appoint myself as minister of agricultural and rural affairs for at least a year."

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