WALKERTON, Ont. – It was no surprise last week that Liberal leader Stéphane Dion used this small rural community northwest of Toronto to promise a funding boost for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
In 2000, seven people died and more than 1,200 became ill after drinking manure-contaminated water. 
An inquiry laid part of the blame on reduced government inspections because of cuts by the Conservative government of Mike Harris, three of whose cabinet ministers now are key ministers in the federal Conservative cabinet.
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Dion suggested there is a link between the listeriosis outbreak that has killed 15 people who ate meat from a Maple Leaf plant in Toronto and news that the Conservatives have made changes to food inspection rules that involve more hands-on inspection by company employees, concentrating CFIA efforts on oversight.
“The government cannot cut corners when it comes time to protecting the health and safety of Canadians for the sake of so-called efficiencies,” he told Walkerton students Sept. 10. “There is nothing more at the core of what the government should do than food safety.”
Dion said a Liberal government would spend $50 million to shore up the CFIA budget and hire 100 new inspectors. A review would make sure CFIA has enough inspectors on the ground to ensure food safety.
The Liberals began the election campaign by demanding that agriculture minister Gerry Ritz be fired for his handling of the food safety issue.
Conservative candidates have responded by noting that prime minister Stephen Harper has promised an inquiry into the listeriosis outbreak once the health crisis is over. Terms of reference have been published.
Wellington-Halton Hills Conservative Michael Chong, elected to represent the urban-rural riding north of Guelph in 2006, said some urban voters in his riding raise the issue, but not farmers.
“It is raised by some voters and of course, food safety is in the news but I don’t see it as a negative for us,” he said. “I think the prime minister’s decision to call an inquiry to get to the bottom of the Maple Leaf incident satisfies people that we are taking it seriously.”
Maple Leaf president Michael McCain has said the contamination is the result of company error and not the regulators.
Conservative candidates also argue that the government did increase funding for CFIA by more than $100 million and has hired 200 more inspectors since the Conservatives took office 31 months ago.
“I think we have a good record on this file,” said citizenship and immigration minister Diane Finley, running for re-election in the Haldimand-Norfolk riding southwest of Hamilton.
Conservatives including Ritz have accused the Liberals of raising false consumer fears for political reasons.
Finley’s Liberal opponent Eric Hoskins, like Liberal candidates across the country, also are tying the food safety issue to a 40 percent cut in on-farm food safety funding imposed this fiscal year during the transition to the new five-year Growing Forward framework.
Ottawa approved transition-year funding equal to the average of the past five years. However, because on-farm food safety programs have been growing, 2007-08 spending was much higher than in the first year, 2003-04.
Farm groups say the transition year “average” funding allotment really means a cut.
Hoskins supports his argument with a Sept. 4 letter from Canadian Horticultural Council president Larry Buba to Ritz.
Buba complained that various horticultural sector food safety programs have faced a $9.1 million funding reduction this year.
He said the lower funding creates “grave concern and disappointment” in the industry. “This is a most serious situation indeed and certainly appears to be at odds with the government of Canada’s commitment to food safety and consumer protection.”
Hoskins said it is a Conservative betrayal of promises to improve the food safety system.
“The Canadian government gave $20 million to China to improve its food safety systems but is cutting back in Canada and that is just unacceptable.”
