I was pleasantly surprised yesterday when I looked at the Manitoba Speech From The Throne and found no threats of action against the hog industry.
Perhaps, methought, the provincial government is going to back away from what has seemed to most in the agricultural industry to be a very antagonistic approach and one that hasn’t made any economic, environmental or scientific sense. With the election behind us, and the need to play politics past, perhaps the government would get back to running the province in a more sensible and pragmatic manner.
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Then I realized I was reading the 2010 Speech From The Throne, by accident. The 2011 speech was not as neutral.
The 2011 Speech From The Throne was as vague, as all throne speeches are, but what was notable was that the premier once more singled out the hog industry for notice and blame. Here’s what the speech said:
“Our natural heritage is also essential to the quality of life in this province. Our government will follow through on the unanimous vote of this house to protect our water, including expanding the moratorium on unsustainable hog industry practices.”
So that leaves the ball still bouncing towards the regulatory process, with the regulations not having been written yet, but hog farmers still in the crosshairs.
