Delta South MLA Vicki Huntington says the provincial budget released this week is a moderate change of direction that corrects two important and long-standing policy oversights affecting agriculture.
"Carbon tax relief for farmers and a return in funding to the Agricultural Land Commission are two announcements today that will be warmly welcomed by the agricultural community in Delta South," the independent MLA said Tuesday.
In his speech this week, Finance Minister Mike de Jong admitted carbon dioxide was "essential for plant growth" and announced a permanent 80 per cent deduction on the carbon tax for the greenhouse industry.
Additionally, coloured gasoline will soon be carbon tax exempt for farmers.
In 2011, Huntington arranged a meeting in Ladner between green-house growers and provincial officials to review the carbon tax, saying it was a "competitive disadvantage" to the highly-competitive farming industry.
"A fix to the carbon tax, coupled with funding to the ALC, rights two policy wrongs for the agricultural sector," she said.
Huntington also said this week's budget reverses years of cuts to the Agricultural Land Commission with a near$1 million funding boost - raising total funding by one-third to 2002 levels.
"While inflation means the ALC is still less equipped than it once was, $1 million is nothing to sneeze at. The commission is standing on a more solid foundation to effectively protect and promote our valuable farmland," she says. "Under this government, the ALC only had two enforcement officers responsible for protecting the ALR against illegal use in the entire province."
