Eastern Townships in Québec: a forgotten land by Ottawa?
(Sherbrooke) December 19, 2016 — The Green Party of Canada’s establishment of an Electoral District Association (EDA) in the riding of Compton-Stanstead is a reminder to the federal government that the Québec’s Eastern Townships will not be left behind.
Jean Rousseau, GPC agriculture-forestry critic and new CEO of the Compton-Stanstead EDA, says the defence of farmers is one of his priorities: “No one talks about the living conditions of our farmers. Half of them suffer from a high level of psychological distress and must fight each day to generate a meager profit from their land.”
Rousseau, who is also the French Vice-President of the Green Party, adds: “Today, a farmer is much more than a farmer. He is also a manager, a businessman, a mechanic and an accountant.”
For Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party, "the Eastern Townships are Quebec’s agricultural base. And it is not by signing free trade agreements like CETA or TPP that the government will improve the situation of our farmers.”
May adds: "Concerning CETA, many of Québec’s excellent cheese producers will hurt by this trade deal. The Green Party opposes all free trade agreements that destroy our local agriculture. "
Daniel Green, GPC Deputy leader, said on the issue of past asbestos production in the Eastern Townships: “While we applaud the federal government’s announcement of a ban on production and imports of asbestos in Canada, we also urge the federal government to help Quebec get rid of the mountains of asbestos tailings that pose a health risk to the populations of Asbestos and Thetford Mines.”
Mr. Rousseau added: “The Green Party of Canada is united and determined to put pressure on the Trudeau administration to reform the electoral system by choosing a proportional system so that Green Party MPs can one day defend the interests of Québec’s Eastern Townships in the House of Commons in 2019.”
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Dan Palmer
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