Tory pushes plan to 'Buy Ontario' produce

Eduardo Sousa
The Toronto Star
September 27, 2007

During the election campaign, Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory has stated that public institutions like schools, hospitals and government-run cafeterias should be compelled to buy produce from Ontario farmers. He made the same announcement back in June.

Yet I would have thought that in the intervening months, he would have given a sobering second thought to his position on supporting the Trade Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement. TILMA is an interprovincial free-trade and investment agreement that guarantees investor rights across provinces. Under TILMA, government cannot discriminate against producers outside of Ontario by giving preference to Ontario producers, as Tory wants to do.

So what is it to be: "Buy Ontario" or buy into TILMA? Tory can't have it both ways.

Eduardo Sousa, Council of Canadians, Toronto