Conservative MP Absent From a Child Poverty Forum in Southwestern Manitoba.
Are hungry kids a priority for the Harper government? by Larry Powell The forum (for the riding of Dauphin - Swan River - Neepawa) was sponsored by the Mission and Services Committee of the Neepawa United Church. It drew about 80 people to the church on Wednesday. But only four of the five candidates (see below) took part in the debate - Ray Piché (Liberal), Kate Storey (Green Party), Inky Mark (Ind.) and Laverne Lewycky (NDP) . The 5th candidate, the sitting Conservative MP for the area, Robert Sopuck (represented by the empty chair on the right), did not attend. His office manager in Neepawa, Christine Waddell, said he was in Inglis, a small community in the western part of the riding for the evening. She did not elaborate. But she did explain that a campaign worker was mistaken when he told forum organizers earlier that Mr. Sopuck would, in fact be there. Piché , the Liberal candidate, said the MP's absence showed “disrespect” for the rest of the candidates
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has determined that such storages invariably leak. This places a further danger of polluting and compromising our surface and ground water sources. Why is our government so naive to allow such development to continue? This is basically a meat exporting business and Manitobans, the environment and our water sources become the victims of what I call "The Manure Pile of Modern Civilization".
Dickson said, “We are short about one million to 1.5 million finisher pigs in this province in terms of our total processing capacity.”
Lets look at these facts.
Modern meat production, in which thousands of animals are packed into barns or feedlots for concentrated feeding operations, has proven to be efficient and profitable, …..sometimes, but comes with its own set of problems.
From Washington state to North Carolina, federal lawsuits are challenging the livestock industry to change its ways, basing arguments on studies that increasingly show the impact that phosphorous, nitrates and bacteria from fertilizer and accumulated manure have on lakes and rivers, as well as air pollution that can be harmful to respiratory health.
The shutting down of barns , the drastic culling of the sow herd and the killing of piglets was all accomplished by the hog industry itself. Now they want to re-build on Hope.
Even Mr. McCain needs to look in the mirror and take note that his company also played a supreme role in the hog reduction that he himself has previously addressed.
The reported shortage of one million to 1.5 million of finisher pigs could easily have been met if Maple Leaf hadn't downsized their sow herd from 109,000 to 40,000 in 2008. Was this all in a master plan to transfer more risks to the producers themselves?
Factory raised hogs continue to be mistreated, and even found starving for lack of nourishment.
They perish in questionable factory barn fires and die from a ventilation breakdown, and the list goes on. They are a commodity. They suffer the meat and money markets, and high grain prices.
The stewardship of our food animals, water and environment is in dire need of a complete overhaul and re-education.
It is time to to revert back to the basic fundamentals and caring of animals.