By CPMA & CHC:
It’s now been three weeks since the Canadian federal election. Of the 330 MPs elected on October 19th, 214 did not serve in the last Parliament and 197 MPs have never been elected to Parliament. This high number of new faces means a lot to learn for many MPs and an excellent opportunity for our industry to showcase our importance to the Canadian economy and our local communities. The Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) and the Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC) will be hard at work in the days and months ahead to introduce ourselves to these MPs and educate them on the importance of the produce industry in Canada and the key issues we face. But to do this effectively, we need your help.
Members are strongly encouraged to reach out to their MP, new or returning, to congratulate them on their recent election and let them know about important issues facing our industry, including payment protection for produce sellers, access to labour and policies to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables. Additionally, members are encouraged to extend an open invitation to them to tour your facilities and learn about the contribution your operation makes to the local community.
To help you reach out, we have prepared template letters that you can use (please see the list below); however, feel free to personalize them and tell your story. To take into account commitments made to the industry during the election campaign, different letters have been prepared for each of the main political parties. Please note some fields highlighted in yellow should be customized to you and your operations. Also, if you would prefer to send a congratulatory letter without an invitation to your premises, please remember to re-word the last paragraph. Letters can be sent by email or regular mail, however you prefer:
- Template Letter for a Liberal MP »
- Template Letter for a Conservative MP »
- Template Letter for an NDP MP »
To find your MP, search by name or postal code here. Please note that as new MPs are still getting set up, some information, such as the addresses of constituency offices, may not be available at this time. However, email addresses should be available for all and letters can be mailed to Ottawa free of charge.
Last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed his cabinet. Appointed to the post of Agriculture and Agri-Food was the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay. Mr. MacAulay has been the MP for Cardigan in Prince Edward Island since 1988. Prior to his election, he was a seed potato and dairy farmer. The Honourable Jane Philpott, the new MP for Markham-Stouffville in Ontario, was appointed Health Minister and Minister responsible for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Dr. Philpott is a family physician and was the Chief of the Department of Family Medicine at the Markham Stouffville Hospital.
Should you need any assistance in contacting your MP, please don’t hesitate to contact either:
Latitia Scarr
Manager, Government Relations and Issue
Management at CPMA
[email protected]
613-226-4187 x227
Trevor Eggleton
Manager, Communications at CHC
[email protected]
613-226-4880 x218
