John Tory's promises and TILMA

I wonder if Tory really understands the implications of TILMA. As Weir mentions his privileging Ontario produce is a violation of TILMA.


The Ontario Election and TILMA
Posted by Erin Weir under TILMA, budgets, farming.
September 19th, 2007


A clear contradiction has emerged in John Tory’s election promises. It reflects an existing tension in the McGuinty government’s position.
As noted previously on this blog, the Conservative Party’s election platform proposes that Ontario join TILMA. As reported in today’s Globe and Mail, Tory has pledged to require that provincially-funded institutions buy their food and beverages from Ontario producers. Such a policy would definitely violate TILMA, which explicitly bans preferential provincial procurement policies.
While the Liberal platform appears to be silent on TILMA, the last provincial budget committed to “exploring the merits of joining the Alberta-British Columbia Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA).” This agreement would contradict the spirit, if not the letter, of the province’s Pick Ontario Freshness campaign