For Immediate Release
October 4, 2005

FARMERS HAVE SIXTY DAYS TO TELL LIBERALS WHY LIQUID STRYCHNINE IS ESSENTIAL: BENOIT

OTTAWA – Farmers finally have an opportunity to tell the Liberal government how desperately they need the 2% liquid strychnine solution to control the gopher population. Having originally banned the solution in 1993, as a result of pressure from the Conservative Party and farmers across Canada, the government has now initiated a 60-day study into whether they did the right thing ten years ago.
It is essential that everyone who has lost crops and livestock, and suffered equipment and property damage, submit their brief to the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) prior to November 24th.

“The most effective course of action right now, is for farmers and those with concerns about the gopher population and the inability to use an effective level of liquid strychnine to send their submissions to the Agency along with a copy to me," said Benoit.

“As the MP for a largely rural area, I am aware that farmers continue to face serious problems controlling the Richardson Ground Squirrel (gopher) and the pocket gopher, due to the Liberal ban,” explained Benoit. “I have talked to farmers in my riding who are having acres of crops completely destroyed because the tools to control this problem have been removed. As a result, I've brought the issue to the House of Commons four times now."

“My current motion is up for the second hour of debate at first reading on November 4th, and I hope that the other federal parties will recognize its importance and will vote in support of, at the very least, sending it to Committee for further discussion and hearings,” concluded Benoit. “The Conservative Party’s commitment to Canadian farmers remains strong, and we will continue to do everything we can to fix this problem."

Farmers and those with concerns about the gopher population are encouraged to send their submissions to the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) along with a copy to the Office of Leon Benoit by Novemeber 24, 2005.

Publications - Pest Management Regulatory Agency
2720 Riverside Drive
A.L. 6606D2 K1A 0K9, Ottawa, Ontario

Leon Benoit, MP
613 Justice Building
House of Commons
K1A 0A6, Ottawa, ON

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