Hardeman and Wynne faceoff on rural funding after it’s earmarked for GTA bakeries

Heather Rivers — Woodstock Sentinel-Review — September 17,  2013

If it’s supposed to be rural funding why has it ended up in the GTA?

That’s the question Oxford MPP and agriculture critic Ernie Hardeman said he asked Premier Kathleen Wynne, who is also Minister of Agriculture and Food, during question period Monday.

Hardeman said he wants to know why she earmarked funds from the Rural Economic Development (RED) Program to four bakery businesses operating as a consortium located in Toronto, Markham and Woodbridge.

“My first question was how she justifies spending this money earmarked for rural Ontario in downtown Toronto,” Hardeman said Tuesday.

He said Wynne seemed to not understand the fund was “to give a leg-up to develop smaller town’s economies.”

The funds, officially announced by Wynne on September 13, will be used to help create…