Article content

The Leader of the Libertarian Party of Canada warned Wednesday of civil disobedience if the Liberals are returned to power in the April 28 election.

Jacques Boudreau, Libertarian party leader since 2021 and a resident of the Petrolia area, was speaking at a Sarnia-Lambton-Bkejwanong all-candidates meeting the Lambton Federation of Agriculture at the fairgrounds in Wyoming.

Recommended Videos

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.

Libertarian leader warns of civil disobedience if Liberals re-elected Back to video

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.

Play Video

“I’m fearful to say that if the Liberals are re-elected, we may have no choice but to consider civil disobedience to protect our rights,” Boudreau said in his closing statement at meeting where questions focused on agriculture.

Farming is already “a tough game” because of volatile prices and unpredictable weather, “yet our government piles on with excessive taxation” and “endless red tape,” he said.

“If they win again, we must resist, peacefully but firmly because freedom demands it,” Boudreau said. “If we don’t act, civil disobedience might be our last stand against a government that has forgotten who keeps this country running.”

Boos could be heard as Boudreau finished speaking.

All seven candidates registered to run in the new riding attended the meeting where a question about support for Canada’s supply management system for milk, chicken, turkey and eggs highlighted disagreements among some parties.

“Supply management is something that provides Canadians with quality milk, chicken, eggs and turkey,” said Conservative candidate Marilyn Gladu, who was MP when the election was called. “The Conservative Party has always supported supply management.”

“I receive zero calls at my office about the quality or the price of these things” and supply management has prevented situations like egg shortages and price spikes experienced in the U.S., she said.

“I’m in full agreement too with supply management,” said Liberal candidate George Vandenberg. “We get fresh eggs. We get fresh milk. Everything’s on the table at a very decent price so I’m very much in favour of it.”

Lo-Anne Chan, candidate for the NDP, said, “The New Democrats will protect supply management for farmers and consumers in all trade negotiations.

“Supply management is a good thing because it guarantees that the consumer gets a great quality product at a constant supply and at a stable price.”

Supply management is “a big issue for the Peoples Party (of Canada),” said Brian Everaert, its candidate in the riding that includes Sarnia, as well as a large rural population.

“Supply management is a government-imposed cartel that keeps the prices of dairy, poultry and eggs artificially high through the control of production, the banning of imports, price fixing and the prevention of competition in the market,” he said reading from the party’s “purple book” platform document.

Lobby groups involved in the issue use “big money” to “push the politicians around,” Everaert said.

“I’m not an expert on supply management,” said Mark Lamore, candidate for the Christian Heritage Party. “I can tell you this. I’m a big believer in the free market.”

“You want it to be fair,” he said. “Let the best survive.”

“We don’t support supply management at all,” Boudreau said.

Anthony Mitchell, running for the Rhinoceros Party, said Canadian farmers aren’t subsidized to the same extent as U.S. farmers, but he has a solution.

“Every farm that I’ve ever seen and been on, has one piece of broken-down equipment,” he said.

“If elected, I will designate any farmer who has a piece of broken-down equipment that is leaking oil” as “oil producers and they will be able to qualify for the billions of dollars of subsidies that government gives to the fossil fuel industry.”

pmorden@postmedia.com

MORE PHOTOS