The tobacco transition program – hastily conceived, poorly executed, open to abuse

That was the verdict of the auditor-general on the 2008 Ontario Transition Program, set up to end the tobacco quota but clearly with political ends in mind

by BARRY WILSON

It is a political axiom as old as politics itself – public policy created on the fly to meet a political need usually is flawed policy.

The 2008 Ontario Transition Program is the latest exhibit. It was hastily conceived, poorly executed, badly explained and rife with the potential for farmer abuse. That’s the conclusion of interim federal auditor-general John Wiersema in a report tabled in Parliament in late November.

Better Farming - January 2012