.June 5th, 2014
Ontario Nature Questionnaire for Political Parties 2014 Election
Ontario NDP Response
1. Neonicotinoid pesticides have been linked to the deaths of millions of bees in Ontario and are
lethal to birds and other wildlife. Seventy-eight percent of Ontario voters want these pesticides
banned until their impacts are better understood. Will your party:
Support a ban on neonicotinoid pesticides?
Invest in research about pollinator-friendly farming practices and the economic value of
pollinators for farmers and their crops?
We are encouraged by actions to promote the use of non-neonicotinoid pesticide-treated seeds and to
promote the use of other products and deflectors, but we recognize that these actions may not be
sufficient. Rather than pinning the health of Ontario’s bee population on the Federal Government with
their poor record on the environment, as the Liberals have done, the Ontario NDP will use science-based
evidence to devise a course of action that makes sense for Ontario.
The Ontario NDP has also long been committed to farm land preservation. The loss of Ontario’s most
productive agricultural land is one of the greatest threats to local food and farming in Ontario. A NDP
government will work with stakeholders to develop a plan that protects farmland takes account of
habitat for pollinators.
http://www.ontarionature.org/connect/blog/wp-content/uploads/NDP-responses.pdf