November 4, 2014

Mr. Arthur Potts
Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
77 Grenville Street, 11th Floor
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 1B3

Dear Mr. Potts:

It is an honour and a pleasure to have you as my Parliamentary Assistant. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to the Ministry Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and to outline some of the important work that lies ahead of us.

As you know, our government has a plan to invest in the talent and skills of our people, build modern infrastructure, support a dynamic and innovative business climate, and provide better retirement security to people across the province. At the heart of this plan are partnerships with businesses, people and communities, which will help our government grow the economy, create jobs and implement solutions that have a meaningful impact on people’s lives.

This balanced and comprehensive plan is underpinned by a focus on fiscal prudence. The mandate letter I received last month from Premier Wynne reinforced our government’s commitment to balance the budget by 2017-18 and to pursue increased openness, accountability and modernization.

Parliamentary Assistants play a key role in delivering these priorities and have a responsibility to put our government’s plan into action.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has been tasked with an aggressive agenda that will support the growth of the agri-food sector, the sustainability of agriculture and help develop rural economies.

And as Parliamentary Assistant for this ministry, your specific responsibilities include:

  • Promoting and encouraging innovative local food projects that celebrate the rich diversity of foods produced and made in Ontario, and which feed local economies and help communities grow.
  • Working with ministers and partners to continue to engage with rural stakeholders, deliver effective programs — such as the Rural Economic Development Program — and services to rural areas, and move forward with the Rural Roadmap.

I am confident that together, working in collaboration with our partners in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors, we can deliver on our commitment to the people we are privileged to represent and serve. I look forward to working with you to deliver our ministry’s mandate, build Ontario up — and help achieve a brighter future for every person in this province.

Sincerely,

Jeff Leal signature

The Honourable Jeff Leal
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs