Throughout the strategic planning process, via feedback from our producers, it has been made clear that there is a strong desire for OCA to increase our government relations activities. Over the past couple of years we have been much more aggressive in our government relations efforts, but we recognize that more needs to be done.

In 2005, our second annual Queen’s Park beef barbecue was held on June 2. Board members met with various Members of Provincial Parliament in private meetings, and then hosted the main event on the front lawn of the Provincial Legislature.

Many organizations visit Queen’s Park to increase their profile, improve government relations and ensure that their issues are heard by the government. We are pleased to report, however, that OCA’s barbecue has quickly become one of the most popular events of the year at Queen’s Park, and we are now beginning to see concrete benefits from increasing our presence at the Legislature.

In order to build on the support and the profile generated by our annual barbecue, OCA also added a grassroots element to our government relations efforts. As you may be aware, late in 2005 the OCA Board approved an initiative aimed at building a grassroots political action network designed to raise OCA’s profile with elected officials and key decision-makers at the provincial level.

We will be working with the Advisory Council on identifying individuals in key areas of the province that will be able to help us build local relationships with Members of Provincial Parliament. This will be a long term initiative that will put us in a good position to be able to be effective in the lead up to the October 2007 provincial election. In the recent federal election, OCA’s role has been to monitor issues and assist the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) in their national efforts to advocate on behalf of beef producers.

We are now actively advocating our positions on a number of issues with the provincial Government - most notably, regulations around Nutrient Management and the Clean Water Act are very active. As well, we continue to push for positive changes to the CAIS program so that the program better meets the needs of our producers.

As a communications initiative, OCA also launched its new 4-page government newsletter the Ontario Steakholder (OS) in 2005. OS is the tool that will allow OCA to provide government with the inside information needed to gradually build a better understanding of our industry, so that politicians are better able to work on your behalf – in peacetime and in war.

Published quarterly, each OS will include a seasonal recipe to encourage promotion and consumption of Canadian beef. But, most importantly, each issue will offer government easy-to- read, concise information on the state of our industry, what beef farmers need and want from our elected officials, and how that help can be provided. In short, OS will serve to provide new Cabinet Ministers, MPs and MPPs with the background of our industry that they need to make good decisions on your behalf - whether they come to their positions with a strong agricultural background or not.

If you have any thoughts or questions related to our lobbying and government relations strategy, please don’t hesitate to contact the OCA office. Thank you again for your ongoing support and guidance. Let’s make cattle issues important to those candidates who want our vote in the 2007 election.