TORONTO — Huron-Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell is the new Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. She replaces the minister from Tweed, Leona Dombrowsky, who will take over the education portfolio.

Mitchell is a career politician. Prior to politics, she graduated from Centennial college, then started and operated two children’s clothing stores.

As a member of Premier Dalton McGuinty’s Liberal government she falls in line lock-step. She supports the harmonized sales tax and wind power. For the most part, she will continue the programs already in place or proposed. She supports Grow Ontario and Dombrowsky’s request that the farming community design a cost of production program for each sector to stablize incomes.

She understands that Ontario has a succession problem and needs young farmers to carry on the industry.

Both the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and the Ontario Cattlemen’s Association have endorsed the new minister.

OCA president Gord Hardy was tepid in his praise, although he appreciates that the new minister is from one of the top beef producing ridings in the province and that she is well versed on her responsibilities.

In The Owen Sound Sun Times, Tory MPP Bill Murdoch says Mitchell will have a tough time getting farm issues on McGuinty’s agenda. She’s been a real soldier for McGuinty, he added.

Before going to Queen’s Park, Mitchell was elected Warden of Huron County in 1999. She was a member of the Clinton Town Council and elected reeve of the newly amalgamated municipality of Central Huron.

Since her first election to Queen’s Park in 2003, she worked in a number of ministries as parliamentary assistant. She was a member of the rural caucus.