Election 2015 - Farm policy

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Published on Thursday, October 1, 2015

Banner Staff

The Neepawa Banner

Until the federal election on October 19th, the Neepawa Banner will be talking to the candidates about the issues that matter to local voters. Check back as we ask the candidates for their views on a new topic each week.

Agriculture is important to the region’s economy.  What policies would you like to see implemented or changed to help Canadian farmers?  Does your party have a position regarding agricultural implications of trade deals?

Name: Kate Storey

Party: Green Party of Canada

Home: Grandview

The Green Party agriculture policy is quality food for Canadians, adequate farm income for families and a vibrant rural economy. Now that sounds like common sense, right? It’s what everyone wants, but you have to understand that the [Agriculture and Agri-food Canada] is aimed exactly in the opposite direction. They are looking at increased trade. Let’s think about that, if you want to export agricultural commodities, you are competing on the global market. That means you are lowering your standards, lowering the quality. You have to cut corners. What happened to that idea of quality Canadian branding? We use to have that with wheat. That’s what the Canadian Wheat Board was very good at: getting more dollars on the global market based on the quality we provided. Quality is the direction we should be going.

[As for] adequate income for farm families. right now, it seems that agriculture is asking for cheap labour. There’s been a shift to migrant workers, which, by default, undercuts Canadian jobs. That idea of cheaper labour through migrant workers is fundamentally unfair.

As far as investment in agriculture, 85 per cent of agriculture budget is farm subsidy programs.  The problem is that [the federal government] has taken the subsidy cap off. Now the smaller farms and the medium size farms are competing against the great big consolidated farm. Is that what we want? Many experts say that the most efficient farm is a 1000 acre farm. We have 10,000 and 100,000 acres farms and even bigger. There are inefficiencies when you get that big and it certainly doesn’t help farm families when they are forced to compete against them. With all these issues, what are we doing to our farm families?

Name: Robert Sopuck

Party: Conservative Party of Canada

Home:  Sandy Lake

Agriculture is critical to the entire economy of the constituency of Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa. In fact I was advised by the Canola Council of Canada that this constituency is the largest producer of canola of any constituency in Canada. 

For all agricultural commodities, international trade is extremely important since we export about 80 per cent of what we produce, whether it is grains and oilseeds or livestock. We [the Conservative government] have more than tripled the countries we have free trade agreements with from, 14 to 44 and have launched negotiations with other countries. In fact, one in five Canadian jobs is linked to trade. 

In terms of policies I would like to see implemented, I feel that we need to be very aggressive with trading partners who do not abide by trade agreements. I am very pleased about Canada’s aggressive approach to the United States in terms of their “Country of Origin Labelling” regulations. COOL is not in the spirit of free trade and needs to be eliminated. Our Conservative government has made it a priority to expand trade. We have also supported farmers with business risk management programs as well as backstopping disasters, such as excess moisture and flooding. Our Conservative government has made it a priority to expand trade. 

Furthermore, I would like to encourage more value-added agricultural production.

Name: Ray Piché

Party: Liberal Party of Canada

Home: Onanole

The Liberal Party of Canada supports open and respectful dialogue with our agricultural producers, as they are the experts in their fields. We also believe in supply management which helps farmers earn a stable income and provides Canadians with quality foods at reasonable prices. 

By the government and Canadian farmers working  together, everyone is a winner. With that being said, supply management is built on three policy pillars: price-setting, protection from foreign imports and control of supply. A Liberal government will defend supply management in international trade negotiations like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). 

Presently, The Harper Conservatives are conducting TPP negotiations in secrecy, without producer consultation and ignoring the people who do the heavy lifting in our economy.  Liberals will act differently, working with farmers and producers to bring back fairness and strengthen the heart of the Canadian economy. 

Canada has historically managed to keep supply management, while still giving other countries access to our markets. It doesn’t have to be any different now.

Liberals believe that farmers facing financial hardship through no fault of their own should be given bankable, predictable support to avoid financial catastrophe and that the security of our food production system must be maintained.  More broadly, Canada badly needs greater and more durable economic growth. The Canadian agriculture and agri-food system accounts for nearly 7 per cent of GDP; boosting its growth is critical to building a stronger economy. Liberals support free trade; Canada is a trading nation that needs free trade agreements like the TPP because they create jobs for Canadians and contribute to economic growth and long-term prosperity. Canada has in the past signed free trade agreements that did not jeopardize our supply management.  

A Liberal government will fix the TFW program and ensure it is returned to its original purpose: filling jobs when qualified Canadians cannot be found. We will create a path to citizenship for foreign workers and make more detailed labour market information available.   

A Liberal government will ensure Canada’s food safety system is effective and minimizes risks so that we can assure Canadians that the food on their dinner tables is safe. Furthermore, we will support the promotion of the “Canada Brand” and its association with safe, high-quality products. We will ensure that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has the resources and legal tools it needs to be able to take enforcement action against the import of products that do not meet Canadian regulatory standards.

Name: Inky Mark

Party: Independent

Home: Dauphin

Agriculture is the backbone of the riding. Harper did a great disservice when he killed CWB, sold off Indian Head tree farm, gave away the Port of Churchill, sold off community pastures, killed off all farm research attached to the Canadian Wheat Board and neutered the Grain Commission.

The family farm is at bigger risk under the Harper government than previous governments. Harper has basically been working for the big international grain and chemical companies against the Canadian farmer.  

Previous to the death of the CWB, farmers got over $9.00 per bushel delivered. Today, farmers are getting half of that.  Looks like farmers are at the whim of the big grain companies, like way back in the ’30s.  

We need a government who will govern for all Canadians.  We should not sign TPP or CETA because no one knows the details. All marketing boards will disappear if Harper gets his way. These bad trade deals Harper wants to sign will lock us up for the next 90 years. These are not free trade deals but are good deals for the billionaires of the world.  Don’t be surprised when Harper gets appointed to their boards down the road.

In my past 13 years in Ottawa I have always fought for the farmers. If re-elected I shall continue to fight for the family farm.

Name: Laverne Lewycky

Party: NDP

Home: Dauphin

The New Democratic Party has a strong and proud history of advocating for farmers in Canada. Unfortunately for farmers, in 2011, the Conservative government ended the Canadian Wheat Board single desk marketing system without any analysis, study or a producer vote, which was a requirement of the CWB Act. Manitoba farmers and our rural economy are paying dearly for that decision.  

The New Democratic Party offers constituents a vote for change. Our wheat marketing system was once the envy of the world. Now it is dysfunctional. It is time for the Harper government to be held accountable for the systematic destruction of western Canada’s farmer directed and owned Wheat Board marketing system. Only the New Democratic Party would reinstate the Canadian Wheat Board single desk selling system.

 The Harper Conservatives ended the PFRA and support for the rural environment. The Harper government has closed 24 federal agricultural offices across Canada and killed the community pasture program. They ended the tree nursery at Indian Head  and shelter belt program which held back the desert. Federal support for water development, drainage, and wetland enhancement is all but gone. Experienced PFRA staff gave technical assistance for water projects to rural landowners. The PFRA also provided financial assistance for wells, water pipelines, community and RM water systems, dugouts and pumping systems. The NDP would re-establish the PFRA.

Additionally, Ritz and Harper have fired plant breeders, scientists, food inspectors, librarians and support staff. In the past two years, 1,324 people have lost their jobs at Agriculture Canada, mostly plant breeders, scientists, agricultural research assistants, research librarians, inspectors and support staff. This is in addition to the dozens of scientists and food inspectors fired in 2012 and 2013. The NDP would reverse the cuts and make more funding available for public plant breeding in Canada.  

The trade deals, such as the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), are a threat to Canada’s sovereignty. Should the Harper government in its dying days sign onto the TPP that would end supply management, a NDP government would abrogate that agreement. 

 Regarding, Agri-stability, Agri-invest and crop insurance, Ritz and Harper have already drastically changed the margin calculations for Agri-Stability to make it more difficult to trigger pay outs. The New Democratic Party are committed to full funding crop insurance and deplore the cuts made to farm support programs.