A split has developed among Canadian Cattlemen’s Association members
over the group’s decision to support proposed species-at-risk
legislation that does not include full market compensation for affected
landowners.
The CCA surprised government critics and thrilled environment minister
David Anderson in March by indicating it would rather see the current
government proposal passed with its flaws than risk seeing it defeated
and then replaced by a version less friendly to landowners.
The Western Stock Growers Association says the national lobby group
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federal government proposed several months ago to increase the compensation rate from 80 to 90 per cent and double the maximum payment from $3 million to $6 million
does not speak for average cattle producers who oppose the proposal
unless full compensation is guaranteed.
“We have fought side by side with the CCA on this since 1996 and now
they do a 180 degree turn,” said Gordon Butler, a Youngstown, Alta.,
rancher and WSGA president.
“We don’t understand it. On this, the CCA certainly doesn’t represent
us, but we have no choice about whether to belong or not. We are
automatically forced to be members.”
He suggested the CCA had been involved in secret negotiations with the
government over support.
“We feel that something was traded off, but we don’t know what it was.”
Butler said the vast majority of prairie ranchers and landowners oppose
the suggestion that their land could be tied up or “confiscated”
without full compensation. He said his members run 500,000 head of
cattle and own or manage three million acres of land.
“We support protecting species,” he said.
“We live with nature. But this bill is not good enough. I don’t know
who the CCA thinks they’re representing on this, but it isn’t us.”
The view differs across the border in Saskatchewan, where the CCA
compromise has support.
“We stick with the CCA on this one,” said Saskatchewan Stock Growers
Association president Bob Stewart.
“Every time this bill comes back, it gets worse, so let’s get this in
place and then we can work from there to get compensation.”
It mirrors the view of CCA president Neil Jahnke of Saskatchewan, who
said in March after being elected that while cattle producers still
would prefer a guarantee of compensation, they are willing to take
Anderson at his word that compensation rules will be designed later.
Jahnke said there is a danger that if this bill is lost, the next
version might be more tilted against landowners.
“We’re all old enough to realize we never get everything we want and
there’s got to be a trade off,” he said shortly after he was elected
CCA president in March.
“He (Anderson) has treated everyone as fairly as he can.”
Anderson has been citing the CCA’s position to answer rural critics.
Now, the political opposition is fighting back by suggesting the CCA
support isn’t worth much.
Canadian Alliance environment critic Bob Mills told a news conference
on Parliament Hill April 30 that the CCA does not represent average
cattle producers on the species-at-risk issue.
“They’re not representing the people we’re hearing from,” he said.
