The agricultural debate held in Sask-atoon among representatives of five provincial parties was necessary and informative, since the sector has not been a major factor in the Saskatchewan election campaign.
Indeed, leaders debates in Saskatchewan and in Manitoba, which is also in the midst of an election campaign, barely mentioned agriculture, despite its being such a major player in both province’s economies.
Unfortunately, the politics of the two provinces allows this to happen. In Sask-atchewan, the Sask. Party dominates the rural areas, as do the Progressive Conservatives in Manitoba, so why spend much time talking about agriculture to people in rural areas whose votes are already solid?
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It’s a bit of a cynical way of looking at things, but what other reason could there be for agriculture to play such a modest role in the campaign.
The March 22 debate in Saskatoon — organized by the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan and The Western Producer — featured Liberal leader Darrin Lamoureux, PC leader Rick Swenson, Green party representative Ryan Lamarche, NDP agriculture critic Cathy Sproule and the Sask. Party’s Lyle Stewart, who was the agriculture minister in the last government.
And while it wasn’t so much of a debate — it was more like a statement of positions — there were good proposals to explore.
Candidates addressed numerous areas ranging from transportation, to rural internet, to water management and generational change, mostly based on a recently released APAS document called Why Does Agriculture Matter?
It would have been fruitful to allow the candidates some time for open debate on some questions. For instance, near the end of the debate, Sproule reeled off a series of NDP policies that would have a significant effect on grain marketing, which she says is in chaos. Her party wants to use legislation to ensure “fair and clear contracts which explicitly identify price, delivery location, payment terms and a fair resolution process for disputes.”
As well, the NDP would use legislation to require the publication of weekly price input reports throughout the province and weekly grain sale reports so farmers could see prices at terminals and ports, as well as the amount of grain sold.
Sproule says farmers want this. But there was no challenge to these ideas, which have been discussed for some time. After elimination of the CWB, there is debate as to whether marketing is tilted in favour of grain companies because farmers lack access to the necessary market information.
Also, Sproule announced that her party would improve cellphone and broadband coverage in rural areas. Stewart says his party has lobbied SaskTel to do better but he admitted there is room for improvement. This is another important issue that deserves examination. How much disenfranchisement exists in rural areas because of poor digital infrastructure?
Still, the participants were knowledgeable, informative and eager to advance their ideas about agriculture. As such, the debate is a must-view for voters who place a priority on agricultural issues in deciding which party is best to lead the province.
Viewers can watch the entire debate online or select segments with pertinent questions on The Western Producer’s website: http://bit.ly/1MJwKDP
