SASKATOON – Canada’s 10 premiers last week turned up the pressure on the federal government to get tough with the railways and their track abandonment ways.
At the end of their annual summer meeting Aug. 7, the provincial and territorial leaders issued a call for a “standstill on rail-line abandonment” at least until the Estey Grain Review reports at the end of the year.
“We have called for a standstill on branch-line abandonment,” Saskatchewan premier Roy Romanow told the closing news conference. “They are killing the highways and costing farmers millions and millions of dollars.”
Read Also
Agriculture ministers agree to AgriStability changes
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
He said prairie political leaders were able to convince other premiers to support calls for a better national grain transportation policy because it is a national issue.
“There is a high degree of unanimity among us on this,” he said. “It (grain exports) is an important dollar issue for all of Canada.”
In their final statement, the premiers also called on Ottawa to create a national transportation policy which “promote(s) competition and producer choices in the grain handling and transportation system.” It would include a requirement for more accountability by all system players “from farm to customer.”
A Saskatchewan government official said in a later interview the call for more competition flows from unease about what provincial governments see as active efforts by the railways to discourage short-line railways using abandoned lines.
“We think Ottawa has to deal more seriously with the dilemma of essentially monopoly railways working in a deregulated environment,” he said.
Meanwhile, the premiers also told Ottawa they will be watching to make sure the federal government defends Canadian agricultural interests in trade talks.
Stand firm against labeling
They called on the federal government to be firm in rejecting American proposals to impose a country-of-origin label requirement on imports of beef and lamb products. This would “severely disrupt Canada-U.S. cattle and beef trade without serving any legitimate consumer needs,” said a trade policy statement approved at the Saskatoon meeting.
“The premiers stressed the importance of rational and factual discussion with U.S. government officials and industry and strong action as necessary to protect Canadian access to export markets.”
They also urged Ottawa to continue pressuring the European Union to drop export subsidies and import restrictions.
And with world trade talks in agriculture slated to start late next year, the premiers said they should be consulted on an appropriate bargaining position for Canada to take to the table.
“Premiers urge the federal government to pursue agricultural trade liberalization in these negotiations, including the elimination of export subsidies and non-tariff trade barriers, as well as the overall liberalization of the world sugar trade,” said their statement.
