Barry Wilson

OTTAWA – When he next faces Parliament in mid-September, agriculture minister Ralph Goodale will face conflicting political advice on what to do about proposals for Canadian Wheat Board reform. Reform party MPs said last week they will demand the government act immediately to implement a more democratic board of directors and a removal of feed […] Read more

OTTAWA – The Reform party, which has made balanced budgets the centrepiece of its political arguments, operated in the red last year, according to political party fund-raising and spending figures compiled by Elections Canada. The federal agency reported last week that the Reform party raised $5.28 million last year. It spent more than $5.6 million, […] Read more

OTTAWA – The Canadian Wheat Board will be farmer-controlled and less powerful if the federal government accepts the recommendations of the Western Grain Marketing Panel. In a unanimous report made public July 9, the nine-member panel appointed last year by federal agriculture minister Ralph Goodale recommends a thorough revamping of the board and its powers. […] Read more

VICTORIA – Corky Evans, British Columbia’s new agriculture minister, wears a scar on his face that is a lingering memory of one of his real-life brushes with farming. He is a logger by profession but as a rural kid in the Nelson area, he did farm chores. “This scar, that’s my only agriculture background,” he […] Read more

OTTAWA – Grain farmers across the Prairies are being given one last chance this summer to offer direct advice to Ottawa on what kind of grain marketing system they want. Come autumn, agriculture minister Ralph Goodale says he plans to make decisions. This week, he is sending a letter to all grain producers asking them […] Read more

VICTORIA – Amid the usual claims of co-operation and progress that filter out of annual agriculture ministers’ meetings, there were signs last week of some tensions as several provincial ministers flailed at federal policies. For Ottawa, the signals were mixed. On some issues, there were complaints of too much federal interference. On others, the complaints […] Read more

VICTORIA – With predictions of a five-year, 30 percent increase in the value of food exports ringing in their ears, Canada’s agriculture ministers have re-affirmed their full-steam ahead approach to trade promotion. At an early July federal-provincial agriculture ministers’ meeting, Agriculture Canada projected exports of $21.8-$22.6 billion by 2000. It predicted growth in most sectors, […] Read more

SASKATOON – Even as most provinces are getting ready to sign onto a new national safety net agreement, Ottawa is signaling that more negotiations may be in store to lure Quebec into the fold. Changes suggested by Quebec as the price of its signature would give individual provinces at least the appearance of having more […] Read more

VICTORIA – The federal government has promised the Canadian co-operative movement that by next year, it will be governed by new legislation. Co-op leaders can hardly wait. They have been lobbying for this for years. “We will be working very closely with government to see that it is passed next year, before the next election. […] Read more

VICTORIA – Manitoba agriculture minister Harry Enns came away from a meeting with his federal counterpart last week uneasy that Manitoba may be shafted on how seaway pooling adjustment funds are divided. Along with Manitoba farm leaders, Enns worries that Sask-atchewan will get an undue share of the $105 million in federal money meant to […] Read more