For a woman with four jobs, Rosann Wowchuk seems relaxed and good-humoured.
In recent weeks Wowchuk has had to handle the department of agriculture, of which she is minister, her duties as deputy premier and the portfolio that just fell into her lap, intergovernmental affairs.
On top of that, she has had the same worries as other farmers about seeding the spring crop in cold and wet conditions.
But none of that seems to wear out Wowchuk.
“I’m very pleased that the premier has the confidence in me that I can do the work, and I’m prepared to work very hard to make sure the concerns and the issues that affect rural Manitoba are addressed by our caucus and our government,” said Wowchuk May 21, after returning to her Winnipeg office from a legislators’ conference in Fargo, North Dakota. That night she would drive to her farm at Swan River to try to help put in the crop.
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Wowchuk’s plateful of responsibility was stacked higher when intergovernmental affairs minister Maryann Mihychuk resigned to run for the Winnipeg mayor’s job.
Wowchuk, the political understudy for the job, found out she was inheriting the portfolio. It’s not a new situation for Wowchuk, who last summer was agriculture minister, intergovernmental affairs minister and deputy premier all at one time, right after the NDP was re-elected.
Betty Green, president of the Manitoba Cattle Producers Association, said she thinks Wowchuk has taken on too much, especially with BSE causing so much stress among farm families.
“It’s always challenging to get a hold of a minister with a portfolio like agriculture,” said Green.
“Certainly with the deputy premier’s responsibilities, it’s become more difficult. Now with the additional portfolio we have some concerns.”
Green said premier Gary Doer should give intergovernmental affairs to someone else so that Wowchuk can concentrate on agriculture.
Keystone Agricultural Producers president David Rolfe agreed, but said he was more concerned that Wowchuk would be overworked than that she would ignore agriculture.
“I haven’t had any problem getting meetings with her,” said Rolfe.
“I called up to arrange one with her last week and it was done in a day.”
Wowchuk said her record proves she can handle what the premier has handed her.
“I had both these departments last year, through the BSE crisis, and I don’t think farmers would say I neglected them,” said Wowchuk.
