Few prairie farmers would recognize him, but junior federal agriculture minister Jean- Pierre Blackburn is proving to be an interesting study in how ambitious, hard-working politicians can expand boundaries in political Ottawa.
When he was made minister of state for agriculture in 2008, it was generally assumed that his main role would be to deal with Quebec’s powerful farm lobby on behalf of unilingual agriculture minister Gerry Ritz.
Of course, Blackburn does run interference with the Union des Producteurs Agricoles and Quebec agribusiness.
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It turns out, though, that he had grander plans in mind when he took the supposedly junior post.
He has identified issue areas that largely were under the radar screens of the agriculture department and its minister and made them his own.
Blackburn has become the federal focus for government action on young farmer issues, travelling the country, hosting meetings and announcing policies.
He is promising that young and aspiring farmers for the first time will have a guaranteed role in the process of developing new agricultural programs and policies.
He also listened to food processors and manufacturers and their complaints that Canadian food policy really is Canadian farm policy. Their issues and challenges were largely ignored, falling between the cracks as Industry Canada figured they were agriculture and Agriculture Canada considered them industry.
A classic example came in 2009 when the federal government unilaterally imposed a 98 percent Canadian ingredient threshold for any item carrying the label “Product of Canada,” a threshold the food industry says is unrealistic.
Blackburn took up the cause and while resistance from Ritz, the department and consumer groups has limited his chance of quick reversal, the minister’s efforts have earned him high praise from processors who say they finally have someone in Ottawa who listens to them.
The Jan. 24 announcement in Vancouver of a year long pledge to develop more industry friendly policies, while hardly a guarantee of better policy, is more than food processors and manufacturers have seen in a long time.
Blackburn also promised to keep an eye on the Product of Canada file.
“It is our hope that the launch of today’s action plan will put the challenges facing our sector on the front burner of public policy priorities in Canada,” said Food and Consumer Products of Canada vice-president Derek Nighbor.
In short, Blackburn has created a much higher profile for himself.
His senior portfolio is veterans’ affairs, but often he is more visible on the food-agriculture file than on his main job.
He was 36 in 1984 when the Brian Mulroney tidal wave swept him into Ottawa as a rookie unilingual francophone MP.
He lost his seat in 1993, but in 2006, he made a comeback as one of Stephen Harper’s small band of Quebec Conservatives and he finally got his chance to join the inner political circle that is cabinet.
Despite whispers of a cool relationship with Ritz, Blackburn is making the best of his chance.
