OTTAWA (Staff) – The Commons committee studying the implications of the loss of the Crow Benefit subsidy will not be able to travel formally to Western Canada as planned, says its chair.
But some members of the committee will hold informal meetings with farmers or farm groups, said Liberal MP Wayne Easter.
Two or three members of the committee will travel to Saskat-chewan late in the week of May 22, he said. Travel elsewhere in the West may come later.
“It is important to us that we hear directly from farmers who cannot come to Ottawa,” said Easter. “We’ll be meeting with farmers who contact us.”
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Originally, Easter planned to take his committee west.
Parliamentary politics killed the official travel when the opposition Bloc QuŽbecois decided not to support a trip out of Ottawa since Quebec farm groups have been making little fuss over the end of the grain transportation subsidy.
It is not an issue the BQ has been able to use against the federal government yet in its fight for independence and against the negative influence of federal policies in Quebec.
The committee chair said three members – Liberal Bernie Collins, Reform Allan Kerpan and Easter – will travel west during parliamentary recess.
As well, the committee has received funds to fly more witnesses to Ottawa once the Commons sits again the week of May 29.
