If only Toronto-based federal transport minister David Collenette had been allowed to set prairie grain transportation policy.
If only the government did not allow those meddling Regina and Winnipeg Liberals to have as much say in western issues like grain hauling.
These were the unusual arguments put forward last week by Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservative prairie MPs during debate on the government’s grain transportation reform bill.
For a day, at least, Collenette was portrayed as the great hope for prairie farmers. He wanted to remove the Canadian Wheat Board from the grain transportation mix.
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He was out-talked and out-lobbied by prairie Liberals like Ralph Goodale, Lloyd Axworthy, John Harvard and Reg Alcock.
“I congratulate the minister for his vision,” southern Saskatchewan
Alliance MP Roy Bailey told Collenette during debate June 1.
“A minister from the great city of Toronto could see the problems in Western Canada but the minister in charge of the wheat board and other honorable members refused to look at the future.”
Manitoba Conservative Rick Borotsik took the same benign view of Collenette’s intentions, but gave a less flattering twist to the compromise that Collenette agreed to.
“Unfortunately, the minister of transport knuckled under to the minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board,” said the Brandon MP.
“He knuckled under to the minister of agriculture for whatever reason. He knuckled under to self-interest groups that still believe there must be 100 percent control of the CWB in transportation.”
Some for, some against
Collenette took the flattery with a smile, noting only that there were differences of opinion within the Liberal government on the issue – differences that produced months of policy stalemate while wheat board supporters held their ground against Transport Canada intentions.
“It has been one of the greatest experiences of my parliamentary life to have that give and take, that thrust and parry and to come forward with a consensus,” the transport minister said to opposition guffaws.
It was a “consensus” that satisfied none of the opposition parties, although both CA and Tory MPs supported it in principle to avoid being accused of delaying a promised $178 million freight rate savings to farmers next year.
Borotsik said the legislation, by allowing the board to keep a role in transportation, is “a serious mistake.”
Bailey said the legislation entrenches the wheat board in the system.
“We are in the year 2000 but this bill in many ways will take us back to the 1950s.”
New Democrat speakers lamented the erosion of the wheat board’s role and voted against the bill.
But the opposition will have little chance to have an influence.
Transport committee hearings are being held throughout the week, but it has been given no more than a week.
The government is planning to have the legislation approved and sent to the Senate by June 14 or 15.
The short time available has forced opposition MPs to agree to let the bill rush through the system so it can become law by the time Parliament rises for the summer in late June.
Collenette apologized for the rush.
“I truly regret … that the timetable is so short that full debate in the House will not be possible.”
Bailey said the CA will grudgingly agree not to delay the bill but the debate will not end.
