Liberal leader Stéphane Dion wants answers on how to fix what ails agriculture and how the Liberal opposition can be a more forceful voice on the issue.
Last week, he appointed veteran farm leader and Liberal MP Wayne Easter to be co-chair of an “opportunity in agriculture task force” meant to quickly come up with some advice on what policies are needed.
Co-chairing it is Cindy Duncan-McMillan, a West Quebec Liberal candidate, as well as Dion’s special adviser on Quebec agriculture.
Dion’s Dec. 5 announcement said Easter and Duncan-McMillan would consult with farmers to find policies “to address the current challenges facing Canadian farmers.”
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Easter said it will be a short exercise, likely reporting in January, and is not aimed at developing Liberal agricultural policy for the next election platform. Instead, it is trying to provide ammunition to improve Dion’s ability to speak about the industry.
Inside government, the focus is on talking to industry groups about how to deal with the income crisis in beef and hog sectors, Easter said.
“What we’re going to try and do is focus the opposition leader’s office on this issue.”
Duncan-McMillan, a beef producer and former president of the Quebec Farmers’ Association, said she sees it as a chance to involve farmers in discussions about the crisis they are in and what policies they need to get out of it.
