OTTAWA (Staff) – Agriculture minister Ralph Goodale last week held a meeting with his co-operatives advisory committee and immediately ate some crow.
Then, he won over his audience with promises the Liberal government will pay more attention to the co-op sector and will recognize its role in the economy.
But first, the federal minister responsible for co-op affairs had to explain why he cancelled a planned March meeting with provincial ministers at the last moment.
It was a “fiasco” that left a bad after-taste for co-op leaders, said Canadian Co-operatives Association president Ed Klassen.
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Goodale apologized and promised a new meeting will be organized.
“He said there were not going to be enough provinces represented,” said Klassen. “He apologized. We accepted it. We were perturbed but now it is behind us.”
Then, the agriculture minister suggested the Liberals are not certain his department is the appropriate guardian of co-op interests within the government.
In recent years, the agriculture department has been the home of the federal co-ops secretariat and the minister spoke for co-ops policy. Last autumn, Goodale was handed that responsibility in the new government.
But he said the federal government is now considering the possibility that co-ops responsibility might more appropriately be taken out of Agriculture Canada and lodged with the department of industry and small business.
“We discussed it and for the moment it remains with agriculture but it is under review,” said Klassen.
Part of the problem with its traditional placement in the agriculture department is that co-ops then appear as only a rural concern.
With a growing emphasis on worker co-operatives and other urban projects, there have been suggestions the industry department would better reflect the role of modern co-ops in urban Canada as well.
“It doesn’t really matter which department it is in,” said CCA vice-president Barb Millsap. “It will always have connections with other departments. The important thing (is) for us to have access to a minister who understands our sector and its importance.”
The co-op leaders said they are happy with Goodale’s response to their list of priorities.
He promised to upgrade the role of the co-ops secretariat, giving it more scope to review developing policy and programs and their impact on co-ops.
Goodale also promised that co-op concerns will be considered in all government plans. He said they will be key players in the government’s plans to foster rural economic development.
“We were pleased with his comments,” said Klassen. “Too often in the past, we are presented a policy or legislation that we have to react to. It would be easier to influence if we were in on the process earlier. I think Mr. Goodale sees us with a role in rural development, but with a broader mandate as well.”
