This is a year for the record books. Farmers are telling me they have never seen a year as bad as this one. More than 12 million acres have been left unseeded or have been flooded out. For many farm families, their livelihood is literally being washed away.
And now with the first killing frost of the year there is further damage to crops and a desperate situation has become even worse. … It is impossible to get any crop at all harvested without a significant loss of yield and quality resulting in low grades and lower prices.
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Farm families are stressed to maximum. They are backed in a corner with nowhere to turn. They can’t pay their crop insurance premiums, input costs, land payments, rent payments, land taxes or equipment payments. Many moms and dads are calling my office telling me they are lying awake at night struggling to find a way to buy their children school supplies, winter clothes or … simply keep the heat on this winter.
Friends, more than ever farm families need help. More than ever they need a strong premier that will stand up and fight for them.
When Newfoundland wasn’t getting it’s fair share of resource revenue from Ottawa, Danny Williams fought the Harper government and got their money. When the Ontario auto industry was in trouble and people were losing their jobs and homes, their premier went to Ottawa and got them help.
The Wall government needs to do the same for Saskatchewan farm families. Farmers need more than the paltry $12 per acre payment the Wall government has offered. The Wall government needs to give $100 per acre for flooded and unseeded acres now.
It’s not fair that moms and dads are wondering how they will buy their children winter clothes when the province is prospering.
They need to be able to provide for their children and keep them warm this winter. The Wall government must fight for farm families, not ignore them.
Dwain Lingenfelter,
Leader of the Official Opposition,
Regina, Sask.
