Industry happy with departed ag minister

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Published: September 6, 2007

During his first weeks on the job, federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz has been meeting key industry players to let them know there is a new guy in town and he is approachable.

Some of those industry leaders have had a blunt message for the new minister – he has big shoes to fill.

During an Aug. 22 meeting with Ritz, Canadian Federation of Agriculture president Bob Friesen pointedly praised his predecessor.

“I told minister Ritz that Mr. Strahl really built on the concept of partnership with the industry and I hope he continues with that,” Friesen said. “I think Strahl had a very clear idea of where he wanted to go and he understood that it is important to have industry as partners. He understood that and acted on it better than any other minister in recent times.”

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The CFA and Strahl had disagreements, notably on the government strategy for dismantling the Canadian Wheat Board monopoly, but Friesen had nothing but praise for the former minister, who moved to Indian Affairs and Northern Development in an Aug. 14 cabinet shuffle.

“He made improvements to farm programs, introduced a cost-of-production payment, got money for the industry and most importantly, showed he was willing to listen,” said Friesen.

Ontario Federation of Agriculture president Geri Kamenz was equally flattering, even though the minister refused to commit federal dollars to co-fund a provincial price insurance scheme for grain and oilseeds.

Kamenz recalled that shortly after Strahl became minister in February 2006, Ontario farmers demonstrated in front of his office. Strahl invited leaders of the demonstration in out of the cold to explain their beefs.

“He met with us and made it clear he wanted to understand our point of view,” said the OFA president. “He was very open, sincere and honest agriculture minister who tried to understand the issues and was very clear in telling you what he thought once he understood it.”

Such lavish praise from key farm leaders draws a sharp rebuke from Liberal agriculture critic Wayne Easter who crossed swords with Strahl on a number of issues and once called his CWB tactics Stalinist.

Easter said CFA leaders risk being too closely identified with the Conservative government.

“I think the role of farm groups is to offer governments blunt advice,” said the former National Farmers’ Union president. “The CFA seems to think if they are not nice to the minister, the door will close. As a result, I think the CFA is becoming too much of an apologist for the Conservative government.”

The CFA and its affiliates were not the only sources of praise for Strahl.

Richard Phillips, executive director of Grain Growers of Canada that supported the government wheat board agenda, said Strahl will be remembered as a forceful minister pushing a strong agenda.

“I think what was impressive about Mr. Strahl was that he genuinely wanted to help farmers and you could see he was genuine in that right from the start,” said Phillips.

Not all industry players were as generous.

The National Farmers Union and supporters of the CWB accused him of anti-democratic tactics. Saskatchewan agriculture minister Mark Wartman said Strahl used bully tactics to try to get his way with the provinces.

CWB chair Ken Ritter declined to offer an assessment of Strahl, saying he preferred to look to the future rather than dwell on the past.

But even some of his political critics tempered their assessment to give him the benefit of the doubt.

“I think he tried to do a good job but his time there was tainted by his wheat board tactics,” said New Democrat agriculture critic Alex Atamanenko.

“But on that file, I believe he was carrying out the prime minister’s wishes so I don’t know how much he was acting on his own instincts.”

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