A group of Manitoba farmers put four of the province’s political parties to the test this month.
The farmers submitted 13 questions to the parties and then graded their replies. The questions covered crop insurance, taxes and farm subsidies.
Debbie Kooting, a Rapid City farmer who co-ordinated the effort, said the results show that rural concerns are again overshadowed by urban issues in this provincial election.
She hoped the report card would help draw attention to the farm crisis, especially in light of the troubles farmers faced planting a crop this spring.
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“None of the parties are concentrated on agricultural at all. They’re basically trying to win the election with the urbanite vote, to the detriment of farmers.”
Kooting said the highest mark, a B+, went to the Manitoba Party, which answered yes to several of the questions. She noted, however, that the party failed to go beyond a one-word answer in most of its replies.
The Liberals were given a failing grade, said Kooting, because they didn’t give direct answers to most of the questions. Kooting, who is a card-carrying Liberal, said she will not be voting for her party during the Sept. 21 election.
“They’re concentrating everything for the urbanites. That was our consensus and everybody we talked to.”
The New Democrats earned a C+ for their replies. Kooting said the party at least showed a willingness to work with farmers on a number of the issues put forward.
The Conservatives were given marks that hovered between a pass and a fail. Kooting gave the party a D-, but other farmers who shared in the grading gave the party an F.
Kooting said the Tories lost marks for sidestepping some questions that the party deemed the sole responsibility of Ottawa.
Among those questions was whether the Conservatives would look into an employment program for farmers unable to seed their crops because of inclement weather. The program would give affected farmers a payment of roughly $415 per week.
The farmers put the report card together on their own initiative, with some input from the Pro West (formerly Bengough) Rally Group.
