TROIS RIVIERES, Que. – The federal agriculture minister has vowed changes will be made to end snarls in the western grain transportation system before the winter shipping season.
Prairie agriculture ministers emerged from the annual federal-provincial ministers’ meeting July 4 prepared to take Lyle Vanclief at his word, even though prairie grain is not his responsibility.
“Alberta is extremely delighted to hear the federal minister of agriculture make a commitment to review the situation,” said Alberta agriculture minister Ed Stelmach.
Saskatchewan minister Eric Upshall was equally upbeat.
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“It gives me some hope that they recognize the seriousness of it and are prepared to act,” he said. “I’m sure Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta will be on the phone regularly to make sure that they don’t stall any more because our farmers are sick and tired of paying the bill for problems someone else creates.”
What Vanclief promised during a closed meeting with provincial ministers is that he would push Canadian Wheat Board minister Ralph Goodale and transport minister David Collenette this summer to consider an action plan, even though Canadian Transportation Agency hearings on railway performance are scheduled.
“We all recognize the urgency of getting a plan in place that will ensure the grain moves,” the federal minister told a conference-closing news conference July 4. “We simply cannot afford to have a situation repeated that we had last year.”
Manitoba agriculture minister Harry Enns said the vow to act even as the CTA hearings are organized was encouraging to prairie ministers. He said there remains a split between prairie provincial governments on how best to act, although they are united in believing action is needed.
He said Saskatchewan and Manitoba are pushing Ottawa to introduce into the system a workable scheme of penalties to slap on those who cause disruptions in grain movement.
“We don’t believe you should remove the cap (on grain freight rates) until you have accountability in the system,” said Enns.
Alberta continues to argue that further deregulation is the answer “and things will work themselves out.”
Saskatchewan’s Upshall said the key point is that the federal government, with a new mandate and a new cabinet, is being committed to action.
“The urgency has been accepted by all,” he told the news conference. “We can’t go through another year with farmers putting grain into the system and then the system not moving it.”
Several of the western ministers had gone to the meeting suggesting that a summit meeting of federal and prairie agriculture and transport ministers should be organized for the summer or fall. The idea was dropped when Vanclief made it clear he understands the high stakes in the issue.
