Improved accountability from railways and support for supply management were among issues raised, promises made
OTTAWA — Federal NDP leader Thomas Mulcair says a stronger wheat board would improve grain handling logistics and end the transportation backlog on the Prairies.
As the remains of the former Canadian Wheat Board head toward privatization by 2017 and the country heads toward a fall election, Mulcair told delegates to the Canadian Federation of Agriculture annual meeting his party supports farmers and will take their advice.
He said the Conservative government’s response to the grain backlog has been incompetent. The federal order requiring minimum volumes to move each week is not working and has resulted in just two small fines.
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“They don’t hold the rail companies accountable even as the companies take in record profits,” he said.
Mulcair said the CWB played a vital role in co-ordinating grain shipments, and the move to marketing freedom has actually shackled shippers. He said farmers deserve better, which is why the NDP wants to improve what’s left of the board.
“No one is talking about bringing back that wheat board in that form,” he said.
“But not having a champion in your corner, no longer having someone to stand up and work for you, because the government’s not doing it with regard to the railroads, has led to the biggest crisis in grain delivery by rail in Canadian history.”
Mulcair and deputy Liberal leader Ralph Goodale wooed the farm vote during the CFA meeting.
The federal election is set for Oct. 19, barring a snap call or a delay by the ruling Conservatives.
In his address to delegates, Goodale pointed to statistics released by the Ag Transport Coalition showing the railways aren’t performing as well as they say. Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway are more than 18,000 cars behind, and less than half of cars ordered have arrived on time, according to the coalition.
A day later during question period, Goodale asked transport minister Lisa Raitt if the numbers are accurate and, if so, acceptable.
She replied she couldn’t confirm someone else’s data but said that grain was moving to port “in the framework that we expected it would.”
Goodale said the government-designed system isn’t working.
“The capacity is not sufficient,” Goodale said at CFA. “There’s still no clear definition of what constitutes proper service and how it’s to be measured, no mechanism to achieve common sense co-ordination.”
Shippers have no alternative delivery methods and no legal recourse and the token fines imposed on the railways are paid to the government, he added.
Goodale and Mulcair also pledged support for supply management systems now in place for dairy, poultry and egg industries.
Goodale said although the government maintains that it supports supply management, it has also said it will provide compensation if necessary.
“That sort of begs the question, what’s the compensation for if you are solidly positioned in favour of supply management?” he said.
Mulcair expressed concern that a Conservative government would have free rein after the next election to trade away Canada’s supply management system.
He also promised to adapt the NDP platform to take into account CFA resolutions and pointed out that the NDP is the only party to have a national food strategy.
CFA president Ron Bonnett, re-elected to a two-year term at the meeting, said the organization will make sure all political parties consider agriculture in their election platforms.
He said farmers need to speak up and make sure all Canadians know what they do and what it is worth.
