The federal New Democratic Party’s new agriculture spokesperson says he hopes the enlarged and invigorated NDP caucus will play an influential role in some upcoming debates crucial to prairie grain farmers.
Regina Palliser MP Dick Proctor figures the future of the Canadian Wheat Board and improvements in the western grain movement system are two key decisions confronting the 36th Parliament when it meets in September.
“I think these will be major issues and obviously, we will be able to play a more influential role than we did in the last Parliament, when we were not recognized as an official party,” he said.
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In the June 2 election, the NDP caucus expanded from nine westerners to 21 MPs, almost half of them from the Maritimes.
Proctor said the NDP has a history of strong stands on both those issues.
“I think the New Democratic Party has always been the strongest defender of the Canadian Wheat Board and we will continue to be,” he said. “I’m not sure how strong the Liberal commitment is.”
The NDP will be trying to counter pressure on the government from the Reform opposition to end the board’s monopoly power over sales of wheat and barley for human consumption domestically and export sales of wheat and barley.
He said on the transportation issue, the government must move quickly to insert into the Canada Transportation Act some rewards for good performance and penalties for poor performance.
Learning to do
But Proctor said he has much to learn about his new critic areas.
After a lifetime working in media, unions and then for the federal and Saskatchewan New Democratic parties, he is new to elected politics.
In one way, he has some close connections to his agricultural assignments.
He grew up on a dairy farm in Ontario’s Prince Edward County, in the riding of agriculture minister Lyle Vanclief. Proctor’s sister still lives in the old family farm house.
Meanwhile, Proctor’s riding is adjacent to the Regina constituency held by wheat board minister Ralph Goodale. In fact, Goodale is one of Proctor’s constituents because he lives just outside of the boundaries of his own riding.
But Proctor admits to knowing little about the intricacies of supply management, horticulture or even the livestock industry prominent across Canada.
“I’ll be learning.”
