Opposition MPs must do more than criticize the Conservative government for failing to provide enough farm aid funding after the May 2 budget is presented, farm leaders said last week.
They have the ability to force the Conservative government to add more because they control the House of Commons.
It means the government won’t be the only party on the hot seat when the budget falls short of farmer demands for $2 billion in funding as a down payment on $6.1 billion over three years.
Opposition MPs hold a 58-seat majority in the Commons and all have condemned the Conservatives for being too stingy with farm aid. Liberals control more than two-thirds of Senate seats when budget bills come before it for a vote.
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“We would like the opposition parties to use their position for as much leverage as they can,” Canadian Federation of Agriculture president Bob Friesen told a Parliament Hill news conference April 27. “The opposition has the power to push some things on the government.”
He was speaking at a news conference called by New Democratic Party agriculture critic Alex Atamanenko to demand an immediate Conservative commitment of $1 billion above planned farm aid funding.
Friesen said the need is $2 billion.
In the Commons April 27, NDP leader Jack Layton called unsuccessfully for an emergency debate on agriculture to impress on the Conservatives the need.
“We must have a debate on the worsening crisis on the family farm,” he said. “We owe it to the families in Canada who work to feed us. Farmers are not getting their fair shake from this government and their voices need to be heard in the House of Commons.”
The NDP leader promised to speak for farmers’ need.
“This is an important opportunity that the House of Commons must seize,” he said.
However, Atamanenko said the NDP caucus had not decided on a strategy for a budget vote if agriculture is not properly addressed.
Ontario Federation of Agriculture president Ron Bonnett suggested there wasn’t much to decide. Opposition politicians pledged farm support in the election campaign and they should vote accordingly, he said.
There is a precedent for demanding opposition action in a minority Parliament.
In the last Parliament, the opposition New Democrats forced the then-minority Liberals to add billions of dollars to the budget for their pet projects.
However, in that Parliament the Liberals were willing to bargain because they did not want an election.
In this Parliament, with Conservative public opinion approval ratings rising and the opposition Liberals without a permanent leader, the government may not be so willing to bargain.
