A group of Saskatchewan farmers will meet March 29 with Canadian Wheat Board minister Ralph Goodale to talk about farm aid even though one of their petitions calls for his resignation.
The organizers of farm rallies in Bengough and Regina are circulating four petitions, including one requesting Goodale’s resignation. The petition says he has “failed to project the ‘true’ needs of western Canadian farmers” and had refused to meet with them.
They are also calling on agriculture minister Lyle Vanclief to resign.
A third petition asks Parliament to recognize the failure of the Agricultural Income Disaster Assistance program and replace it with an $80-per-acre payment.
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And the fourth asks the provincial government to withdraw from AIDA and put its $140 million contribution into an acreage payment.
The petitioners want both acreage payments by May 1.
“If the AIDA program is not going to, in essence, do what it’s supposed to do … I think it would be political suicide to stay in the AIDA program right now,” said Bob Thomas of Milestone, Sask.
He said he and others want to meet with Goodale and “get down to brass tacks. There will be a shortfall of money for this coming spring. We have to zero in on that.”
A spokesperson for Goodale said the group is getting the meeting with the minister despite the petition.
“We actually offered a meeting before the (March 6 in Regina) rally,” said John Embury.
Thomas said the group will have good feedback on the petitions by the March 29 meeting date, and the number of signatures will show there are problems in the farm economy. The petitions are also circulating in Manitoba and Alberta.
“The response from Manitoba has been astronomical,” he said.
Thomas added some people have suggested he and other organizers form a new farm lobby group. He said they may hold another meeting to discuss a Saskatchewan-based organization, but it is unlikely they would form a prairie-wide group.
“It is questionable whether a person is truly going to represent Western Canada,” he said.
