OTTAWA — Agriculture minister Ralph Goodale faced accusations last week that his department has abandoned Quebec interests.
During a March 23 appearance by the minister before the Commons agriculture committee, Bloc QuŽbecois agriculture spokesman Jean-Paul Marchand said Agriculture Canada has too few francophone employees and managers and pays little attention to Quebec issues.
“One wonders why Agriculture Canada has only one senior manager who is a francophone,” said Marchand. “Is that a sign that you can’t find competent people or is it to say agriculture in Quebec isn’t important?”
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He said Quebec farmers “feel isolated” from the federal department.
Goodale and his staff jumped to the defence of the department, offering both statistics and commitments.
Goodale said 22 percent of Agriculture Canada staff are francophone, and that he has met with and has good relations with Quebec farm groups and the Quebec agriculture minister.
“I have very good lines of communication,” he said. “I want to be sure that farm issues in Quebec as elsewhere receive the attention they deserve.”
Assistant deputy minister Mich-elle Comeau, the only francophone in the senior executive ranks of the department, then joined the fray.
“Quebec farmers do not feel left out or isolated from the federal government,” she insisted. “It is quite the contrary.”
She too cited contacts with Quebec farm groups and the Quebec agriculture ministry as proof that relations are good.
It was the first direct evidence at the agriculture committee of a “Quebec agenda” being pursued by the separatist Bloc QuŽbecois.
In most of the committee hearings, Marchand and his colleagues have been asking more general questions and often praising Canadian agricultural policies ranging from orderly marketing to food inspection and food quality.
