Rookie federal agriculture minister Chuck Strahl was just a day into briefings for his new job and already, he said he was beginning to understand what a challenge he had been handed by prime minister Stephen Harper.
He also announced that the Conservative party promise of an additional $500 million a year in farm supports, including trade injury compensation, will be included in the first Conservative budget expected in April shortly after the new Parliament convenes for the first time April 3.
The 48-year-old logging and construction company executive from the Chilliwack-Fraser Valley riding in British Columbia told reporters Feb. 7 he was beginning to get a sense of the scope of the job. Although his riding includes farmers ranging from dairy and chicken to cattle, Strahl has not been a visible player in agricultural debates since he was first elected to Parliament as a Reform MP in 1993.
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“It’s a busy and complex portfolio, I have no doubts about that,” he said after the first caucus meeting of the new Conservative government.
“Also, agriculture is a very passionate thing for people who are involved in it. It is their livelihood and so it is not just a theoretical discussion. It is a passionate discussion for them because it’s their lives so I understand all that and I understand it will be lots of work.”
Like all new ministers, Strahl received a “mandate letter” from the prime minister when he was sworn into office Feb. 6. He said he dealt with the first order the first day, announcing that $755 million promised by the Liberals for grain and oilseed producers would be sent out faster and with more upfront money than the Liberals had planned.
“I checked off my first priority my first day,” Strahl told reporters. “That one is done.”
But the rookie, whose appointment was met with some reserve and skepticism by farm leaders who had not dealt with him through a 13-year parliamentary career, acknowledged there is much to do.
“My mandate includes the stuff we talked about during the campaign, redesigning the agricultural support system, separating disaster relief from regular support,” he said. “We’re going to deal with the $500 million extra we talked about in the campaign, make sure that is in the budget and in a way that’s not in the CAIS (Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization program).”
Other priorities
Strahl also acknowledged that his new job will quickly involve getting familiar with the BSE issue, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the crucial phase of talks at the World Trade Organization.
Last week, he met with agriculture trade negotiator Steve Verheul, who told him the agriculture minister is expected to be present in Geneva when negotiations reach crucial points.
On his “to do” list are meetings with a variety of farm leaders with a variety of demands.
As a surprise non-farmer agriculture minister out of a caucus heavy in farm-connected MPs from Ontario and the Prairies, Strahl acknowledged that he will have lots of advice and lots of second-guessers within his own party.
“I have no illusions about how difficult and complex this portfolio is,” said Strahl. “It also is a very exciting challenge.”
He is the fourth agriculture minister in less than three years, facing enormous farm income and export policy challenges, as well as the burden of Conservative election promises to top up farm support programs and to rewrite farm support policies while supporting supply management and abolishing the Canadian Wheat Board monopoly.
