SASKATOON – North Dakota senator Kent Conrad, angry at a Canadian clampdown on imports of U.S. wheat, is trying to whip up support for retaliatory strikes.
So far at least, his proposals for bans on Canadian durum entering the U.S. and a ban on Canadian cattle because of a risk of mad cow disease haven’t found much support in American political circles.
And in Canada, the federal agriculture minister called him a “dingbat,” while the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association president said Conrad’s position has illustrated the strength of co-operation between the two countries.
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“You had one person react and others down there quell that rather quickly,” said Dennis Laycraft of the cattlemen’s association. “I think it came out more positive than threatening.”
Because of Canada’s ban on all U.S. durum imports due to the karnal bunt outbreak in the southern U.S., which includes shipments passing through Canada bound for other countries, Conrad introduced legislation in the American Senate to ban all Canadian durum imports. He also threatened to introduce legislation to ban Canadian cattle and beef imports, citing a risk of mad cow disease.
Cancelled threat
Laycraft said American cattle industry groups immediately contacted Conrad and he quickly agreed not to introduce his anti-Canadian beef bill. The Canadian embassy in Washington, D.C. said Conrad has told them the bill will not be introduced to the Senate.
The Canadian embassy has also asked Conrad to reconsider his anti-Canadian durum bill.
In an interview, Conrad chuckled about the mad cow claim, saying it was not a serious suggestion.
However, he thinks Canada’s ban of all U.S. durum wheat is equally ridiculous, and that’s the point he was trying to make.
“I said if you’re going to do that to us, we’re going to have the equivalent treatment for you,” Conrad said. He added he doesn’t think Canadian cattle are infected with mad cow disease, but since England is about as far from Canada as karnal bunt infected wheat is from North Dakota, it is a fitting comparison.
Karnal bunt has been found in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and California. One shipment of infected seed was recently discovered in Montana.
The usually phlegmatic Ralph Goodale reacted angrily to Conrad’s mad cow suggestions, calling the senator a “dingbat,” “grossly irresponsible,” “mindlessly anti-Canadian” and a “knee jerk protectionist.”
Conrad points to his Canadian ancestry and recent vacation here as proof that he isn’t anti-Canadian. He described Goodale as “apparently not someone who’s given to … rational dialogue. I think it’s unfortunate when anybody just resorts to name-calling and personal derogation.”
But Goodale defended his harsh denunciation.
Conrad is “playing with fire when he leaves the impression that there is a health risk in Canadian beef. It’s very important when Canada has effectively been slandered, when a statement has been so grossly irresponsible, so patently false, to leave no doubt about the Canadian point of view,” Goodale said.
