By keeping Lyle Vanclief as his agriculture minister last week, prime
minister Jean Chrétien signalled his support for the minister’s efforts
to revamp national farm policy, says agricultural and political players.
On Jan. 15, Chrétien announced the largest cabinet shake-up of his
eight-year, prime ministerial career, but the agriculture minister was
not moved despite opposition suggestions that it should be done.
“The prime minister is happy with the job Vanclief has been doing and
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he obviously wants him to continue with the files he has,” a senior
Chrétien adviser said moments after the new cabinet was unveiled.
Vanclief said later it is a clear signal that he has the government’s
support when he negotiates with provincial governments on the design of
a long-term agricultural policy.
“I have had discussions with the prime minister and cabinet in general
about the ongoing development of the agriculture policy framework and
the cabinet and the PM are excited about that, supportive of that,” he
said in a Jan. 21 interview. “I guess the way I read it is that he
wants to see it completed and in asking me to continue, I assume that
endorses continuing the direction and work that we are doing.”
Observers speculated that the fact Vanclief is in the middle of a major
policy negotiation helped keep his position secure.
“I think clearly agriculture policy is in transition and that may have
been the reason to keep the minister there,” said Canadian Federation
of Agriculture president Bob Friesen. “A new minister would have set
the process back. We will continue to work with him.”
Opposition critics suggested Vanclief kept his job because he is a weak
link at cabinet who does not give the prime minister or other ministers
a hard time over their treatment of farmers.
“I suppose from the prime minister’s perspective, Mr. Vanclief is a
good guy to have on the job because he doesn’t pressure them for more
money or help for farmers living through perilous times,” said New
Democratic Party critic Dick Proctor.
Canadian Alliance critic Howard Hilstrom suggested Vanclief may have
kept his job because there are no obvious successors.
“I don’t know if the prime minister really had many options and I
suppose Vanclief really hasn’t embarrassed himself or the government,”
said Hilstrom. “He’s not the best agriculture minister but he may be
the best option that Chrétien has. I don’t think agriculture even
appears on Jean Chrétien’s radar screen.”
National Farmers Union president Stewart Wells said whatever Chrétien’s
reasons, the continuing presence of Vanclief is bad news for farmers.
“I’m reasonably sure that at least out here, a majority of farmers were
looking for a change,” Wells said Jan. 20 from his Swift Current,
Sask., farm.
Still, the reaffirmation of Vanclief’s place in government strengthened
his hand as he heads into a year of crucial negotiations with provinces
and farm leaders.
He is leading the charge to create a national policy that connects
income protection, risk management, food safety, environmental
stewardship, training, research and most other threads in one large
take-it-or-leave-it package for farmers.
He meets provincial ministers Jan. 24 in Toronto and hopes to complete
negotiations in June in Halifax. On Feb. 6, he outlines his proposals
for a new farm policy to members of the House of Commons agriculture
committee, with a later visit to the Senate agriculture committee.
