Disaster assistance, grain transportation, trade and farm subsidies were all on the minds of Western Canada’s premiers last week as they huddled – and at times butted heads – in Brandon last week.
The provincial leaders were united in their call for a meeting with Ottawa to review the disaster financial assistance arrangement that failed to compensate farmers flooded last spring in southeastern Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba.
Manitoba premier Gary Doer stuck with his position that Ottawa must compensate farmers in that region for at least part of their lost input costs.
Read Also
StatCan stands by its model-based crop forecast
Statistics Canada’s model-based production estimates are under scrutiny, but agency says it is confident in the results.
Manitoba remains willing to put up a 10 percent share of assistance if Ottawa agrees to come through with the balance, Doer said. However, he gave no sign that Manitoba will go above that 10 percent to help draw disaster money out of Ottawa.
Saskatchewan premier Roy Romanow appeared more flexible on the issue.
In an interview following the conference, Romanow hinted his government might be willing to budge on the cost-sharing ratio with Ottawa.
However, he would not elaborate other than to say: “We have to keep some options open.”
Estimates last year placed the flooded area in Manitoba and Saskatchewan at more than two million acres. Many of the crops planted in the affected region yielded poorly due to disease and insects.
The federal government earlier this spring said the 1999 flooding did not meet the criteria of the disaster financial assistance program.
Still hoping
Romanow said he continues to believe Ottawa might still come through with support, even if it comes from outside the disaster financial assistance arrangement.
“I don’t believe the file is closed.”
Manitoba last year helped its flooded farmers with the announcement by the former Tory government of a $50 per acre payment for unseeded acreage.
Farm groups said the payment helped, but more money is needed to compensate farmers for lost inputs and the expense of maintaining fields that did not produce crops last year.
On the subject of grain transport-ation, the western premiers endorsed the need for a more accountable and efficient grain handling and transportation system.
They want a role in monitoring the effects of the grain handling and transportation reforms planned by Ottawa in the wake of the Estey/ Kroeger process.
The premiers also insisted that Ottawa needs to spend more money on roads, noting the federal government gets $5 billion in fuel taxes annually.
They want to work with Ottawa to develop a national transportation strategy that takes into account the increasing flow of goods north and south between Canada and the United States.
And they want Ottawa to increase the global competitiveness of western shipping ports, including Prince Rupert and Churchill. Continued efforts to give short-line railroads greater access to main lines would also help.
End to subsidies
The western premiers said they will press Ottawa to aggressively lobby for the removal of all forms of export subsidies during the World Trade Organization talks.
At the same time, the premiers said they do not want Western Canada’s agricultural interests traded off to protect other interests during negotiations.
