OTTAWA – Politicians and farm leaders were still angry earlier this week at their reception in the nation’s capital when they arrived to press for more farm aid.
Sideswiped. Ambushed. Blind-sided. Sandbagged.
Those words were used by about 40 political and farm leaders from Saskatchewan and Manitoba who went to Ottawa to ask for aid, only to be told the situation isn’t as bad as they think.
The delegation was asking for $1 billion for Saskatchewan and $300 million for Manitoba, in what they call trade equalization payments.
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But the trip took an unexpected turn from the start.
Premiers Roy Romanow and Gary Doer emerged from a 75-minute meeting Oct. 29 with prime minister Jean ChrŽtien and agriculture minister Lyle Vanclief, to say they had been told new federal projections indicate a better financial situation ahead for farmers.
The new numbers contradict those upon which the provinces had based their arguments. Both provinces expect negative net farm income for the first time since the 1930s.
The situation became more unusual when federal officials would not release the new numbers to the premiers, prompting the leaders to dub them “phantom.”
Romanow said: “Verbally we were told by Mr. Vanclief that in the Manitoba situation, rather than showing a minus $100 million negative loss, the latest October figures showed a plus $200 million. When it came to Saskatchewan there was no such specificity at all. In fact, as the discussion … progressed the numbers that we were given were numbers showing that the unemployment rate in Saskatchewan was the lowest in Canada.”
But Romanow did say he had a briefing earlier in the week from his officials who raised the prospect of newer, more positive numbers.
Vanclief said he understood that federal and provincial officials have been discussing anticipated fall returns. But he didn’t offer anything more.
“They’re not finalized numbers and that’s why I’m not saying what the numbers are,” he told reporters.
Although both premiers appeared resigned at first, by the next day they were angry. To dispute Ottawa, they produced their own numbers and the Canadian Wheat Board’s latest pool return outlook showing expected price
declines.
“I think it’s safe to say that our united farm delegation has gone from hopeful yesterday to angry today,” said Doer.
“They were met with new figures and doublespeak. And what farmers don’t need is doublespeak. They need plain talk and realistic solutions to the farm crisis.”
Both premiers called the numbers issue an annoyance and said it was a tactic designed to distract people from the issue. Doer said Ottawa does not understand the human dimension of the farm crisis.
The premiers sent a letter to ChrŽtien Oct. 29, asking for the revised income projections by the end of the day so the provinces could analyze them. At press time Nov. 1, the numbers had not arrived.
The provinces also called on the prime minister to visit to witness the seriousness of the situation.
