Orsak is a Manitoba grain farmer and chair of Grain Vision, a farm and industry based coalition.
An economist once told me that putting new regulations in place is easy, while trying to remove existing red tape is almost impossible, even when it’s universally accepted as necessary.
That seems to be the case when it comes to reforming the Canada Grain Act.
This act, which regulates almost every aspect of the Canadian grain industry, has not been updated since 1970. Think about your own farm or business. What shape would it be in if you had not renewed your methods of operation for 35 years?
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There is no question that a farm that refused to modernize its business practices would fall behind. There is no question Canada’s grain industry will fall behind our international competitors if we refuse to modernize.
Yet falling behind is exactly what is happening because of unwillingness to move forward with overdue improvement of this legislative framework, something both previous and present governments have known.
There is no shortage of reports and studies showing the need for change. The 2006 Compass report on the Canada Grain Act is the latest in the line of consultants’ reports that have largely been ignored. The 2002 report from Douglas Livingstone, Germain Douk and Owen McAuley recommended change.
A search through almost every report on improving the agriculture economy will yield the words “reducing regulations.”
Opposition and government MPs alike see the need for change. Take, for example, the all party House of Commons standing committee that unanimously recommended reform, no small feat in the political environment of today.
After all these reports, covering the mandates of three different prime ministers and at least five different agriculture ministers, we have seen some movement with the tabling of Bill C-39, an act to amend the Canada Grain Act.
The bill has the specific objectives of cutting out unnecessary regulations and costs. The changes proposed, reforms that have been discussed and debated for years, will help encourage increased efficiency and improve Canada’s ability to compete in export markets. The government is not just talking about reducing red tape, but moving forward with proposals for action. It’s about time.
Why have some politicians forgotten why they sought input for change, and supported it? Has partisan political gamesmanship overtaken their duty of leadership?
Cue the special interests groups. The unions don’t like this bill because there will be fewer people working at the Canadian Grain Commission. They have launched a campaign of misinformation stating that Canadian food safety and our quality assurance programs will be put at risk because of this legislation.
This is fear mongering at its worst. None of their statements are based in fact.
Groups with a political agenda on grain marketing have latched onto this bill as another way to oppose the government.
Reforming the Canada Grain Act and the CGC has nothing to do with the grain marketing debate. Reasoned people would approach these as distinct issues, but reason seems to get lost when political stakes are raised.
There are individuals who are opposing this bill whose only motivation could be political. It should not be lost on anyone that CGC appointees from previous political administrations are leading voices opposing the necessary changes brought forward in Bill C-39.
These campaigns have been working. Bill C-39 was first introduced in December. It has had a few hours of debate at best, but has languished at the bottom of the government’s priorities.
Opposition parties have forgotten their past consensus on the need for reform. They are now listening only to the special interests opposed to change, a political convenience for opposing the government’s attempt to move forward. The bill has gone nowhere in six months.
There is still time before the House of Commons recesses for summer to move reform forward. To do that MPs from all parties must get back to the non-partisan agreement they were part of in the recent past. Modernizing the Canada Grain Act is not a partisan issue, it is simply necessary.
There may be ways that the legislation can be improved, but let that be the debate and not whether the bill should proceed.
Not updating this legislation is hampering our ability to compete on the international stage. That takes money out of farmers’ pockets.
That should be unacceptable to our political leaders, on both sides of the House. If they put agriculture first, and not their own views or the interests of small but loud vocal opponents to change, they would make this policy reform a priority.
