There was nothing left to talk about.
That’s why he and Manitoba’s agriculture minister walked out of the federal-provincial agriculture ministers meeting last week, according to Saskatchewan agriculture minister Dwain Lingenfelter.
In what he said was his last offer, federal agriculture minister Lyle Vanclief on Jan. 13 came up with $1 billion over two years to be spread across Canada.
That’s a far cry from the $1.3 billion federal equalization payment Saskat-chewan and Manitoba politicians and farm leaders went to Ottawa in October to ask for.
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Despite the fact that farm income problems in the West are largely a made-in-Ottawa problem, it has been obvious for some time that federal politicians were not going to cough up the money.
It has also been obvious that provincial governments would have to kick in, either in cash or in kind.
The big question is, what will the Saskatchewan and Manitoba agriculture ministers do now?
Vanclief has made it clear that, without a provincial contribution, farmers in the offending provinces will get no aid.
The Saskatchewan Party is asking, as well it might, about Plan B. So far, there is no indication of a Plan B, C or D.
The disappointing part is the prime minister’s role.
The farmers who are in trouble are Canadian citizens and as such can expect to have their prime minister address their difficulties, even if in addressing them, he says he can do little or nothing.
The prime minister, save for his humbling of two provincial premiers in October, has been conspicuous by his absence. He has not set foot on a Manitoba or Saskatchewan farm nor has he directly addressed the crisis.
Western farmers have the right to expect better. The sad fact is that the prime minister feels he doesn’t need the West. He is almost assured of victory in the next election, and elections are won in the East.
There are many in Western Canada who would separate at worst, or not elect any Liberals west of Thunder Bay at best.
I think differently: I believe we should stay in Canada and that, come the next federal election, whenever it may be, every prairie farmer should be out campaigning and voting for the Liberal candidate in his or her area.
The best thing the West can do is outflank the PM by sending a strong contingent of Liberals to Ottawa. We can’t beat them so we might as well join them and give them a real taste of Western politics when we get to Ottawa.
