How can farmers get their message heard these days?
Every day that passes without rain makes the problem that much greater.
Yet they can’t be sure drought assistance is forthcoming.
Last week the Liberal caucus met in Edmonton.
You may have heard about the prime minister’s comments there.
Lots of angst resulted, from Albertans worried about sharing the province’s wealth.
Elsewhere in his remarks, there was nothing about agriculture or drought.
However, his ministers said the subject was discussed at length.
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Even so, they didn’t emerge with any announcements, except to suggest the matter will be discussed in Parliament next month.
Lyle Vanclief again expressed his disappointment that not all farmers bought crop insurance.
Perhaps he’s right, but perhaps he doesn’t understand the whole story.
Underneath his political guise, though, is a former farmer.
Surely that will count for something this fall.
That’s when farmers across Canada will be asking for ad-hoc drought assistance.
Hopefully he will heed their words and honour their requests.
Reading between the lines isn’t his strong suit, though.
Often the government seems quite obtuse when it comes to farm aid.
Unless it’s politically expedient, it seems farmers’ needs get short shrift.
Government definitely has its foibles.
How do we get our elected officials to listen?
Trickery, perhaps?
How about sending coded, subliminal messages?
Eventually, a barrage of requests for assistance, though coded, could have the intended effect.
Dogged determination might be just the ticket.
Repetition of the message could wear the government down.
Over the course of a few months, drought assistance could be ours.
Unless the government figures out this subtle coding, this sly steganography.
Goodness knows they figure out a lot of things.
Hopefully this same subliminal plea won’t be lost on the agriculture minister.
The hidden message in this column is not very subtle, after all.
