AT FIRST, it was meant to be a simple federal announcement of funding for a Quebec cull cow removal program, staged in Quebec City for maximum good news coverage in a province where the federal Liberals have been battered of late.
Then “the centre” got involved and everything was more complicated.
And June 29, 2005 was not the first time agriculture minister Andy Mitchell was ambushed by the centre – the combination of the prime minister’s office and the privy council office that evaluates and manages decisions announced in Ottawa and often freelances announcements that responsible ministers must then live with and explain.
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To the public, the role of the centre is little known. In political Ottawa, it is a powerful player.
Mitchell’s June 29 announcement is a classic example. Since Quebec was the first province with a plan to cash in on a federal offer of cull cow funding, an announcement was planned for Quebec City.
The centre read the proposed announcement and insisted it include reference to other provinces.
Then, prime minister Paul Martin called a cabinet meeting in Ottawa the morning of June 29 so Mitchell could not go to Quebec City. The Quebec minister and provincial farm leaders agreed to meet in Gatineau across the river from Ottawa for a post-cabinet meeting and a 2:20 p.m. news conference that would attract Quebec media.
At noon, the prime minister’s office decided Martin would hold his first formal news conference in months at 2 p.m. Reporters were focused.
One reporter, not from Quebec, showed up at Mitchell’s event. So much for publicity.
But Mitchell must be getting accustomed to the less-than-helpful interference.
On March 29, he was poised to announce a billion dollar, no-strings-attached federal farm aid program when the centre decided provinces should cost-share.
An uncomfortable Mitchell was forced to say provinces were expected to throw in an additional $650 million. Provinces considered it a betrayal, committing provincial dollars without consultation. It soured efforts Mitchell was making to deal with provincial complaints about program affordability.
The incident revived memories of a decade ago when then-agriculture minister Ralph Goodale was scheduled to hold a nationally televised announcement in Regina. When it finally happened after a delay, Goodale seemed unsure of himself, vague and dodgy.
It turned out that on the way to the news conference, the centre had called to say all necessary approvals had not been obtained and the announcement could not be made. Goodale couldn’t cancel the event but he also couldn’t say anything of substance.
Then there was Oct. 3, 1986 when prime minister Brian Mulroney informed the House of Commons, and a surprised agriculture minister John Wise, that $1 billion would be going to western grain farmers.
Unbeknownst to Wise, Mulroney had endured a frantic middle-of-the night telephone plea from campaigning Saskatchewan Conservative premier Grant Devine that without a dramatic federal farm announcement, he could lose the election.
Mulroney improvised and Wise had to figure out how to do it.
This simply is a cautionary tale for those quick to judge agriculture minister performances. They may be doing damage control around decisions from the centre.
