NEWS RELEASE
November 3, 1998 For Immediate Delivery
VANCLIEF SAYS FARMERS SHOULDN’T EXPECT TO MAKE A LIVING FROM FARMING
"Agriculture Minister ignores crisis. He wants to show farmers how to use all the tools in their tool box."
Ottawa
Ottawa—Today, Garry Breitkreuz, MP for Yorkton-Melville and Deputy Agriculture Critic led Reform’s emergency debate on the farm income crisis in the House of Commons. Reform used one of their few supply days to force the government to address the crisis. Breitkreuz’ motion was seconded by Preston Manning, Leader of the Official Opposition.
Reform’s Motion debated in Parliament today read: "That, in the opinion of this House, the government should move immediately to defend the interests of Canadian farmers from the unfair subsidies and unfair trading practices by foreign countries which has changed the problem of stagnant farm incomes to a full blown farm income crisis, and in the event no immediate progress is made on this front, introduce emergency measures to provide tax relief, lower input costs, reduce user fees, and address the inadequacies of the farm safety net programs."
"I was shocked by the Minister of Agriculture’s remarks that farmers shouldn’t expect to make a living from farming," exclaimed Breitkreuz. Instead of responding intelligently to Reform’s proposals to lower taxes, reduce user fees disguised as taxes, and improve farm safety net programs, the Minister implied farmers should get another job off the farm! Reform forced the Liberals to debate the farm income crisis in the House and the Minister answers with bureaucratic buzzwords like ‘strategic approaches’, ‘economic fundamentals’, ‘cyclical downturns,’ ‘the reality of farming’. And, how did the Minister say he was going to help the thousands farmers currently in crisis? The Minister of Agriculture responded by saying that he wants to show farmers how to use all the tools in their tool box," reported Breitkreuz. "The Minister conveniently forgets that it was his own government that threw a wrench into the gears of the agriculture industry with big government debt, high taxes, onerous user fees and high transportation costs. It was Liberal tinkering that brought the Ag machine to a grinding halt."
Breitkreuz challenged the Minister of Agriculture with four questions one of which disputed Mr. Vanclief’s claims that NISA (Net Income Stabilization Act) is the solution to this crisis. "Those farmers who are hurting the most have been unable to put funds away in NISA," Breitkreuz informed the Minister. "The Minister ducked all four questions, just like his government is ducking the farm income crisis," concluded Breitkreuz.
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The Office of Garry Breitkreuz, M.P.
Yorkton: (306) 782-3309
Ottawa: (613) 992-4394