Ag minister gets marching orders
Saturday, November 14, 2015
By BETTER FARMING STAFF
The nine industry-specific points that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has outlined in a mandate letter to Canada’s new minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food are “right on the money as far as we’re concerned,” says the Ontario Federation of Agriculture’s general manager.
“Our priorities are all in there that we (the federation) spoke of during the election with a couple of things that are added bonuses,” says Neil Currie.
Those perks include a directive to rebuild the federal agricultural research capacity and another one to develop a food policy that draws on Canadian products to deliver healthy living and food safety.
“That’s almost like our national food strategy,” says Currie of the food policy, referring to the strategy the Canadian Federation of Agriculture had developed a few years ago.
What is refreshing, he adds, is the decision to make the prime minister’s mandate letters to his cabinet ministers public. “It’s very helpful for us.”
The letters were released Friday and it’s the first time mandates to ministers have been made public at the federal level. Last year, Ontario’s premier, Kathleen Wynne, publically released mandate letters to ministers in her new government, making her priorities clear.
Alfons Weersink, a professor in the University of Guelph Food Agriculture and Resource Economics department, says while Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay’s letter contains some components that are reflective of the overall priorities of the new government, “I’m not sure if it would have been much different regardless of which party had won the election.”
For example, a review of the federal agriculture income support programs, one of the objectives listed, is part of a well-defined and routine approach to the development of agricultural policy. “Every five years they’ll take a look, work with the provinces and producers to see what needs to be changed,” Weersink says.
Carrying more of the Liberal platform stamp “is looking at the climate change aspects and what investments will help the ag sector in moving to a more sustainable system,” he says.
The proposal to create an investment fund that will help create jobs in food processing is unique as well, he adds. “Increasingly we’re seeing that what is really important to the success of the agricultural sector is having a viable processing sector.”
But ultimately, the mandate letter’s objectives are broad, even “a little vague,” Weersink says.
Both Currie and Weersink concur that the objectives and how the new government ranks them in terms of priority should become more apparent once the new Liberal majority government establishes its first budget early in the new year.
However, Weersink adds, some of that priority establishing will involve negotiation with the provinces — “in terms of income support programs for sure.”
Other agriculture and agrifood objectives Trudeau lists are:
- “Promote Canadian agricultural interests during future trade negotiations;”
- Review components affecting agriculture in the review of the Canadian Transportation Act and help to ensure transportation infrastructure for agriculture is in place and has the capacity to meet its needs; and
- Support the goal of the ministers of Natural Resources and Environment and Climate Change “in making investments that will make our resource sectors world leaders in the use and development of clean and sustainable technology and processes.”
While MacAulay now has a mandate, a receptionist responding to a Better Farming call to the minister’s office Friday afternoon said he does not yet have staff. No official photo of the minister is available. BF