2007-09 (September)
Farmers busy with the fall harvest took time out on September 21st to meet with the federal Agriculture and Agri-food Minister, the Hon. Gerry Ritz. I was pleased that he agreed to make our Constituency one of his first stops since his appointment in August.
In his remarks to the 150 people who gathered for beef on a bun in Lacombe, Mr. Ritz stressed the importance of a healthy agriculture industry. He outlined the Government’s priorities for this sector and responded to questions from the audience. Then, he mingled with producers and listened to their opinions and concerns.
Following on the good news that the United States plans to open the border to Canadian cattle (Nov. 19) over 30 months, earlier in the day, the Minister announced a $1.5 million plan to bolster exports of Canadian beef in international markets through the Canada Beef Export Federation. The money will help the organization's efforts to expand into existing markets and develop new ones.
One issue that was foremost on everybody’s mind was the Federal Court decision that overturned new Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) Regulations that would have allowed Western Canadian farmers to choose how they market their barley beginning August 1, 2007. Over 29,000 Western barley farmers voted in this fair plebiscite process and the majority, sixty-two per cent, said they wanted the choice to market their barley outside the CWB monopoly. Minister Ritz confirmed the Government’s intention to appeal the court decision.
The appeal will take some time to work its way through the courts but in the mean time, a new session of Parliament is just a few weeks away. The First Session of the 39th Parliament was exceptionally productive, especially for a Government in a minority situation. We delivered on all the major commitments we made to Canadians during the 2006 election. Now it’s time to launch the next phase in our mandate.
The Government’s plans and priorities will be outlined in the Speech from the Throne that will be read by Governor General Michaëlle Jean on October 16th at the opening of the Second Session of this Parliament. You can be sure that in the coming weeks and months, the Conservative government will continue to deliver by: paying down debt; cutting taxes even further; and strengthening accountability through democratic reform.
Strong leadership, focussed on results, will continue to guide our Government as we work to make our country even stronger and even better for all of Canada’s families.
The Opposition parties are staking their ground, setting conditions for supporting the Throne Speech that they haven’t even seen yet. If the Liberals, Bloc Quebecois and the NDP vote against it, our minority government would fall and Canada would face another federal election so stay tuned, it will be an interesting fall.
If you wish more information on these or any federally related matters please contact my Constituency office at: #6, 4612 - 50th Street, Ponoka, T4J 1S7 tel: (403) 783-5530; toll free:1-800-665-0865 or check my web site: www.blainecalkinsmp.ca